# Ski Erg

A ski erg conditioning exercise targeting the lats, triceps, abs, and posterior chain. Used for intervals, aerobic work, and upper-body dominant conditioning.

- Beginner · Cardio
- Equipment: Ski erg
- HD video: https://media.seto.fit/exercises/ski-ergometer-cross-country-ski-basic-pull/video/male.mp4
- HTML: https://seto.fit/exercises/ski-erg/

## Muscles worked

- Lats: 9/10
- Abs: 7/10
- Triceps: 6/10
- Glutes: 5/10

## How to do the Ski Erg

1. Stand tall facing the machine, feet hip-width apart, handles overhead.
2. Start with straight arms and a slight bend in your knees, ready to pull.
3. Pull the handles down with your lats, arms long at first, then bend your elbows.
4. Let the handles rise back overhead under control, returning to the starting position.

### Full technique — 7 steps

1. Stand facing the machine with feet about hip width apart and handles overhead.
2. Start tall with arms extended, ribs down, and a slight bend in your knees.
3. Drive the handles down by crunching the torso slightly and pulling through the lats.
4. As the handles pass chest height, hinge at the hips and finish the pull past your thighs.
5. Keep the arms long early, then bend the elbows more as you accelerate downward.
6. Let the handles rise back overhead under control while returning to a tall stance.
7. Link each stroke smoothly so the recovery sets up the next powerful downward pull.

## Common mistakes

- Pulling mostly with the arms
- Squatting instead of hinging
- Overrounding through the lower back
- Cutting the stroke short
- Letting the handles snap upward

## Form cues

- Pull from the lats
- Hinge, don't squat
- Arms long at entry
- Finish past the thighs
- Recover tall overhead

## How much to do

- **Muscle growth**: 3–5 sets · rest 1 min 15 s
- **Power**: 4–6 sets of 5–10 reps · rest 1 min 30 s · 2 reps in reserve
- **Endurance** (best fit): 1–4 sets · rest 1 min

Reps in reserve: how many more you could still do when you end the set.

## Where to start and where to go next

Same muscles, same movement. Too hard for now — step down; once it gets easy — step up.

- **This exercise: Ski Erg — Beginner**
- Harder: [Ski Erg Squat Pull](https://seto.fit/exercises/ski-erg-squat-pull/) — Beginner

## Quick answers

### What muscles does the Ski Erg work?

Primary: Lats 9/10, Abs 7/10. Also works: Glutes 5/10, Triceps 6/10.

### How many sets and reps of the Ski Erg?

Muscle growth: 3–5 sets, rest 1 min 15 s. Power: 4–6 sets of 5–10 reps, rest 1 min 30 s, 2 reps in reserve. Endurance: 1–4 sets, rest 1 min.

### What is a harder version of the Ski Erg?

Ski Erg Squat Pull (Beginner).

How we rate exercises: https://seto.fit/guides/methodology/

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