HYROX Training
North Andover.
8 km of running. 8 stations. One clock. Atlas Fit is where the Merrimack Valley trains for the world's fastest-growing fitness race — with the sleds, the ergs, the coaching, and the running programming to get you across the line faster than you think.
The race
What is HYROX?
HYROX is a standardized indoor fitness race. Run 1 km, hit a workout station, run 1 km, hit the next — eight times, for time. The order never changes and the course is identical at every event in the world:
No surprises, no mystery workouts. That's what makes it trainable — and why "just being fit" isn't enough. The athletes who PR are the ones who practiced the specific stations under the specific fatigue of running. Because the format is standardized, your time in Boston is directly comparable to someone's in London or Sydney, with global rankings and age groups from 16–24 up to 70+.
The biggest time sinks for first-timers are almost always the same three: the sled push, the sled pull and the wall balls — and the running after each of them. That's exactly what specific training fixes.
Four ways to race
Open
The standard division, with lighter station weights. Where most first-timers race.
Pro
Heavier sleds, carries, lunges and wall balls for experienced athletes chasing rankings.
Doubles
Two athletes run every kilometer together and split the station work. The most popular first race.
Relay
Teams of four, each doing two runs and two stations. Pure fun for a crew from the gym.
What's a good finish time?
Saturdays · until HYROX Boston
Saturday HYROX classes. Limited spots.
HWPO HYROX Boston is October 8–11, 2026. Until race weekend we've added two HYROX classes every Saturday — claim your spot before it's gone.
HYROX
60 min · limited spots
Quality HYROX
75 min · limited spots
"We only have 3 weeks until HYROX Boston, so you don't have time to think about it."George, owner of Atlas Fit · on Instagram, Sept 16
Members book in the PushPress app. New to Atlas Fit? Start your free 14-day trial and you can reserve right away.
Watch
This is what you're training for.
Official HYROX footage. Turn the sound up.
Videos © HYROX, embedded from the official HYROX YouTube channel.
The 8 stations
Same eight. Same order. Every race.
That predictability is the gift: you can rehearse the exact sequence, know your split for every station, and plan your pacing to the minute. Here's what each one tests — and the one cue that saves the most time.
1,000 m SkiErg
Upper-body pull, lat and triceps endurance, pacing.
Coach's cue: Long, patient pulls. Hips drive, arms finish. Aim for a pace you could hold for 2,000 m.
+ 1 km run before50 m Sled Push
Quad and glute power, low body position, breathing under load.
Coach's cue: Short choppy steps, arms locked, chest over the sled. Four 12.5 m lengths.
+ 1 km run before50 m Sled Pull
Posterior chain, grip, rope technique.
Coach's cue: Sit back into the harness, use your legs, keep the rope moving — never let it stall.
+ 1 km run before80 m Burpee Broad Jump
Full-body conditioning, the aerobic peak of the race.
Coach's cue: Land soft, stand tall, jump from the heels. Rhythm beats speed here.
+ 1 km run before1,000 m Row
Legs-hips-arms sequencing, active recovery.
Coach's cue: Treat it as strategic recovery: strong legs, relaxed grip, breathe.
+ 1 km run before200 m Farmers Carry
Grip, trap and core endurance.
Coach's cue: Quick feet, shoulders back, kettlebells still. Set them down only if you must.
+ 1 km run before100 m Sandbag Lunges
Single-leg strength, hip stability, mental grit.
Coach's cue: Knee kisses the floor, full extension at the top, steady cadence.
+ 1 km run before100 Wall Balls
Squat endurance and explosive finish.
Coach's cue: Big sets early, controlled breathing, hit the target every rep — no-reps cost seconds.
+ 1 km run beforeRace weights by division
| Division | Sled Push | Sled Pull | Farmers Carry | Sandbag Lunge | Wall Ball · Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open Women | 102 kg (225 lb) | 78 kg (172 lb) | 2 × 16 kg (35 lb) | 10 kg (22 lb) | 4 kg (9 lb) · 2.7 m |
| Open Men | 152 kg (335 lb) | 103 kg (227 lb) | 2 × 24 kg (53 lb) | 20 kg (44 lb) | 6 kg (14 lb) · 3 m |
| Pro Women | 152 kg (335 lb) | 103 kg (227 lb) | 2 × 24 kg (53 lb) | 20 kg (44 lb) | 6 kg (14 lb) · 2.7 m |
| Pro Men | 202 kg (445 lb) | 153 kg (337 lb) | 2 × 32 kg (70 lb) | 30 kg (66 lb) | 9 kg (20 lb) · 3 m |
Sled weights include the sled. HYROX can revise standards between seasons — confirm current loads at hyrox.com before race day.
