Workout Description

Why This Workout Is Medium

A simple, single-machine sprint with no skill barrier, but intensity is high. Most athletes finish between 3–7 minutes, demanding strong aerobic capacity, pacing, and mental grit. There’s no external load or complex movement, so technique demands are basic. The challenge comes from sustaining a hard pace without blowing up, making it solidly Medium.

Benchmark Times for Ski 1000m

• Elite: <3:20
• Advanced: 3:40-4:00
• Intermediate: 4:30-5:00
• Beginner: >9:00

Training Focus

This workout develops the following fitness attributes:

• Speed (8/10): Pacing sits near threshold with fast, repeatable strokes. Speed shows up as maintaining high stroke rate, consistent splits, and a strong finishing kick in the last 200–300 meters without fading early.
• Endurance (6/10): Three to six minutes at hard, sustainable effort stresses aerobic capacity and buffering. You’ll hold a strong pace with limited recovery, so breathing control and consistent stroke rhythm matter more than maximal strength or technical complexity.
• Stamina (4/10): Continuous leg drive, hip hinge, and lat pulling for several minutes taxes local muscular endurance. Volume is moderate, but fatigue accumulates and challenges your ability to maintain power per stroke and posture without significant drop-off.
• Power (4/10): Each stroke benefits from a crisp leg drive and hip snap, but repeated efforts are submaximal. Power helps accelerate the flywheel and maintain momentum, yet the priority is sustainable output over peak explosiveness.
• Strength (1/10): No heavy external load or maximal lifting. Force is generated via bodyweight-driven leg and hip extension into the flywheel, requiring basic strength to sustain strokes rather than high one-rep max capacity.
• Flexibility (1/10): Demands neutral spine, comfortable shoulder flexion at the catch, and a solid hip hinge. No deep ranges like squats or splits; limited mobility rarely limits performance if positions remain organized and consistent.

Scaling Options

Scale to: 750 m SkiErg • 500 m SkiErg • 1200 m BikeErg or 1000 m RowErg

Scaling Explanation

These options adjust duration or substitute similar monostructural work so athletes finish in 3–7 minutes, preserving the simple, sustained, high-effort stimulus.

Intended Stimulus

Fast, high-effort cardio that feels controlled at the start and increasingly aggressive. You should sit just under redline through the first 700–800 meters, then push hard with a decisive surge to the finish. Expect deep breathing, leg and lat burn, and a small negative split if pacing is dialed.

Coach Insight

Open slightly conservative—around your 1500 m pace—settle by 200 m, then reel the split in by 1–2 seconds every 200 m. Sprint the last 200–300 m. Most important: long, powerful strokes. Legs first, hips second, arms last. Breathe every stroke. Avoid flying out hot, short strokes, overusing arms, and death-gripping. Stay tall, relaxed shoulders.

Benchmark Notes

Use these brackets to set expectations and pacing goals. Beginners aim under 9:00, intermediates around 5:00, advanced under 4:00. Choose a target split per 500 m that keeps you just under threshold and consider scaling distance to finish within the intended intensity window.

Modality Profile

This is purely monostructural work on a single machine. All effort goes into cardio-respiratory output, pacing, and stroke mechanics. There are no gymnastics elements or external loads, so the training effect is entirely metabolic with technique focused on efficiency rather than movement transitions or weight handling.

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