Marathon SkiErg

The Marathon SkiErg is a long conditioning effort on the SkiErg machine. It mainly works your lats and triceps, while your core and glutes keep you stable and transfer power from your legs through your upper body. It is an advanced exercise that uses both sides of your body evenly and builds endurance.

Stand facing the machine with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Grip one handle in each hand with your palms facing each other. Start tall with your arms straight but not locked, elbows reaching up, and the handles near your face. Keep your weight balanced through the middle of your feet.

Hinge at your hips and bend your knees slightly, then drive the handles down in front of your body. Finish the pull by squeezing your glutes and lats while keeping your arms long and engaged. Let the handles rise back up to full extension overhead, then start the next pull.

Breathe in as the handles rise and breathe out as you drive them down. Keep your ribs down and your midsection tight throughout the effort. To make it easier, shorten the distance or slow your pace. To make it harder, pull a little harder each stroke while holding a steady pace, or split, on the screen.

Fault: Pulling only with your arms. Fix: Hinge at your hips and drive the handles down with your lats and hips, using your arms to finish the stroke rather than create it.

Fault: Cutting the top position short. Fix: Reach full extension overhead on every recovery so you set up a strong pull each time.

Fault: Starting too fast and fading before the finish. Fix: Hold a steady split for the full distance by picking a rhythm you can repeat from start to finish.