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How to train for HYROX at home: 7 swaps when you have no sled

You can train most of HYROX with a pair of dumbbells, a backpack and a wall. You can't copy all of it. Here is what carries over, and what to try once on the real kit.

By Susmit Jalan, coach at Online Fitness Worldwide.

No sled. No SkiErg. No rower. Can you still train for HYROX?

Mostly, yes. Some stations are easy at home. Some are only approximations. I'll say which.

Race facts come from HYROX's own pages and the 2026/27 rulebook. Weights: kg first, pounds in brackets (rounded).[2]

The swaps are my coaching approximations. They are not equivalent to the real stations. Nobody can promise they are.

Independent coaching. Not an official HYROX plan.

See also: HYROX training plan for beginners: 12 weeks, 7 rules that matter · What is HYROX? 7 things to know before your first race

How to train for HYROX at home: 7 swaps

  1. Run first. It is half the race

    Why it matters
    HYROX's own preparation page says 50% of the race is running, and that you will be out there for about 90 minutes on average.[3]
    How to train it
    It also says to practise running after working the legs and arms, at home or in the gym.[3] Later in your block, once runs and squats feel solid, try it as an optional drill: a run, a few goblet squats, then run again. Not as a starting session.
    How much
    Don't start too fast. HYROX warns that people run a personal best in the first kilometre.[3]

  2. SkiErg and row, without the machines

    Why it matters
    Two stations of 1,000 m each, pulling on an erg, mostly arms, back and trunk.[1][2]
    How to train it
    At home the closest pattern is band or cable pulldowns and dumbbell rows, in long sets of 15 to 25 reps. It is an approximation, not a copy.
    How much
    If you can get to a gym with a SkiErg and a rower once a fortnight, do a 1,000 m effort on each to learn the pace.

  3. Sled push and pull, without a sled

    Why it matters
    The heaviest stations. Open women: push 102 kg (225 lb) and pull 78 kg (172 lb). Open men: 152 kg (335 lb) and 103 kg (227 lb). All including the sled.[2] HYROX says to try the sled push at least once before race day.[1]
    How to train it
    At home: heavy step-ups, split squats and walking lunges for leg drive. Bent-over dumbbell rows and towel rows for the pull. Knees grumpy? Reverse lunges or step-ups before walking lunges.
    How much
    Book one gym session with a sled in the last 4 to 6 weeks. Wear grippy shoes.[1]

  4. Burpee broad jumps need only floor

    Why it matters
    80 m. Chest to the floor, stand up, jump forward.[1][2]
    How to train it
    Start with 4 to 6 quiet reps per set, soft knees, on a floor that doesn't slip. Build the total distance over weeks; don't go to 80 m in one session. Hallway too tight, too hard or too noisy? Use a garden or a park, or do step-back burpees instead.
    How much
    Land with soft knees. Stop the set if your back or knees complain.

  5. Farmers carry and sandbag lunges are easy at home

    Why it matters
    Carry 200 m: women 2 × 16 kg (35 lb), men 2 × 24 kg (53 lb). Sandbag lunges 100 m: women 10 kg (22 lb), men 20 kg (44 lb).[2] HYROX says the carry is easy to practise on your weekly shop.[1]
    How to train it
    Two shopping bags, two dumbbells or two kettlebells. For the lunges, a loaded backpack across the shoulders. Backpack on the shoulders bothering your back or shoulders? Hug it in front, or hold one weight at your chest. Check bag handles, and keep the two loads even.
    How much
    Build the distance first. Then the load.

  6. Wall balls: the squat counts, not the ball

    Why it matters
    100 reps. A rep needs a full squat with hips below the knees, and the ball must hit the target: 2.70 m for women, 3.00 m for men.[2]
    How to train it
    No wall or ball? Goblet squats to depth, 3 sets of 15 to 20, with a chair or box to mark the depth. Add a ball and a line on the wall when you can.
    How much
    In the last 6 weeks, practise the real throw at least once a week.

  7. Lift, because it carries over

    Why it matters
    ACSM recommends 2 to 3 strength days a week for novices, at loads you could lift about 8 to 12 times.[4] Training alone at home, end each set with 1 to 3 reps in reserve, and don't test your maximum.
    How to train it
    Two full-body days: squat or step-up, hinge, push, pull, carry.
    How much
    Split lifts and runs when you can. A meta-analysis of 43 studies found adding aerobic work made no clear difference to maximal strength or muscle size, but explosive strength was lower, more so when both were in the same session.[5]

Train for it with Online Fitness Worldwide

Not sure your home set-up will transfer? I build HYROX preparation around the equipment you actually have, live, online.

