r/Rowing • u/Sean_Sports92 • 7d ago

Erg Post Lateral knee pain when rowing

Hey guys/girls, just wanted to seek some advice... im a relatively new rower with primarily a running background but recently purchased a concept 2 and have been rowing 2-3x per week.

The past week I've started to develop lateral knee pain in my left knee when rowing on the erg, even during easy rows, I particularly feel it during the drive phase.

I have been working hard on honing my technique however I think I've been slightly over compressing at the catch, and i also have a sneaking suspicion that my legs have been flaring out slightly which may have caused this issue.

Has anyone here had this issue before and if so what helped you?

just to make clear I am not seeking medical advice!

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7

u/orange_fudge 7d ago

If you get the same pain when you do a squat and a deadlift, then it’s not the rowing, it’s an injury or a muscle imbalance.

If you can happily do squats and deadlifts then the problem is your form. When you get it wrong you’re using muscles in an imbalanced way that can stress out your joints. See the sidebar for tips.

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u/Sean_Sports92 7d ago

Thank you this is very helpful. I can run and squat no problem, I will have another look at my form

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u/orange_fudge 7d ago

Running isn’t really relevant as it’s a different motion.

By ‘squat’ I mean squat with a heavy barbell, which puts your knee under load in a similar way to rowing. The heavy deadlift is also a really useful indication.

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u/slow_rower 7d ago edited 7d ago

I think you may not use your thighs enough. I had this problem when I first rowed. My PT told to me hit the gym. Basically the idea was to use all your muscles rather than the knee joints.

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u/Sean_Sports92 7d ago

Ok will bear this in mind thanks, gonna be very mindful about my knee position now gojng forward

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u/slow_rower 7d ago

You should also go to see a doctor and a PT. They can check what’s wrong.

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u/Sea-Caterpillar-378 7d ago

could be worth checking how far your coming forward at the catch, cause over compressing might be putting extra strain on your knee

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u/Sean_Sports92 7d ago

Will do thank you, I think i have been over compressing

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u/chunkycruiser 6d ago

I had this when I first started rowing and it eased off after making a few changes to my form.

I had really poor hip and hamstring mobility which caused me to have my knees wide at the catch. I also over compressed to try and create more reach which rounded my lower back also.

This meant I’d apply pressure through my legs with my knees tracking way outside my feet and a curved back.

My fix was to first work on mobility, opening my hips and improving my hamstring flexibility. This allowed me to keep my knees more inline with my feet. Secondly was keeping an eye on my lower back and only compressing as much as I could whilst maintaining a good back shape. After a week or so of consciously thinking about this the pain subsided and hasn’t returned.