Where the time goes
Look at any beginner's splits and the story is the same: the run after the sled push is 60–90 seconds slower than the first run, the sled pull stalls when grip goes, and wall balls turn into sets of five. The fix isn't more running — it's getting strong enough that race weights feel submaximal, then practicing running on trashed legs.
SkiErg · Row · CarriesBeginner tips
Never pushed a sled? Good.
Beginners can absolutely finish a HYROX. Twelve weeks of strength work, station practice and easy running — about three coached sessions and one or two runs a week — gets most active adults across their first finish line comfortably.
Fit enough to start?
The bar is lower than you think. If you can walk-jog a couple of kilometers and squat your bodyweight for a few reps, you have a base. The specific fitness — sled strength, grip, running after lunges — is built, not born.
Give it 12 weeks
Long enough to add real strength and build running volume safely, short enough to stay motivated with a race date in view. Eight is doable with a decent base.
Doubles or Open?
Doubles is the friendliest way in: you run together and split the station reps however you like. Open is the honest solo test. Either way, you've done a HYROX.
What to prioritize
- Leg strength. Squats, lunges, sled work. The sleds are where beginners bleed minutes.
- Easy running volume. Not fast — easy. Build to 20–25 km a week, most of it conversational.
- Station technique. Ten minutes of sled-pull technique saves more time than a month of extra running.
- Compromised runs. Once a week, run 400–800 m right off a station. Teach your legs the feeling.
- Wall balls. Practice unbroken sets. 100 reps at the end of a race is a mental game you can rehearse.
Mistakes we see every block
- Only running. Runners come in fast and get destroyed by the sled push.
- Only lifting. Lifters carry a fine sled and then walk the last 4 km.
- Going out too hot. The first run should feel almost boring.
- Ignoring grip. Farmers carry and sled pull both punish weak hands.
- Skipping the simulation. Never let race day be your first full run-through.
Your first four weeks
Coached strength
Squat or hinge, carries, short sled-push intervals.
Coached stations
SkiErg and row intervals, wall-ball sets, lunges.
Compromised session
Run 400 m, hit a station, repeat.
Easy run or Saturday class
30–40 easy minutes, or one of the Saturday group classes.
That's the rhythm inside our HYROX program. Come try it free for two weeks — the baseline test alone will tell you more than any article.
How we train it
Stations, strength, running. In that order of neglect — so we fix all three.
Most people over-train what they like and skip what they need. Our HYROX block is built to make the weak link the strong one.
Station technique
Sled position, rope pulls, SkiErg rhythm, wall-ball breathing. Every station has a technique that saves minutes — we teach them on real competition-spec equipment.
Strength that transfers
Sleds and carries expose weak legs and grip. Our strength blocks hit the squat, hinge, lunge and carry patterns HYROX punishes, at loads that make race weights feel light.
Compromised running
Running 1 km fresh is easy. Running it after 50 m of sled push is the race. We program run intervals off stations so your legs learn the feeling before race day does.
Simulations
Half-sims and full-sims on the calendar so you know your splits, your pacing, and your nutrition before you pay for a bib.
Baseline & retest
Every athlete starts with a baseline: stations for time, a run test, and strength markers. We retest at week 6 and week 12.
Doubles & teams
Racing with a partner? We train the handoffs and split strategies too, with partner sessions at race weight.
The 12-week block
Base. Build. Peak.
Weeks 1–4 · Base
Strength goes up first: squats, deadlifts, lunges and carries. Stations at light loads for technique. Easy running volume, building about 10% a week.
Weeks 5–8 · Build
Station loads climb to race weight and beyond. Compromised running every week, and a half-simulation at week 6 for your first honest splits.
Weeks 9–12 · Peak
Full simulation at week 9, race-pace station work and sharpening intervals. Volume drops from week 11; week 12 is the taper.
Already happening
HYROX sessions at Atlas Fit
The crew has been running HYROX sessions since the doors opened: baseline workouts (4 × 1,000 m run, 50 wall balls, 4 × 1,000 m row, 50 wall balls, 4 × 1,000 m SkiErg, 50 wall balls), outdoor runs off the sled, and Saturday simulations. Follow along on Instagram and join the next one.
