Hyrox Training Plan for Beginners: 8-Week Program to Your First Race

Quick answer: A good beginner Hyrox training plan takes 8 weeks with 4 sessions per week: two runs, one strength and station-skill session, and one hybrid workout that mixes both. Weeks 1 to 4 build your aerobic base and movement quality, then weeks 5 to 8 pair 1km runs directly with stations so you learn to run on tired legs, which is the skill Hyrox actually tests.

The Hyrox Race Format

Hyrox is a standardized indoor fitness race held in arenas worldwide. Every athlete covers the same course: 8 runs of 1km, each followed by a functional workout station, always in the same fixed order. Because the course never changes from city to city, structured preparation pays off more here than in almost any other fitness event.

Here are the 8 stations in order with the current division standards. Sled weights are totals that include the sled itself.

Station	Distance / Reps	Women Open	Men Open	Women Pro	Men Pro
1. SkiErg	1,000m	Same for all divisions
2. Sled Push	50m	102kg	152kg	152kg	202kg
3. Sled Pull	50m	78kg	103kg	103kg	153kg
4. Burpee Broad Jumps	80m	Bodyweight, same for all
5. Rowing	1,000m	Same for all divisions
6. Farmers Carry	200m	2 x 16kg	2 x 24kg	2 x 24kg	2 x 32kg
7. Sandbag Lunges	100m	10kg	20kg	20kg	30kg
8. Wall Balls	75 reps (Women Open), 100 reps (all others)	4kg	6kg	6kg	9kg

The SkiErg, rowing, and burpee broad jumps are identical across divisions. For the 2025/26 season, Hyrox reduced Women's Open wall balls from 100 to 75 reps; every other division still completes 100.

For pacing context, world-class Pro athletes now finish in under 55 minutes, with world records of roughly 52 minutes for men and 54.5 minutes for women. Most Open men finish between 80 and 95 minutes, most Open women between 90 and 110 minutes, and first-timers commonly land in the 100 to 130 minute range. Finishing at all is a real achievement in your first race.

Why Hyrox Rewards Hybrid Training

Every station is sandwiched between 1km runs. That means you never row, push, or lunge fresh, and you never run on recovered legs. Coaches call this compromised running: holding a decent run pace immediately after a strength effort has spiked your heart rate and loaded your legs.

This is the entire game. A strong lifter who cannot run 8km will suffer through the back half, and a pure runner can lose ten minutes on the sleds and wall balls alone. The athletes who finish comfortably are the ones who train both qualities together, in the same session, until the transition itself becomes a trained skill.

That is why the plan below stops separating cardio days from lifting days after week 4. It deliberately pairs runs with stations so your body adapts to switching between the two. If your legs feel like concrete the first time you run after heavy lunges, good. That is exactly the adaptation you are chasing.

The 8-Week Beginner Hyrox Training Plan

This plan assumes you can jog for 20 to 30 minutes without stopping and have access to basic weights. You will train 4 days per week for 45 to 75 minutes, with at least one full rest day between the two hardest sessions.

Weeks 1 to 4: Base Phase

The first month is about volume you can recover from and skills you can repeat. Two of your weekly sessions are easy, conversational-pace runs, starting around 3 to 4km and building toward 6km by week 4. Do not chase pace here. You are building the aerobic engine that carries you through the second half of the race.

Your strength day focuses on station skills at light loads: goblet squats and walking lunges, kettlebell or dumbbell carries, wall balls in sets of 10 to 15, and rowing technique if you have a machine. Treat these as practice, not punishment. Crisp reps now save minutes on race day.

The fourth session introduces compromised running gently. After your strength circuit, finish with a 500m to 1km run at an easy pace. It will feel awkward at first. By week 4, your legs will switch between modes noticeably faster.

Weeks 5 to 8: Build Phase

Now training starts to look like the race. Your hybrid day becomes a race-pace simulation: pick two or three stations, perform them at race distances and weights where possible, and run 1km at goal pace between each. A classic beginner pairing is 1km run, 100m sandbag lunges, 1km run, then a big set of wall balls.

One run day becomes intervals: 6 to 8 repeats of 400m to 800m slightly faster than goal race pace with about 90 seconds of rest. The other run stays easy and stretches to 7 or 8km, since the event demands 8km of running plus every meter you cover inside the stations.

