HYROX Workout Guide: How to Train for All 8 Stations

A HYROX workout combines eight 1km runs with eight functional fitness stations, testing both your aerobic endurance and muscular strength across a single continuous race event. To get race-ready, you need to train the running, the stations, and the transitions between them.

Most athletes show up to their first race having trained the parts in isolation. They can run a decent 8km. They can move the weights in the gym. What they haven’t practised is completing a hard kilometre and then immediately grinding through 50 metres of sled push on burning legs. That gap is where HYROX races are won or lost.

This guide covers every station in detail: what you’re doing, the weights involved by division, the technique errors that cost you time, and how to build a training programme that actually prepares you for race day.

Key Takeaways

• A HYROX workout follows a fixed format: 8km of running alternated with 8 functional stations, always in the same order
• Open division men push a 152kg sled; Pro division men push 202kg. Knowing your target weights matters for training specificity
• The hardest skill to train is not any single station. It is the transition from running straight into heavy work with fatigued legs
• Most athletes need 3-5 training days per week, combining running, station-specific work, and compromised running sessions
• A plan built around your race date, fitness level, and equipment access will outperform any generic programme

What a HYROX Workout Actually Involves

Every HYROX race follows the same format worldwide. You run 1km, complete a workout station, run another 1km, complete the next station, and repeat until you have covered eight runs and all eight stations. The total running distance is 8km. The stations are performed in a fixed sequence every time.

Consider Laura, who signed up for her first HYROX after a friend sent her a video of the event online. She was a solid runner with a 24-minute 5K and trained at a commercial gym three times a week. She assumed the race would feel like a long gym session with some running in between. Four kilometres in, after the sled pull, she discovered that her lungs were fine but her legs had nothing left. She finished 14 minutes slower than her target time.

What Laura experienced is the defining challenge of HYROX. It is not the stations in isolation. It is performing them under sustained aerobic load, with your heart rate already elevated and your legs carrying fatigue from the previous kilometres and stations. The format demands a specific kind of fitness that only specific training builds.

Total race time for most Open division finishers falls between 60 and 90 minutes. Sub-60 is a competitive benchmark. Pro division athletes push well under that. Regardless of your division, the metabolic demand is significant: sustained aerobic output combined with repeated bouts of strength and power work, all under fatigue.

Before your race, use the HYROX Finish Time Predictor  to get a data-backed estimate of your likely finish time based on your current running fitness.

The 8 HYROX Workout Stations Explained

The eight stations appear in the same sequence at every event. Here is what each one involves, along with the technique details and common mistakes that separate a clean run from a wasted one.

1. SkiErg (1,000m)

The SkiErg simulates a downhill skiing pull. You draw two handles down simultaneously from overhead, engaging your lats, core, and shoulders for 1,000 metres.

Technique: The power comes from a hip hinge, not just your arms. Initiate each pull by bending at the hips and letting the arms follow through. Aim for around 30-35 strokes per minute at race pace.

Common mistake: Gripping the handles too tightly. This causes forearm pump within a few hundred metres. Keep your fingers hooked but your hands relaxed between strokes.

2. Sled Push (50m)

You push a weighted sled 50 metres across a high-friction competition floor. This is one of the most punishing stations in the race, partly because of the load and partly because the friction on competition carpet is far higher than a standard gym floor.

Technique: Stay low at roughly a 45-degree body angle and drive forward through short, rapid steps. Aim for around 120 steps per minute rather than trying to take long powerful strides.

Common mistake: Standing too upright and pushing downward into the sled rather than through it. This destroys quad drive and wastes energy immediately after the opening kilometre when athletes are still feeling fresh and inclined to go hard.

3. Sled Pull (50m)

You face away from the sled and pull it 50 metres towards you using a rope, walking backwards the whole way.

Technique: Keep your hips low and pull the rope in short, powerful hand-over-hand movements. Work towards you rather than reaching back before each pull.

Common mistake: Letting the rope go slack between hand placements. Each time the tension drops, you lose momentum and the restart load on your posterior chain is higher than maintaining continuous tension.

4. Burpee Broad Jumps (80m)

You perform a burpee and jump forward each time, covering 80 metres in total. This station punishes athletes who went out too hard in the early stages.

Technique: Establish a steady, sustainable rhythm from the first rep. Athletes who sprint their burpees in training but have never held that pace for a full 80 metres will blow up here. Think controlled, forward momentum over raw speed.

Common mistake: Incomplete hip extension at the top of the jump. Competition judges will call a no-rep if your hips do not fully lock out. Practise this standard in every training session so it is automatic under fatigue.

