HYROX · 12 WEEKS · 50:50 RUN:STRENGTH · 5 SESSIONS/WK

HYROX Training Plan: Beginner, 12 Weeks

Beginner track New runner — building your first base

You are newer to running or rebuilding a base, and Hyrox is the goal. The priority is finishing strong and uninjured — consistency beats intensity.

How this plan works

A 50/50 build that puts the aerobic base first. We start with easy running and general strength, then layer in the HYROX-specific work — station skills, and, when the runway allows, compromised-run bricks and a race simulation. Generous rest is built in — you adapt on the easy days.

Twelve weeks is the sweet spot: three base weeks to build, four to develop the bricks, a two-week peak, a full simulation, then a taper into race week.

This plan trains the same way whatever division you race — only your race-day target loads change. Your band (your running level) sets the training; your division sets the weights below. Station performance is uncorrelated with running fitness in the first Hyrox study (Brandt et al. 2025, a small n=11 sample) — a strong engine does not carry the stations. Train them directly.

Your race-day loads by division

Station	OpenProDoubles · Men	OpenProDoubles · Women
Sled Push	152 kg202 kg	102 kg152 kg
Sled Pull	103 kg153 kg	78 kg103 kg
Farmers Carry	2 × 24 kg2 × 32 kg	2 × 16 kg2 × 24 kg
Sandbag Lunges	20 kg30 kg	10 kg20 kg
Wall Balls	6 kg · 3 m9 kg · 3 m	4 kg · 2.7 m6 kg · 2.7 m

Doubles uses the same individual loads as Open — you and your partner split the reps and distance, not the weight. Train the full Open loads so race day feels lighter.

Race-day standards from the HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27. Training loads in the plan build up to these — you do not lift race weight from day one.

Training Schedule

WEEK 1 Base

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Squat Strength Back Squat 3×8 @RPE 7Walking Lunge 3×20 totalCore 3 x 30 s plank	Heavy back squat plus loaded lunges. The leg strength that turns the sled and wall balls from a wall into a station.
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 5	Station Skills Circuit Wall Balls 3 x 15 @4 kgBurpee Broad Jumps 3 x 8Sandbag Lunges 40 m @10 kg	Drill wall balls, burpees and lunges for clean reps. Standards (depth, full reps) are practised here, not on race day.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 2 Base

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Deadlift Strength Deadlift 3×6 @RPE 7Romanian Deadlift 3×10Loaded Carry / Grip 3 x 30 m	Posterior chain plus grip carries — directly arms the sled pull and farmers carry, the two stations that expose runners.
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 5	Sled Conditioning Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk backSled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kg	Push and pull intervals. Builds the specific leg and back endurance the two sleds demand.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 3 Base

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Lower-Body Power Front Squat 3×6Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg	Front squats paired with heavy sled pushes. Strength that transfers straight to the heaviest load of race day.
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 5	Wall Ball + Lunge Block Wall Balls 5 x 20 @4 kgSandbag Lunges 4 x 20 m @10 kg	High-volume wall balls and loaded lunges — the back-end of the race, where runners lose the most time.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 4 Build

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Full-Body Strength Back Squat 3×8Deadlift 3×6Core 3 rounds core circuit	Squat, deadlift and core in one session. General strength base for runners with little lifting history.
Day 3	Lunge-to-Run Set Compromised Run 4 x 600 m tempoWalking Lunge 20 reps (after each run)	Lunges before each run rep so you practise the signature skill: running on pre-fatigued legs.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Pull + Grip Block Sled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kgFarmers Carry 4 x 50 m @32 kgLoaded Carry / Grip 3 x dead hang 20 s	Sled pull, farmers carry and dead hangs. Hardens the grip and upper back that fail first for pure runners.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 5 Build

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Squat Strength Back Squat 3×8 @RPE 7Walking Lunge 3×20 totalCore 3 x 30 s plank	Heavy back squat plus loaded lunges. The leg strength that turns the sled and wall balls from a wall into a station.
Day 3	Tempo Intervals Tempo Run 2 x 8 min tempo	Threshold pace — comfortably hard. Raises the pace you can sustain once the legs are tired.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Erg Power Intervals SkiErg 4 x 250 m / 60 sRow 4 x 250 m / 60 s	SkiErg and row intervals. Upper-body conditioning your runs never build — train it directly.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 6 Build

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Deadlift Strength Deadlift 3×6 @RPE 7Romanian Deadlift 3×10Loaded Carry / Grip 3 x 30 m	Posterior chain plus grip carries — directly arms the sled pull and farmers carry, the two stations that expose runners.
Day 3	1 km Intervals Intervals 4 x 800 m 5k / 2 min jog	VO2max work at 5k-10k effort. Lifts the ceiling your compromised race runs sit under.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Station Skills Circuit Wall Balls 3 x 15 @4 kgBurpee Broad Jumps 3 x 8Sandbag Lunges 40 m @10 kg	Drill wall balls, burpees and lunges for clean reps. Standards (depth, full reps) are practised here, not on race day.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 7 Build

