FOR YEARS, CONCEPT2 has set the bar when it comes to conditioning equipment. Their RowErg has long been the measuring stick of cardio row devices, which is why it’s at the top of our best rowing machines list, and it’s a staple in every CrossFit box I’ve ever visited. And when C2 released the SkiErg back in 2009, it quickly became my favorite way to redline my heart rate.
Now, C2 wants to break into a different section of the fitness landscape. The Concept2 StrengthErg takes the brand’s signature air resistance out of conditioning circles and into the weight training world. It aims to be an all-in-one machine that’ll help you reach total-body muscle and strength goals.
Pros
- Offers three different exercises in one machine
- Lightweight enough to move on your own
- Can compliment and supplement bodyweight training well when working with limited space
Cons
- Doesn’t effectively offer eccentric load
The StrengthErg delivers all this in a package that’s simultaneously innovative and familiar, and it’s chasing an audience that’s vastly different from the groups that love the rest of C2’s ecosystem. And all of this took me a while to wrap my mind around when I first heard about the machine.
After a few months with the StrengthErg, I’ve found that it does deliver on all its promises – especially for a very unique crowd that’s often forgotten by most fitness companies.
The Basics
The Concept2 StrengthErg, shot at Maven Center in Palisades Park, NJ.
Not that any of this goodness comes cheap. StrengthErg comes in two versions. The $1,500 version includes C2’s PM5 performance monitor to track your workout performance. The $1,350 version skips that for those who want to track performance with their own device. (Opt for the PM5-equipped addition if you can, especially if you’re a fan of RowErg and SkiErg; it’s essentially the exact same unit and flawlessly tracks your training.)
This is both pricey…but also, not. Measured against other conditioning devices, like rowing machines and exercise bikes, you’re paying a pretty hefty premium: the high-end StrengthErg is just $125 pounds less than Rogue’s bundle of Echo Rower and Echo Ski combined, and it’s $500 more than an Assault Airbike. And measured against a pair of adjustable dumbbells (my basic starter kit for strength training), you’re also paying a ton.
Thing is, StrengthErg is a hybrid machine that combines three motions (a leg press, a chest press, and a row) into one unit. Thanks to tiny wheels attached to its back, the machine can, quite impressively, be rolled around and stored vertically (although it still has a relatively large footprint). And despite clocking in at 90 pounds (44 more than the C2 SkiErg), the StrengthErg moves around easily. I’d much rather shift the position of my StrengthErg in my basement than shimmy my SkiErg around.
The entire unit is made mostly of aluminum, and it ships in two (quite heavy) boxes. It took me about four hours to assemble mine solo; if you have a friend to help, you’ll get it done even more quickly.
Once built, the StrengthErg, like any C2 training tool, is as sturdy as they come. Your big challenge: Understanding how it fits in with your routine.
Training On The StrengthErg
Technically, StrengthErg isn’t truly new. It’s actually a revival of the DYNO, a device C2 built from 2001 to 2007. That device also let you train pushing, pulling, and leg pressing. And every so often, you’ll see a DYNO for sale on Facebook marketplace or at a used fitness equipment center.
StrengthErg delivers the same three motions in a slightly shorter, sleeker form factor (and Christian Bale’s Batman would love that it comes in black). There are essentially two key pieces to the entire device: A seat you position yourself on for all moves (below this sits the air resistance flywheel that drives all C2 machines), a long chassis, and a movable front piece that slides along that chassis.
The flywheel is where resistance is generated and where you can set your level.
To do rows, you’ll pull a handle attached to a rope from the front section. This row is different from C2’s RowErg motion, though, and feels a lot more like a seated cable row, largely because the StrengthErg seat doesn’t move, so your hamstrings and glutes aren’t involved. To chest press, you grab a long T-shaped handle and attach it to the front, and disengage a lock near the large front piece, allowing it to slide back and forth. You pull the T-handle toward you, letting the flywheel build resistance, then push it away.
To do leg press reps, you place your feet on the pads (essentially the same footpads from RowErg, minus the straps). Those pads are attached to a wooden board on the movable front piece. With the lock disengaged, you can then pull the front toward you – and powerfully push it away.
The kicker with all of this: You’re only working on the concentric part of each lift (so when you’re pulling toward yourself on the row, and when you push away on both presses). The StrengthErg offers no challenge on the eccentric portion of the lift, but it can load you up with as much as 1,500 pounds of force when you’re pushing against it.
This has some strengths and weaknesses. The biggest downside: If I train exclusively on StrengthErg, I miss all the benefits of the eccentric portion of a lift, and it’s during that eccentric that we’re actually at our strongest. Additionally, I can’t always easily challenge the stretched portion of a lift as much as I can if I’m loading eccentrically.
