How to Use a SkiErg: Technique, Benefits and Workouts

The SkiErg is one of the most effective and versatile pieces of conditioning equipment in the gym. It can develop aerobic fitness, power, muscular endurance and coordination without placing the same impact through the joints as running. It also provides a welcome alternative to the rower and exercise bike when you want to challenge your cardiovascular system in a different way.

At REVIVAL Personal Training in Hammersmith, we use the Concept2 SkiErg across Small Group Personal Training, HYROX-style conditioning, fitness testing and individual training programmes. It is simple to begin using, but good technique makes an enormous difference.

Pulling the handles down as quickly as possible is not necessarily the same as skiing efficiently. The aim is to connect your upper body, core and hips so that every stroke produces useful power without wasting energy.

This guide explains how to use a SkiErg properly, which muscles it trains, the common mistakes to avoid and why elite Nordic skiers are among the most impressive endurance athletes in world sport.

What Is a SkiErg?

The Concept2 SkiErg is a cardiovascular training machine inspired by the double-pole movement used in Nordic or cross-country skiing. Instead of travelling across snow, you stand in front of the machine and pull two handles down against flywheel resistance. The faster and more forcefully you pull, the greater the resistance becomes.

This means the SkiErg can be used for:

• Easy aerobic conditioning

• High-intensity intervals

• Sprint training

• Longer endurance sessions

• HYROX preparation

• Upper-body conditioning

• Full-body power development

• Low-impact cardiovascular exercise

  
  

It is suitable for beginners, experienced gym-goers and competitive athletes because the intensity is controlled by the person using it.

What Muscles Does the SkiErg Work?

The SkiErg is sometimes described as an upper-body machine, but effective skiing involves considerably more than the arms.

According to Concept2, the primary muscles involved include the triceps, latissimus dorsi, abdominal muscles, hip flexors and muscles around the shin. The quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves and spinal erectors also contribute to the movement.

A well-executed stroke involves:

• The lats initiating and controlling the pull

• The triceps extending the arms

• The abdominals flexing and stabilising the torso

• The hips helping drive the body downwards

• The legs absorbing and transferring force

• The upper back maintaining a strong shoulder position
  

You should feel as though your body is working as one connected system. When someone finishes a hard SkiErg interval with tired arms but no sensation through their core, hips or upper back, it often suggests that they have relied too heavily on the handles.

How to Use a SkiErg Properly

1. Establish Your Starting Position

Stand facing the machine with your feet approximately hip-width apart.

Hold one handle in each hand and begin with:

• Your arms raised

• Your elbows slightly bent

• Your hands roughly above eye level

• Your ribs controlled rather than flared

• Your weight balanced through the middle of your feet

Avoid standing so close that the cords remain vertical throughout the movement. Taking a small step back usually creates a more natural pulling angle.

2. Begin the Pull Through Your Upper Back

Start the movement by drawing your shoulders and upper arms down.

Your elbows should remain softly bent rather than becoming completely rigid.

Think about placing your hands into your coat pockets rather than dragging the handles directly towards the floor.

This encourages the lats and trunk to contribute to the stroke instead of asking the triceps to perform everything alone.

3. Use Your Core and Hips

As the handles move down, hinge and flex slightly through the hips and knees.

Your torso should travel forwards as your hands pass your thighs.

This is not a deep squat. It is a short, coordinated compression of the body.

Concept2’s technique guidance recommends bending the knees softly and engaging the core during each pull.

The strongest SkiErg users do not simply possess powerful arms. They transfer force effectively from the upper body through the trunk and hips.

4. Finish the Stroke With Long Arms

Finish with your hands just behind your thighs and your arms extended.

Do not aggressively throw the handles behind your body. Once the handles have passed your hips, additional movement usually adds very little useful power.

Keep the finish compact, controlled and repeatable.

5. Recover Smoothly

Allow the handles to travel upwards as you return to the starting position.

The recovery should be relaxed and slightly slower than the pull.

A useful rhythm is:

Strong pull. Smooth return.

Avoid racing the handles back to the top. The recovery is your opportunity to breathe, reset your position and prepare the next stroke.

The Most Common SkiErg Technique Mistakes

Using Only the Arms

This is the most frequent mistake we see.

Someone begins pulling with maximum effort, their arms fatigue quickly and their pace drops dramatically after 20 or 30 seconds.

