new to SkiErg

[dannyb321]

hi

just paid for my SkiErg this morning after being on the waiting list for 3 months. should be with me within the next 2 weeks. not really trained for almost 2 years after many years on the rower. rowing stats were 6.59 for 2K and 3hours 25 minutes for a marathon. knee injury forced me to stop rowing and I've only done boxing training since. i think i am in for a rough ride for a good few months but really looking forward to it. never been on one before so a lot to learn. i think i will follow some of my old rowing workouts unless experienced skiergers on this forum any any better advice. plan on doing 4 sessions a week.

any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated

thanks

Danny

[hjs]

Few pointers. For most people the skierg is slower compared to the rower, not for everybody, but the other way around is rare.
The driving power comes from the upperbody, legs do the recovery, in combination with the back.
Stroke lenght is shorter compared to the rower.
Drag better set lower compared to the rower.
Rating will be higher than rowing. Think 30/40% extra. Rate 30 rowing is maybe 40 skierging.

The skierg does mimic on snow ski must less than the row erg does for rowing. It only trains the upperbody motion and not in the same plane. You pull down while on snow you push backwards. On the rower the motion can be very much alike on water.

Enjoy and start out carefully.

[dannyb321]

thanks hjs

much appreciated

danny

[mict450]

knee injury forced me to stop rowing and I've only done boxing training since. i think i am in for a rough ride for a good few months but really looking forward to it. never been on one before so a lot to learn. i think i will follow some of my old rowing workouts unless experienced skiergers on this forum any any better advice. plan on doing 4 sessions a week.

any pearls of wisdom would be appreciated

Danny, I think you will find the skierg is less taxing on your body. Since your knees are questionable, keep your knees soft, with minimal flexing & emphasize the hip-hinge portion of the stroke. It's not a crunching motion, where you decrease the distance between your xiphoid process & your pubic bone but bending from the hip, just like erging, and keeping your lumbar spine neutral.

On the recovery, I think of trying to "stand tall". This helps to keep my lumbar spine neutral & eliminates any tendency to extend my lower back.

I think if you can call any exercise machine "enjoyable", the skierg probably comes closer compared to the erg.

[mromero680]

I have a rower and a skierg. I have to convince myself to compare skierg times and pace to skierg only and not to the rower. Maybe someday they'll be comparable but I doubt it. Skierg times are much slower for me. This frees me to just focus on form and getting a good, solid workout rather than watching my times. I like the feel of alternating arms (double polling?) but that's even slower yet still a great workout. Good luck!

[mict450]

Skierg times are much slower for me.

My poling times are also much, much slower. I use several variations of the stroke to keep boredom at bay & to emphasize different muscle groups or parts of the stroke.

Single poling works my lats more. Double poling allows me to work on "hanging" my bodyweight on the handles, increasing the force of the drive & also emphasizing closing the hips. My pseudo V2 works my triceps. There are more, but this gives you an idea of what variations are possible.

[dannyb321]

Thanks for the ideas and tech advice. She's being delivered a week today so I'll have my first blast on Saturday and take it from there. I'm sure I will be back on asking for a few more tips etc!

Thanks again

Danny

[Eric308]

I am also new to the SkiErg after using the Concept2 rower for over 20 years. We got a new one at the gym, and I love the thing. I've been doing 3K pieces daily for about a month now, with varied intervals. Sprint 500, rest 500. Damper at about 4 and indicate DF about 85. Doing about 2:50 splits. (I'm 75). I also do some upper body machine stuff and some light free weights. 25 pound Medicine ball chest carry for 400 yards and I'm done.
I've noticed some pretty intense pain across my traps post-workout. Not debilitating, but annoying. I also really like the burn in my triceps post-workout. It just seems to be so much effective for me with cardio versus the rower. I know, I wasn't rowing hard enough! Maybe I just needed a change.
Any tips or thoughts about the above. Be blunt and honest.

[hjs]

I am also new to the SkiErg after using the Concept2 rower for over 20 years. We got a new one at the gym, and I love the thing. I've been doing 3K pieces daily for about a month now, with varied intervals. Sprint 500, rest 500. Damper at about 4 and indicate DF about 85. Doing about 2:50 splits. (I'm 75). I also do some upper body machine stuff and some light free weights. 25 pound Medicine ball chest carry for 400 yards and I'm done.
I've noticed some pretty intense pain across my traps post-workout. Not debilitating, but annoying. I also really like the burn in my triceps post-workout. It just seems to be so much effective for me with cardio versus the rower. I know, I wasn't rowing hard enough! Maybe I just needed a change.
Any tips or thoughts about the above. Be blunt and honest.

Do what you can do. But stay injury free. You body dies lie, so listen. Skierg certainly works upperbody muscles

[dannyb321]

good on ya Eric. hope I'm that fit at 75!!!

[mict450]

I've noticed some pretty intense pain across my traps post-workout.

I've been thinking about your situation for a while, consulting my old anatomy/phys text books. If it's you upper traps, there is no concentric load on them during the drive that I can see. The load falls mainly on the hips, lats & triceps. Without seeing a video of you, I can only make a SWAG that you're keeping your shoulders shrugged through out the drive & recovery.

When I was actively practising MA, we had a tensing routine that included a shoulder shrug. I remember if I was not careful, it was easy to contract hard enough to place the traps into a very painful cramp & spasm. Your situation doesn't appear as severe.

[Eric308]

Thanks, you guys. I've got a short video on my iphone. I'll see if I can figure how to post it. I will concentrate on the shrugging and form. I did a 4K today, and don't feel badly at all.

[Eric308]

Here's a video of me on the SkiErg....be honest.
https://www.facebook.com/eric.pangman.1 ... 9981824897

[mict450]

No video.

[Eric308]

https://www.icloud.com/attachment/?u=ht ... =112394353