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Hyrox Training Without a Sled (Gym Alternatives)

By Mathias Berger · Last updated 2026-07-09

No sled, no SkiErg, no problem. Specific substitutions for every Hyrox station you can't train, plus a minimal-equipment sample week.

Overview

Most commercial gyms don't have a prowler sled. Many don't have a SkiErg. Some don't even have kettlebells heavier than 24 kg. Yet tens of thousands of athletes complete Hyrox every year having trained in exactly these conditions. This guide is a practical workaround, not a motivational poster. For each station you can't train directly, you'll find the best available substitute, what it actually develops, and — just as importantly — what it won't. There's also a sample week built entirely from exercises you can do in a standard commercial gym, and a short section on what simply doesn't transfer no matter what you do. If you're building a full training plan from scratch, start with the 12-week Hyrox training plan and use this article as the substitution layer on top of it.

Why Station Specific Training Matters

Hyrox is eight functional stations separated by eight 1 km runs — roughly 10 km of running plus the eight exercises in a single race. The stations aren't just cardio; they're loaded movement patterns that demand specific muscular endurance. General fitness helps, but it doesn't fully prepare you for holding a squat-position sled push at race weight, or for pulling a rope hand-over-hand when your grip is already compromised from the SkiErg. The good news: most of the fitness that carries over to Hyrox stations can be built with equipment every commercial gym already has.

Per Station Substitution Table

SkiErg (1000m, no added weight): Best substitute — cable lat pulldown (rope attachment) + hip hinge. Trains lat pull-through and the posterior chain drive; use high reps at moderate load.

Sled Push (50m / 152 kg men, 102 kg women): Best substitute — Bulgarian split squat (partial ROM) + leg press (partial ROM, high rep). Matches the quad/calf loading pattern and the bent-knee drive angle.

Sled Pull (50m / 103 kg men, 78 kg women): Best substitute — Rope pull on cable tower (low attachment). Closest gym match; replicates hand-over-hand motion and squat position.

Burpee Broad Jumps (80m, bodyweight): No substitute needed — practise the actual movement, already bodyweight.

Row Erg (1000m): Most gyms have a Concept2; if not — ski erg or assault bike intervals.

Farmers Carry (200m / 2×24 kg men, 2×16 kg women): Dumbbell farmers carry or barbell hold walks — identical movement, direct substitute.

Sandbag Lunges (100m / 20 kg men, 10 kg women): Goblet squat lunges with dumbbell or plate. Loads the same quad and glute pattern; use front-rack position.

Wall Balls (100 reps, all divisions): Dumbbell thrusters. Similar mechanics but see below — the movement doesn't fully replicate.

Station By Station Breakdown

SkiErg — 1000m: The SkiErg is a double-arm pull-down movement with a hip hinge. Best substitute: cable rope pull-down — attach a rope to the highest cable pulley, grab at full extension, then drive it down and past your hips while hinging forward. Do 3–4 sets of 20–25 reps, focusing on lat engagement. Supplement with banded pull-downs and dead hangs for grip endurance. Add 500m treadmill intervals after your cable work to train the cardiovascular demand in context.

Sled Push — 50m at race weight: The sled push loads your quads and calves in a specific partial range — roughly 60–90 degrees of knee bend. Best substitute: Bulgarian split squat (partial range, high rep). Go to roughly 90 degrees of knee bend and pump out reps from there. Add weight at the front of your body. Do sets timed rather than rep-counted: 2–3 minutes of continuous work mirrors the race station duration. Leg press at partial range timed for 3 minutes also trains the sustained quad endurance. The dead mill (manual treadmill with motor off) is the closest cardiovascular substitute.

Sled Pull — 50m at race weight: You're moving backward, pulling a rope hand-over-hand, sitting into a low squat. Best substitute: rope pull on a cable tower at the lowest attachment point, hips low, back flat, pull hand-over-hand while walking backward. Build the pulling chain with single-arm dumbbell rows, gorilla rows, and pull-ups. Grip training is non-negotiable: timed dumbbell holds, pinch grip plate holds, and forearm curls. Add grip work to upper-body sessions eight weeks out.

Burpee Broad Jumps — 80m, bodyweight: Needs practice, not substitution. The horizontal jump pattern is specific — most people jump upward, but Hyrox requires jumping forward as far as possible in a low flat arc. A 2m jump versus a 1.5m jump across 80m means 13 fewer reps. Train the exact movement in sets of 15–20m, combined with 200m runs between sets.

Row Erg — 1000m: Most commercial gyms have a Concept2 RowErg, which is the exact race machine. If yours doesn't, the assault bike or ski erg is your best cardiovascular substitute. Focus on 500m intervals at race pace.

Farmers Carry — 200m: Dumbbells are a direct substitute for kettlebells — the carry mechanics are identical. Load up to race weight or heavier and walk 60m–200m sets. Barbell holds (trap bar if available) are a functional substitute if dumbbells aren't at race weight.

