THE ERG ARMY GPP STANDARDS:
We have 10 standards for General Physical Preparedness – GPP.
We value grit, determination, hard work and a well rounded athlete who is ready for anything.
There are:
2 x STRENGTH standards
1 x STRENGTH-ENDURANCE standard
2 x POWER standards
3 x POWER-ENDURANCE standards
2 x ENDURANCE standards (plus a bonus..!)
We believe you can achieve these standards through focus, hard work and a willingness to go all in.
The goal of the Erg Army athlete is to achieve all 10 standards in one calendar year.
Here is your start line.
STRENGTH:
1. The Deadlift.
Undoubtedly the deadlift is one of the best, if not the best measures for strength. We have chosen a 10 rep max deadlift based around ones own bodyweight. Moving your own weight (plus some) for reps shows great strength and that’s what Erg Army is all about.
(Deadlift may be conventional or sumo.)
Strength Standard: 10 x DL at 150% bodyweight (women), 200% bodyweight (men)
2. Pull ups. Strict. No kipping. Chest to bar.
Lifting yourself up to a bar, we believe, is a sign of true strength. That’s why we expect it of our athletes. Oh and we don’t kip. Ever.
Strength standard: Strict chest to bar pull up x 6 (women), x 12 (men)
STRENGTH ENDURANCE:
3. Backsquats
We don’t believe in a one and done attitude to squats. We want to see what you can do when your legs feel like a baby giraffe and all you want to do is quit. Backsquat 100 times. Hip crease must hit knee crease for rep to count.
Strength-Endurance standard: 100 x backsquats in less than 10 minutes, 75% bodyweight (women), 100% bodyweight (men)
POWER:
Our Power tests may be performed on an erg (bike, row or ski) or on a running track.
***If you are bike-erging any of the standards, the metres are DOUBLE that of the ski and row. Ie: 500m row-erg test = 1000m bike erg test)
4. The 500m.
I actually still have nightmares over my 500m Row PR. It’s short enough that you think it’s going to be ok, but long enough that you realise multiple times that nothing will ever be ok in your life again.
Just like in the sport of rowing, we have chosen to have weight-classes on all the ergs, not just the rowing ergs.
Weight-classes are as follows:
Women <=61.5kg are ‘lightweight’ LW, >= 61.6kg are ‘openweight’ OW
Men <=75kg are ‘lightweight’ LW, >=75.1kg are ‘openweight’ OW
Power standard: 500m Row-erg:
Women LW – <1.43
Women OW – <1.40
Men LW – <1.30
Men OW – <1.27
Power standard: 500m Ski-erg:
Women LW – <1.46
Women OW – <1.43
Men LW – <1.33
Men OW – <1.30
Power standard: 500m running:
Women <1.40
Men < 1.30
Power standard: 1000m Bike-erg:
Women LW – <1.43
Women OW – <1.40
Men LW – <1.30
Men OW – <1.27
5. The 100m Sprint.
Sprinters are bloody powerful. Give 100m on an erg or a track a go and see if you can come home with the sugar.
Power standard: 100m ROW-ERG:
Women LW – <20 seconds
Women OW – <18 seconds
Men LW – <17.5 seconds
Men OW – <15.5 seconds
Power standard: 100m SKI-ERG:
Women LW – <20.5 seconds
Women OW – <18.5 seconds
Men LW – <18 seconds
Men OW – <16 seconds
Power standard: 200m BIKE-ERG:
Women LW – <20 seconds
Women OW – <18 seconds
Men LW – <17.5 seconds
Men OW – <15.5 seconds
Power standard: 100m Run:
Women – <15 seconds
Men – <13 seconds
POWER ENDURANCE:
6. “The dirty 30s.” – 10 x 30:/30 ERG
A true test of power-endurance is sub-maximal repeatability. And what better way to test it than on the ergs with 30:/30s. You’re welcome.
*Your score is your average pace across the 10 efforts*
Power-Endurance standard: 10 rounds of 30 secs ERG:/30 seconds rest:
Women LW – <1.48 ave 500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Women OW – <1.45 ave 500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Men LW – <1.33 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Men OW – <1.30 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
*Your score is your average pace across the 10 efforts*
7. “Again.” – 5 x 400m ERG:/60 seconds rest between efforts
What I love about Power-Endurance is that it’s not just a physical battle to keep repeating sub-maximal efforts, but it’s a mind-f*ck to keep showing up. To keep getting back on and giving it (almost) all that you have. Until you have no more…’ Again’ will have you battling more with your internal thoughts than anything else. Just show up. Then give it (almost) everything…5 times. Simple right?
*Your score is your average pace across the 5 efforts*
Power-Endurance standard: 5 x 400m ERG on:/60 seconds rest:
Women LW – 1.55 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Women OW – 1.50 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Men LW – 1.40 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
Men OW – 1.35 ave/500m (per 1000m for the bike-erg)
8. The 2k.
What would a list of GPP standards be without the 2k. This test won’t just demonstrate physical capacity but mental fortitude..
Power-Endurance standard: 2000m Row-erg:
Women LW – 8 minutes
Women OW – 7.45
Men LW – 7 minutes
Men HW – 6.45
Power-Endurance standard: 2000m Ski-erg:
Women LW – 8.15
Women OW – 8 minutes
Men LW – 7.15
Men OW – 7 minutes
Power-Endurance standard: 4000m Bike-erg:
Women LW – 8.15
Women OW – 8 minutes
Men Lw – 7.15
Men OW – 7 minutes
ENDURANCE
9. The 10k.
We don’t mind if you erg or run this bad boy (or maybe both?!?) Being able to sustain a 10k at a good pace is a great sign of endurance and we’re all for that.
Endurance standard: 10k run:
Women – <40 minutes
Men – <38 minutes
Endurance standard: 10k ERG (20k Bike-erg):
Women – <44 minutes
Men – <39 minutes
10. “The Quadathon.”
Got access to all the ergs AND you can run? Awesome. This is for you. (If you aren’t so lucky, see the bonus standard #11).
Consecutively complete:
2000m run
2000m row-erg
2000m ski-erg
4000m bike-erg
2000m run
Women – <45 minutes
Men – <40 minutes
11. The Half marathon.
Hands up who just went out and bought all the ergs so they could test the Quadathon instead of this? Lol. I hear ya.
Here’s the thing, you may run OR ski-erg OR row-erg 21,097m. OR you may bike-erg 42,195m. Here are what you need to hit depending on the poison you choose:
Endurance standard for a half-marathon on the row-erg or ski-erg:
Women – 1 hour, 37 mins
Men – 1 hour, 30 mins
Good luck my friends.