SkiErg for Beginners

The first HYROX^® station

In HYROX^® Singles 26/27, SkiErg is station 1: 1,000 metres after run 1. Run 2 follows before Sled Push. This article concerns that Singles station; learning the machine is only one part of preparing for the complete race.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1

Start with a short familiarisation

Concept2 suggests short first attempts of 3–5 minutes, with a break before deciding whether to repeat. The manufacturer makes repetition conditional on feeling good. You do not have to reach 1,000 metres in the first session.

Use its technique demonstration as a reference. Keep a record of what you actually complete. There is no established deadline here for learning the movement or becoming ready for HYROX^®.

Concept2 · First Workouts on the SkiErg · Concept2 · SkiErg Technique

Set up the movement

Concept2’s current double-poling demonstration starts with feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and hands just above eye level. The arms are bent at approximately 90 degrees. Starting with fully straight arms high overhead is not the demonstrated position.

The manufacturer suggests trying damper 3–5 for training and adjusting as you progress. That is not a rule to keep the same setting for four weeks. In the Singles race rules the preset is 6 and athletes may adjust it. Damper position and drag factor are different readings; a damper number does not guarantee the same drag on every machine.

Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Getting Started · HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · Concept2 · Damper Setting

Coordinate the pull and return

Initiate with the trunk, hinge at the hips, then coordinate the arms and knee bend. Bring the handles down alongside the thighs; do not deliberately chase an exaggerated finish far behind the hips. Stand back up as the handles return.

Concept2 offers a longer recovery than drive as a rhythm cue. Treat it as a learning aid rather than an exact timing rule or a proven fastest way to learn. An arms-only drill should not simultaneously instruct you to lock the elbows and do all the work with the torso. For a first session, use the demonstrated complete movement instead.

Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Getting Started

Understand the monitor

The PM5 distinguishes pace per 500 m, average pace, elapsed time, distance and stroke rate. A 1,000 m result of 4:50 corresponds to an average of 2:25 per 500 m: divide total time by two. Do not use the 1,000 m total as a 500 m target. A larger time per 500 m means a slower pace.

Cadence and effort are not interchangeable. Concept2’s introductory SkiErg workouts include rates above 34 strokes per minute, so crossing that number does not by itself diagnose poor technique. Record a rhythm you can control rather than treating 28–34 as a universal optimum.

Concept2 · PM5 · Concept2 · First Workouts on the SkiErg

An optional four-week practice example

The following is an editorial practice example after familiarisation, not a trial-validated HYROX^® programme or a four-week deadline. A and B are alternatives for two possible sessions, not a requirement. Repeat a week, reduce repetitions, extend the breaks or omit a session to suit your wider training. Work distances exclude warm-up, cool-down and rest.

Week	Session A	Session B
1	4 × 200 m; 90 s rest	4 × 200 m; 90 s rest
2	3 × 300 m; 2 min rest	2 × 500 m; 3 min rest
3	2 × 500 m; 3 min rest	Up to 1,000 m continuously, if appropriate
4	3 × 300 m; 2 min rest	Optional controlled 1,000 m, replacing session B

These are SkiErg distances, not rowing or running instructions. Choose a manageable effort without a compulsory seconds-per-500 m target. The optional last effort is not an additional third session. Concept2 also publishes beginner workout examples; neither those examples nor this table establish a frequency that is optimal for everyone.

Concept2 · First Workouts on the SkiErg · Concept2 · Beginner programme (2018)

Avoid misleading training targets

A universal nasal-breathing test or an effort rating of 5–6 does not establish an individual physiological Zone 2 boundary. Seiler’s 2010 review concerns the training distribution of endurance athletes; it does not validate a three-to-six-week adaptation guarantee for this beginner plan.

Use your recorded attempts to choose the next practice task: for example, repeating the movement consistently or reading average pace correctly. The optional plan does not come with a verified promise of seconds saved or a muscle-strength diagnosis based on where fatigue appears.

Jamnick et al. (2020) · abstract · Seiler (2010) · abstract

Practise the transition

A short run followed by SkiErg can be a partial rehearsal when it fits your preparation. Five minutes of running is not automatically one kilometre, and a partial rehearsal does not recreate the whole race. You do not need to add it to every beginner session.

Keep the opening sequence in mind: run 1, SkiErg, run 2, Sled Push. The SkiErg guide provides further station context.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1

Review your progress

Record distance, time, rest, damper setting and whether you practised after running. Compare like with like. A fresh training result is not automatically a race target, and one result does not identify which muscle limited performance.

Progress may mean a more repeatable movement or clearer pacing, not only a faster time. This article does not establish a universal 4:30–5:30 race benchmark, a fixed beginner-to-trained gap, or permission to increase training regardless of recovery.

Concept2 · PM5 · Concept2 · Beginner programme (2018)

FAQ

What damper setting should a beginner use?

Concept2 suggests trying 3–5 and adjusting with experience and training goals. HYROX^® Singles 26/27 presets the SkiErg to 6 but permits adjustment. These are different contexts.

Concept2 · Getting Started · HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1

Will four weeks make me ready for HYROX^®?

The example organises practice; it does not guarantee readiness. Repeat or adapt it within your overall preparation rather than treating the fourth week as a qualification test.

Concept2 · First Workouts on the SkiErg · Concept2 · Beginner programme (2018)

How do I convert a 1,000 m time to average pace?

Divide the total time by two to obtain time per 500 m. For example, 4:50 for 1,000 m is an average of 2:25 per 500 m.

Concept2 · PM5

How often should I practise?

The example offers two possible sessions. It does not establish an optimal frequency for everyone or require a third session after week four. Consider the rest of your training.

Concept2 · Beginner programme (2018)

Is a higher stroke rate always a technique error?

No. Stroke rate is not the same as effort, and Concept2’s beginner examples include rates above 34. Assess the movement and monitor output together.

Concept2 · First Workouts on the SkiErg · Concept2 · PM5