SkiErg kicked my butt

[istro]

Hey friends,

TL;DR: skierg is hard, if you haven't tried it - don't miss an opportunity to do so

A quick recap of my journey:
2022:
I got a rower in August for convenience and because I remembered how it sucked during crossfit workouts. Shortly after started the beginner pete plan.

2023:
finished first runthrough of BPP and completed a HM in the end of January 23. Continued quite steadily through the year. Switched to c2 dynamic at some point in the spring, joined a local "on the water" club in the summer. To simulate balancing a hull on the water, got balance boards (flowrow).
Had to take a month-ish long break for travel in October, but wanted to make up for it by doing 300k in December. Fell short of that goal - was a bit over 280k.

2024
To make up for falling short in December, went hard in January '24 and did almost 480k in a month. With that, overstressed tendons in my fingers (despite no deathgrip - possibly just strain injury, possibly too loose a grip? Hard to tell). Doctor's orders to take a break for at least a few weeks. So I got a BikeErg in February and did that for a little while, then started alternating with the rower again.

Fell off the wagon a couple of times for about a month - decided to reset in mid-May by restarting BPP, doing the same step of BPP on both machines on consecutive days.

Having two machines got me intrigued about completing the trifecta, but I had never tried one. Last weekend on a whim I stopped by my old crossfit gym to see if they have one for me to try - they did, and graciously allowed me to take as much time as I wanted (these gals and guys are badass about workouts, you know - so they will welcome and encourage anyone who wants to come and suffer the hard work). I figured from going through BPP a few times I'd do a "standard" little workout - just a single distance 5k, it wouldn't take me much longer than 20min, I thought...

I was mistaken. I couldn't get to under 2:00/500m. I was winded after 1k, even though the heart rate didn't go as high as on other machines. Suffered through to the end, ended up with an average split 2:29/500m.

It was so hard, I had to get one. Got home, took a shower and went online to look for one. FB marketplace had one with a base for $600 listed within the previous hour - they might have posted it while I was doing my first 5k. It was 85 miles away, but they don't seem to come up for sale too often and the deal looked good - so I got in touch, heard back, and went and picked it up.

Now, I'm in the middle of week 6 for BPP on the other two machines - so I'll intersperse a skierg workout (starting from BPP1.1) on every other day until skierg "catches up" with the other machines on the plan, then will continue with the BPP on all three.

That's all, just wanted to encourage anyone who hasn't tried the skierg yet to try it . Oh and also - get your machines used, they last for a while and people sell them at a discount, plus they keep their value after initial "off the dealership lot" value hit - I would probably be able to recover most of the money I spent on the equipment if I was to sell it (overall have spent $2575, since original rower purchase it divides down to be $5.60 per workout on average; and buying all the same at retail prices would be a touch over 5k).

[Sakly]

Good story

I started to incorporate the skierg November '23 in the gym and now using it frequently for 15min warmup and sometimes short sprints up to 1k.
I remember Tour de SkiErg in February, when I first did a 5k and 10k on that machine! This is so much harder for me than the rower
Cannot remember my exact times, I think the 5k was at 1:55.x and 10k at 1:58.x, but I was toasted after both of them
Now I do the 15mins at roughly 1:55/56 average and feel fine (sure, it really warms me up well, but creates no fatigue like the first 5 and 10k).

[alex9026]

My work gym has one, but try as I might, I just don't get on with it. Which is a shame, because it would probably serve as a good cross training tool as I don't typically row on my day shifts (unless it's 04:15, which I'm not inclined to do again!).

[hikeplusrow]

Can someone answer the following question, which was ignored when posted on another thread. As SkiErg involves a pulling motion, how does it replicate the equivalent movement in real skiing, which involves pushing with ski poles towards the ground? Not trying to be contentious, just genuinely interested.

[hikeplusrow]

Can someone answer the following question, which was ignored when posted on another thread. As SkiErg involves a pulling motion, how does it replicate the equivalent movement in real skiing, which involves pushing with ski poles towards the ground? Not trying to be contentious, just genuinely interested.

