8 Great SkiErg Workouts

Here’s a collection of favorite SkiErg® workouts from the Concept2 Team. They range in length from 20 to 45 minutes. Suggested warm-up for all workouts: 5-10 minutes of skiing, starting easy and gradually adding some 15-30 second bursts of harder effort. Suggested cool-down for all workouts: At least 5 minutes of easy skiing.

1. Short-rest intervals: 40 seconds hard/20 seconds easy. (OR 200m hard/20 sec easy; OR 10 Calories/20 seconds easy)
   • Start with a set of 10 of these intervals.
   • Take a 3 minute break.
   • Do a second set of 10 intervals.
   • Still feeling good? Do another set! But two sets is usually plenty.
2. SkiErg Pyramid: 1-2-3-4-3-2-1 minutes with equal rest
   • Ski 1 minute hard, rest 1 minute; ski 2 minutes hard, rest 2 minutes, and so on.
3. 3-minute pieces, increasing intensity
   • Ski 3 minutes at a comfortable intensity, noting your average pace.
   • Rest with 2 minutes of easy skiing.
   • Ski 3 minutes again, aiming for an average pace that’s a couple seconds per 500 faster than your first 3 minute piece.
   • Rest again for 2 minutes.
   • Repeat these 3 minute pieces, gradually increasing your intensity, until you can’t continue to increase it.
4. 1000m x 3-5 repetitions
   • Ski your first 1k at a comfortable conversational pace.
   • Rest 2-3 minutes.
   • Increase your intensity for the next 1k.
   • Then try to maintain the same pace for another 1-3 pieces.
5. 4-3-2-1 and Repeat Backwards
   • Set monitor for 10 minute intervals with 2 minutes rest in between. This workout has a built in warm-up as well as a cool-down.
   • In the first 10 minute interval:
     • 4 minutes easy/moderate intensity (warm-up).
     • 3 minutes hard effort.
     • 2 minutes easy/moderate intensity.
     • 1 minute harder than hard effort.
   • 2 minutes very easy intensity (rest).
   • In the second 10 minute interval:
     • 1 minute harder than hard effort.
     • 2 minutes easy/moderate intensity.
     • 3 minutes hard effort.
     • 4 minutes easy intensity (cool-down).
6. 2 x 12 Minutes
   • This workout challenges your ability to hold your intensity. Warm up before diving in as you will want to be prepared to hit some higher intensity levels.
   • First set of 12: 12 x 20 seconds easy/40 seconds moderate.
   • Take a break between sets.
   • Second set of 12:12 x 40 seconds moderate / 20 seconds hard.
   • Cool down as needed.
7. 32 Minute Saw Tooth: 8 X 4 minute intervals

   • Your 4 minutes look like this:

     • 2 minute easy.
     • 1 minute moderate.
     • 1 minute hard.

     Then go right into the next 4 minute interval.

8. 20 Rounds of 200m, alternating with an exercise of your choice
   • Ski 200m and then step off the SkiErg and do another exercise of your choice.
   • Return to the SkiErg, and repeat 19 more times.
   • This workout is a great one if you have a special additional movement that you are really excited to pair with your work on the SkiErg.
   • You can set your Monitor to 200m intervals with either a defined “rest” time for your other exercise, or an Undefined Rest Time so you can do as much of your additional movement as desired.