How to use this workout library in 5 steps
You do not need all 44 sessions. Pick a few from each group and repeat them so you can track progress.
- Pick your four sessions. One compromised running or engine session, one strength session, one station session and one hybrid or simulation.
- Start at the easy end. Use light sleds, shorter distances and longer rest for the first two weeks.
- Repeat sessions to track progress. Doing the same session every three weeks tells you more than constantly changing it.
- Add race weights gradually. Race weights are listed in the station sessions. Do not go to full race weight on every rep in the first month.
- Finish with simulations. In the last six weeks, use the simulation group every second or third week.
Compromised running (10 sessions)
Compromised running means running hard on legs that just did something else, which is what 8 of the 16 race segments ask of you. Each session below pairs a run with one station movement so you practise the exact handoff.
| Session | Work | Rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkiErg sandwich | 4 rounds: 800m run, 500m SkiErg, 800m run | 2 min between rounds | Holds run pace straight after a pulling effort, as in race stations 1 to 2. |
| Sled hangover | 5 rounds: 25m sled push (heavy, race weight if you have it), then 600m run | 90 s after each run | The run after the sled push is where most people lose time. Practise it on purpose. |
| Lunge legs run | 4 rounds: 50m sandbag lunges (20 kg men / 10 kg women), then a 1 km run | 2 min between rounds | Quads that are already cooked, then the wall balls. Same order as stations 7 and 8. |
| Wall ball breather | 4 rounds: 25 wall balls, then an 800m run | 90 s between rounds | Teaches you to settle breathing after overhead work instead of sprinting off. |
| Burpee run | 5 rounds: 10 burpee broad jumps, then a 400m run | 60 s between rounds | Burpee broad jumps spike heart rate. This shows what your running does at 90% of max. |
| Wall ball ladder | Run 1000m, 800m, 600m, 400m, 200m. Do 15 wall balls between each run, no other rest | None, 3 min after the last piece | Descending distance with constant station work builds pace control when fatigue peaks. |
| Station hop 8K | 8 × 1 km at goal run pace. After each km do 30 s of hard effort on any station movement, then start the next km | None beyond the 30 s | Closest thing to race rhythm without needing every machine. |
| Incline finisher | 5 rounds: 2 min run at 5% incline, then 20 wall balls | 90 s between rounds | Incline loads the same muscles as the sled push without the equipment. |
| Entry-exit drill | 6 rounds: 400m run at goal pace, walk 10 steps to a station, do 10 wall balls, jog out and repeat | 30 s | Transitions add up to about 7 minutes in a median Open race. Practise stepping on and off machines. |
| Negative-split triplet | 4 rounds: 1 km run, 500m row, 1 km run. Make the second run 5 to 10 s per km faster than the first | 2 min between rounds | Trains finishing runs stronger than you started. |
Station-specific sessions (16 sessions)
Two sessions per station, one for speed or strength and one for race endurance. Race weights come from the official rulebook and match our station guides.
| Station | Session | Work | Rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SkiErg | Pace 500s | 4 × 500m at goal 500m split | 90 s | Locks in a split you can repeat. Aim for 500m times within 3 s of each other. |
| SkiErg | Pyramid | 250m, 500m, 750m, 500m, 250m at steady hard effort | Half the work time | Builds stroke rhythm over the full 1000m without starting too fast. |
| Sled push | Heavy 25s | 6 × 25m at race weight (152 kg Open Men / 102 kg Open Women) | 90 s walk back | Teaches body angle and step rate under real load. Gym sleds weigh differently, so check how your gym quotes the number. |
| Sled push | Continuous 50s | 4 × 50m at race weight, no stops | 2 min | The race distance. Track your time and keep all four within 10 s. |
| Sled pull | Hand-over-hand 25s | 5 × 25m at race weight (103 kg Open Men / 78 kg Open Women) | 90 s | Builds the rope rhythm and grip without wrecking the whole session. |
| Sled pull | Pull then run | 4 rounds: 50m sled pull at race weight, then a 400m run | 2 min | Grip fatigue shows up on the run. Practise swinging your arms loose after the rope. |
