Leaning back too far will cause your feet to release the pressure on the footplate, and create timing and rhythm problems. This is caused mainly by the shoulders being too far behind the line of the hips at the finish of the stroke.

Not leaning back far enough will cause you difficulty at the end of the stroke as there will not be enough room for you to move the hands away into the stroke recovery. Poor posture of the upper body aggravates this problem, the head and eyes will probably be looking down.

The best way to correct this condition is an exercise called "feet-out".

Remove the feet from the straps and rest them on the stretcher.  Take a few strokes.  This will feel really peculiar around the finish. You will not be able to lean too far back as this will cause you to lift your feet totally away from the footplate. The last point at which your feet are firmly in contact, and assuming that your posture is correct, is the right angle for your back to be in. If you are not leaning over enough you will be hitting the knees on the recovery. This will feel a natural position for you after a continued application period.

This is the result of the legs being driven too fast in relation to the arm pull. There will be no connection between the arms and legs, leaving the lower back to bring everything together at the end of the stroke. Over stretching at the catch will also cause ‘bum-shoving’ to occur, as you will miss the connection, the leg drive will automatically begin, leaving the arms to trail behind. This is not economical use of your body or energy, and will result in a soreness and rapid fatigue of the lower back muscles.

This problem is relatively easy to rectify. Good use of slide exercises is essential. Start with fixed seat rowing and gradually build through to full slide.  Practice in the warm-up and use the exercises to warm-down with.  Try to use a mirror, this will help you realize any potential posture and technique difficulties.

Q "How important is the stroke rate to ratio?"

The stroke rate determines the amount of time you allow yourself to recover (the time spent coming forward on the slide) against the time you spend working (power through the water).  The higher the stroke rate the less time you have to recover.  The ratio remains the same, whatever the stroke rate (1:2 work to recovery).

Definition between the two permits recovery and preparation for the next stroke. Try rowing with your eyes closed, working at about 60-65% intensity and then gliding up the slide taking twice as long to recover , practicing rhythm control. When you first start rowing try counting through the stroke and recovery, to help your timing and ratio.

Rowing, like swimming, cycling or running, should be a smooth flowing action. The WaterRower’s patented WaterFlywheel has been designed to simulate precisely the smooth natural resistance experienced in real rowing, removing the damaging jerkiness and impact of other rowing machines which may cause back injury.

Back injuries are more prevalent in the hyper-extension type sports like gymnastics and golf etc. Often the problem is created due to bad posture. It is important to maintain a strong posture when rowing. By exercising the corset muscles of the torso, rowing will indeed strengthen the back, thus helping to prevent injury.

Yes - if you intend to compete in the next Olympics!  But like all naturally performed aerobic exercises, rowing can be as strenuous as you want it to be.  It may require no more effort than a gentle walk or as much as an Olympic regatta.