SkiErg: Movement Mechanics for a More Efficient Pull
The SkiErg is a resistance machine that simulates the double pole movement used in cross-country skiing and is one of the stations in a HYROX race. Efficient SkiErg technique relies on coordinated movement between the core, hips, and lats rather than relying primarily on the arms.
This article explains the movement mechanics of an efficient SkiErg pull, including how the abdominal crunch and hip hinge initiate the stroke and how the lats contribute to the follow-through. It also covers common technique mistakes and practical ways to improve coordination, timing, and stroke efficiency.
Physical therapy can help athletes experiencing shoulder or lower back pain during SkiErg training by identifying contributing factors, addressing mobility or strength limitations, and developing an individualized plan to continue preparing
for HYROX.
What is a SkiErg?
The SkiErg is a specialized machine that, unless you’re a CrossFitter or Nordic cross-country skier, you probably didn’t know existed until HYROX. It consists of two overhead handles and a flywheel to provide resistance as you pull the handles downward.
The SkiErg was created by the brand Concept2 and was originally developed as a training tool for cross-country skiers. The technique most commonly used on the SkiErg is similar to the double pole technique in cross-country skiing (for the most part).
Movement Mechanics for SkiErg Performance
Most people new to the SkiErg will try to predominantly use their arms on the machine. This usually leads to triceps muscle fatigue pretty quickly and is an unsustainable technique for the 1000m distance required for HYROX.
Sustainable SkiErg technique involves using your core and hips to initiate the stroke and the lats to bring the arms and handles down for the follow-through.
To initiate the stroke, you’ll start by crunching your abdominals before sending your hips back into a hip hinge. This allows you to use your bodyweight to generate more momentum. It’s also a lot more energy efficient than using a squat.
Once you’re in the hip hinge position, power is then transferred from your core to your lats to bring your arms down and continue the downward momentum of the stroke. Keeping your elbows bent also give your lats a stronger position to generate force versus keeping them straight.
You should not be doing tricep pulldowns on the SkiErg. If you notice your triceps burning out within the first few hundred meters on the SkiErg, you might be over utilizing your arms instead of using your core, hips, and lats to generate power.
How to Improve Your SkiErg Performance
Improving your coordination and timing for each stroke will help improve your efficiency and performance on the SkiErg, along with practicing the movement patterns discussed earlier.
One way to work on the movement patterns is to separate the stroke into the initiation and the follow-through. You could practice just the abdominal crunch and hip hinge of the stroke initiation for a few reps before moving on to just the lat pull and follow-through.
Once you have the movement pattern down, practice putting the two together, but at a much slower cadence. As you get the hang of the timing for each component, you can gradually increase the cadence to your normal speed.
Then, practice, practice, practice. The more you practice proper SkiErg technique, the more reflexive it can becomes so that your technique doesn’t fall apart as you get fatigued during the race.
When Physical Therapy Can Help
If you're experiencing shoulder or lower back pain during the SkiErg, improving your technique may help, but it might not be enough to address what's contributing to your pain.
If your pain persists despite making technique adjustments or starts interfering with your HYROX training, a physical therapist can help identify contributing factors, such as limitations in mobility, strength, or training capacity.
From there, they can develop an individualized plan to address those limitations and help you continue preparing for your race without unnecessarily stopping training.
HYROX Athlete Physical Therapy in Nevada
If pain during the SkiErg is holding you back, and you're located in Nevada, I specialize in remote physical therapy for HYROX athletes. Schedule a virtual movement assessment below to identify what's contributing to your pain and develop a plan to get you back to training comfortably.
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References:
Review of the first prototype: https://fasterskier.com/2009/06/concept2-skierg-review
Concept2 SkiErg Evolution: https://www.concept2.com/blog/the-evolution-of-the-concept2-skierg?srsltid=AU7gw4Wzzwi2jP8WnzGoCp7s9r2JXVydVe_cremU0za_69ebMhqsknvS
Concept2 SkiErg Technique: https://www.concept2.com/blog/skierg-technique-part-one