| Burpee broad jumps | 20-metre blocks | 5 × 20m burpee broad jumps | 90 s | Four blocks cover the 80m race distance. Count reps per block to track jump length. |
| Burpee broad jumps | Split 80 | 2 × 40m burpee broad jumps at race rhythm | 3 min | Teaches pacing the longest cardio station without a flat out start. |
| Rowing | 500m repeats | 4 × 500m at goal 500m split | 90 s | Shows whether you can hold the target split across the full 1000m. |
| Rowing | Damper test | 3 × 1000m at damper 5, 6 and 7. Note the split and effort for each | 3 min | Race damper is preset to 6 and you can adjust it. Find out what suits you before race day. |
| Farmers carry | Unbroken 200s | 4 × 200m at race weight (2 × 24 kg Open Men / 2 × 16 kg Open Women) | 90 s | Aim to cross the full distance with one break at most. |
| Farmers carry | Carry and run | 3 rounds: 100m carry at race weight, then a 400m run | 2 min | Forearms are the limit here. Run with loose hands and see how quickly grip recovers. |
| Sandbag lunges | Race-weight 50s | 4 × 50m sandbag lunges at race weight (20 kg Open Men / 10 kg Open Women) | 90 s | Rear knee near the floor on every step. Count steps per 50m and keep them even. |
| Sandbag lunges | Full 100 | 2 × 100m sandbag lunges at race weight | 3 min | The race distance. Note when your torso starts to fall forward. |
| Wall balls | Sets of 20 | 5 × 20 wall balls at race weight and height (6 kg to 3.00m Open Men / 4 kg to 2.70m Open Women) | 60 s | Quality reps at depth. Fast reps that miss the target are no use on race day. |
| Wall balls | 100 for time after a run | 1 km run, then 100 wall balls with a set break plan, for example 25 + 25 + 25 + 15 + 10 | None | Rehearses the real finish of the race. Fix the break plan and stick to it. |
Station guides with technique and weights by division: SkiErg, Sled push, Sled pull, Burpee broad jumps, Rowing, Farmers carry, Lunges, Wall balls.
Engine sessions (6 sessions)
Engine work is the aerobic base that lets you recover between hard efforts in the race. About a third of your weekly time should look like these.
| Session | Work | Rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long easy run | 75 to 90 minutes at a pace where you can speak full sentences | None | Builds the aerobic base. Running is roughly half of a median Open finish time in our data. |
| Threshold intervals | 3 × 10 min at half-marathon effort | 2 min jog | Raises the pace you can hold without lactate climbing. This is your race run pace territory. |
| VO2 intervals | 4 × 4 min hard run, SkiErg or row | 3 min easy | Improves the top end so race pace feels more controlled. |
| Steady row | 30 minutes on the rower at a pace you can hold for the whole time while breathing through your nose in the first 10 | None | Low impact aerobic volume that also trains the rowing station. |
| Machine mix | 20 minutes alternating 30 s hard and 30 s easy on SkiErg, row and bike in turn | None | Quick cardio hit for days when you cannot run. |
| Hill repeats | 8 × 90 s uphill hard, jog down | Jog down is the rest | Builds leg power and running strength that carries over to the sled push. |
Strength sessions (6 sessions)
Strength sessions keep sled push, sled pull and lunges from costing you extra minutes. Two a week is enough for most athletes.
| Session | Work | Rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squat day | Back squat 5×5, walking lunges 3×20 steps, calf raise 3×15 | 2 to 3 min on squats | Leg strength for the sled push and lunges. |
| Hinge day | Trap-bar deadlift 4×5, Romanian deadlift 3×8, hip thrust 3×10 | 2 min | Posterior chain strength for the SkiErg, sled and running. |
| Single-leg day | Bulgarian split squat 4×8 per leg, step-ups 3×10 per leg, leg press 3×15 | 90 s | Builds the knee-driven position of the sled push and lunges. |
| Pull day | Weighted or assisted pull-ups 4×6, single-arm row 4×8, cable rope pull-down 3×15 | 90 s | Lat strength for the SkiErg and the sled pull. |
| Grip day | Farmer hold with the heaviest dumbbells you have, 4 × max time; dead hang 3 × max | 2 min | Grip failure is the common limiter on the sled pull and farmers carry. |
| Overhead and core | Push press 4×6, front rack carry 3×40m, hanging knee raise 3×12, plank 3×45 s | 90 s | Shoulders and trunk for wall balls and holding position while fatigued. |
Race simulations (6 sessions)
Simulations are where you practise the race itself. Use them every second or third week in the last 6 weeks, not before.