Instead, initiate the movement through the upper back and combine it with a controlled abdominal crunch and hip movement.

Concept2’s coaching material specifically emphasises using the core to accelerate the handles while reducing unnecessary reliance on the arms.

Squatting Too Deeply

More movement does not automatically produce more power.

Dropping into a deep squat on every stroke makes the movement slower and can waste considerable energy.

Use a shallow bend through the knees and hips. The exact depth will vary depending on your height, mobility and the intensity of the interval.

Pulling With Straight, Rigid Arms

Locking the elbows at the top can make the movement feel disconnected and place more stress through the shoulders.

Maintain a small amount of elbow bend so that you can produce force from a strong position.

Standing Too Close to the Machine

Standing directly underneath the handles often causes the user to pull vertically rather than creating a powerful curved path.

Take a small step backwards and experiment with your stance until the pull feels smooth.

Starting Every Workout Too Fast

The SkiErg is exceptionally good at punishing enthusiasm.

A pace that feels manageable for the opening 15 seconds can become deeply unpleasant two minutes later.

For longer intervals, begin slightly more conservatively than you think is necessary. Once your breathing and rhythm are established, gradually increase the pace.

Confusing Damper Setting With Difficulty

The damper controls how much air enters the flywheel. It changes the feel of the stroke, but a higher damper setting does not automatically make somebody fitter or produce a better workout.

A very high setting can make each stroke feel heavy and muscular. A lower setting allows a quicker, lighter rhythm.

For most general gym sessions, a moderate setting is a sensible place to begin. Technique and consistent power matter more than selecting the largest possible number.

Why Nordic Skiers Are Absolute Animals

The SkiErg gives us a small taste of the physical demands experienced by Nordic skiers, but racing across snow adds an entirely different level of difficulty.

Cross-country skiers must repeatedly generate power with both the upper and lower body while climbing, descending, cornering and adapting their technique to changing terrain and snow conditions.

The sport demands:

• Exceptional aerobic capacity

• Upper- and lower-body strength

• High levels of muscular endurance

• Efficient technique

• Balance and coordination

• Anaerobic power for climbs, attacks and sprint finishes

• The ability to maintain technique under severe fatigue

  
  

Research describes cross-country skiing as a sport involving continuous changes in speed, power output and energy-system contribution. Athletes need extremely high aerobic capacity alongside anaerobic power, efficiency, strength and tactical skill.

World-class Nordic skiers have recorded some of the highest aerobic capacities ever measured. Published research has reported VO₂ max values above 80 ml/kg/min in elite men and above 70 ml/kg/min in elite women.

To put that into everyday terms, they possess enormous engines—but they must use those engines while driving force through almost the entire body. Running allows the arms to assist the movement. Nordic skiing asks the arms, trunk and legs to contribute directly to propulsion.

Then it asks the athlete to continue doing it uphill, in freezing conditions, while racing other people with similarly ridiculous cardiovascular systems. That is why elite Nordic skiers often look relatively lean rather than heavily muscled, yet can produce extraordinary power for extended periods. Their strength is highly specific, their technique is exceptionally efficient and their ability to tolerate sustained discomfort is difficult to overstate. They are, scientifically speaking, complete animals.

What Are the Benefits of Using a SkiErg?

Effective Cardiovascular Training

The SkiErg can raise your heart rate quickly and can be used for both aerobic and anaerobic training. Short intervals develop repeatable high-intensity output, while longer intervals can improve pacing and cardiovascular endurance.

Lower-Impact Conditioning

Because there is no running or jumping involved, the SkiErg creates relatively little impact through the ankles, knees and hips. That does not mean it is effortless. It simply provides a different form of physical stress.

This can make it useful when managing total running volume or when you want a hard conditioning session without adding more impact.

Upper-Body Muscular Endurance

Cycling and running are dominated by the lower body. The SkiErg allows you to challenge the cardiovascular system while involving the lats, triceps, shoulders and trunk more substantially.

This is particularly useful for HYROX competitors, functional fitness athletes and anyone whose conditioning programme is overly dependent on the legs.

Easy Progress Tracking

The Concept2 monitor provides clear performance data, including:

• Time

• Distance

• Calories

• Stroke rate

• Average pace

• Watts

• Projected finish

This makes sessions repeatable and measurable.