The upside, though, is that I can focus on a strong, explosive concentric. StrengthErg’s PM5 monitor invites that, too, charting the amount of force you put into each rep you do. The PM5 instantly gamifies your workouts: You can’t help but battle to deliver more output with each subsequent leg press rep.
The PM5 monitor on the Concept2 StrengthErg.
This, to me, is the best part of StrengthErg. I badly wanted my unit in part because it offered me a leg press option in a relatively tiny, living-room-friendly footprint. And while I can’t load up 405 pounds on a traditional leg press sled with a StrengthErg, I can turn on the TV, and get in a little extra lower-body volume.
There are two ways to get the most out of StrengthErg on any desired lift – both of which work well with very high-rep sets. My favorite option: I set up on the leg press, set a timer (typically for 10 to 15 minutes), and alternate 15 to 20 single-leg leg press reps per side, without rest, aiming to keep all reps over 50kg in terms of force. It’s underrated hard work, and it gets me some extra single-leg training, without producing the kind of fatigue that’ll set me back when I go deadlift and lunge.
If I want a session that fits more into my regular workout (instead of being a separate add-on), I’ll set up on the leg press with both legs, and I’ll set a force production floor (maybe 80 to 90kg). I’ll do reps for as long as possible, until I’ve done back-to-back reps with less than my force floor.
Both approaches can work for any StrengthErg lift – and they leverage the PM5 to gamify my workout. And if you’re an average guy, that’s the best use of StrengthErg: it’s a means of piling up some extra volume on a key movement pattern (whether pull or chest press or leg press). Point blank, you can’t build a strength program around only StrengthErg lifts, because of the absence of eccentric force; you’d need to supplement StrengthErg work with bodyweight motions (pushups, pullups, lunges) and weight work (dumbbell rows, etc.) to truly build a well- rounded, functional body.
But StrengthErg can be a brilliant training supplement in the right hands – and if it offered more attachments, it could be more. The row handle can actually be unlatched, which creates openings for other devices. And I’d love to see a few additions to the machine that allow me to play with concentric-only biceps curls, for example, or perhaps a higher handle that lets me dabble in skullcrushers. At the moment, these accessories have yet to materialize.
Should You Buy A StrengthErg?
The footpads on the StrengthErg are similar to other Concept2 machines.
The StrengthErg can absolutely have a role in any home gym, but it’s at its best for two kinds of users.
First off, it’s a terrific tool for older adults or those recovering from injury. In these crowds, StrengthErg offers a solid amount of concentric resistance, which can allow users to work on their basic movement mechanics. They also get the PM5 readout to gradually track improvement – and they can train for lengthy amounts of time without piling up the muscle fatigue and system fatigue that comes with eccentric workloads.
Older adults in particular mostly need activity, and the gamification aspects of the PM5, coupled with the multiple critical movement patterns, can let them pile up long sessions that help burn calories, improve heart health, and maintain and even build low levels of muscle.
The other crowd that will love StrengthErg: Very experienced lifters who’ve already purchased all their gym essentials. Beginners strength athletes will get far more mileage out of continuing to master basic motions, and they likely don’t understand the concepts of maximizing force on each rep enough to really tap into StrengthErg’s benefits.
But if you’ve been in the strength training world for awhile, the device is a perfect complement to weight training, a nice way to sneak in work on quick, powerful contractions and burn a few extra calories.
My go-to use for StrengthErg is exactly that: Almost daily, I try to attack a classic strength workout or cardio session (think: lifting heavy weights for 3 to 4 exercises, or going for a run, or something similar). Then, at the end of the day, if I have some extra energy or I realize I’m lagging in my single-leg work, I’ll sneak in some single-leg leg press work on the StrengthErg, taking each rep through a full-ROM pullback, before being as powerful as possible as I push out.
It’s quality extra work that doesn’t crush me. And it’s not the backbone of my training, but it is fun. Which is why it earned a spot in our 2026 Men’s Health Fitness Awards.
And that’s exactly where StrengthErg sits in the pantheon of training options right now: It isn’t capable of being the centerpiece of a well-rounded training program. But if you want more volume in your home training (or you’re a gym owner with some extra space and want to offer your clients a chance to explore concentric-only contractions), you’ll love Concept2’s StrengthErg.
Pros
- Offers three different exercises in one machine
- ProLightweight enough to move on your own
- Can compliment and supplement bodyweight training well when working with limited space
Cons
- Doesn’t effectively offer eccentric load
Other Concept2 Cardio Machines
Concept2 RowErg Model D with PM5 Monitor
Concept2 SkiErg with PM5 Monitor
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Reviews Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world. Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
