Hyrox training plan for beginners (12 weeks)
Updated: ยท Zulta
A Hyrox race is 8 times 1 kilometre of running, with a workout station after each kilometre: SkiErg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmers carry, sandbag lunges and wall balls. For a first race, train for about 12 weeks, 3 to 4 times a week.
The core of a good Hyrox plan: running fitness (8 kilometres, partly on tired legs), leg and grip strength for the sleds and the carry, and practising running straight after a station (compromised running). You do not need to be an elite athlete: many people race the Open division with finishing as the goal.
How a Hyrox race is built
| # | Station | Distance or reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SkiErg | 1000 m |
| 2 | Sled push | 50 m |
| 3 | Sled pull | 50 m |
| 4 | Burpee broad jumps | 80 m |
| 5 | Rowing | 1000 m |
| 6 | Farmers carry | 200 m |
| 7 | Sandbag lunges | 100 m |
| 8 | Wall balls | 100 reps |
Before each station you run 1 kilometre: 8 kilometres of running in total. There is an Open and a Pro division, plus doubles and relay. Open uses lighter weights. Always check the current weights per division in the rulebook on hyrox.com: they can change by season.
What you need before your first Hyrox
- Run 8 kilometres at an easy pace without stopping. If you cannot yet, start with running and push the plan back a few weeks.
- Strong legs and hips for the sleds, lunges and wall balls: squats, lunges and Romanian deadlifts.
- Grip and trunk for the farmers carry and sled pull: carries, rows and planks.
- Running on tired legs. That is where most beginners lose time.
12-week training plan
Four sessions a week. With only three days, drop session C in weeks 1 to 4 and combine B and C after that.
| Weeks | A: strength | B: intervals | C: Hyrox-specific | D: easy run |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-4 base | Full body, 3 x 8-10: goblet squat, Romanian deadlift, dumbbell row, push up, farmers carry | 6 x 400 m hard, 90 s rest | 3 rounds: 500 m row, 20 wall balls, 20 lunges | 30-40 min easy |
| 5-8 build | Heavier, 4 x 5-6: squat, deadlift or hip thrust, sled push if you have one, carries | 5 x 1 km at race pace, 2 min rest | 4 rounds: 1 km run + 1 station (rotate weekly) | 45-60 min easy |
| 9-11 specific | Maintain, 3 x 5: heavy but not to failure | 3 x 2 km at race pace | Half or full simulation: 4 to 8 x (1 km + station) | 45-60 min easy |
| 12 taper | 1 light session | 4 x 400 m brisk | None | 20-30 min easy, race at the weekend |
Lay out the week so A and C are not on consecutive days, for example: Monday A, Tuesday D, Thursday B, Saturday C.
Practise running after a station
After the sled push or the lunges your legs feel like concrete and the first few hundred metres are hard. Practise it: in session C always run a kilometre straight after the station and run it at a deliberately easy pace. You learn to find your pace on tired legs instead of starting too fast.
Fuel and race day
Hyrox takes most people well over an hour. Eat a normal carbohydrate-rich meal 2 to 3 hours before your start and test that in a training simulation. Start easy: whoever runs the first kilometre too fast pays for it at the wall balls.
Frequently asked questions
How many weeks should you train for Hyrox?
For a first race, 12 weeks works well if you already have a base, for example you can run 5 kilometres and train a few times a week. Without a base, give yourself 16 weeks or more.
How far do you run in Hyrox?
8 kilometres: 8 times 1 kilometre, with a station after each one.
Can beginners do Hyrox?
Yes. The Open division has lighter weights and many people race just to finish. You can also enter as a doubles or relay team and share the stations.
Which Hyrox stations are hardest?
For many beginners the sled push, the sled pull and the wall balls at the end. Train leg strength and practise wall balls on tired legs.
Sources
- HYROX, official rulebook and weights per division: hyrox.com.
- Blagrove RC, Howatson G, Hayes PR (2018). Effects of strength training on the physiological determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance: a systematic review. Sports Medicine 48(5):1117-1149.
- Schumann M et al. (2022). Compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training for skeletal muscle size and function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine 52(3):601-612.
Read next
- Hybrid training: what it is and how to start
- How to combine running and lifting
- How much protein per day for athletes? (calculator)
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