That should read 'against the ground'.

[gvcormac]

Can someone answer the following question, which was ignored when posted on another thread. As SkiErg involves a pulling motion, how does it replicate the equivalent movement in real skiing, which involves pushing with ski poles towards the ground? Not trying to be contentious, just genuinely interested.

That should read 'against the ground'.

You push the handles to the ground. The resistance is provided by rope from above instead of pole on the ground, but you still push, both with your arms and with your abs/hip flexors.

[gvcormac]

My pace is 15-20 seconds slower on the Ski Erg than on the Row Erg, for the same effort (perceived and HR). It is 5-10 seconds faster on the Bike Erg. If I can free my mind of trying to equalize those numbers, I enjoy the Ski Erg fine. But since I do my daily cardio in the morning, I'm drawn to the Bike Erg (because I can sit down, and read, and drink coffee), or the Row Erg (because I can sit down). As a result, I've put only about 400km on the Row Erg in 2 years, compared to 10,000km on the Bike Erg. Row Erg somewhere in between.

[Sakly]

Can someone answer the following question, which was ignored when posted on another thread. As SkiErg involves a pulling motion, how does it replicate the equivalent movement in real skiing, which involves pushing with ski poles towards the ground? Not trying to be contentious, just genuinely interested.

That should read 'against the ground'.

I wouldn't agree completely to what gvcormac wrote.
Initiation on the skierg includes lats heavily to stabilize, bending over and finishing the stroke with a very similar movement like a pullover. That's why you feel it in the lats for the pullover movement, but as well in the triceps, as your arms transfer the power through a pushing movement on the handle.
My experience is similar to gvcormac, my pace on the skierg is roughly 5s slower than on the rower and even then feels more demanding.

[HornetMaX]

Got a SkiErg (almost 3 years ago) and then a RowErg (11 months ago). Until now I have used the SkiErg only for warm-ups and steady-state sessions (so no specific training on it):

• On the distances I actually tried a TT on the SkiErg (500/1K/10K and HM, only one trial each) my pace is 8-11 sec slower than on the RowErg,
• I'm under the impression that that overall, from a purely fitness perspective, the SkiErg is an easier (better ?) choice: less potential for problems (related to sitting, lower-back, hand blisters, technique ...) and covers more muscles groups than rowing: when I read Sakly saying SkiErg TT were hurting his legs I said now way, then I tried and holy cow. BTW, I also collected upper-abs cramps at the end of the SkiErg HM: that was a *very* weird feeling

But you already have both, so you're all set

[MudSweatAndYears]

Despite quite some training on it, the SkiErg continuous to 'kick my butt' as well.

I acquired a SkiErg 6 months ago. Already in the first week I did a HM on it. Following years of indoor and on-the-water rowing, I thought I had a strong upper body. But shocking to experience how little wattage I manage to pump into the SkiErg flywheel. Currently, getting within reach of 1 mln meters on the SkiErg, my 500m on the SkiErg is at the same split as my 2k on the RowErg. Love this machine!

[winniewinser]

I bought it, I tried it, it stung, so I sold it

Was a whole new ball game but I am glad I gave it a go. Was happy to have scraped the below out of it....

100m 00:18.3 01:31.5
500m 01:40.0 01:40.0
1,000m 03:33.4 01:46.7
2,000m 07:28.1 01:52.0
5,000m 19:37.9 01:57.7
10,000m 40:08.7 02:00.4
1min 320m 01:33.7
30min 7,613m 01:58.2
60min 14,340m 02:05.5

[alex9026]

So this thread encouraged me to give it another go, as the gym rower a) isn't a concept and b) is in dire need of some maintenance.

Programmed 5x2k/1:30 to get 40-45mins of work in. Bit ambitious, called it after three sets and jumped on the rower for 5k
Pacing 10secs slower than my steady erg sessions. I dare say I may be back for more!