The muscles of the legs are the largest and strongest
muscle group in the body, and therefore contribute a large portion of the work during
the rowing stroke. The muscles of the upper body and torso simply add to
the work of the legs as the angle between the calf and the thigh
increases and the effectiveness of the legs declines.
The speed at which the leg angle opens is related to
the speed of the boat moving through the water and is relatively slow.
The speed of the drive phase is anything from ½ second to 1 second
(discussed later in section in Ratio and Rhythm).