Air-Bike Vs Air-Rower Vs SkiErg Machine - What Should I Buy?

*All information is correct at the time of publishing*

At Rival Strength we stock 3 different Cardio Machines; the Rival Strength Air-Bike, Air-Rower, and SkiErg Machine. Each machine provides a great cardio workout in their own right, and helps to build endurance and strength. But which is better for what you want to achieve? Which one most aligns with your goals? What are the different benefits to each machine?

This blog will run through the main features, similarities, and differences, and hopefully by the end you'll know exactly what machine you need in your gym.

All 3 machines have a fan attached to a flywheel, and when it spins it creates air resistance that makes the workout harder. By using air resistance as the main form of resistance, this removes the constant changing of gears to find the perfect level of resistance, and means the intensity of your workout is based on how hard and fast you're working. As there are no knobs or gears, you can't cheat and be lazy with fan-driven machines, you really have to go for it to feel the burn. However, the Air-Rower and SkiErg Machine both have a damper setting on the fan which increases or decreases the amount of air that enters the flywheel, and this can make the rowing or skiing action lighter or heavier at higher speeds, depending on the setting.

PLEASE NOTE that Air-Bikes and Air-Rowers are completely different to spin bikes and magnetic rowers. You can read about the differences between an Air-Bike and spin bike HERE, and an Air-Rower and magnetic rower HERE.

All 3 of our machines don't require a power source or Wi-Fi connection, just insert new batteries into the monitor and you're ready to go.

The Air-Bike

The Rival Strength Air-Bike is great for those of you who are looking for a killer full-body workout. By using the peddles and the handles simultaneously, you're engaging practically all the key muscles whilst you ride. You mainly train legs whilst you peddle, but you also use your arms, shoulders, back, and chest with the handles, and even your core to keep yourself balanced whilst you ride.

The monitor includes live data tracking and offers preset and custom workouts, such as target time, distance, or calories burnt, and also interval training modes. The Air-Bike is great for HIIT and circuit training, or when you're pressed for time and need to get in a quick yet effective workout.

Think the Rival Strength Air-Bike is exactly what you need to add to your home gym setup? It's currently £50 OFF! 

The Air-Rower

The Air-Rower is also great for a full-body workout, but in an almost completely different way to the Air-Bike. When you row you're mainly using your arm and back muscles, but you're also using your legs to push away for the fan and slide the seat along the track. As you're using both your arms at the same time to pull the handle, the rower is great for training form and core strength by keeping your body upright and rigid whilst you row. 

Whilst the Air-Bike is great for endurance as you're having to constantly work hard to keep up the pace and keep the resistance high, with the Air-Rower you can feel there's a slightly higher element of strength training. As you fully row and extend the handle, then as you release and slide along the track back to the starting point, resistance drops lightly and you'll feel a noticeable change. Here you can row fast and you can feel the extra strength you're having to use to pull the handle and spin the flywheel. At this point you'll also be pushing hard with your legs for a fast row, and you'll be building leg strength in a way similar to a seated leg press.

Like the idea of an intense full-body workout? Get The Rival Strength Air-Rower now and save £50!

The SkiErg Machine

The SkiErg Machine uses two individual handles above head height, which when pulled imitates the action of skiing.

SkiErg Machines are great at building upper body endurance and improving cardio, and in our experience, also train triceps, back, shoulders, and core. A SkiErg is particularly great for users who are recovering from leg injuries and/or are unable to run, row, or cycle to train cardiovascular endurance, and is therefore a unique variation of cardio training. This form of cardio training is almost one of a kind and offers a seriously unique benefit over the Air-Bike and Air-Rower.

But the SkiErg Machine can also give you a more full-body workout and train your legs too. When you ski you can start bending your knees and 'crunching' whilst fully extend the handles, to get your whole body involved in the movement and create a longer 'skiing' motion.

You'll be surprised how difficult the SkiErg Machine actually is. Chances are you've barely seen a Ski Machine let alone used one, and although the movement looks pretty simple, we found it to be extremely tiring and we couldn't survive more than a few minutes at a time when going at full throttle. But no pain, no gain, right? 

Does this sound just like what you need? The Rival Strength SkiErg Machine is currently £40 OFF!