Guide
Training for HYROX without a sled or SkiErg
Most commercial gyms have a rower and wall balls but no sled or SkiErg. That's fine. Cables, a treadmill and dumbbells cover the gaps.
Updated Sun, Oct 18, 2026
Regular gym swaps
| Station | Swap: a regular gym (no sled or skierg) |
|---|---|
| 1. SkiErg | Cable straight-arm pull-downs. Hinge at the hips and drive down, about 1 rep for every 12 m of SkiErg. |
| 2. Sled Push | Weighted incline walk. Treadmill at 12 to 15% incline in a 20 to 30 kg vest or backpack, driving the knees. About 2.4 s per metre of sled. |
| 3. Sled Pull | Heavy seated cable row. Heavy, about 4 reps for every 5 m of sled. |
| 4. Burpee Broad Jumps | Burpee broad jumps. No swap needed. Short on space? Do the same count as burpees plus broad jumps in place. |
| 5. Rowing | Rowing. Most regular gyms have a rower, so no swap. |
| 6. Farmers Carry | Dumbbell farmers carry. Race weight dumbbells if your gym has them, tall posture, quick steps. |
| 7. Sandbag Lunges | Walking lunges. Dumbbells or a sandbag, back knee touches every rep. |
| 8. Wall Balls | Wall balls. Use the race ball and scale the reps, not the weight. Most gyms have one. |
Make the swaps count
- Match the time, not the distance. A sled push takes roughly 2.4 s per metre for a first-timer, so train the incline walk for the same time.
- Keep wall balls at race weight. 4 kg and 6 kg are already light, so scale the reps.
- Run straight off the swap. The point of a station day is running on tired legs, whatever the station looks like.
- Find one real sled before race day if you can: a HYROX-affiliated gym or a class drop-in.
Training somewhere with no gym at all? See HYROX training at home.
Questions
What can I do instead of a SkiErg?
Cable straight-arm pull-downs at a gym, band pull-downs at home, or alternating squat thrusts and high knees with no equipment. Hinge at the hips and drive down the same way you would on the erg.
Do I need a HYROX gym to train for HYROX?
No. A regular gym, a home setup or even no equipment can get you to the start line. A session or two on a real sled before race day helps.
Get a plan built for your first race
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Read next
HYROX training at homeNo sled, no SkiErg, no problem: how to train for HYROX at home with dumbbells, a band and a backpack, with a swap for every station and a full home plan.Read the guideThe 8 HYROX stations, in orderAll 8 HYROX stations in race order with distances, 2026/27 weights and one first-timer tip for each, from the SkiErg to the 100 wall balls.Read the guideHYROX weights for 2026/27Every HYROX station weight for 2026/27 in kg and lb: Open, Pro, Doubles and Relay, from the official rulebooks, plus wall ball target heights.Read the guide