Online Fitness Worldwide is not affiliated with HYROX and is not endorsed by them. This is independent coaching.

Iron Hour is 60 minutes, 1:1, live. Set-up at minute 0: camera placed so I can see your whole body. Warm-up from minute 4. The primary lift at 14. Accessories at 28. Cool-down at 50.

Lean Reset is 20 sessions a month, 1:1. Open Floor is a small group.

Coming back after a long break? Return is 45 minutes, 12 alternate-day sessions a month. We build the base first.

Coached live on Google Meet, Zoom or FaceTime. In Hindi or English. On IST. Not sure yet? Start with a 30-minute consultation. It is a conversation, not training. Booking holds a time. The fee is agreed directly.

See the programsAsk on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)

What home training can't copy

The feel of the sled surface, the ergs and the Roxzone transitions. Try the real thing at least once before race day.[1]

I can't promise any home set-up matches race-day performance. No client results here, and none implied.

Learn the standards for your division in the rulebook. Practise to those, not to a video.[2]

No prices. Entry fees are on each event page.

A sample home week

Sample only. Not a prescription. Adjust it to your body, your health and your history.

  • Mon, lift A: goblet squat 3 × 10, dumbbell Romanian deadlift 3 × 10, push-up 3 × 10, dumbbell row 3 × 10, 3 carries of 30 m.
  • Tue: easy run, 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Wed, station circuit: 2 rounds for the first 2 weeks, then up to 4. Each round: 4 to 6 burpee broad jumps (or step-back burpees), 20 step-ups, 30 m carry, 15 squat-to-wall throws. Rest 2 minutes between rounds.
  • Thu: rest or a walk.
  • Fri, lift B: split squat 3 × 10 a side, hip thrust 3 × 12, overhead press 3 × 10, towel row 3 × 12.
  • Sat: easy run, 40 to 60 minutes, then 100 m of backpack lunges.
  • Sun: rest. Adjust it to your equipment, your body and your history.
  • Pain check: mild discomfort that settles soon is fine. Pain that rises during a set means make it easier: less range or less load. Sharp pain, swelling, pain spreading down a limb, numbness, a joint giving way or locking means stop and get it checked. I'm a coach, not a physio or doctor.

Before you start

General information, not medical advice. ACSM's screening model says: if you are inactive, have no symptoms and no known heart, metabolic or kidney disease, you can start light to moderate exercise without medical clearance and build up gradually. If you have one of those conditions, or symptoms such as chest pain, unusual breathlessness or dizziness, get medical clearance first.[6] Race-style work is hard: heavy lifts, jumps, burpees, sprints and carries. Build up to it over weeks. Don't test a maximum lift alone or without a spotter or a coach watching. Burpee broad jumps, lunges and heavy carries are hard on knees, back and shoulders. Build up over weeks. Ask a doctor first if you have a heart, blood-pressure or joint condition. At home, check the floor isn't slippery, the ceiling is high enough for throws, and any door anchor is solid.

ASCA Level 1 (strength and conditioning) and ACE (anatomy and biomechanics). These are credentials held by the coach. Neither body endorses this business or this article.

Sources

  1. [1] HYROX. The Fitness Race (race format, divisions, weights, distances and repetitions). Official site; accessed 2 Nov 2026. https://hyrox.com/the-fitness-race/ (opens in a new tab)
  2. [2] HYROX. Singles Rulebook, 2026/27 season (stations, weights, divisions, age groups, penalties, minimum age). Official PDF; accessed 2 Nov 2026. Current rulebooks: hyrox.com/rulebook. https://hyroxbenelux.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/26_27_HYROX_RulebookSingles_EN_FINAL.pdf (opens in a new tab)
  3. [3] HYROX. Best HYROX Preparation (running share, simulating the race, pacing, rest and hydration). Official site; accessed 2 Nov 2026. https://hyrox.com/best-hyrox-preparation/ (opens in a new tab)
  4. [4] American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670 (opens in a new tab)
  5. [5] Schumann M, Feuerbacher JF, Sünkeler M, et al. Compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training for skeletal muscle size and function: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2022;52(3):601–612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01587-7 (opens in a new tab)
  6. [6] Riebe D, Franklin BA, Thompson PD, et al. Updating ACSM's recommendations for exercise preparticipation health screening. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47(11):2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000664 (opens in a new tab)