- Competition-weight sleds on turf for push and pull
- Concept2 SkiErgs and rowers — the exact machines on the race floor
- Wall balls to Pro weights, with regulation-height targets
- Sandbags, farmers-carry kettlebells and lane space for lunges
Free HYROX baseline test
Find out where you'd finish today.
Book a free session: we'll run you through a scaled station circuit and a run test, then show you exactly what a 12-week block would change. No cost, no bib required.
- Open to non-members
- 45 minutes, coached
- Leave with your numbers and a plan
Why train here
Dedicated HYROX prep vs. a circuit class with a HYROX label.
Big studios in the area run a weekly "HYROX" circuit as one class among hundreds. That's fine cross-training. It isn't race prep. Here's the difference.
| Feature | Big studio "HYROX" circuit | Atlas Fit HYROX training |
|---|---|---|
| Class size | 30–40+ in a studio | Capped at 12 — coached every rep |
| Programming | One weekly HYROX-themed class | 12-week race block: strength, stations, compromised running, simulations |
| Stations | Studio-weight sleds and balls | Race-spec loads — Open and Pro weights on turf |
| Testing | Rarely | Free baseline, retest at weeks 6 and 12, InBody scans for members |
| Trial | One free class or a paid intro pack | Free 14 days — every class plus 24/7 access |
| Access | Staffed hours | 24/7 keyed — extra sled sessions on your schedule |
| Location | Over the state line | North Andover, MA — Route 125, free parking |
Want the full lifestyle club — cafe, showers, yoga, spin? There are great ones nearby. Want to get faster at HYROX with a coach who knows your splits? That's us.
FAQ
HYROX training FAQ
Where can I train for HYROX near North Andover, MA?
Atlas Fit at 1211 Osgood St, North Andover runs HYROX-specific training with competition sleds, Concept2 SkiErgs and rowers, wall balls, sandbags and farmers-carry handles — plus coaching that programs the running. Free 14-day trial for new athletes.
What is HYROX in simple terms?
HYROX is an indoor fitness race: you run 1 km, complete a functional workout station, and repeat eight times — 8 km of running and 8 stations in total. The format is identical at every event worldwide, so results are comparable everywhere.
What are the 8 HYROX stations in order?
1) 1,000 m SkiErg, 2) 50 m sled push, 3) 50 m sled pull, 4) 80 m burpee broad jumps, 5) 1,000 m row, 6) 200 m farmers carry, 7) 100 m sandbag lunges, 8) 100 wall balls. A 1 km run precedes every station.
Do I need to be an experienced athlete to start HYROX training?
No. HYROX is designed to be finishable by anyone who trains for it. Our program scales every station and builds your running from wherever you are. Many first-timers start with zero sled experience.
How long does it take to prepare for a HYROX race?
Twelve weeks of structured training is enough for most people to finish a first Open race comfortably. Experienced athletes chasing a time typically run 12–16 week blocks.
What is a good HYROX time for a beginner?
A first Open division finish typically lands between 1:30 and 2:00. Around 1:15 is solid, sub-1:10 is competitive at most events, and elite Pro athletes are under an hour.
Should my first HYROX be Doubles or Open?
Doubles is the friendliest first race: you run every kilometer with a partner and split the station work however you like. Open is the truest test of your own fitness. Both count.
How heavy is the HYROX sled push?
Including the sled: 102 kg (225 lb) for Open women, 152 kg (335 lb) for Open men and Pro women, 202 kg (445 lb) for Pro men, pushed 50 m in four 12.5 m lengths.
When is HYROX Boston?
HWPO HYROX Boston is October 8–11, 2026. Atlas Fit runs a 12-week prep block aligned to it.
Is there HYROX training in Massachusetts near the New Hampshire line?
Yes. Atlas Fit in North Andover, MA is the Merrimack Valley's HYROX-specific gym — 10–15 minutes from Andover, Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence, with no drive into New Hampshire. Race-spec sleds, SkiErgs, rowers and wall balls, classes capped at 12, free 14-day trial.
Is HYROX training included in my membership?
HYROX-style work is built into our group programming, and dedicated HYROX sessions and baseline tests are included for members. Personal training packs are available for race-specific one-on-one work.
Boston is closer than you think.
October 8–11, 2026. Coached HYROX prep starts with a free 14-day trial — today.