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text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.06em; text-transform: uppercase; transition: color 0.2s; } .footer-links a:hover { color: var(--orange); } @media (max-width: 700px) { nav { padding: 1rem 1.25rem; } .nav-links { display: none; } .article-hero { padding: 4rem 1.25rem 3rem; } .article-wrapper { padding: 3rem 1.25rem 4rem; } .author-bio { flex-direction: column; text-align: center; } footer { flex-direction: column; gap: 1.5rem; padding: 2rem 1.5rem; text-align: center; } .race-format { padding: 2rem 1.25rem; } } </style> </head> <body> <nav> <a href="https://coachvince.fit" class="nav-logo">COACH <span>VINCE</span></a> <ul class="nav-links"> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit">Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit/hyrox">HYROX Coaching</a></li> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit/blog">Blog</a></li> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit/#contact" class="nav-cta">Book a Call</a></li> </ul> </nav>  <div class="article-hero"> <div class="hero-inner"> <a href="https://coachvince.fit/blog" class="back-link">← Back to Blog</a> <span class="article-tag">HYROX</span> <h1 class="article-title">The Complete Guide to All 8 HYROX Stations</h1> <div class="article-meta"> <span>Coach Vince</span> <span class="article-meta-dot">·</span> <span>8 min read</span> <span class="article-meta-dot">·</span> <span>May 2025</span> <span class="article-meta-dot">·</span> <span>Amsterdam</span> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="race-format"> <div class="race-format-inner"> <div class="race-format-label">THE RACE FORMAT — ALWAYS IN THIS ORDER</div> <div class="race-steps"> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">01</span>SkiErg 1,000m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">02</span>Sled Push 50m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">03</span>Sled Pull 50m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">04</span>Burpee Broad Jumps 80m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">05</span>Rowing 1,000m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">06</span>Farmers Carry 200m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">07</span>Sandbag Lunges 100m</div> <div class="race-step run-step"><span class="race-step-num">🏃</span>1km Run</div> <div class="race-step"><span class="race-step-num">08</span>Wall Balls 100 reps</div> </div> </div> </div> <article class="article-wrapper"> <div class="article-body"> <p>Most people who sign up for HYROX spend 90% of their preparation on the stations they're already good at. Runners run more. Gym people do more lifting. Then they show up on race day and the sled push destroys them — or they fall apart at wall balls with 100 reps still to go after 8km of running.</p> <p>The race format is always identical: <strong>8km of running broken into 1km segments, each followed by one of 8 functional workout stations.</strong> Every race worldwide uses the same order, same distances, same weights. That's a rare gift in sport — a fixed, fully trainable test. This guide breaks down what each station demands, the mistakes I see most often as an Amsterdam-based HYROX coach, and how to train specifically for each one.</p> <blockquote> <p>"Most athletes discover their weakest station during the race, not before it. The goal of preparation is to have zero surprises."</p> </blockquote> <h2 class="section-heading">THE 8 STATIONS — FULL BREAKDOWN</h2>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">⛷️</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 01</div> <div class="station-title">SkiErg</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">1,000m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Shoulder endurance, lat engagement, and the ability to maintain pull power after your first 1km run. You arrive here with fresh legs but already slightly elevated heart rate.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Going out too fast and blowing your shoulders in the first 200m. A 2:10/500m pace feels easy at the start — it becomes 2:40 by 700m if you haven't paced it.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Steady 1,000m intervals on the SkiErg at race pace. Add lat pulldowns, straight-arm pulldowns, and banded pull-aparts for shoulder endurance. Practice transitioning directly from a 1km run into a SkiErg effort.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Pick a damper setting between 3–5 and stick to it. The SkiErg is won with rhythm, not power. Long smooth pulls beat short choppy ones every time.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🛷</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 02</div> <div class="station-title">Sled Push</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">50m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Full lower body force production — quads, glutes, and hip drive — against significant load. The station that most runners are completely unprepared for.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Standing too upright. You need to stay low, with your body roughly 45° to the ground, driving through the balls of your feet with short powerful steps.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>You need access to a sled or prowler (we have both at Het Gymlokaal and Bodytime). Supplement with heavy Bulgarian split squats, leg press, and low cable pushes. The sled push is essentially alternating single-leg drives.