5. Rowing (1,000m)

A 1,000 metre rowing machine effort. If you have managed the first four stations with good pacing, this is a strong aerobic station. If you have blown up early, it becomes a real grind.

Technique: Drive with your legs first, then lean back, then pull with your arms. The leg drive generates the majority of your power. Sequence matters.

Common mistake: Pulling too hard on every stroke trying to make up time. The next four kilometres and three stations still await you. Consistency beats heroics here.

6. Farmer’s Carry (200m)

You carry two kettlebells for 200 metres. This station punishes grip strength and shoulder stability far more than most athletes expect, particularly mid-race.

Technique: Keep your shoulders back and down. Walk with short, controlled steps. Letting your shoulders roll forward under load puts stress on your lower back and slows you down more than taking smaller strides.

Common mistake: Trying to cover all 200 metres without putting the weights down. Sounds tough. It’s actually just slow. Planned, brief stops are faster than grinding to failure and needing a longer recovery. A rest at the turnaround point is a legitimate tactic, not a moral failing.

7. Sandbag Lunges (100m)

100 metres of walking lunges with a sandbag held across your shoulders. This station arrives after significant leg fatigue has already accumulated across the race.

Technique: Alternate your leading leg with each step and keep your torso upright. Drive through your front heel to stand rather than pushing off the back foot.

Common mistake: Failing to lock out the back knee at the bottom position. This is a competition standard, and judges will ask for redo reps. Practise it in every training session at full depth.

8. Wall Balls (100 reps)

The final station: 100 wall ball shots. You squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then drive up and throw a medicine ball to a target on the wall, catching it on the return.

Technique: Use a rhythmic, almost meditative cadence for the first 60 reps. Breaking them into sets of 15-20 with short standing rests is far smarter than grinding until failure.

Common mistake: Not squatting to depth. Wall balls are the most penalised rep standard in HYROX. Practise below parallel in every training session so depth is automatic when your legs are screaming at the end of a race.

HYROX Workout Weights by Division

Weights differ significantly between divisions. Here is the complete reference for Open and Pro:

Station	Open Men	Open Women	Pro Men	Pro Women
Sled Push (incl. sled)	152kg	102kg	202kg	152kg
Sled Pull (incl. sled)	103kg	78kg	153kg	103kg
Farmer’s Carry	2 x 24kg	2 x 16kg	2 x 32kg	2 x 24kg
Sandbag Lunges	20kg	10kg	30kg	20kg
Wall Balls	6kg	4kg	9kg	6kg

Weight standards are set by HYROX , the race organiser. Doubles and Relay formats use the same loads as Open. The SkiErg and Row are bodyweight-only stations with no load standard.

For athletes deciding between Open and Pro, the load difference at the sled and farmer’s carry is significant. Most first-time and recreational competitors are better served targeting the Open division and focusing on execution over ego. Once you have a completed Open race under your belt, Pro becomes a genuine target.

How to Structure Your HYROX Training Week

Most athletes preparing for HYROX train 3-5 days per week. The balance between running and strength sessions depends on your current base.

3-4 days per week (beginner or first race):

• Day 1: Base run (30-45 minutes easy) plus SkiErg and Row work
• Day 2: Strength session (sled variation, farmer’s carry, sandbag lunges, wall balls)
• Day 3: Compromised run session (see below)
• Day 4 (optional): Long easy run (45-60 minutes)

4-5 days per week (intermediate or PB target):

• Day 1: Interval run plus SkiErg and Row
• Day 2: Lower body station work (sled, lunges, wall balls)
• Day 3: Easy run (recovery pace)
• Day 4: Compromised workout (2-3 stations linked with runs)
• Day 5: Long run or race simulation

Take Jayden as an example. He was a runner with a 22-minute 5K but had never touched a ski erg or sled before signing up for his first HYROX. He trained four days a week for 12 weeks, spending the first month just getting comfortable with each station. By week eight he was linking two stations with a 1km run between them. He finished his first race in 71 minutes, significantly ahead of his 80-minute target.

Here is the principle most athletes learn the hard way: build familiarity with each station individually before combining them. Attempting a full race simulation before you know what 100 wall balls feel like on fresh legs is not preparation. It’s just suffering.

For a detailed 12-week breakdown covering all phases of HYROX preparation, see the HYROX Training Plan guide . Or if you want a programme built specifically around your race date, fitness level, and equipment access, generate your personalised Kracey plan  in a few minutes.

Compromised Running: The Most Underrated HYROX Skill

Compromised running is training where you perform a hard running effort immediately after a fatiguing station, or perform a station immediately after a run. It directly replicates the core demand of a HYROX workout: running at pace when your legs are already loaded from functional work.

