The rowing machine is one of the most complete fitness machines available. It combines cardio, full-body strength training, and low-impact exercise for your joints. On paper, it has everything going for it. Yet in practice, many people never unlock its full potential – not because they lack effort, but because they repeat the same simple mistakes session after session.
As a coach, I see the same patterns over and over again. Here are the five most common mistakes and how to fix them so you can finally start making real progress.
Mistake 1: Incorrect Foot Position
This is often the first thing people overlook, yet it affects the entire rowing stroke. The foot strap should sit across the ball of your foot, at the base of your big toe – not across the middle of your foot and not too high. If it’s positioned incorrectly, your heel won’t lift freely during the recovery phase, limiting your range of motion.
Foot stretcher height also plays a key role. Your goal is to have your shins perpendicular to the floor at full compression, with your knees directly above your ankles. If your feet are too low, your shins will move beyond perpendicular and you’ll lose power. If they’re too high, you’ll lose range of motion because your flexibility won’t allow your knees to reach above your ankles. Spending two minutes adjusting your setup before every session makes a huge difference.
Mistake 2: Poor Back Position and Tense Shoulders
Your back should stay straight and hinge slightly forward from the hips – never by rounding your lower back. However, the hardest mistake to correct, even among experienced rowers, is shrugging the shoulders during the drive.
Raised shoulders waste energy, reduce power transfer, and eventually create tension in the neck and upper back. Activating your latissimus dorsi – the large muscles running along each side of your back – helps keep your shoulders down and efficiently transfer power from your legs to the handle. Think “shoulders down, shoulder blades pulled down” every time you begin the drive.
Mistake 3: Pulling With Your Back Instead of Driving With Your Legs
This is the most common mistake and one of the hardest habits to break. Many people begin the drive by opening their hips and using their back first, instead of pushing with their legs.
The result? Your back does the work your legs should be doing. You fatigue faster, generate less power, and increase your risk of lower back pain over time.
Remember this simple rule: last in, first out. During the recovery, extend your arms first, then hinge forward at the hips so your shoulders move in front of your hips, and finally bend your knees. At the catch, reverse that sequence: drive with the legs first, then open the hips, and finish by pulling with the arms. Following this order dramatically increases power without requiring more effort.
Coaching story: I worked with a couple preparing for a hybrid rowing and running competition. The woman always initiated the drive with her back. We focused on improving her recovery sequence – arms, hips, then legs. Once she naturally reversed the sequence during the drive, she regained the power of her legs and significantly improved her rowing speed.
Mistake 4: Confusing Maximum Knee Bend With Maximum Range of Motion
This counterintuitive mistake was illustrated perfectly by her training partner. He rowed with a very upright torso, even leaning slightly backward, causing him to compress his legs so much that the seat nearly touched his heels. He believed this gave him maximum stroke length and power – but in reality, it did the opposite.
Excessive knee bend without a forward body angle actually reduces both stroke length and power. Beyond a certain point, your legs are no longer in an efficient position to produce force. The greatest range of motion – and the strongest position – comes from combining moderate leg compression, straight arms, and a forward body angle before initiating the drive.
Mistake 5: Always Training at the Same Intensity
This is the most damaging programming mistake over time. Many rowers settle into a comfortable pace and repeat the same workout over and over again.
The consequence is obvious: your body quickly adapts and stops improving because it no longer receives a new training stimulus.
The solution is to vary your workouts by including endurance sessions, threshold work, interval training, different stroke rates, and different interval durations. Even a simple structured program transforms the rowing machine into a powerful tool for long-term progress. Without variety, you’ll plateau quickly.
Bonus Mistake: Never Getting Feedback or Reviewing Your Technique.
Rowing without outside feedback is like driving without mirrors. Technical errors become habits before you even notice them, and some compensations become extremely difficult to correct later. A coaching session or even a simple video analysis can reveal in minutes what hours of solo practice cannot.
The couple I coached is the perfect example. Thanks to online coaching and regular video feedback, they corrected their individual technical flaws, became more efficient, and significantly improved their rowing speed – not by rowing more, but by rowing better.
In Summary
Before trying to row faster or longer, make sure you’re rowing correctly.
Proper foot setup, good posture, correct sequencing, effective stroke length, and varied training intensity are the fundamentals that separate steady progress from frustrating plateaus.
One final tip: film yourself rowing or watch yourself in a mirror to identify technical flaws. And if you’d like expert feedback on your technique, you can find me at rowconcept.fr or on Instagram @RowConcept.
You can also explore Kinomap‘s guided rowing workouts to train with structure and consistency.
By Élodie Ravera – French national team rower, three-time Olympic finalist (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024), 2018 European Champion, certified sports coach, and founder of RowConcept.
Elodie Ravera
Rowing Athlete and Coach
BPJEPS Fitness Activities Certification
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BEGINNER ROWING MACHINE: 5 MISTAKES TO AVOID TO PROGRESS EFFECTIVELY