The erg is where rowing is built. Start every session with a controlled ten-stroke warm-up.

Equipment needed: A Concept2 (or comparable) erg, set to damper 4.

Setup: Rower seated, feet strapped, hands on the handle.

How to run it:

  1. Strokes 1-3: Arms-only. Hands move; body stays.
  2. Strokes 4-6: Arms and back. Hinge from the hips after the hands clear the knees.
  3. Strokes 7-10: Full stroke. Legs drive first, then back, then arms.
  4. Hold a 24-stroke-per-minute rate. Don’t sprint.

What to look for: Smooth sequencing on the drive — legs, then back, then arms. On the recovery, reverse it: arms out, body forward, knees up.

Variation: Do the same drill in reverse — start with full strokes, regress to arms-only — as a cool-down.