Strength Training for HYROX: How Strong Do You Need to Be?

In short: HYROX does not demand extreme maximal strength, but it does require strength endurance: the ability to perform a movement dozens of times in a row, often already fatigued from running. Targeted strength training for pushing, pulling, carrying, and squatting prepares you for the eight stations, even though research shows that pure maximal strength is not the strongest predictor of your finish time.

• SkiErg — arms, shoulders, back muscles, and core, with a component of leg strength.
• Sled Push — thighs (quadriceps), glutes, and core, with a strong emphasis on pushing power.
• Sled Pull — back, glutes, and grip, with a pulling movement.
• Burpee Broad Jumps — a full-body exercise with an emphasis on legs, core, and explosiveness.
• Row — back, legs, and core, similar to the rowing movement on a rowing machine.
• Farmers Carry — grip, core, and shoulder girdle, by carrying weight over a distance.
• Sandbag Lunges — thighs and glutes, with an added stability requirement due to the weight on the shoulders.
• Wall Balls — thighs, glutes, and shoulders, in a squat-and-throw movement repeated a hundred times.

• Pushing: leg press, squat variations, or an actual sled push.
• Pulling: rowing variations, lat pulldown, or an actual sled pull.
• Carrying: farmers carry with kettlebells or dumbbells, over increasing distance.
• Squatting with load: goblet squats, lunges with extra weight, and the wall ball movement itself (squat followed by a throw).
• Full-body/explosive: burpees, broad jumps, and combinations thereof.

Work with multiple sets of relatively high repetitions (e.g., 12 to 20 per set) to train strength endurance, supplemented with a few sets at lower repetitions to continue developing underlying maximal strength.

• Workout 1: sled push or squat variation, farmers carry, wall ball exercise, core finisher.
• Workout 2: sled pull or rowing variation, weighted lunges, burpee broad jumps, core finisher.

Gradually increase the weight and number of repetitions as you get stronger and fitter, and combine this with the running and combination training from your general HYROX preparation.

No, extreme maximal strength is not required. More important is strength endurance: the ability to repeat a movement dozens of times, often already fatigued from running.

Which strength exercises best prepare for HYROX?

Exercises that mimic the movement patterns of the eight stations: pushing (squat variations, sled push), pulling (rowing, sled pull), carrying (farmers carry), and squatting with load (lunges, wall ball movement).

How many times a week should I do strength training for HYROX?

Two targeted strength training sessions per week, in combination with running and combination training, is a realistic starting point for most recreational athletes.

Is it true that strength is not important for HYROX, because research found no correlation with finish time?

Not entirely. One small-scale study found no strong statistical correlation between maximal strength and finish time, but the stations themselves do indeed demand strength and strength endurance to perform them properly at all. The research primarily indicates what most strongly predicts the finish time, not that strength is superfluous.

Should I use heavy weights during my strength training for HYROX?

A combination works best: predominantly sets with relatively high repetitions to train strength endurance, supplemented with occasional heavier sets to maintain your underlying maximal strength.