Erg Warm-Up

Erg Warm-Up: An erg warm-up is a structured 10-15 minute progression on the rowing machine that gradually increases heart rate, activates key muscle groups, and prepares the body for the main workout.

What is Erg Warm-Up?

A proper erg warm-up typically lasts 10-15 minutes and follows a progressive structure. A common protocol: 5 minutes easy rowing at low rate (18-20 spm) and light pressure, followed by 2-3 minutes of gradual pace increase, then 4-6 short bursts (10-15 strokes) at increasing intensity with easy rowing between each. Some rowers add specific drills during warm-up: legs-only rowing, arms-only, pause drills at the catch or finish. The warm-up should raise heart rate to 60-70% of max and produce a light sweat. For race warm-ups (before a 2K test), the protocol is more specific: after the general warm-up, include 2-3 race-pace starts (10-15 strokes) with full recovery between. Complete the warm-up 5-10 minutes before the test piece.

How Watta Uses Erg Warm-Up

Watta's heart rate analysis captures warm-up heart rate progression. A well-executed warm-up leads to more stable heart rate during the main workout, which positively influences both Cardiac Load efficiency and Pacing consistency in the Effort Score.

Further Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Content

Cool Down (Rowing)A rowing cool down is 5-10 minutes of easy rowing after a hard session, followed by static stretching, to flush metabolites and accelerate recovery.Heart Rate Zones (Rowing)Heart rate zones in rowing are five intensity bands calculated from resting and maximum heart rate, used to prescribe and monitor training intensity on the ergometer.Stroke RateStroke rate (also called strokes per minute or SPM) is the number of complete rowing strokes performed in one minute on an ergometer.HR Zone CalculatorRowing Warm-Up GuideErg Technique GuideFor BeginnersFor Rowers
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