BIP.

Exercise library · Cardio

SkiErg

Cardio on a machine.

How to do it

  1. Starting position

    Face the machine with your feet hip-width apart, arms raised, and one handle in each hand.

  2. The movement

    Pull the handles down past your hips as you bend your knees and hips, then stand tall and raise your hands again.

Most common mistake

Don't pull with only your arms, bend your knees and hips and use your whole body in each pull.

Muscle group
Cardio
Equipment
Machine
Where
Gym
Logged as
Time and distance

What it trains

The SkiErg mimics double poling in cross-country skiing and puts more of the work on your upper body than most cardio machines do. Your lats pull the handles down, your triceps and shoulders help, and your abs pull your upper body down on every stroke. Your hips and legs bend and straighten and add power, but less than on a rower. There are no landings, so the impact is small, and the machine suits the day after a heavy leg session.

Common mistakes

  • Every pull turns into a deep squat. Bending your knees too much tires your legs and slows the pull. Let the movement come mostly from your hips, with soft knees.
  • Your arms bend as in a curl. Your biceps then do the work and the pull becomes short and weak. Keep a slight bend in your elbows at the start of the pull and begin with your back and abs, so your arms only finish it.
  • Rushing back up between pulls. The way up is your brief rest. Rise calmly, breathe in and let the handles travel up before the next pull.

Variations and alternatives

  • The rowing machine gives your legs more of the work and is the closest seated alternative.
  • The straight arm pulldown trains the same downward pull with weight, when you want to build your back.
  • Battle ropes give your upper body hard intervals when there is no SkiErg around.

How to plan your sessions

The SkiErg shows pace per 500 metres, so you can follow the number just as on a rower. If you are new, spend 5 to 10 minutes at an even pace learning the rhythm. For intervals, try 30 seconds hard and 30 seconds easy for eight rounds, or 4 to 6 repeats of 250 metres with one to two minutes' rest. For spreading the week, see the guide on how often to train.

Compare your pace per 500 metres and how far you get in a set time. A shorter time over the same distance, or one more interval at the same pace, means you have moved forward. Those small wins are what progressive overload is built on. If your shoulders hurt, not just feel heavy, stop and have a doctor or physiotherapist examine them.

Also called

  • ski erg

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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