| Session | Work | Rest | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half simulation A (stations 1 to 4) | 4 × (1 km run + station): SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps at race distance | Only to change stations | The first half of the race. Practice holding back on the SkiErg. |
| Half simulation B (stations 5 to 8) | 4 × (1 km run + station): row, farmers carry, sandbag lunges, wall balls at race distance | Only to change stations | The second half is where the race is decided. Tune your wall ball break plan here. |
| Full simulation, controlled | All 8 runs and 8 stations at race weights, effort at 85% | None | Gives you real transition times and shows where you drift. |
| Reduced-weight full simulation | All 8 runs and 8 stations at 70% of race weight on sleds and carries | None | Lets you rehearse the race in a regular gym week with less recovery cost. |
| Wall-ball finish simulation | 6 rounds: 1 km run, 25 wall balls, then a final 1 km run, 100 wall balls | Only between rounds | Practise the last two kilometres and the final station together. |
| Full race rehearsal | Everything at race weights, race order, goal pace, three weeks before race day | None | Final check on pacing and kit. Do it once, then taper. |
How to build a week from these sessions
A good week uses one session from each of three or four groups, with two hard days at most back to back. The table gives a starting layout for three, four and five days.
| Days a week | Session mix |
|---|---|
| 3 days | One compromised running, one station session plus strength, one simulation or hybrid |
| 4 days | One engine session, one strength, one station session, one compromised running or simulation |
| 5 days | The four-day mix plus a second engine session (steady row, hill repeats or an easy run) |
For week-by-week schedules that use these sessions in order, see the Hyrox training plan or the goal plans for sub-90 and sub-75.
No sled, commercial gym or training at home
You can do most of these sessions without a sled or a specialist gym by swapping the sled work for split squats, leg press or a loaded carry. The no-sled guide has a swap for every station and a sample week built from commercial gym kit.
- Hyrox training without a sled: station-by-station substitutes for a commercial gym.
- Hyrox workouts at home: eight sessions with a backpack, a kettlebell and a hallway.
- No SkiErg? Five substitutes that work.
- Hyrox home training equipment: what to buy first.
Common mistakes
These 5 mistakes cost the most time or the most training weeks, and each one has a simple fix.
- Doing every session at max effort. Hard days must be hard and easy days easy. A good week has two or three hard sessions, not five.
- Never training running after stations. Eight of the 16 race segments are a station followed by a run. Use the compromised running group every week.
- Skipping rest intervals to save time. The rest listed is part of the design. Less rest turns a quality session into a grind.
- Chasing a new session every week. Variety feels productive but hides progress. Repeat your key sessions.
- Training sleds only light. Gym sleds are often lighter than the race weights. Load them up for at least one station session each week.
Frequently asked questions
Each answer starts with the short version, with detail after it where it helps.
What is a good Hyrox workout?
A good Hyrox workout trains running and a station back to back, for example 4 rounds of 800m run, 500m SkiErg, 800m run. It builds the exact skill the race asks for: working on legs that are already tired.
How many Hyrox workouts should I do a week?
Four is enough for most athletes: one run-focused, one strength, one station session and one hybrid or simulation. Five works if the fifth is easy.
What are the Hyrox stations in order?
1 km run, then SkiErg 1000m, sled push 50m, sled pull 50m, burpee broad jumps 80m, row 1000m, farmers carry 200m, sandbag lunges 100m and wall balls 100 reps, with a run before each station.
How heavy are the Hyrox station weights?
Open Men: sled push 152 kg, sled pull 103 kg, farmers carry 2 × 24 kg, lunges 20 kg, wall ball 6 kg. Open Women: 102 kg, 78 kg, 2 × 16 kg, 10 kg and 4 kg. Pro weights are heavier, see the weights page.
How long should a Hyrox workout be?
Most sessions in this library take 45 to 75 minutes. Full simulations take 80 to 100 minutes, so schedule them carefully.
Can I do Hyrox workouts without a sled?
Yes. The no-sled guide gives substitutes for every station, and the sled sessions here can be swapped for split squats, leg press or a loaded backpack carry.
Bottom line
Build your week from one session in each of the main groups and repeat them. Running after stations is the skill that matters most in Hyrox: a median Open Men finisher spends about 40 of 83 minutes running. Pair this library with a plan from the training plan hub.