Good Excersises to Do?

Question
Hi,
I am a 15 yr old rower who is looking to be the best i can be and hopefully get a college scholarship to row. I used to be a swimmer, so my upper body is very strong and i can use my arms to pull pretty fast. Unfortunately, when i row, my thighs just kill me and are by far the weakest part of my body. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could add on a few pounds to my frame and strengthen my legs quite a bit?

Thanks,
Tom

Answer
Hi Tom: I can relate to you.  When I rowed in college, I was pretty skinny; but I had incredibly strong arms from years of weightlifting.  I could out-bench press just about anyone on the crew and was undefeated in arm wrestling.  But unfortunately, unlike swimming, rowing is all about the legs. 70%-80% of your stroke's power is generated by the legs.  The arms just don't factor in that much.  If the seat didn't slide, rowing would be more about arms and back.

Obviously, you have identified a deficiency in your physical make-up.  That being your leg muscles are not as strong as the arms.  The only remedy for that is to add muscle to your legs using weights and diet.  There are a variety of free weight exercises and weight machines that emphasize your legs.  The leg squat with free weights is a good one, but it demands good technique or else you risk injury.  I'd just recommend using the leg machines, like the leg press machine, knee extension, and leg curl machine to start out with.  Ask your coach for additional exercises.

You might also want to do some other stuff, like running up hills, squat leaps, climbing flights of stairs, or even pushing a car (in neutral) across a lot.  Get your legs as strong as your arms and you will get closer to your college goal.  

Good Luck/AP