Concept2 Forum

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

I did 20x max pulls Oct19 with drag factors from 65 to 155.
They all reached about the same top speed, but the higher settings were more tiring.
The fastest speed was at the 65 drag. I don't recall the stroke rates but they were all about the same.

During 2k to 10k workouts, my stroke rate is usually 42 to 45, regardless of the setting.
The drive speed changes with different drag factors, but the optimum stroke rate shouldn't vary that much.

Dreadnought wrote: ↑

December 23rd, 2018, 3:53 pm

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

Depends on your goal, for sprinting and max speed you need a very high drag, most people remove the disk in the fancage. Max drag will be around 240 ish. At low drag, you simply have no resistance enough, just like on the rower.

And in general drags used are high, talking about good medium build skiers.

At low settings you should use a much lower spm, give the fan time to slow down, at higher setting the other way around, the fact you do this the other way around is not good.

I myself have trouble with both high drags and high ratings. So I use a relative low drag and rating. On average, ratings start at 40, drag also pretty high. Be carefull with your shoulders. High drag and lower spm puts a lot if strain on your shoulders.

hjs wrote: ↑

December 24th, 2018, 5:13 am

for sprinting and max speed you need a very high drag, most people remove the disk in the fancage.

Thanks to your comment, I removed the Skierg damper ring. The new range of 110 to 255 is quite nice.

johnlvs2run wrote: ↑

March 20th, 2020, 6:30 pm

hjs wrote: ↑

December 24th, 2018, 5:13 am

for sprinting and max speed you need a very high drag, most people remove the disk in the fancage.

Thanks to your comment, I removed the Skierg damper ring. The new range of 110 to 255 is quite nice.

Welcome John

Dreadnought wrote: ↑

December 23rd, 2018, 3:53 pm

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

Well kind of depends on what you are SkiErging for?
Having fun with your times and for ranking distances/times?
For endurance or strength fitness?
Don't make the mistake that setting the drag to max on Ski or Rower will give you a better workout.
Look at it like this:
Drag at max: imagine you have now strapped on a pair of old very heavy skis, grasping a pair of old heavy poles and set off in snow and slush.
If you are not a fit 120kg power-lifter You wont get far before you tire. ?

Would you rather have light carbon fibre skis and poles, on nice powder snow.? Formula One car or a diesel tractor..both can pull a plough.
I use around 110/50-55spm for 100/1min/500m work and pretty much the same for interval work 12x100m@280w-318w
90/38-40spm for 2-5-6k and dropping to a leisurely 80/34/36spm for the longer 30min-60min pieces.
However I am 65y and 78kg...
Erg to match you weight age and fitness level.
Above all else mastering correct technique will beat anybody.
have fun

On a related note, I always use two arm stroke but my wife does half two arm and half alternating arm. I assume the vast majority use two arms? To the topic, I average high 30s for distance work and low to mid-40s for speed.

Dreadnought wrote: ↑

December 23rd, 2018, 3:53 pm

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

I like the fan setting off 10, with spins around the 34spm
And average 2.05 per 500, but I think you will find a lot of
People go on about drag factor, I can’t seem to find this
Setting only watts,,

I would love to see what most of these peoples times would be on a setting off 10, instead of 4-6 with no resistance pulling nothing,,, it’s like running on a running
Machine to the road, the road will always be harder in real life, they don’t take into account off body weight moving along

J

Jayson rower wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 4:03 pm

Dreadnought wrote: ↑

December 23rd, 2018, 3:53 pm

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

I like the fan setting off 10, with spins around the 34spm
And average 2.05 per 500, but I think you will find a lot of
People go on about drag factor, I can’t seem to find this
Setting only watts,,

I would love to see what most of these peoples times would be on a setting off 10, instead of 4-6 with no resistance pulling nothing,,, it’s like running on a running
Machine to the road, the road will always be harder in real life, they don’t take into account off body weight moving along

J

To see the DF go into the more option in the main menu and select display drag factor, do a few pulls.

How big are you? It make a "big" difference. At my height and weight I need to rate around 60 to with the damper at 10 and that's for a 500 time trial at max. Most of my stuff is done with a damper setting of 7 and I vary the rate depending on the distance but most of the time in the high 30s to mid 40s.

Jayson rower wrote: ↑

April 28th, 2020, 4:03 pm

Dreadnought wrote: ↑

December 23rd, 2018, 3:53 pm

I am new to the SkiErg, and I am trying to determine the best settings for an optimal workout.

When I use the low settings, I tend to run fast stroke rates, 60 spm or more.

As I increase the settings, I run lower stroke rates, around 40 spm or less.

Any suggestions?

I like the fan setting off 10, with spins around the 34spm
And average 2.05 per 500, but I think you will find a lot of
People go on about drag factor, I can’t seem to find this
Setting only watts,,

I would love to see what most of these peoples times would be on a setting off 10, instead of 4-6 with no resistance pulling nothing,,, it’s like running on a running
Machine to the road, the road will always be harder in real life, they don’t take into account off body weight moving along

J

10 in itself means little, its about dragfactor. In time drag will get lower and lower, due to dust collecting in the fan.

Re high drag, no serious fast Skierger, apart from 100m sprints, will use max settings, its not possible at max drag, rate 34 to go as slow as 2.05. If so, your stroke is slowmotion like. A good stroke is fast and snappy.

I'm 1m 84, 75/76 kg -- long arms and legs, short torso. Did my first SkiErg workout today, and found that a damper setting of 4 was apt for a long steady session, 1:05:00 @ 2:30 pace, rate 40, HR in lower zone 2 (Norwegian 5-zone system).

My technique is skier-style, not Henry's "crossfit" style, and I did about 1/5 of it double poling with a single-leg kickback, for variety, but also for balance and to get that extra glute engagement.

I can't imagine cranking up the damper, but I'm a tallish skinny fella.