In the first week of January 2016, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center hosted a ParaNordic Continental Cup, including both ski and biathlon races. Competitors included members of Team USA and Team Canada as well as developing athletes. Races included categories for sit ski, standing adaptive, and visually impaired skiers. The week included three Nordic ski races and two biathlon races. Continue Reading ›
New participation and fundraising records were set in this year’s Holiday Challenge, which ended at midnight on Christmas Eve. Over 7000 people rowed and/or skied at least 100k meters toward the challenge, and nearly $30,000 was raised for water-related charities. Continue Reading ›
This is the first in a three-part series of cues to help you with SkiErg technique. After having introduced hundreds of athletes to the SkiErg, I’ve noticed three very common faults that appear in new adopters. I’ve developed these memorable cues to help them work through those technique flaws. Furthermore, these are the same cues that I use to take an experienced athlete to a higher level of performance. By learning and understanding these cues, you will hopefully gain a better grasp on the mechanics and flow used in good SkiErg technique.
Part One: Crunch, Don't Bow Continue Reading ›
Proper SkiErg technique uses the legs as well as the arms and core. However, the SkiErg also works well as an upper-body-only training tool. This can come in handy when you’re dealing with a lower body injury.
If it’s an injury that still allows you to stand, this will probably be the most effective position for a workout. If standing is not an option, you can also use the SkiErg from either a sitting or kneeling position. And it’s also possible to wheel right up in a wheelchair. Continue Reading ›
Our last set of SkiErg drills focused on helping you to hone in on good Nordic ski technique. The following set of drills is less about technique and more about introducing some additional ways to use the SkiErg. Continue Reading ›
When working on improving your technique, it can be helpful to bracket proper technique by spending a little time doing it “wrong” in certain ways. I use “wrong” loosely, since the SkiErg does allow a lot of room for creativity in the technique and motions used—especially if you are not training for competitive Nordic skiing. However, proper technique will generally offer the greatest efficiency and power. Continue Reading ›
Your Performance Monitor (PM) comes with the latest firmware (on-board software) preinstalled. However, new versions come out on a fairly regular basis—whether to add new features, fix bugs or make other improvements. With a goal of making it easy for you to keep your PM up-to-date, we offer free software called the Concept2 Utility, which enables you to download and install the latest PM firmware at any time. It also enables you to do other things with your workout results—but for now, this article will focus on the firmware update capability. Continue Reading ›
One of the best features of Concept2 ergs (ski or rowing) is that they accurately measure the work you’re doing. In addition, the flywheel calibrates itself on every rundown to take ambient conditions into account, so someone at altitude can compare their erg time with someone at sea level, regardless of the weather and environmental conditions.
What’s so great about this? It means you can race! You can compare your times and distances with friends and competitors in another state, country or continent. It also makes the SkiErg a great tool for tracking your training progress by comparing your performance in a certain workout from one time to the next. Continue Reading ›
Skiing, whether on the Concept2 SkiErg or out on the trails, is proving to be an effective cross-training tool for many rowers. Elite rowers worldwide are spending time this winter skiing to complement their rowing training. The SkiErg makes skiing accessible for everyone.
For over 20 years, the Norwegian Rowing Federation has been sending its rowers to a three-week high altitude cross-country camp each year in Italy. Nils Jakob Hoff of the Norwegian Double explains that Nordic skiing “is a great way to get many hours of training during winter. It is easy on the muscles, and as a Norwegian, it is good for the soul as well. Physically, it develops the lats and core, which we are so dependent on.” Continue Reading ›
