Strength Coach Roundtable #10: Strength, Physical Therapy, Rowing

Guest coaches Karen Calara and Caitlin McClain join the Roundtable for a discussion of how strength coaches, physical therapists, and rowing coaches can better support each other and work together to solve common rowing technical problems and ultimately build better, faster, healthier rowers. Tune in for specific advice for common technical problems of the stroke as well as general advice for the rower or coach who wants to begin incorporating strength training and physical therapy principles into their training.

Hear it also on Soundcloud and iTunes

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0:00: Introductions

• Karen Calara: MSPT, CSCS
  • Aligned and Balanced Rowing: Website/Facebook
• Caitlin McClain
  • Holy Names Academy, USA U19 National Team assistant coach

3:17: Defining our roles as coaches

• Research: Strength training doesn’t actually improve performance? (It improves sport-relevant athletic qualities, which MAY improve sport performance, and also reduces injuries)
  • Resistance exercise and sports performance: The minority report
• How Karen uses orthotics, seat pads, and other accommodations to help rowers fit their equipment better and row better.

20:32: Body angle and lack of compression

• Goblet Squat
• Hip Hinge
• Teaching the Hip Hinge

33:53: Lunging into the catch, throwing the shoulder

• Scapular exercises:
  • Band Pullapart
  • Batwing Row
  • Facepull
  • X-Band Row
  • YWT Raise
  • Prone YWT Raise
• Why I Hate the Bench Pull
• Drills Analyzed: Neutral Spine Finish Position
• Karen’s Hip Mobility Sequence
• Mobility for Rowers: Thoracic Spine

52:16: Early arm break

58:12: Takeaways for rowing coaches from strength training and physical therapy

• Karen’s Hip Mobility Sequence
• Will’s Full-Body Rowing Warmup

Thanks for listening! If you have a question or comment, please leave it below and we’ll respond. Until our next episode, you can listen to all of our old ones here in the Rowperfect UK archives.