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Lower-Body Power Front Squat 3×6Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg	Front squats paired with heavy sled pushes. Strength that transfers straight to the heaviest load of race day.
Day 3	400 m Repeats Intervals 6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s	Sharp speed at 3k-5k effort. Trains turnover and the ability to surge out of a station.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Sled Conditioning Sled Push 4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk backSled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kg	Push and pull intervals. Builds the specific leg and back endurance the two sleds demand.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 8 Peak

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Lunge-to-Run Set Compromised Run 4 x 600 m tempoWalking Lunge 20 reps (after each run)	Lunges before each run rep so you practise the signature skill: running on pre-fatigued legs.
Day 2	Full-Body Strength Back Squat 3×8Deadlift 3×6Core 3 rounds core circuit	Squat, deadlift and core in one session. General strength base for runners with little lifting history.
Day 3	Run + Lunge Brick Compromised Run 600 mSandbag Lunges 50 m @10 kg	Runs into loaded lunges. Rehearses the late-race quad burn that wrecks unprepared runners.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Wall Ball + Lunge Block Wall Balls 5 x 20 @4 kgSandbag Lunges 4 x 20 m @10 kg	High-volume wall balls and loaded lunges — the back-end of the race, where runners lose the most time.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 9 Peak

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Tempo Intervals Tempo Run 2 x 8 min tempo	Threshold pace — comfortably hard. Raises the pace you can sustain once the legs are tired.
Day 2	Squat Strength Back Squat 3×8 @RPE 7Walking Lunge 3×20 totalCore 3 x 30 s plank	Heavy back squat plus loaded lunges. The leg strength that turns the sled and wall balls from a wall into a station.
Day 3	Run-Station Pyramid Compromised Run 1000-800-600-400 mBurpee Broad Jumps 10 after each run reps	Descending runs with burpees between. Builds the transition fitness the Roxzone quietly eats.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Pull + Grip Block Sled Pull 4 x 12.5 m @40 kgFarmers Carry 4 x 50 m @32 kgLoaded Carry / Grip 3 x dead hang 20 s	Sled pull, farmers carry and dead hangs. Hardens the grip and upper back that fail first for pure runners.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Long Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 8 km	Steady aerobic distance. Your weekly endurance anchor — run by feel, not pace.

WEEK 10 Simulation

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Deadlift Strength Deadlift 3×6 @RPE 7Romanian Deadlift 3×10Loaded Carry / Grip 3 x 30 m	Posterior chain plus grip carries — directly arms the sled pull and farmers carry, the two stations that expose runners.
Day 3	Roxzone Transitions Compromised Run 500 m race paceSkiErg 250 mRow 250 m	Race-pace run straight into the ergs. Trains the transition that runners overlook — the clock never stops in the Roxzone.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	1 km Intervals Intervals 4 x 800 m 5k / 2 min jog	VO2max work at 5k-10k effort. Lifts the ceiling your compromised race runs sit under.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Full Race Simulation Compromised Run 8 x 1000 m race paceSkiErg 1000 mSled Push 25 m @75 kgSled Pull 25 m @50 kgBurpee Broad Jumps 40 mRow 1000 mFarmers Carry 100 m @32 kgSandbag Lunges 50 m @10 kgWall Balls 50 reps @4 kg	The complete 8-run, 8-station race. The community's number-one readiness check — nothing predicts your time better.

WEEK 11 Taper

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Station Skills Circuit Wall Balls 3 x 15 @4 kgBurpee Broad Jumps 3 x 8Sandbag Lunges 40 m @10 kg	Drill wall balls, burpees and lunges for clean reps. Standards (depth, full reps) are practised here, not on race day.
Day 3	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	400 m Repeats Intervals 6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s	Sharp speed at 3k-5k effort. Trains turnover and the ability to surge out of a station.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Compromised Sled Brick Compromised Run 400 m tempoSled Push 12.5 m @50 kgCompromised Run 400 m tempoWall Balls 20 reps @4 kg	Run-sled-run-wall-balls without rest. The truest rehearsal of how Hyrox actually feels — pace the first run.

WEEK 12 Race Week

Day	Workout	Purpose
Day 1	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 2	Recovery + Mobility Easy Run (Zone 2) 3 km recoveryCore 15 min mobility flow	Very easy run and a mobility flow. Active recovery — you adapt on the easy days, not the hard ones.
Day 3	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Easy Aerobic Run Easy Run (Zone 2) 5 km	Conversational Zone 2. Builds the aerobic base that decides roughly half of Hyrox — keep it genuinely easy.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	RACE

Coaching Notes

Compromised running is the whole skill. Running on legs pre-fatigued by a station feels nothing like a fresh run — the brick sessions are where you learn it. Pure runners who skip this overestimate their time by 10-15 minutes.

Run a full simulation before race day. The community's number-one readiness check — nothing predicts your finish better than the real 8-run, 8-station sequence.

