On the SkiErg the hips pull, not the arms. Learn the double-pole stroke in five steps, with rhythm, clear milestones and the typical mistakes.
The SkiErg is an ergometer where you pull two handles down at the same time in a double-pole stroke, like in cross-country skiing. The honest answer: it is not an arm trainer. Good strokes come from the hip hinge; the arms only finish them.
The measurements show this too. Nine national-level cross-country skiers did double poling on an ergometer at rising intensities. At high load, the contribution of leg and hip went from about 37 to about 54 percent of poling power [1] – at full effort, roughly half of the power comes from the lower body, not from the arms. The manufacturer Concept2 describes the technique the same way: hinge at the hips before the knees [2].
Realistically you get the basic technique in one or two sessions; rhythm and conditioning take longer (experience, not study data). Even elite athletes are faster the second time: in a study with ten national-team skiers, the second 1,000 m on the SkiErg was on average almost 5 seconds (4.87) faster than the first [3].
Stand about 45 to 60 centimeters (roughly one stride) in front of the flywheel housing, feet shoulder-width. Arms are bent about 90 degrees, handles at eye level, knees soft, trunk engaged [2].
Milestone: you stand stable and stay relaxed.
Hinge forward from the hips, butt slightly back. The arms stay almost passive. This is the movement that later delivers the power. The manufacturer describes the picture like this: you slam a medicine ball into the floor [2].
Milestone: 3×10 clean hinges, back stays long.
Let the arms follow down: thumbs point to the thighs, wrists stay straight, arms do not fully extend ("hat to pockets") [2].
Milestone: 3×10 pulls without arching.
Stand up, arms go up. Use the return to breathe and set up the next pull. As a guideline, the manufacturer gives a pull-to-return ratio of about 1:2 [2].
Milestone: 2 minutes of even rhythm.
Increase duration first, then pace. If you go all-out too soon, you lose the hip hinge and pull with the arms only. In an 800 m test (about three minutes) with 18 cross-country skiers on the ergometer, time depended mainly on aerobic peak power and maximal sprint power, not on anaerobic capacity (how long you can hold on above your sustainable limit) [4]. In plain words: whoever puts high power cleanly onto the platform is faster – not the one who suffers best at the end.
Milestone: 500 m without losing technique, later 1,000 m.
The SkiErg is not a dangerous machine, but back and shoulders tire at high volume. If you pull with a rounded back, you load it unnecessarily (practice experience, not study data). Increase duration in small steps and stop if the back pulls or the shoulders stab.
This guide explains and motivates but does not replace supervised training – have your technique filmed from the side or checked by a coach. With known shoulder or back problems, talk to a doctor or physiotherapist first.
Do not switch constantly between "pull hard" and "pull less" – keep the rhythm as on a rowing machine: constant pull time, return twice as long. The SkiErg measures a 1,000 m race quite reproducibly (coefficient of variation 1.6 percent) [3] – so use it as a test of your pacing strategy, not just as a torture bench.
There is no fixed number for beginners; it depends on strength, body size and technique. Start with 500 meters at an even rhythm, then build to 1,000. For national-team cross-country skiers, the 1,000 m time on the SkiErg was around 233 to 238 seconds, i.e. just under four minutes [3] – but your own progress is your yardstick.
With the hips. In nine skiers on the ergometer, legs and hips supplied about 54 percent of poling power at high load and about 37 percent at low load [1]. The arms only finish the stroke.
Hinge at the hips instead of the back, keep the back long and the wrists straight [2]. Increase duration slowly and stop if it stabs. With known complaints, check with a doctor first whether the load is appropriate.
In double pole you pull both handles at the same time, in classic you alternate arm by arm [2]. The manufacturer describes double pole as the powerful and efficient cross-country technique; it is easy to drive with trunk and hips.
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