Starting Your Workout: Warming-Up 

It’s time for your workout, but you do not really feel like working out.  Perhaps you are tired from a long workday, or the early hour is making it difficult to get started. However, you know you'll feel better once you've completed your exercise routine, if you can just get started.  

Stick to your plan. Don’t stop to debate it with yourself. Just get on the erg and try these warm-up routines: 

Stroke Count Build (SkiErg stroke = pull; BikeErg stroke = full pedal revolution) 

• Start easily and just keep moving for 3 minutes. 
• Then go a little harder for 10 strokes, then easy for 5 strokes, and continue this alternation for 3 more minutes. 
• Switch to 15 strokes a little harder, 5 easy, for 3 more minutes. 
• And now 20 strokes moderately hard, 5 easy, until you reach 12 minutes total. 
• Now you can choose to go for 10 more minutes of these intervals and make this your workout—or move on to the workout of your choice. 

Gradual Build by Time 

• Start as easily as you can for the first 2 minutes. 
• Work a little harder for the next 2 minutes and check your pace (the large central display on the PM). Subtract 3 seconds from that pace and hold that pace for the next 2 minutes. 
• Continue to bring your pace down by 2-3 seconds every minute, until you’re feeling warmed up and ready to go. 

 Gradual Build by Distance 

• Start with a very easy 250 meters. 
• Go a little harder for the next 250 meters. 
• Then easy for 250, and again a little harder for 250. 
• Now, for the next 1000m, alternate 100m of slightly higher intensity with 100m of very low intensity. 
• This should have you awake and ready to start the workout of your choice. 

Still feeling like it is difficult to get started?  Here are a few other strategies: 

• Do an off-erg warm-up first. This could be a walk outside, several sets of stairs, or jogging in place for a couple of minutes.  
• Consider training at a different time of day. If you just can’t get out of bed on time in the morning, try the afternoon. If work leaves you too drained in the afternoon, try the morning.  But remember, there’s a good chance that a post-work workout is exactly what you need to feel better!