Drill the standards in training. Wall balls below the line and full-depth lunges done fresh become no-reps under fatigue. Practise the standard, not just the movement.

Consistency over intensity. Three or four sessions you actually complete beat five you cannot recover from. Build the habit first.

Earn the bricks with a base. Compromised running is hard on fresh, unprepared legs — the aerobic base comes first, and a short runway means holding to easy work rather than forcing the hard stuff.

HYROX · 12 WEEKS · 50:50 RUN:STRENGTH · 5 SESSIONS/WK

HYROX Training Plan: Beginner, 12 Weeks

Beginner track New runner — building your first base

Training Schedule

Phase Base

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Squat

3×8 @RPE 7

~40 min

Rest

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Stations

3 x 15 @4 kg

~35 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Deadlift

3×6 @RPE 7

~40 min

Rest

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Sleds

4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk back

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Power

3×6

~35 min

Rest

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

WB + lunge

5 x 20 @4 kg

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Phase Build

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Strength

3×8

~45 min

Comp. run

4 x 600 m tempo

~35 min

Rest

Pull/grip

4 x 12.5 m @40 kg

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Squat

3×8 @RPE 7

~40 min

Tempo

2 x 8 min tempo

~35 min

Rest

Erg power

4 x 250 m / 60 s

~28 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Deadlift

3×6 @RPE 7

~40 min

Intervals

4 x 800 m 5k / 2 min jog

~35 min

Rest

Stations

3 x 15 @4 kg

~35 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Power

3×6

~35 min

400s

6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s

~30 min

Rest

Sleds

4 x 12.5 m @50 kg / walk back

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Phase Peak

Comp. run

4 x 600 m tempo

~35 min

Strength

3×8

~45 min

Lunge brick

3× · 600 m

~22 min

Rest

WB + lunge

5 x 20 @4 kg

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Tempo

2 x 8 min tempo

~35 min

Squat

3×8 @RPE 7

~40 min

Pyramid

1000-800-600-400 m

~30 min

Rest

Pull/grip

4 x 12.5 m @40 kg

~30 min

Rest

Long run

8 km

~55 min

Phase Simulation

W10

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Deadlift

3×6 @RPE 7

~40 min

Roxzone

3× · 500 m race pace

~24 min

Rest

Intervals

4 x 800 m 5k / 2 min jog

~35 min

Rest

Full SIM

8 x 1000 m race pace

~95 min

Phase Taper

W11

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Stations

3 x 15 @4 kg

~35 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Rest

400s

6 x 400 m 5k / 90 s

~30 min

Rest

Sled brick

2× · 400 m tempo

~18 min

Phase Race Week

W12

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Recovery

3 km recovery

~30 min

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Rest

Easy run

5 km

~35 min

Rest

RACE

C Practise running on tired legs

S Run a full sim first

R Drill standards so reps count

1 Consistency over intensity

2 Earn the bricks with a base

Rest Easy run Long run Tempo Intervals Strength Stations Compromised Sim / Race

FAQ

Can a runner do Hyrox without much gym experience?

Yes — that is exactly who this plan is for. Your running engine decides roughly half the race; the stations are a strength and skill gap you close with the strength and brick sessions here. The first Hyrox study (Brandt et al. 2025, n=11) found station performance is uncorrelated with running fitness, so the work is specific but learnable.

How many days a week is this Hyrox plan?

Around five to six sessions a week, with at least one full rest day and easy days built in for recovery. The exact mix depends on your track — the beginner plan has more rest, the strong-runner plan more strength.

Do I need a full gym for this plan?

You need access to the Hyrox stations or close equivalents — a sled, wall balls, sandbags, kettlebells, a SkiErg and a rower — plus a barbell for the strength days. Many sessions can be adapted with substitutions, but the closer to the real equipment, the better the transfer.

What is the difference between Open, Pro and Doubles?

The training is the same; only race-day loads differ. Open is the standard division, Pro uses heavier sleds, sandbags, lunges and a 9 kg wall ball (men), and Doubles uses the Open loads but you split the reps and distance with a partner. The load table on each plan shows your exact weights.

How long should a runner train for their first Hyrox?

If you already have a running base and some strength, eight to twelve weeks is enough to be ready. Building strength from scratch, give yourself sixteen weeks. Only four weeks out with a race already booked? The 4-week is a sharpen, not a build — it assumes you already train, and if you have never run a full simulation that is your signal to take a longer plan. Pick the runway you actually have.

FAQ

Tools Mentioned in This Guide

HYROX Time Calculator — Estimate Your Finish for Runners

HYROX Wall Ball Depth Checker — No-Rep Video Analysis

Running Pace Calculator — Min/km, Finish Time & Pace Chart

VO2max Calculator — Check Your Running Fitness Level

Heart Rate Zone Calculator — 5-Zone Training Guide

Hyrox Stations in Race Order: Splits, Fixes, No-Reps

HYROX WOD Library