HYROX for Beginners: What It Is and How to Train for Your First Race

By Dave Newman · Founder, Liftspan

HYROX is an indoor fitness race: eight rounds of a 1 km run followed by a workout station, so 8 km of running in all. The stations are the SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. You don't need to be an athlete to finish one. You need a running base, solid full-body strength and some practice at the stations, and a doubles or relay team is the easiest way in.

What a HYROX race is

Races are held indoors in big exhibition halls, and the format is the same everywhere, so times can be compared around the world. You run 1 km, do a station, run another 1 km, do the next station, and so on. Here are the stations in order, with the Open division weights.

Station	Distance or reps	Open weights (women / men)
1. SkiErg	1,000 m	None
2. Sled push	50 m	102 kg (225 lb) / 152 kg (335 lb), sled included
3. Sled pull	50 m	78 kg (172 lb) / 103 kg (227 lb), sled included
4. Burpee broad jumps	80 m	Bodyweight
5. Rowing	1,000 m	None
6. Farmers carry	200 m	2 x 16 kg (35 lb) / 2 x 24 kg (53 lb)
7. Sandbag lunges	100 m	10 kg (22 lb) / 20 kg (44 lb)
8. Wall balls	100 reps	4 kg (9 lb) / 6 kg (13 lb)

The divisions

Open: the standard race and where most first-timers start.
Pro: the same race with heavier weights, for experienced racers.
Doubles: two people run every run together and split the stations however they like. Women, men and mixed categories.
Relay: a team of four. Each person does two of the runs and two of the stations. Women, men and mixed.

If you're coming back to training, doubles or relay is the friendlier first race. In doubles you still run the full 8 km, but you get to rest while your partner works. In relay you run 2 km in total.

Why HYROX is growing so fast

According to Glimpse, search interest in HYROX grew about 266% over the past year. Part of the appeal is that the race is the same every time, so you can measure yourself against it. Part of it is that it rewards both strength and fitness, which suits people who lift and run. And anybody can enter. You don't have to race for a podium: plenty of people enter to finish, or to beat last time.

How to train for HYROX

Running base. You run 8 km in a HYROX, and every kilometer after the first comes straight off a station. Build up to running 5 to 8 km at an easy pace before you worry about speed.

Strength. The sleds, lunges and carries are leg and grip work. Squats, deadlifts, step-ups and farmer's carries carry straight over. A trap bar deadlift is a great way to build pulling strength without stressing your lower back.

Station practice. Wall balls, burpee broad jumps, the SkiErg and the rower are skills. Practice them at an easy pace until the movement is smooth. If your gym has a sled, use it. If not, heavy walking lunges and hill walks are a decent stand-in.

Running tired. The hardest part of HYROX is running right after a station. Once a week, pair a station with a short run and repeat it a few times.

A 12-week outline for your first race

Weeks	Focus	What it looks like
1 to 4	Base	3 strength days, 2 easy runs building to 30 minutes, light station practice once a week
5 to 8	Build	Add a weekly conditioning day: 4 to 6 rounds of 500 m to 1 km run plus one station
9 to 11	Race practice	One half-race rehearsal: 4 runs and 4 stations at race pace, with lighter weights if needed
12	Taper	Cut training by about half, keep a little intensity, rest 2 days before the race

Every fourth week or so, ease off. A planned deload week lets the fatigue drain so the next block goes better.

How to start if you're coming back

Week 1: 2 strength sessions and 2 run-walks of 20 minutes (for example, 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking).
Week 2: Same again, with longer running intervals. Try each station move once, light.
Week 3: 3 strength sessions. Run-walks up to 25 minutes.
Week 4: 3 strength sessions, 2 easy runs, and one short session of station practice. Then start the 12-week outline.

That makes about 16 weeks from coming back to your first race. If that sounds long, sign up for doubles or relay and start the outline sooner.

This is general training information, not medical advice. HYROX is hard on the heart and lungs. If you have a heart condition, take medication that affects your heart rate, or have been told to avoid exercise, check with your doctor before you start training. Stop and get checked if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.

A week of HYROX training plus strength

Three strength days, two runs, one conditioning day and one day off.

Day	Session	How long
Monday	Full Body A	45 min
Tuesday	Easy run	25 to 40 min
Wednesday	Full Body B	45 min
Thursday	Conditioning: runs plus stations	30 to 45 min
Friday	Full Body C	45 min
Saturday	Longer easy run	40 to 60 min
Sunday	Rest	None

Full Body A, B and C each cover a squat, a hinge, a push, a pull and a carry or core move, in about 45 minutes.

Liftspan Programs screen showing the free Full Body, 3 days starter program with the moves for days A, B and C — Full Body, 3 days in Liftspan. The moves change with your room and the joints you flag.

Build the engine, start with strength

Sleds, lunges and carries are won in the weight room. Full Body, 3 days is free in Liftspan: it's built for your equipment and around any joint you flag, every weight is set for you and moved up as you earn it, and each block ends with a lighter deload week. Rather use paper? Download the sheet.

Open the free plan in Liftspan Download the free PDF

Common questions

What is HYROX?

HYROX is an indoor fitness race made up of eight 1 km runs, each followed by a workout station: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls.

Can a beginner do HYROX?

Yes. Plenty of people race to finish, not to win. With a running base, steady strength training and some station practice, 12 to 16 weeks is enough to get ready, and doubles or relay makes a first race easier.

What is the difference between HYROX doubles and relay?

In doubles, two people run every run together and split the stations however they like. In relay, a team of four each runs two of the 1 km runs and does two stations.

How heavy is HYROX Open?

For the Open division, the farmers carry is two 16 kg kettlebells for women and two 24 kg for men, the sandbag is 10 kg or 20 kg, and the wall ball is 4 kg or 6 kg. Pro uses heavier weights.

Do I need to lift weights for HYROX?

It helps a lot. The sled push, sled pull, lunges and carries are strength stations, and stronger legs and grip make the runs between them easier too.

Using Liftspan? See how logging a run keeps your daily flame going in the help manual. New to it? Liftspan is a strength training app for lifters over 40 that builds your plan around your joints and moves the weight for you.

🏋️

Dave Newman

Founder of Liftspan. Came back to lifting in his 40s and has kept at it since. Built Liftspan because every other strength app assumed everyone training is 25 and injury-free. Not a doctor: when something hurts, see one.

Sources: HYROX, About the race (format, stations, weights and divisions) · Glimpse, HYROX search trend. General information, not a substitute for a clinician.

Keep reading: farmer's carry · trap bar deadlift · longevity training · the run-walk method · kettlebell workout for beginners · hybrid training for beginners · how to start working out again after a long break · all guides