Rowing · Elbow Flexion at Finish

Why this matters

The arm draw is the final power phase of the stroke — and the smallest. The legs and back have already delivered the bulk of the force; the arms simply finish off the handle distance to keep the chain taut to the body. The right elbow flexion at the finish (~90°) gives you ~15 cm of extra handle distance per stroke. Too short and the work the legs and back did doesn't reach its full payoff; too pulled and the recovery starts late.

A surprisingly common pattern in Hyrox athletes is the short draw: handle stops at the sternum, elbows still wide of the body. They've been told "arms come last" and over-corrected into "arms hardly come at all."

What good looks like

Elbows past the body, hands at the lower ribs / upper abdomen, forearms roughly horizontal, wrists flat (not curled). The handle should be in light contact with the body — touch, not slap. Shoulders down and back; chest open. Looks like the end of a row, not a deadlift.

Common faults

• Short draw (> 110°) — handle stops short. The arms didn't finish. Often goes with hunched shoulders and an open chest "compensating" for the missing draw.
• Crowded finish (< 70°) — handle pulled past the body, sometimes to the chin. Common in athletes who confuse rowing with a chest pull-down or upright row. Wastes energy and delays the hands-away on the recovery.

Coaching cues

• "Pull to the ribs." Specific and anatomically meaningful.
• "Elbows past the body, then stop." A clean stopping rule that avoids over-pulling.

Related measurements

• Chain Level at Finish — confirms the elbow finish is paired with a low, level handle at the sternum.
• Layback at Finish — the body half of the finish position.
• Arm Extension at Catch — the opposite frame; arms reset to straight.