5000m SkiErg

The 5000m SkiErg is a conditioning workout performed on a SkiErg machine. It trains your lats and triceps as the main movers, while your core and glutes help power each stroke. You stand in place and pull two handles downward in a rhythmic motion that mimics cross-country skiing pole plants.

Stand facing the machine with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Grip one handle in each hand, palms facing down or slightly inward. Start tall with your arms reaching straight up so your hands are near the top of the stroke. Keep a slight bend in your knees and your weight balanced through the middle of your feet.

Begin each stroke by hinging at the hips and bending your knees slightly. Hinge and drive the handles down, keeping your arms straight until your hands pass your face, then finish with the hips and lats by bending your elbows and pulling the handles close to your thighs. Return to full extension up top, letting the handles travel back up in a smooth arc before the next pull.

Breathe in as the handles rise and exhale as you drive down. Keep your core tight and your ribs down so your lower back stays neutral. To make it easier, slow your pace and focus on form over speed. To make it harder, pull more aggressively each stroke while holding a steady split for the distance.

Fault: Pulling only with the arms. Fix: Drive with the lats and hips, not just the arms. Hinge at the hips, keep your arms straight through the first half of the pull, and finish with the hips and lats near your thighs.

Fault: Bending the elbows too early. Fix: Keep your arms straight until the handles pass your face, then bend the elbows only at the end of the stroke to finish the pull with your triceps and lats.

Fault: Rounding the lower back or shrugging the shoulders. Fix: Brace your core, keep your ribs down, and return to full extension up top without shrugging. Your torso should stay tall and neutral throughout the stroke.

Fault: Starting too fast and fading. Fix: Hold a steady split for the distance. Begin at a pace you can sustain and use long, smooth strokes rather than short, frantic pulls.