Concept2 Forum

Go ahead and laugh at me if you want, I'm used to it. I've been lurking for a couple of weeks and still haven't been able to find out why people call their rowers "ergs". Wikipedia says it's a unit of power, perhaps that has something to do with it?

Strikeslip wrote:... why people call their rowers "ergs". Wikipedia says it's a unit of power, perhaps that has something to do with it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_rower

Brian

An exercise machine, that is used for measuring work.

"An ergometer is an apparatus for measuring the work performed by exercising (or an exercise machine equipped with such an apparatus) as used in training or cardiac stress tests."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exercise_machine

BrianStaff wrote:

Strikeslip wrote:... why people call their rowers "ergs". Wikipedia says it's a unit of power, perhaps that has something to do with it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_rower

Brian

AHA! Thanks for the link! Check out this quote from the link for some rowing motivation...

"The Roman Empire, however, could be credited with having the first ever rowing ergometer. Rather than being a work-based apparatus, it was designed to teach new members of the navy - rowers - how to do so with some level of competency. This was necessary as it was common for ships with novice rowers to be attacked and, with poor rowers, was often destroyed"

There should be a Roman warship game on the PM, and if you lose you could be killed by a lethal shock through the handle.

Thanks, Brian & John.

If you go way back to the beginning, the first name appearing on the machine was: "Concept II Indoor Rowing Ergometer", which was a bit too long for most rowers to deal with.

Thus shortened to "Erg" about as fast as could be conceived, I had just started to Row when the Machine was introduced and do not recall it being called anything else. (That can be repeated in polite company.)

Pete Marston (I believe) coined "Evil Rowing Gadget", much later in the evolution of explainations.

I always figured the inspiration for the erg was a poorly maintained pull start lawn mower. Strangely, those are not nearly as much fun.

For those of us who are from before "the beginning" and pre date the C2, every time the cox'n who was beating a Viking drum and wielding a whip called for an increase in ramming speed, we'd all grunt 'urg' as he cracked the whip. I guess the English translation of the Viking 'urg' is 'erg' and the name has been around ever since.

Even back in the last '60s and early '70s we called our rowing machine trainers, "rowing ergometers" which was always shortened to erg.

I've been told it's a Greek translation of "ergon, ergou" and "metros, metron". These are the words for "work" and "measure". Literally "measure of work". Makes enough sense.

Source: Greek class I took in high school while I rowed.