muscle involved : rowing vs skiing

bibi · Post by **bibi** » January 10th, 2010, 3:38 pm

Hi,

I currently practice skiing with the skierg, and would like know if it really involve the abs compared to rowing.

In fact i would like to know which muscle groups are involved if i practice the skierg with the same movement that the one show in the video of concept2.

Thanks.

Krysta Coleman · Post by **Krysta Coleman** » January 16th, 2010, 12:36 am

I have just received my SkiErg and though I really haven't given it a proper go yet, my abs were one of the first muscle groups I noticed feeling the effect of the effort. This may have a lot to do with the fact that my abdominal muscles are particularly weak but I know I don't feel a burn in them from using the rowing machine.

I am hoping that the SkiErg will target my abs and triceps, but only time will tell - there is not a great abundance of information and discussion on this piece of equipment yet. I would love to see more forum conversation about the SkiErg as that sort of camraderie is what got me really hooked on C2's rowing machine.

- Krysta

mikvan52 · Post by **mikvan52** » February 2nd, 2010, 10:40 am

K:

My wife and I got our ski erg this winter... We're new to it too.

It is targeting the muscle groups you mentioned and others too!!

Form remains an issue... We're having fun though!!

GFTB

"go for the burn"

= Mike (and Mary)

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 3rd, 2010, 3:05 am

Concept2: Would you please add a lightweight division to the rankings.

Here is a video of a 1k competition on the skierg.
I like this video a lot, as it shows excellent form by both competitors, though their ratings are entirely different.

It seems to me that a ski erg could be created by attaching the front part of a modelC, D or E to a wall,, with two pulleys at the ceiling,
and a cord routed from the chain through the pulleys. Handles could be similar those I used with the rowing machine.

macroth · Post by **macroth** » February 22nd, 2010, 11:45 am

If by form we mean something that resembles what one would do on skis, both competitors had pretty bad form, the one on the left being by far the worst of the two.

It seems that the gap between proper form and effective form could be even wider than on a rowing erg.

c2jonw · Post by **c2jonw** » February 22nd, 2010, 12:21 pm

Must agree that both fellows show pretty poor form. The SkiErg presents a problem similar to rowing in that you're trying to coordinate a lot of muscles into a smooth motion with very few restrictions to the motion (unlike say cycling or stepping where the range of motion is more defined). So it's another challenge to us. We'll have some more technique information and videos available soon, but if you watch the freestyle portion of the Mens 30K pursuit in the Olympics you'll see some excellent demonstrations of form that can be transferred to the SkiErg. C2JonW

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 22nd, 2010, 1:43 pm

In the case of skiergs and probably also on skies, the fellow on the left has by far the best form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQJBgY82 ... re=related

left: hands to forehead, high cadence (same as skiis), hips moving forward and back, no wasted motion;
right: elbows above head!, low cadence (compare to skiis), hips going up and down, uncoordinated finish & recovery.

Even so, they finished in about the same time. I would bet that the fellow on the left would stomp the other on skiies.

nordic skiing technique - double poling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUlRz0oebvI

macroth · Post by **macroth** » February 22nd, 2010, 2:01 pm

I don't think xc-skiing is really your "thing".

Proper technique is somewhere between these two poor fellows, ie, man on the left in terms of minimal leg movement and tighter form, but man on the right in terms of arm and shoulder engagement and follow through. Man on the left's movement is completely stunted, whereas man on the right is completely exaggerating the motion.

Regardless of which guy would stomp the other on skis, they would both be going quite slow.

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 22nd, 2010, 2:25 pm

This is a really good video of cross country skiing technique.

nordic skiing technique - double poling
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUlRz0oebvI

macroth · Post by **macroth** » February 22nd, 2010, 2:52 pm

Heh, for a moment there I thought ranger had taken over your account.

That's a nice video, but it didn't show me anything I didn't already know. I stand by my assessment of the two Italian skiergers.

The "official" Skierg technique video isn't bad, but still shows too much leg involvement in my opinion. Of course, it has to be marketed as a full-body workout machine. The design seems to favor all this up-down motion, in particular because your hands tend to get pulled (too) high.

http://www.skierg.com/training/technique-video

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 22nd, 2010, 3:09 pm

macroth wrote:The "official" Skierg technique video isn't bad

The hips are going up and down - vs forward and back, he's doing squats instead of bending at the waist.

The design seems to favor all this up-down motion, in particular because your hands tend to get pulled (too) high.

Yes, and yet the competitor on the left in the first video is shows excellent form even when tiring at the end,
hands to forehead height, hips forward and back, bending at the waist, good rhythm, no wasted motion.

- - -

Here is another good video and great example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf_gJ36x ... D3&index=5

left: excellent form for the skiierg, is probably a very good cross county skiier
right: much heavier, doing squats, hips up and down, "wins" due to body weight not technique but would get stomped on a cross country course.

The skierg greatly favors weight, maybe even more than the rowing machine. A power based on weight output would be helpful.

macroth · Post by **macroth** » February 22nd, 2010, 6:07 pm

Yeah the kid on the left isn't going up and down at all.

There isn't a single cross-country skier in the bunch, these are rowers you're looking at.

Anyway, as I said earlier, the gap between proper (skiing) form and effective (skierging) form is probably even wider than on a rowing erg (OTW vs C2).

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 22nd, 2010, 6:36 pm

macroth wrote:Yeah the kid on the left isn't going up and down at all.

Kid? I thought those were women.

macroth · Post by **macroth** » February 22nd, 2010, 6:41 pm

A fifteen year old kid and a 44 year old woman.
http://www.rowclub.it/pdf/SkiErg%20resu ... 0Italy.pdf

You can cross-reference a few people here
http://www.rowclub.it/pdf/Risultati%202 ... 202009.pdf

johnlvs2run · Post by **johnlvs2run** » February 22nd, 2010, 6:58 pm

macroth wrote:Yeah the kid on the left isn't going up and down at all.

Thanks for the results.

The kid, is keeping his hips level, which I see as being a good thing.
His hands are going from top of head down to knees.

Are you referring to hips or hands? If hands, how much more range would you suggest?

I note that his light weight is causing some difficulty. However his power output per weight is quite high.

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muscle involved : rowing vs skiing

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