Most athletes skip this entirely. They do their runs on running days and their gym sessions on gym days, keeping them as separate disciplines. In the race, those disciplines overlap at every single transition.

A basic compromised run session looks like this:

1. Run 1km at target race pace
2. Move immediately to a station (30 wall balls, 100m sandbag lunges, or 50m sled alternatives)
3. Run 1km again at target pace
4. Rest for 3-5 minutes
5. Repeat 2-4 times

Start with shorter efforts (400m runs, half the station reps) and build over 8-12 weeks. By the final few weeks before your race, you should complete at least one session simulating 2-3 full race segments back to back.

Training your heart rate zones correctly makes compromised running sessions more effective. Use the free Training Zone Calculator  to identify the intensity bands you should be working in for each session type. Easy runs should stay in Zone 2. Compromised run efforts should push into Zone 3 and occasionally Zone 4.

Common HYROX Workout Training Mistakes

Before building your plan, here are the five mistakes that cost athletes the most time in their first race:

1. Skipping station-specific work. Assuming general gym strength transfers automatically to HYROX stations. It does not. A 140kg deadlift will not prepare your body for a 152kg sled on high-friction competition carpet. Train the specific movements.

2. Neglecting running. Athletes who come from a gym or CrossFit background frequently underestimate the 8km of running. If you cannot comfortably run 8km at a conversational pace, build your aerobic base before adding station intensity. Runner’s World  recommends a 6-8 week base phase before adding speed or load for those new to sustained running.

3. Not training to the competition rep standards. Wall ball depth, lunge lockout, and hip extension on burpees are all judged standards. Getting a rep called in a race is demoralising and expensive. Practise the exact standards in every training session.

4. Going out too fast on the first sled push. It comes after just one kilometre, when your legs are fresh and the crowd energy is electric. Every athlete knows they shouldn’t sprint it. Most athletes sprint it anyway. The bill arrives at station five, and it isn’t cheap.

5. Not practising transitions. The 20-30 seconds between finishing a run and starting a station matter, and so does the discipline to transition without stopping. Practise going from running directly into each station without a standing pause.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many times a week should I train for HYROX? Most athletes train 3-5 days per week. Beginners should start with three structured sessions and add volume gradually as their body adapts. Four days per week is a solid foundation for most first-time competitors.

Can I train for HYROX without a ski erg or sled? Yes. Most commercial gyms across the UK now stock ski ergs, but if yours does not, cable machine pull-downs and battle rope work can serve as substitutes. For the sled, heavy prowler alternatives or loaded plate pushes on smooth floors work well. A good plan adapts to what you actually have access to.

How long before a HYROX race should I start training? 12 weeks is the recommended minimum for someone with a solid existing fitness base. If you are starting from scratch or have limited functional fitness experience, 16-20 weeks allows you to build properly without rushing the process.

What is the difference between Open and Pro division in HYROX? Both formats follow the same race structure, but Pro uses significantly heavier loads. Pro division men push a 202kg sled compared to 152kg in Open. Pro Women use the same weights as Open Men. Most first-time and recreational competitors target Open division.

Do I need to train at a HYROX-specific gym? No. A standard commercial gym with a rowing machine, ski erg, and open floor space covers most of what you need. PureGyms and David Lloyd clubs across the UK now stock most HYROX-relevant equipment. Outdoor turf areas work well for sled variations.

What pace should I run during HYROX? Your target running pace depends on your goal time and division. Generally, Open division athletes aim for 1km splits roughly 20-30 seconds slower than their clean 1km race pace, to account for accumulated station fatigue. The free HYROX Pace Calculator  gives you exact per-kilometre split targets based on your goal finish time.

Build Your HYROX Fitness the Right Way

A HYROX workout is more than a fitness test. It is a specific challenge that rewards specific preparation. The athletes who perform best at their first race are rarely the strongest or the fastest. They are the ones who understood the format, trained the transitions, drilled the rep standards, and built their body to hold up across 8km and eight demanding stations.

Rachel trained for 14 weeks before her first Open race. She was not the fittest athlete in her gym, but she had done eight compromised run sessions, practised every rep standard, and used the HYROX Pace Calculator to build her splits the week before the race. She finished in 67 minutes, placing in the top third of her division. Her training partners, who were stronger and faster but had skipped the specificity work, both came in slower.

Start with station familiarity. Add structured running. Layer in compromised sessions from week four or five. Simulate race conditions in the final weeks. And use data to guide your pacing strategy before you ever arrive at the start line.

For a personalised HYROX training programme built around your race date, fitness level, and available equipment, start your Kracey plan . It is expert-validated, adapts to your schedule, and gets you race-ready without the guesswork.