Join this 25 minute easy rowing workout — low intensity, any machine, any pace, any fitness level. Row along at your own pace while I talk you through technique, tell you a story or two, and generally keep you company for 27 minutes.

Today's technique is built around the chain height debate — and it starts with a confession. I made a short video recently that was essentially a rebuttal to a clip Austin from JustRow put out about handle path and chain height. No shade at all — he rows beautifully — but I disagreed with the approach, and I realised after posting it that a 60-second short probably wasn't the best place to make a nuanced argument. So I'm unpacking it properly here.

The short version: lowering the handle on the recovery is a useful cue if you're someone who bends their knees too early. But in my experience, nine times out of ten, the rower who does it then opens their hips to lift the handle back up — which is exactly the problem we were trying to fix. Sternum height, relaxed shoulders, straight line in and out. That's still where I land.

Along the way I also cover body rock and core bracing, the connection between feet and hands through the stroke, and the feet-out-of-straps drill — which is one of the most honest ways to find out whether your momentum is actually going into the flywheel.

And there's a story from the racing years that I skipped a few weeks back — soda doping, a 1K race in Aberdeen, and what happens when you get the dosage slightly wrong with about ten minutes to go before the start. It doesn't end well. Mostly.

📋 Find the rest of this week's rows as video RowAlongs here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ookhrQKwvKEfSfOxp73vX02j8LrtUil (Thursday and Friday sessions are unlisted — bookmark the playlist so you don't lose them)

Please consult your doctor or healthcare professional before beginning any new exercise programme, particularly if you have any existing health conditions or injuries. Listen to your body and work at a pace that's right for you.

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