Boats have been rowed backward because the human body has its muscle power concentrated in the back muscles, shoulders, and biceps. This makes pulling a more efficient motion than pushing, meaning the rower becomes less fatigued, more energy is transferred to the oars, and the vessel travels farther with each stroke.

Is rowing always backwards?

Eventually rules were set down, and rear facing rowing became an established sport. One of the rules is that you must row facing backwards. Rowing, as an established sport, gets publicity. People see athletes on television rowing backwards, and if they live near a rowing club, they see club members rowing this way.

What do rowers say when they row?

"Bow four raise your hands; stern four lower them": translation: "I am a novice coxswain." "Weigh" and "Way": "Weigh oars" is an archaic English command meaning to lift the oars out of the water, while the command "Give Way" originally meant to start rowing, because "way" means movement (as in "steerageway").