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Isometrics Help Rowers Apply Strength, Improve Performance!

John Thornell

by John Thornell, Grok Rowing Founder, Stonington Crew Girls Head Coach

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Since I published the Can Isomeric Training Improve Rowing Technique? post, I had the good fortune of connecting with Joe DeLeo, the Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for the Portuguese Rowing Federation. Joe is also the owner of LEO Training, a resource for strength & conditioning and injury rehabilitation for the sport of rowing, and co-founder of Science of Rowing, a monthly publication that mobilizes academic journals to provide coaches and rowers with practical applications.

When I told Joe I was searching for information related to isometrics developing motor skills and improving rowing technique, he pointed me to a podcast that he produced with Ed McNeely titled Strength Standards in Rowing. A graduate of the University of Ottawa with a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology, Ed has been in the strength and conditioning industry for 30 years. For 24 of those years, he served as a physiology and strength consultant to Rowing Canada. In the podcast, he touched on how isometrics were used during his time with Rowing Canada:

  • Initially, isometric exercises at the catch position were used in training to help athletes develop a feeling of connection.  

  • Because of the specific position used, isometric catch exercises turned out to be a better determinant of who the boat movers were, compared to traditional weight room tests, like squats. 

  • Over time, changes in force production using isometric tests paralleled changes in force production in the boat! 

  • Strength training can only help athletes in one of three ways: build muscle tissue, learn to activate muscles, or learn to use muscles.

These points are discussed in fascinating detail around the 27-minute mark of the Strength Standards in Rowing podcast and worth a 10-minute listen.

The big takeaway is that isometric training increases nervous system adaptations and an athlete’s ability to activate and use muscles specific to a position. Put another way, isometrics help athletes build strength in rowing specific positions that can contribute to rowing performance.

That’s the answer I was looking for. That’s the connection between isometrics, motor skill development, and rowing technique! 


It was also interesting to learn about the “isometric erg bench” that Rowing Canada used for isometric testing. The bench measured the force generated by rowers during the isometric exercise. It’s similar to A Simple Demonstration of Generating Power During the Stroke that I started doing with rowers. Although the approach I use is simple and crude, by comparison, it is an affordable way for programs to conduct similar isometric testing that’s mentioned in the podcast.

While this is an exciting find that could benefit all rowing programs, I still wondered why information on isometrics is not widespread. Why did it take so long to find the material in the LEO Training  podcast, for example?

Isometrics are very effective at improving strength, but Joe believes they may not be used more because they don’t look appealing and exciting. They’re boring! Physical therapists use them all the time in rehabilitation. In fact, it's one of the first things they do post-surgery: stabilize the joint (isometric) and improve lost range of motion. The last three years in a physical therapy clinic/sports performance space has been instrumental in how Joe now writes training programs, including the Portuguese Rowing Federation.


Reference: McNeely, E., DeLeo, J. (2020) Strength Standards in Rowing. LEO Training podcast.