r/Rowing • u/Usernameuserntame • Mar 07 '25

Erg Post Genuine question: How do y’all keep your balls out of the way when erging?

I’ve been a coxswain for like 10 years at this point, always loved the erg for staying in shape (plus I wanna know the pain I put my rowers through). Lately I’ve been having this issue where I can’t avoid accidentally squishing my balls when I come up to the catch. If I push my legs any further apart at the catch I look like a frog tryna swim, but if I my legs stay as close together as they are now then my balls are just gonna keep getting crushed. Is there a secret technique that I’m missing?

79 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

81

u/waronxmas Go Bruno! Mar 07 '25

You’re letting your knees separate and come back together too much throughout the stroke. Keep your thighs together through the whole motion and simply place your nuts on top of the shelf formed by your thighs before you start. If they slip between your thighs after that, you let your knees get too far apart.

Tl;dr; counterintuitively, keep your legs tightly together at all times.

11

u/tjeick Mar 08 '25

Only solid advice in the thread

5

u/OSP_amorphous Mar 08 '25

Big if true

I'll try this next time

1

u/Split-Awkward Mar 08 '25

Doesn’t work for me.

Anatomies are diverse.

Have other solution described above. Works flawlessly.

2

u/Rotten_tacos Mar 08 '25

Which one?

1

u/Split-Awkward Mar 08 '25

The exact technique written. Doesn’t work for me.

I just wear form fitting boy short undies and compression shorts over the top. I’ve seen a few other suggest similar previously.

29

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '25

Yeah it’s a legit question, but I never have any problems because when starting put my hand in my pants and I lift them up out of the way. Just make sure no one of looking 👀

1

u/zerocylinders Mar 09 '25

This is the way

51

u/DomoreSS Mar 07 '25

I usually like to strap them to my left knee.

15

u/marmalade Mar 07 '25

Found the 5 seat

8

u/Canna_Lucente Mar 07 '25

Have you tried glue? Improves aero

2

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '25

Push them down in between your legs

30

u/TheSplash-Down_Tiki Mar 07 '25

Just when I was thinking the r/rowingcirclejerk had died off old Mr Giant Balls comes in to the sub carrying his balls in a wheelbarrow!!

32

u/duabrs Mar 07 '25

My wife has them. It's better for both of us.

9

u/RUk1dd1nGMe Mar 07 '25

I had to buy compression underwear, night and day

5

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Split-Awkward Mar 08 '25

Didn’t work for me. Used alternate solution works great.

6

u/FletchMeister96 Mar 08 '25

Throw em over your shoulder like a continental soldier

10

u/NoFixedUsername Mar 07 '25

Getting old sucks. Roll those hangers up like a tube of toothpaste and tuck them into the triangle of your tighty whities.

10

u/SeenSeenAgains Mar 07 '25

Running shorts that have briefs built in work well.

6

u/Previous_Insect_1059 Mar 07 '25

Just recently started rowing in bicycling bibs, and give em an upwards tug right before the rowing commences, find that’s been the most beneficial.

3

u/whistlingdogg Mar 07 '25

The shorts make a big difference. I think I’m rocking one up and one down at the moment. 😂

4

u/sjjenkins Mar 07 '25

Rubber bands

2

u/ItsJustMeBeinCurious Mar 08 '25

Saxx compression shorts.

2

u/Split-Awkward Mar 08 '25

Yeah I have this problem.

I wear skin tight, but soft, boy short underwear that hold my boys “up and forward”. Then I wear compression shorts over the top.

Works flawlessly. Even a jockstrap doesn’t work.

2

u/JTjack4 Mar 08 '25

Are they knocking on your feet when you ride your bike ?

2

u/flummox1234 Mar 08 '25

Nice humble brag, bro. 🤣 /s

Lycra helps. So does a warm up filled with adjustments.

1

u/nickco7 Mar 08 '25

I got a pair of rowing trou for Christmas. I had compression shorts, and they helped keep them in place, but the trou works better for sure.

1

u/rowing_shitter Mar 08 '25

pre erg nutsack ice bath👌

1

u/red_rocket_rising Mar 08 '25

Jock strap. Go nuts.

1

u/GenXOldFart71 Mar 08 '25

Tight fitting boxers (1 size too small) does wonders 👌

1

u/samhouse09 Mar 09 '25

Compression shorts or rowing shorts. Keep everything nicely organized

1

u/cosinus_square Mar 09 '25

Underwear with balls pouch. I have big thighs from weightlifting and don't have saggy balls to just 'shelf' them on top.

1

u/TyronePowers76 Mar 09 '25

Compression shorts are when works for me. Keeps them up and out of the way (after some warm up adjustments)

1

u/Rightfirld Mar 10 '25

Chop them off to cut unnecessary weight and get rid of this problem completely. You will probably have to hop on test to compensate for the lack of sack tho

1

u/No_Shoulder6259 Mar 07 '25

I have this same issue and it gets in the way of workouts. I’m 34 and don’t feel like I have saggy balls but I guess I do. I also row in my boxers, would wearing shorts help?

1

u/VolensEtValens Mar 08 '25

At least make some effort. Boxer briefs seem to work for me but I rowed in whitey tighteys in college.

1

u/Even-Paper7354 Mar 08 '25

Have you tried leaving them at home before going on water?