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Start 5–10kg lighter than race weight in training and build load gradually. On race day: small steps, stay low, drive through the floor.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🪢</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 03</div> <div class="station-title">Sled Pull</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">50m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Rope-based hand-over-hand pulling combined with backwards walking. Taxes grip, posterior chain, and shoulder stabilisers differently to the sled push.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Letting the rope go slack between pulls. Each re-tension wastes energy. Stay in a low athletic position and maintain constant tension throughout.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Heavy rows, face pulls, and dedicated grip work (dead hangs, towel pull-ups, plate pinches). Grip is often the limiting factor — more than people expect. Practice your backwards shuffle separately if it's new to you.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Practise the backwards shuffle before race day. You'll be tired from station 2 and fumbling your footwork wastes seconds you can't afford.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🐸</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 04</div> <div class="station-title">Burpee Broad Jumps</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">80m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Explosive hip extension, body control through the jump, and cardiovascular management. This will spike your heart rate faster than almost anything else in the race.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Treating it like a sprint. Athletes who rush hit HR zone 5 and walk the back half. A steady pace of ~6 reps/minute finishes faster than blasting 10 reps and stopping.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Timed burpee broad jump sets: 3–4 sets of 15 reps, 90 seconds rest. Track your consistency. Add squat jumps and broad jumps for the power component. Train after other exercises to replicate race fatigue.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Pick a pace and hold it from rep 1. Count your reps per minute and stick to it. This station is pure mental discipline — it rewards the patient athlete every time.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🚣</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 05</div> <div class="station-title">Rowing</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">1,000m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>You've now done 4km of running and 3 stations. This is where aerobic base becomes the limiting factor. Athletes who built a solid engine handle this well. Those who trained only stations struggle.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Wrong damper setting (10 is not better). Damper 4–6 is almost always more efficient. Also rushing the recovery phase — slower return means more sustainable output.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>1,000m pace intervals at goal split. Also 2–3km steady state rows at aerobic effort. Know your split target and hit it every session. Build the aerobic base — it pays off across the whole race, not just this station.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Drive through your legs first — 60% legs, 20% hips, 20% arms. Most people pull with their back and fry their posterior chain by station 6.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🏋️</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 06</div> <div class="station-title">Farmers Carry</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">200m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Grip strength, core stability under load, and a sustainable walking pace for 200m. Looks deceptively easy at first — becomes grip-painful by 120m, especially after everything that came before.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Swinging the kettlebells to maintain momentum. This rotates the spine under load and burns grip faster. Keep bells neutral, arms slightly away from the body.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Loaded carries for distance or time — kettlebells, dumbbells, trap bar. Start shorter and add volume progressively. Dead hangs and plate pinches for grip. Practice nasal breathing under load.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Walk with purpose but don't rush. Pausing once for a 5-second grip re-set is often faster than grinding through 200m with degrading mechanics.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🎒</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 07</div> <div class="station-title">Sandbag Lunges</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">100m</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>Front-rack or over-shoulder loaded lunging for 100m. Combines knee stability, quad and glute strength, and mental durability at a point where your legs have been working for 60+ minutes.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Letting the front knee track inward under fatigue. This is both slow and injurious. The moment form breaks, slow down — it's faster overall and won't put you on the injury list.