Sandbag Lunges — 100m: A dumbbell or plate held in goblet position replicates the sandbag carry load closely. Keep the front-rack position — not racked on one shoulder. Train lunges late in your session, after runs or heavy leg work, because they arrive seventh in the race.

Wall Balls — 100 reps: Dumbbell thrusters are the standard substitute. However, as Celine's race experience illustrates, dumbbell thrusters don't fully replicate the wall ball — the specific challenge of projecting a weighted ball upward and catching it at chest height creates a timing and rhythm that's distinct. If you can get to a gym with a wall ball even once before race day, do it.

Sample Week

Monday — Lower body push: 10 min treadmill warm-up; Bulgarian split squat (partial ROM, 3 min per side, timed): 3 rounds; Leg press (partial ROM, high rep): 3×25 at heavy load; Single-leg calf raise: 3×20 each side; Treadmill hill sprint: 6×30 sec at 8–10% incline, 90 sec walk recovery.

Tuesday — Pull chain + grip: Rope cable pull-down (SkiErg sub): 4×20 reps; Single-arm dumbbell row: 4×12 each side; Gorilla row: 3×10 each side; Assisted or full pull-ups: 3×max reps; Grip finisher: timed dumbbell hold (2×24 kg) ×3 sets to near failure.

Wednesday — Running: 5–6 km easy run. Optional: 4×200m burpee broad jump sets, 90 sec rest.

Thursday — Full body endurance: 1000m row erg; Dumbbell thrusters: 4×20 reps at race ball weight; Walking lunges with goblet dumbbell: 4×50m; Dumbbell farmers carry: 3×100m at race weight; Rope cable pull (sled pull sub): 3×2-min continuous pull, walking backward.

Friday — Hybrid session (race simulation): 1 km run → Rope cable pull-down: 3 min timed → 1 km run → Bulgarian split squat (3 min each leg) → 1 km run → Dumbbell farmers carry: 200m at race weight → 1 km run → Dumbbell thrusters: 75–100 reps at race ball weight.

Saturday — Long run: 45–60 min easy-paced run. Build to 8–10 km over 8 weeks.

Sunday — Rest or active recovery.

What Doesnt Transfer

Training with substitutes builds fitness. It doesn't simulate the actual race feel.

The sled push weight is specific. 152 kg of prowler sled feels categorically different from any leg press or split squat, because the resistance direction is horizontal and requires full-body coordination through the handles. If you've never touched a real sled before race day, expect the first 10m to feel strange. Use the warm-up zone at the race venue to dial in the body angle before your heat starts.

Wall balls don't transfer perfectly from thrusters. The medicine ball's trajectory, the catch timing, and the 3m target height create a specific rhythm. Dumbbell thrusters build the fitness but not the skill.

Grip endurance has a ceiling without a rope. The sled pull rope is thick and unforgiving. Even if your cable pull strength is solid, your hands may fail in ways they don't on a bar or dumbbell handle. Train grip consistently and specifically.

Running is irreplaceable. No cardio machine perfectly substitutes for 8 km of running on race day. Prioritise running before station specifics in your programming. Use the Hyrox percentile calculator to benchmark your target finishing time.

Faq

Can I train for Hyrox in a commercial gym without any specialist equipment? Yes, for most of the race. Six of eight stations either require no equipment (burpee broad jumps) or standard gym kit (rowing, dumbbells for carries and lunges, cable machine for sled substitutes). The only genuine gaps are the sled push/pull and SkiErg — all of which have workable substitutes.

What's the single best substitute for the sled push? Bulgarian split squat at partial range of motion, timed for 2–3 minutes rather than counted in reps. Hold a dumbbell or sandbag at your chest to add the front-loaded bracing element. Combine with calf raises immediately after.

Will dumbbell farmers carry prepare me for the Hyrox farmers carry? Yes, provided you're using the race weight (2×24 kg for Open Men, 2×16 kg for Open Women) or heavier. Dumbbells are a direct equipment substitute. The limiting factor is grip endurance — train carries weekly, extending the distance from 50m to 200m over 6–8 weeks.

How do I train grip strength without specialist equipment? Three exercises: timed holds with heavy dumbbells at your sides, pinch grip plate holds (grip a weight plate between your fingers and thumb), and dead hangs from a pull-up bar. Program these at the end of upper-body sessions twice a week. Grip strength responds relatively fast — expect meaningful improvement in 4–6 weeks of consistent work.

The SkiErg is station one — should I prioritise training it? The SkiErg sets your heart rate for the rest of the race, so pacing ability matters more than raw speed. Your cable pull-down work trains the muscular component. The more important training priority is learning to not go out too hard.

How far out from race day should I try to get on a real sled? At least 2–4 weeks before if possible, so you have time to adjust your training if anything feels wrong. If you can only get one sled session, do it at race pace over 50m to calibrate your body angle and step cadence before race day.

Official References

RoxUpdates is an unofficial fan site. For authoritative information, consult the official sources below.

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