Instead of finishing a random circuit and deciding that it “felt hard”, you can record your output and assess whether your fitness is improving.

Efficient Training

A purposeful SkiErg workout does not need to last an hour.

Ten to twenty minutes of well-structured intervals can provide a significant conditioning stimulus, particularly when combined with strength training.

For busy professionals travelling between Hammersmith, Chiswick, Shepherds Bush and Fulham, that efficiency is extremely valuable.

Three SkiErg Workouts to Try

Always complete an appropriate warm-up before beginning hard intervals.

Spend a few minutes gradually increasing your pace and practise producing smooth, repeatable strokes.

Beginner SkiErg Workout

Complete:

8 rounds:

• 45 seconds at a comfortable working pace

• 45 seconds very easy

The objective is not to sprint. Maintain consistent numbers across all eight rounds.

This is a useful introduction for somebody learning SkiErg technique or returning to cardiovascular training.

Aerobic SkiErg Workout

Complete:

4 rounds:

• 4 minutes at a sustainable pace

• 2 minutes easy recovery

Your working pace should feel controlled but purposeful.

Aim to keep the average pace within approximately two to three seconds across all four rounds. The final round should be difficult, but it should not collapse.

SkiErg Sprint Workout

Complete:

10 rounds:

• 15 seconds hard

• 45 seconds easy

Generate powerful strokes during each sprint while maintaining your technique.

Record the metres completed during every 15-second effort. The aim is to minimise the drop-off between your best and worst rounds.

A huge first interval followed by nine increasingly desperate rounds is not effective pacing.

How Often Should You Use the SkiErg?

The right frequency depends on your training programme, goals and current fitness.

For most general gym-goers, one or two SkiErg sessions each week can be enough to provide variety and improve conditioning.

It can be included as:

• A short warm-up before strength training

• A conditioning finisher

• Part of an interval circuit

• A dedicated aerobic session

• A low-impact alternative to running

• HYROX-specific preparation

• A benchmark workout repeated every four to eight weeks

  
  

Beginners should prioritise consistency and technique before adding large amounts of high-intensity work. Concept2’s introductory SkiErg programme suggests two to three sessions per week for beginners, but the appropriate amount still depends on the rest of the individual’s training and recovery.

Is the SkiErg Good for Fat Loss?

The SkiErg can contribute to a fat-loss programme because it increases energy expenditure and helps improve fitness.

However, no single exercise machine creates fat loss independently.

Meaningful, sustainable progress normally requires:

• An appropriate overall calorie intake

• Regular resistance training

• Sufficient daily movement

• Consistent cardiovascular exercise

• Adequate protein

• Good sleep and recovery

  
  

The SkiErg is a useful tool within that structure—not a punishment machine for compensating for what you ate at the weekend. At REVIVAL, we prefer to use conditioning to improve health, performance and confidence. Body-composition changes can then occur as part of a balanced, sustainable programme.

Should You Choose the SkiErg, Rower or BikeErg?

There is no universally superior machine. Each offers a slightly different training stimulus.

Choose the SkiErg when you want more upper-body and trunk involvement.

Choose the rower when you want a coordinated full-body movement with a strong leg drive.

Choose the BikeErg when you want to accumulate cardiovascular work with minimal upper-body fatigue.

In a well-designed programme, all three can be valuable.

At our personal training gym in Hammersmith, we often rotate machines depending on the session’s purpose. Someone recovering from a demanding lower-body strength session might use the SkiErg, while someone preparing for a running event might use the BikeErg to build aerobic volume without adding another impact-heavy session. The equipment should support the programme—not dictate it.

Learn to Use the SkiErg at REVIVAL Hammersmith

The SkiErg is easy to make difficult. The real skill is learning to make it effective.

Good coaching can help you improve your positioning, connect your upper and lower body, choose the correct intensity and understand what the numbers on the monitor actually mean.

At REVIVAL Personal Training, we coach people from Hammersmith, Chiswick, Shepherds Bush, Fulham and across West London through both 1-1 Personal Training and Small Group Personal Training.

Our sessions combine structured strength training, intelligent conditioning and practical coaching in a friendly, independent facility.

Whether you want to improve your fitness, prepare for HYROX, become stronger or simply feel more confident using gym equipment, we will help you train with a clear purpose.

Book a consultation or trial session at REVIVAL Personal Training in Hammersmith and discover how much more effective your training can become with the right coaching.