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Weighted lunges for distance. Bulgarian split squats for unilateral strength. Practice long sets of 20+ reps to build endurance. Sandbag carries and front-rack positions if available.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Hold the sandbag across your chest, not draped over one shoulder. Better weight distribution, more control, less lateral lean over 100m.</p> </div> </div> </div>  <div class="station-card"> <div class="station-card-header"> <div class="station-icon-wrap">🏀</div> <div class="station-header-text"> <div class="station-num-label">Station 08</div> <div class="station-title">Wall Balls</div> </div> <div class="station-badge">100 reps</div> </div> <div class="station-card-body"> <div class="station-row"> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚡ What it demands</div> <p>100 squat-to-press reps at the finish of the race. Your legs are fried, your lungs are burning, and you need to hit a wall target without breaking form. This is the final boss.</p> </div> <div class="station-box"> <div class="station-box-label">⚠️ Most common mistake</div> <p>Going to failure on the first set of 30 then grinding through 70 broken reps. And not training the actual movement — thrusters feel different. There's no substitute for wall ball practice.</p> </div> </div> <div class="station-train-box"> <div class="station-box-label">🏋️ How to train it</div> <p>Wall balls — nothing replaces the specific movement. Sets of 10–15 unbroken with 30 seconds rest. Build to 2–3 sets of 25+. Critically: train after other exercises to experience what 100 wall balls feel like on tired legs.</p> </div> <div class="station-tip"> <div class="station-tip-icon">💡</div> <p><strong>Coach Vince tip:</strong> Break early and intentionally. Sets of 15–10–10–10 is faster than grinding 30 unbroken then collapsing. Catch the ball at chest height to reduce re-squat depth and protect your quads.</p> </div> </div> </div> <h2 class="section-heading">PUTTING IT TOGETHER</h2> <p>The biggest error in HYROX preparation is training stations in isolation without accumulated fatigue. In the race, you do wall balls after 7km of running and 7 stations. In the gym, you do wall balls fresh. That gap is where most race times come apart.</p> <div class="training-block"> <div class="training-block-title">A Proper HYROX Training Plan Has 3 Components</div> <div class="training-pillars"> <div class="training-pillar"> <div class="pillar-icon">🏃</div> <div class="pillar-name">Running Volume</div> <div class="pillar-desc">Build a base that lets you run 8km across the whole race without HR spiralling at station 4.</div> </div> <div class="training-pillar"> <div class="pillar-icon">💪</div> <div class="pillar-name">Station Strength</div> <div class="pillar-desc">Targeted accessory work for your weakest stations. Everyone has one. Find it early.</div> </div> <div class="training-pillar"> <div class="pillar-icon">🔁</div> <div class="pillar-name">Race Simulation</div> <div class="pillar-desc">Station work under accumulated fatigue. Transitions between running and exercises. No surprises on race day.</div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The 12-week timeline is ideal for most people. 8 weeks is manageable with a solid base. 6 weeks or less and you're managing damage, not building capacity.</p> <div class="inline-cta"> <h3>Ready to Start Your HYROX Prep?</h3> <p>I work with athletes in Amsterdam (in-person at Het Gymlokaal West & Bodytime) and online worldwide. A free 20-minute intro call is the best place to start.</p> <a href="https://coachvince.fit/hyrox" class="btn-primary">See HYROX Coaching →</a> </div> <h2 class="section-heading">FINAL THOUGHTS</h2> <p>HYROX is one of the most trainable events in fitness. The format doesn't change. The order doesn't change. Distances and weights are fixed. If you train specifically for each of the 8 stations, build your running base, and practise under accumulated fatigue — you will race well.</p> <p>The athletes who underperform almost always trained hard but not smartly for the specific demands. The ones who show up confident have done the boring work: station intervals, long runs, carry sets, and transitions in between. No surprises. Just execution.</p> <p>Questions about your specific preparation? <a href="mailto:vincent.vainunska@gmail.com">Reach out directly</a> — happy to point you in the right direction.</p> </div> <div class="author-bio"> <div class="author-avatar">🏋️</div> <div> <div class="author-name">Coach Vince</div> <div class="author-desc">Certified personal trainer (EREPS) based in Amsterdam West. Specialising in HYROX preparation, running, strength, and endurance coaching. Training at Het Gymlokaal West & Bodytime in Amsterdam West, and online worldwide.</div> </div> </div> </article> <footer> <a href="https://coachvince.fit" class="footer-logo">COACH <span>VINCE</span></a> <ul class="footer-links"> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit">Home</a></li> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit/hyrox">HYROX</a></li> <li><a href="https://coachvince.fit/blog">Blog</a></li> <li><a href="mailto:vincent.vainunska@gmail.com">Contact</a></li> </ul> <p style="font-size:0.75rem;color:var(--muted)">© 2025 Coach Vince · Personal Trainer Amsterdam West</p> </footer> </body> </html>