Structural integration for rowing
Deep front line, T-spine, lat
A low back that lights up after long ergs. A catch that has lost reach. A finish that no longer opens. A fascial pattern shaped by the catch and the finish. That is the work.
The off-season window
Collegiate: June into August, between IRA and fall head-race training. Masters: December through February, between fall heads and spring sprints. Twelve sessions, eight to twelve weeks, then back into the boat on a reorganized structure.
What is actually restricting you
- Deep front line and hip flexor. The catch demands an open front line. Years of one-sided rigging plus hours in the chair shorten it. Reach disappears. Stroke length pays.
- T-spine extension. The finish needs T-spine extension. Rowing volume binds the upper back into flexion. The lumbar spine extends to compensate and takes the load that should distribute upward.
- Lat and back arm line. Thousands of pulls bind the lat into a short, tight chain. The shoulder loses overhead and the lat stops contributing on the drive.
The 12-session ATSI series
Twelve sessions, three phases, eight to twelve weeks. Full program detail on the 12-Session Series page. Off-season framing on the Off-Season Structural Reset.
Where this fits in your recovery stack
- Massage releases tension locally.
- PT and ATC rehab specific injury.
- Chiropractic adjusts joints.
- ATSI reorganizes the fascial system so your body needs the others less often.
Credentials
- ATSI-certified, 750+ hours of training
- Anatomy Trains teacher-in-training under Tom Myers
- Santa Cruz studio. Mobile sessions throughout the Bay Area, including team facilities.
- Working with collegiate, masters, and elite athletes since 2015
Book a free 30-minute movement assessment
Questions, answered
My low back is shot after long ergs. Is that fixable?
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Yes. Rowing low back is a deep front line and T-spine problem more than a back problem. The hip flexors stay short at the catch, the T-spine cannot extend at the finish, and the lumbar spine takes the load both sides should be distributing. Free the chain and the back stops being the relief valve.
I have lost reach at the catch. Hip flexor?
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Almost always. The catch position demands an open deep front line and long hamstrings. When both shorten over a season, reach disappears. Restoring the deep front line and the back line tends to add meaningful length back.
Can I do this with collegiate training volume?
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Yes. Most rowers train through the work. We time deeper sessions away from your hardest erg pieces and water sessions. Twelve sessions over eight to twelve weeks fits inside a summer training block or a winter base period.
When in the rowing calendar should I do this?
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Summer for collegiate rowers (post-IRA, pre-fall). Winter base for masters. Anytime training volume is high but intensity is lower works well.