In week 7, complete a half or full simulation: 4 to 8 rounds of 1km plus a station, using whatever equipment you have. This is your dress rehearsal for pacing, fueling, and mindset. Week 8 is a deload race week: cut volume roughly in half, keep two short sessions to stay sharp, and arrive at the start line fresh rather than fit but fried.

Your Weekly Template

• Day 1: Run day. Easy base run in weeks 1 to 4, intervals in weeks 5 to 8.
• Day 2: Strength and station skills. Squats, lunges, carries, wall balls, rowing.
• Day 3: Easy run. 30 to 50 minutes, always conversational.
• Day 4: Hybrid session. Stations plus runs, progressing from a short finisher run to full race-pace simulations.

Station-by-Station Training Notes

You do not need to master all 8 stations equally. Beginners lose the most time on the sleds, the lunges, and the wall balls, and half the stations can be trained effectively in a garage or backyard.

Stations you can train at home

Sandbag lunges. The best home station to practice because the leg fatigue it creates is unlike anything else in the race. Lunge in 20 to 25m segments with the bag across your shoulders and keep your torso tall. Our sandbag workout guide covers the full progression from bodyweight lunges to loaded race distance.

Farmers carry. This is grip and trap endurance, not max strength. Carry heavy in 40 to 60m segments and build toward 200m unbroken. Our farmers carry guide breaks down form and loading week by week.

Wall balls. All you need is a medicine ball and a wall with a target line. Break 100 reps into planned sets of 15 to 25 from day one, and practice breathing at the top of each rep.

Burpee broad jumps. Free to train anywhere. Practice smooth, controlled jumps of around a meter rather than max-distance leaps that torch your legs before the next run.

A heavy adjustable sandbag covers three of these bases at once: lunges, carries, and drags. If you are training toward the women's Open lunge weight, the lighter Skirmish Training Sandbag (20 to 40 lb) matches that standard, while the Raider below covers men's Open and Pro loads.

Stations that need a gym, and their substitutes

The SkiErg, rower, and sleds are hard to replicate exactly. If your gym has them, use them weekly during the build phase. If not, heavy sandbag drags and carries are the best sled substitute because they load the same legs-and-lungs grind, and hard uphill walking or stair climbs with a loaded bag build similar pushing strength. For the SkiErg, high-rep banded pulldowns train the arm drive, and extra rowing covers the engine. Even one gym day pass per week in weeks 5 to 8 is enough to touch the real sleds before race day.

Hyrox Training FAQ

How long does it take to train for your first Hyrox?

Eight weeks is a realistic minimum if you already jog and lift occasionally. Complete beginners starting from zero should allow 12 to 16 weeks, spending the extra month building an easy running habit before starting this plan.

Can beginners do Hyrox?

Yes. The Open division is designed to be finishable: you can walk during the runs and rest at stations, and first-timers typically finish between 100 and 130 minutes. The doubles format, where two athletes split the station work, is an even friendlier entry point.

What weights are used in Hyrox Open?

Men's Open: 152kg sled push, 103kg sled pull, 2 x 24kg farmers carry, 20kg sandbag lunges, and 100 wall balls at 6kg. Women's Open: 102kg sled push, 78kg sled pull, 2 x 16kg farmers carry, 10kg lunges, and 75 wall balls at 4kg. Sled figures include the sled itself.

How fit do you need to be to start?

If you can run 5km without stopping, do 10 lunges per leg, and complete 10 wall balls with a light ball, you are ready for week 1 of this plan. If not, spend 3 to 4 weeks walking, jogging, and doing bodyweight circuits first, then begin.

Do you need a gym to train for Hyrox?

No. Four of the eight stations (sandbag lunges, farmers carry, wall balls, and burpee broad jumps) train well at home with a sandbag and a medicine ball, and all of your running can happen outdoors. A gym matters most for the sleds, SkiErg, and rower in the final four weeks.

Related Reading

• Strength and Cardio Hybrid Workout: The Ultimate Guide to Power Endurance
• Hyrox Race Day Preparation: Your Guide to Peak Performance
• Best Weight Vest for Hyrox Training