Ski Erg

Setup

1. 01Stand facing the ski erg with feet about hip width apart.
2. 02Set the damper to a moderate setting to start.
3. 03Reach up and grip both handles with arms extended overhead.
4. 04Soften the knees and set the trunk braced.

Execution

1. 01Drive the handles down by crunching the trunk and hinging at the hips.
2. 02Pull with the lats first, then finish the drive past the thighs with the arms.
3. 03Let the knees bend as the hips hinge through the stroke.
4. 04Return tall by extending the hips and reaching the arms back overhead.
5. 05Settle into a steady stroke rhythm for the planned time or distance.

Checkpoints

• -Power starts from the trunk and hips, not just the arms.
• -Spine flexes as one controlled unit rather than collapsing at the neck.
• -Handles travel close to the body through the drive.
• -Stroke rhythm and split stay steady across the interval.

Common mistakes

• -Pulling with only the arms while the trunk stays upright.
• -Squatting deeply instead of hinging and crunching.
• -Yanking the start of each stroke and losing rhythm.
• -Standing too far from the machine so the cable angle is poor.