What Body Is the Best For Rowing?
If you were paying attention you would see that the structure of a rowers body has seen changes over the years. 50 years previous the build of average rowers were quite small, the emphasis being on lightness and a body built for endurance. These days though, rowing performers have more developed physiques and are generally much larger. Rowers are now seletced when they are young if they show promising shape and what they eat is closely monitored in order to allow their bodies to develop in the right way. So what is the best body for a rower to own?
Height is an attribute that rowers share, most are well above average. What this essentially means is that their pull distance is more than most peoples and the forces that can be generated increase proportionally. Rowers do a lot of work in the gym on their legs, often being able to lift their own body weight whilst doing squats. This strong lower body is the powerhouse of the motion and is essential in both generating momentum at the beginning of the race and keeping the boat moving at a steady pace until the boat crosses the finish line. Next time you are at the Henley Regatta Hospitality take a look at the legs of the rowers when they are pulling away from the start. You will view a supreeme site as they pulsate and create great power. These strains would likely be unbearable for a normal humans lower body to bear.
Super power of the legs is also shared by the back which is another centre of strength in a rower. Simular to ducks, rowers may look a bit uncomfortable on land (due to their large proportions) but they are incredibly efficient when they can onto the wet stuff. Their backs are very well built and rounded and this allows them to pull the ores back with immense force, and much like the legs, maintain that force throughout the race. Lastly, whilst rowers are very well built, they actually have a great deal of slow-twitch fibres in their muscles (often associated with long distance athletes). This means they are able to sustain their activity for longer durations and can mean the difference between first or last place in the common long races. A lot of corporate hospitality events are long distance and you’ll see these are often suited to slightly body types. However, rowers also need high-end strength for the fast and powerful movement they perform and so they can equally be found with lots of fast-twtich fibres.
