Concept2 Erg Calculator

Every Concept2 number describes the same effort in a different unit. A 2:00 /500m split is 203 watts is 4.17 m/s. This tool moves between them. Pick your machine, enter any two of distance, time, split or watts, and it solves the rest. Add your body weight if you want the calorie estimate too.

How the conversion works

Concept2 pace is built on one relationship: power rises with the cube of speed. Watts come from the formula watts = 2.80 / pace cubed, where pace is measured in seconds per metre. That cube is why dropping your split from 2:00 to 1:50 costs far more than 10 seconds of work. The same math runs in reverse, so a watts figure gives back an exact split.

RowErg and SkiErg both report a /500m split. BikeErg reports a /1000m split by convention, which is double the /500m number for the same power. The calculator handles that switch when you change the machine, so the watts stay comparable across all three.

What each output means

The split is your pace yardstick and the number you chase in a workout. Watts measure raw power output and let you compare a row, a ski and a bike on equal footing. Average speed is there for context against running or cycling pace. Calories use the Concept2 estimate: cal/hour = 4 x watts x 0.8604 + 300, scaled by your time.

One caveat on calories. The machine estimate assumes a fixed body size, so a 60 kg athlete and a 90 kg athlete pulling the same split see the same number on screen. Your real burn scales with how heavy you are, which is why we mark the body weight field optional and note it in the result.

Using it in training

Lock your target split before a piece, then check the watts it implies so you know the power you are committing to. Holding 2:00 for a 2k is a different demand than holding it for 30 minutes, and the watts make that cost concrete. Over a block, watch your split at a fixed heart rate drop. That is fitness, measured in seconds.

Once you know your erg numbers, predict a race time with the 2k predictor, or compare yourself fairly against heavier and lighter athletes using the weight-adjusted calculator. To fold erg work into a wider strength and endurance plan, read Hybrid Athlete Training.