7 Reasons Why Erg Machines Are the Ultimate Workout Companion

When we set up our studio gym at Hybrid Trainer HQ, erg machines were top of the equipment wish list! These machines are definitely an investment but one we thought was well worth making for our clients. Find out below why they are such a vital part of our gym equipment.

What is an erg machine?

First let's just talk about what an erg machine actually is. Erg is short for Ergometer, which is a measure of the amount of power being used, meaning you can get a more accurate and consistent measure of your work across training sessions, machines or users. All Erg machines use a damper and a flywheel (the big drum at the end of the machine), originally used for rowing machines, you can now see it used in ski and bike ergs as well. There are now a variety of manufactuers of gym equipment making erg machines, but the original company to commercialise the technology was Concept2. If you want a deep dive into the history and mechanics of the machine check out the Concept2 website

What an Erg machine workout does for you!

This is the important bit right? A fancy looking machine is all well and good but how is it going to help you in the gym. The great thing about erg machines is they are low impact, even though they get you seriously sweating, they are kind on the joints and perfect for injury rehab or that dodgy knee that plays up when you run! Here are some more benefits;

• Full body workout all in one

• Combines high cardio and strength building

• Builds core and back muscles for better posture and balance

• Increases heart and lung function

• Improves mental wellbeing - the repetitive strokes have an almost meditating effect, relieve stress, and release endorphins.

• Excellent calorie burner

There are many ways to incorporate an erg into your workout. You can use it for short bursts in between weight sets to keep your heart rate up; this is often how we use it in our circuit classes! Build stamina with longer, medium-intensity workouts and easily track your improvement with the ergometer technology. Lastly, use it as an all-in-one workout by doing sprint intervals with slow sections in between or adjusting the damper to dial up the strength work. As this causes more air resistance in the flywheel, meaning you have to pull harder.

Erg workout ideas

Now you're convinced that Erg's are the go to machine, you're probably wondering exactly what you should do in your next workout. Here are some of our favourite workouts using our ergs;

1. 5 rounds of 250m - don't worry about your speed and aim for medium intensity. Rest between rounds for 30 seconds. You could also do a deadlift set between rounds if you feel like supersets!

2. Try a pyramid set: start with 5 mins at low effort, then do 3 mins at medium effort, and crank it up to full effort for the last 1 min blast. Rest for 1 min before repeating 2 or 3 times.

3. For a longer endurance workout, try using variable intensities. For example, 1km at 5 damper, then 250m at 7, and back to another 1km at 5, repeat this for a total of 3 to 5km. Aim to do the 250m at a sprint pace. If you're a beginner, reduce the level of the damper and / or the distances.

We hope this has given you the confidence to try an erg machine if you haven't before, or to build it into your workouts more regularly. If you've enjoyed reading our blog then hit the subscribe button below to get more workout tips, our latest blog posts and offers direct to your inbox!