How to do the Ski Erg
- Stand tall facing the machine, feet hip-width apart, handles overhead.
- Start with straight arms and a slight bend in your knees, ready to pull.
- Pull the handles down with your lats, arms long at first, then bend your elbows.
- Let the handles rise back overhead under control, returning to the starting position.
Full technique — 7 steps
- Stand facing the machine with feet about hip width apart and handles overhead.
- Start tall with arms extended, ribs down, and a slight bend in your knees.
- Drive the handles down by crunching the torso slightly and pulling through the lats.
- As the handles pass chest height, hinge at the hips and finish the pull past your thighs.
- Keep the arms long early, then bend the elbows more as you accelerate downward.
- Let the handles rise back overhead under control while returning to a tall stance.
- 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
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
- Harder Ski Erg Squat Pull
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).
