This is your quick training tip, a chance to learn how to work smarter in just a few moments so you can kick start your training.

WHEN YOU THINK Of the cardio machines, the first two that probably come to mind are the treadmill and the indoor bike. After all, treadmills have been around since the 1950s, and stationary bikes (in one form or another) have been around for even longer.

You’re also probably familiar with rowers, ellipticals, and stair climbers. Virtually every gym has them, and each one of them can give you a lung-busting, calorie-burning, stamina-building workout when you’d rather sweat inside than walk or spin your wheels outside.

But if you’re lucky, your gym may have been hidden next to those machines, or maybe even mixed in with the strength-training equipment, another equally effective cardiovascular device hiding in plain sight: the SkiErg. In fact, some would say it’s the best of the bunch, especially if your current cardio plan focuses exclusively on your lower body.

What is a Skierg?

The SkiErg was presented by the specialist brand in cardio machines concept2 in 2009 as an indoor training option for cross-country athletes, but it quickly became popular with other athletes and gym-goers as well.

Because? Because unlike treadmills and spin bikes, the SkiErg (and the many “ski trainers” that followed in its footsteps) flips the cardio script. Instead of focusing primarily on lower body power and endurance, it focuses on your upper body even more than rowers, and definitely to a greater extent than any cardio machine with convenient, ergonomic handles that move. along with pedals and insoles. Plus, unlike rowers, bikes, or any other machine that doesn’t require you to run, you can exercise in an upright position, making it the better option for some trainers.

That makes ski trainers unique among cardio machines: Upper-body resistance is on point, not an afterthought. If you’re into CrossFit or some other form of functional training, you’re probably intimately familiar with the temptingly hard cardio workout you can achieve on this machine.

One reason you may not have noticed the ski trainer at your gym is because it looks like a double-cable crossover machine. Like the latter, a ski trainer has two handles attached to cables on the raised arms, and the action is usually down. But instead of loading the system as much as possible (as you would with a cable flight, for example), he wants the resistance to be challenging. other sustainable. In other words, the focus of a ski trainer is endurance. When doing a workout, think about structuring it around intervals based on time, not repetitions.

So, you have to think about the whole body, not just the upper part. Yes, you will be concentrating mainly on your arms and back (i.e. stretching the muscles), but the action involves your legs as well, as if both of you are stretching. other push/propel oneself along a cross-country ski trail. In other words, the coordinated effort of your entire body wins the day (or in this case, the workout).

How to use an Erg ski machine

The fact that you’ve read this far shows that you understand the importance of integrating cardiovascular exercise into your training program, regardless of your goals, and that it doesn’t have to be exclusively a lower-body effort. In fact, if you want a body that performs on all levels, strength other resistance both above other Below the waist: You need to train it that way, and that’s where ski trainers come in.

These machines aren’t standard at every gym, but if yours has one, use it up to a couple of times a week to round out your strength workouts, or turn it into a cardio workout on its own. Do you need some inspiration? Here are some ways to use the SkiErg to crush your cardio goals and improve all aspects of your fitness.