Why Early Arm Bend and Knee Timing Kill Your Rowing Efficiency (Beginner Mistakes Series – Part 3)
with Aram and Doc Charley
If you’re new to rowing—or coaching beginners—you’ve probably seen this before: arms bending far too early during the drive, and knees shooting up too soon on the recovery. These are two of the most common beginner rowing mistakes, and in Part 3 of our “Most Classic Beginner Mistakes” video series, Doc Charley and I break them down and show you how to fix them for good.
🚫 Why Early Arm Bend Is a Problem
Many beginners believe pulling early with the arms gives them more control or more power. The opposite is true. When you bend your arms too soon during the drive, you’re effectively robbing yourself of the larger, more powerful muscle groups—legs and back—that are designed to do the heavy lifting early in the stroke.
What you end up with are “cheap early watts.” They show up quickly on the power curve, but they’re not sustainable, efficient, or biomechanically correct.
✅ Why Relaxed, Straight Arms Generate More Power
Keeping your arms long during the first part of the drive allows you to:
- Leverage your legs and back properly
- Store elastic energy through effective sequencing
- Create a smoother, longer drive phase
- Reduce upper-body fatigue and injury risk
A good rowing stroke is sustainable, powerful, and repeatable. Early arm bend breaks that rhythm.
🦵 The Related Problem: Early Knee Bend on the Recovery
Just as important is what happens on the way back. Beginners often rush to bend their knees before their hands have cleared the knees. This kills boat run and disrupts recovery rhythm.
In this episode, we show how these two timing issues—early arm bend and early knee bend—are often symptoms of the same core misunderstanding: poor sequencing.
🧠 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Why most rowers bend their arms early—and how to stop
- How early knee bend ruins your rhythm and timing
- Simple drills to retrain your movement pattern
- How to develop a natural, effective stroke sequence
- Why “cheap watts” are holding back your performance
🔁 Fix Both Issues at Once
These two mistakes are often connected. That’s why we recommend working on recovery sequencing and drive setup together. You’ll be amazed how quickly your stroke smooths out once these issues are addressed.
▶️ Watch the Full Video
Part 3: Classic Rowing Mistakes – Early Arm & Knee Bend
🚣♀️ Filmed on the BioRow PRO
This series is filmed on the @BIOROWER PRO, the most advanced indoor rowing machine designed to simulate on-water rowing with perfect biomechanical accuracy. It’s ideal for mastering sequencing and protecting your back from injury.
💡 Want to Fix Your Technique for Good?
✅ Join our live online rowing classes
✅ Get personal video analysis & 1:1 coaching
✅ Learn to row pain-free with structured technique training
🔗 Explore AramTraining Programs
📣 Final Thoughts
Rowing is all about rhythm, efficiency, and sequencing. Fixing early arm and knee bend can completely transform your stroke and performance. Whether you’re on the water or using a BioRower, start with the fundamentals and build your technique from the ground up.
🗨️ Got questions? Drop a comment below or reach out through Rowing.Zone.
