Ski Erg
The SkiErg is a standing ergometer on which you pull two handles from overhead down past your hips, copying the double-pole action of cross-country skiing against an air-resistance flywheel. It works the lats, triceps and abdominals with the legs mostly holding posture, and it is used for upper-body and core conditioning.
Also called: SkiErg, Ski Ergometer, Concept2 SkiErg, Double-Pole Ergometer · Equipment: cardio
Step by step
- Set the damper and stand facing the machine, feet about hip-width apart, close enough that the handles hang just in front of you.
- Hold a handle in each hand and reach up until your arms are almost straight and your hands are above your head. Stand tall.
- Start the pull by hinging at the hips with a slight knee bend, bringing the handles down in front of you with your elbows slightly bent and fixed.
- As your hands pass your face, crunch your trunk down and keep driving the handles towards your hips.
- Straighten your elbows to finish, with your hands just past your hips and your torso angled forward.
- Recover in reverse: let your arms rise first, then lift your torso and stand tall until your hands are back overhead.
- Keep a smooth, even rhythm for the set. At the end, let the handles rise back to the top under control before letting go.
- Hinge and crunch to start every pull
- Tall at the top, hands overhead
- Handles to the hips, elbows straight at the finish
- Arms rise first, then the body
- Smooth, even rhythm
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Latissimus dorsi | Prime mover | C |
| Triceps brachii | Prime mover | C |
| Rectus abdominis | Prime mover | D |
| Erector spinae | Secondary | C |
| Obliques (internal/external) | Secondary | D |
| Pectoralis major: sternocostal (mid) | Secondary | C |
| Posterior deltoid: posterior | Secondary | D |
| Gluteus maximus | Secondary | C |
| Forearm flexors | Secondary | D |
| Quadriceps | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Pulling with the arms only
Fix: Start each pull with a hip hinge and a trunk crunch so the body drives the handles.
Squatting instead of hinging
Fix: Push your hips back with only a slight knee bend as the handles come down.
Slumping through the back at the finish
Fix: Crunch from the abdominals with a braced trunk and let the hips hinge.
Short reach at the top
Fix: Stand fully tall and reach up between strokes before the next pull.
Jerking the handles
Fix: Pull with an even, continuous force from overhead down past your hips.
What the research says
PowerRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessSport performanceEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Sprint intervals — A meta-analysis of 16 trials found repeated 30-second all-out efforts raised aerobic capacity by about 8% on average, similar to endurance training despite far less total work. Those trials mostly used bikes, not the SkiErg.
- Aerobic fitness — A second meta-analysis found 2–8 weeks of sprint interval training gave a moderate improvement in VO2max in sedentary and recreationally active adults.
- Low-volume intervals — Reviews of low-volume high-intensity interval training describe fitness adaptations similar to traditional endurance training when the work is matched.
- Muscle activity — EMG of the double-poling action the SkiErg copies shows the triceps and lats working hard, with activity rising as speed rises. There is no captured EMG study of the SkiErg itself.
- Damper and pacing — A common approach is to pace sessions by watts, split time or calories on the monitor and to set the damper for feel. There is no direct research comparing damper settings.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the ski erg in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.