The HYROX Simulation Workout You Can Do in Any Gym

by Men's Health | Jan 20, 2025 | Workouts

man doing a farmer's carry at HYROX South Africa

HYROX is the fitness phenomenon that you’ve almost certainly heard about. With 175 000 competitors taking part in the 23/24 season, there’s a chance you’ve tackled a HYROX event yourself, signed up for the next event in Joburg on 1st March or at very least considered it. No matter which bucket you fall into, you can tackle this HYROX simulation workout in any commercial gym by using our substitutions.

HYROX Explained

Billed as ‘the World Series of Fitness Racing’, the sport combines low skill functional fitness ‘stations’ with 8km of running (split into 8 x 1km intervals), spread across a single, set course that never changes. Whether you’re racing in Joburg or Japan, competitors from across the globe can test their mettle against one another, on one even playing field.

One of the biggest draws of HYROX, especially for those coming from a CrossFit background, is that the set course enables you to prepare for a race with precision focus. Knowing exactly what movements, distances and weights have to be trained for means progress can be easily measured and managed. In fact, the very race itself can be simulated, providing you have access to the right facility.

But it’s that last part that can become a problem for many of us – with wall balls, hundreds of metres of lunges, carries and broad jumps, as well as an epic sled push and drag to be factored in, training accurately for a HYROX event or recreating a HYROX workout can be problematic if you don’t have access to a high-end functional fitness space.

We see you, we feel you, we’ve got you.

We’ve designed the ultimate HYROX workout below, which answers all of your ‘HYROX in a commercial gym’ woes, with basic kit substitutions for each station, and our rationale behind them.

Read it through for tips and tricks on execution, screenshot the handy workout graphic at the bottom and then, get yourself in the gym.

HYROX Training in a Commercial Gym

This ‘HYROX workout simulation’ is an attempt to replicate and recreate – as closely as possible – the physical experience of a HYROX race day, in a commercial gym. Each movement has been chosen to recreate a similar (and in some places, the same) stimulus as the challenges that await you in the ‘Rox Zone’ – using basic equipment that you’re likely to find in any commercial gym setting.

Obviously, you’ll still need to clock up a 1km run before each of these ‘stations’ – easily achieved on a treadmill – but to simulate race-day accurately, head as quickly as possible to your next movement from each run and get straight to work. In some cases you may even find you’re able to stash your kit, such as dumbbells, by your treadmill, and you can definitely jump straight off and drop into the first (of many) burpees.

If you’re not ready for the full race experience yet, simply half your reps and running distances and diligently build towards the full distance. Even if you’re not gearing up for a HYROX podium, this is still a great way to build all round strength, stamina and muscle.

Fire up your engines, let’s get racing.

HYROX Simulation Workout in a Commercial Gym

1.Ski-Erg x 1000m

After your first run, head to your ski ‘station’ and tick off a kilometre as quickly as possible. If you gym doesn’t have a ski-erg, you’ll be pulling a double shift on the rowing machine as the next best option. Whichever machine you have to use, smash your way through 1000m, asap.

2. Dumbbell Front Squat into March x 25 reps

Use 15-20kg dumbbells

Two runs done, it’s time to simulate that sled push. Clean a pair of dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders. From here, drop into a front squat, until your thighs pass parallel to the ground, before driving back up explosively once here lift one leg from the ground driving your knee into the air and then the other performing a march. This is one rep, drop back into a squat and go again. Perform 25 total reps.

3. Loaded Beast Row x 30 reps

Use 20-30kg dumbbells

After your third run, immediately grab your dumbbells and drop onto all fours with both hands on your bells. Next, dig your toes into the ground and lift your knees up slightly (A). Shifting your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on your left side. Complete 30 total reps. Keep your form sharp and avoid your hips shooting up or torso rotating.

4. Burpee with Tuck x 80 reps

With 4km of running already in your legs, this one is probably going to hurt. Squat down and place both hands on the floor between your feet. Jump your feet back into the top of a press-up and lower your chest to the ground (A). Straighten your arms and hop your feet forwards, landing in a squat position (B), before immediately jumping into the air and tucking your knees to your chest (C). Land with soft knees and move directly into rep 2, then 3, then 4… Perform a total of 80, 1 for each metre of burpee broad jumps at HYROX.

5. Row x 1000m

This one shouldn’t take much explaining. Get strapped in after your fifth run and row, row, row your way to the 1km mark. By this point ‘pace yourself’ shouldn’t really need to be said, get through this as quickly but as skilfully as possible — there’s still work to be done.

6. Farmer’s Carry or March x 200m or 200 marches

Use 20-25kg dumbbells

If you have room to map out a short track, do it. Your aim is to pick up your bells and accumulate 200m as quickly, and in as few drops, as possible. If you can’t find 15-20m to march across, simply march on the spot, driving your knees as high as possible and gunning for a total of 200 ‘steps’.

7. Lunges x 100

Use 20-25kg dumbbell or sandbag

How are those legs holding up? After your sixth run, stand tall holding a single dumbbell close to your chest or a sandbag over your shoulders if possible (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, take a step forward with one leg, bending at the knee until the back knee touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the other leg. Complete 100 total reps. If you have the space, perform 100 walking lunges.

8. Thrusters x 100

Use 10-15kg dumbbells or weight plate

Your final run dispatched, this is the home straight. Get through this and you can consider your fitness racing career officially started. Clean your dumbbells or a weight plate up to your shoulders and squat down, keeping your back straight and your chest up, until your thighs are beyond parallel to the ground (A). Stand back up explosively and, in one motion, press both of the dumbbells overhead to full lockout (B). Now, reverse the movement and repeat. Quickly. Push yourself to stay explosive in order to replicate throwing a wall ball. Unless your gym has a wall ball and target, in which case, well – use those.