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A Hyrox workout is eight 1 km runs, each one followed by a functional exercise station, done back to back for time. The format is the same at every race, which is why people train for it the way runners train for a 10K: you know exactly what is coming.
You do not need a gym with sleds to get ready for your first one. Most stations have a home or court version that trains the same thing, and the running can be done on any road or barangay court. On Fit Bud’s sports conditioning coaching, a coach builds that plan around where you live and what you have, and keeps the record of each week.
What is in a Hyrox race
The official race format, from hyrox.com: run 1 km, then complete one station, and repeat that eight times. The stations are always in this order.
| Order | Station | Distance or reps | Women Open | Men Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkiErg | 1,000 m | ||
| 2 | Sled push | 50 m | 102 kg | 152 kg |
| 3 | Sled pull | 50 m | 78 kg | 103 kg |
| 4 | Burpee broad jumps | 80 m | ||
| 5 | Row | 1,000 m | ||
| 6 | Farmers carry | 200 m | 2 x 16 kg | 2 x 24 kg |
| 7 | Sandbag lunges | 100 m | 10 kg | 20 kg |
| 8 | Wall balls | 100 reps | 4 kg ball | 6 kg ball |
Sled weights include the sled. The Pro divisions use heavier loads, and the official site also lists doubles and relay categories where the work is shared. That makes eight kilometres of running and eight stations in one go.
What it actually trains
Two things decide most people’s finish time. The first is running when your legs are already tired: every kilometre after the first one starts straight off a station, so your legs feel heavy and your breathing is already high. The second is grip and leg endurance, because the sleds, the carry, the lunges and the wall balls all hammer the same legs and hands.
So a good plan trains running, strength and the switch between them. Pure running miles help, but on their own they leave you surprised by how hard the run feels after the sled push.
Home and court swaps for each station
Use these until you can get onto the real equipment a few times before race day.
| Station | Home or court swap | What it copies |
|---|---|---|
| SkiErg | Band pull-downs from a gate or door anchor, hinging at the hips | Pulling down with the lats and trunk |
| Sled push | Uphill or stair sprints of 15 to 25 seconds, driving through the legs | Low, hard leg drive |
| Sled pull | Walking backwards while pulling a band anchored at chest height, or heavy band rows | Pulling while braced |
| Burpee broad jumps | The real thing, on a court or a flat yard | Nothing else trains it |
| Row | Band or dumbbell rows in sets of 15 to 20, plus an easy run | Back endurance |
| Farmers carry | Two kettlebells, dumbbells or full water jugs, walked for distance | Grip and posture |
| Sandbag lunges | Walking lunges with a backpack holding a sealed sack of rice | Leg endurance under load |
| Wall balls | Goblet squat to press with a ball, a kettlebell or the backpack | Squat and push, repeated |
The carry is one of the easiest stations to train well at home. Our guide to the farmers carry covers posture, grip and how to choose the weight. On the days between, fast mountain climbers keep the heart rate up on a mat without any equipment at all.
A four-day week to start
A starting point for someone who already exercises a little. Adjust the volume to you, and leave an easy day after each hard one.
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Easy run, 20 to 30 minutes at a pace where you can talk |
| Tuesday | Strength: goblet squats, walking lunges with the backpack, band rows, push-ups, farmers carry |
| Wednesday | Rest or a walk |
| Thursday | Run and station repeats: 400 m run, then one station swap, four to six rounds |
| Friday | Rest |
| Saturday | Longer easy run, or a court session of burpee broad jumps and short sprints |
| Sunday | Rest |
Each week, add a little to one thing only: one more round on Thursday, five more minutes on Monday, or a heavier carry. That is progressive overload, and it is how you get to race distance without getting hurt. The World Health Organization’s 2020 guidelines suggest muscle-strengthening work on two or more days a week alongside aerobic activity, and this week does both.
Training for Hyrox in the Philippine heat
Hyrox races are held indoors, but most home training here happens outside. Run early in the morning or after sunset, drink water before and during the session, and stop if you feel dizzy, sick or confused. Our guide to training in the Philippine heat covers timing, water and the warning signs.
Ask your doctor before starting this kind of training if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma, a past injury that still hurts, or if you have not exercised for a long time.
Questions people ask
What are the 8 exercises of Hyrox? SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls, always in that order, each one after a 1 km run.
Is Hyrox the same as CrossFit? No. Hyrox is one fixed race format that stays the same at every event, so times can be compared. CrossFit competitions change their workouts from event to event. Both use running and functional movements, so training for one helps with the other.
Is Hyrox harder than CrossFit? It depends on what you find hard. Hyrox has no technical lifts, so a beginner can finish one. It does ask for eight kilometres of running plus heavy leg work, which makes it a long, steady effort rather than a short, technical one.
Can a beginner do Hyrox? Yes, if you can run 5 km and have done some strength training. Many first-timers enter doubles or a relay to share the work. Give yourself about three months of regular training before your first race.
Can I train for Hyrox at home? Most of it. The swaps above cover every station except the SkiErg and the rower, which you can try at a gym a few times before the race.
Getting a coach for it
Training for Hyrox is mostly about pacing and steady weeks, and both are easier with someone tracking them. Fit Bud’s sports conditioning sessions happen at your home, a court or a condo gym, and the coach plans the runs, the stations and the strength work together. If you play ball too, the basketball conditioning drills use the same court. To plan your first race, tell us your town and your goal.
Sources
HYROX, “The Fitness Race” (hyrox.com): race format, station order, distances and Open and Pro weights. World Health Organization, Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, 2020: muscle-strengthening activity on two or more days a week.