ERGO METER
An ergo meter (erg, ergo, erg machine) is used by rowing coaches as a crude torture device during the winter months.
An ergo meter is not really "a crude torture device" as most rower would tell you. It is a type of rowing machine (as seen in the above diagram) that best simulates the motions of a stroke without being in a boat and out on the water. During the winter months it is impractical to be on the water (considering the ice and all), therefore coaches use the ergo meter as a training tool. It provides the rowers with an exceptional workout and simulates the stoke action very effectively.
The monitor is very much like a cox box, it provides the rower with valuable information including stroke rate, split time, power generated in watts, distance covered in meters, and time elapsed. The monitor can be set for various workouts.
The workout that rowers despise the most is an Erg Test. Coaches use two main types of erg tests. The first type is to test the rowers fitness level over a long period of time. This is usually a twenty minute test in which the athlete goes as far as he/she can in the twenty minutes and the distance is recorded by the coach. In Canada, all rowing races are 2000 m, and hence the other type of erg test is the 2000 m test. The rower goes all out for about 7-8 minutes. This information is valuable to a coach to determine seating positions when the crew hits the water.