Static Ergs, Slides and Rowing Performance
Listen to the conversation: #113 From Erg to Boat: How Weight and Size Affect Rowing Performance - Dr Valery Kleshnev
#2 UT2 Training - Bill Jackman
A static erg and an erg on slides ask the athlete to manage movement differently. Both can support training, but neither reproduces every demand of a boat.
Dr Valery Kleshnev explores those differences in the conversation From Erg to Boat. His emphasis is on understanding how the equipment works and how the rower uses it, rather than expecting a machine choice to create good technique automatically.
What changes when the machine moves
On a static erg, the machine stays in place while the rower's seat and body move. On slides, the erg can move beneath the athlete.
Valery discusses the resulting differences in inertia and the way force is applied through the foot stretcher. He sees useful training possibilities in a moving setup, while also saying that good technique can be practised on either type.
Slides introduce their own learning task. The athlete needs to find a controlled rhythm with the moving machine. Begin with appropriate instruction and enough space for the equipment.
Remember what the erg leaves out
Valery points out that an erg handle moves along a different path from an oar in a boat. The machine also removes the balance and blade-handling demands of rowing on the water.
A good erg score tells you something important about performance on that test. It does not measure every contribution to a fast crew.
Hear the full discussion in episode 113. The conversation connects the erg question with the broader challenge of transferring physical capacity into rowing performance.
Agree the conditions of a test
If scores are being used for comparison or selection, the club should state the protocol beforehand. Include the machine setup, whether slides are permitted and any drag-factor requirement.
Valery suggests that slides can affect the rate and power a rower can produce. The practical response is to make the conditions explicit, not to assume results from every setup are interchangeable.
Record those conditions with the score. That also makes it easier to compare your own tests over time.
Distinguish damper position from drag factor
Concept2 explains that the damper controls airflow into the flywheel housing, while drag factor reflects the flywheel's measured deceleration. The same damper number can produce different drag factors on different machines.
Turning the lever up is not the same as choosing a harder workout. The effort you apply determines intensity.
For the manufacturer's explanation, see Concept2's guide to damper setting and drag factor. Agree a suitable setting with your coach rather than copying a number without knowing its purpose.
Choose for the session and the athlete
Bill Jackman's UT2 conversation offers a personal example of incorporating slides into training. His preference describes what worked for him; it is not a promise that another rower will have the same experience.
Consider the task, equipment available, familiarity and any individual guidance you have received. If you change setup, allow time to learn it before using a demanding test as your first assessment.
The important question is whether the equipment helps you complete the intended work with useful movement. Then take that fitness back to the water and continue practising the skills only a boat can teach.
