IMPROVE · HYROX STATION 7
How to get faster at the Hyrox sandbag lunges
You get faster at the Hyrox sandbag lunges by building single-leg endurance (the stamina to work one leg at a time) in your thighs and glutes, finding a stride you can repeat, and keeping the bag steady on both shoulders. Exact short sets of 20 m teach the stride and the knee touch before you add distance or weight. Without a sandbag, a loaded backpack, split squats (a lunge position where your feet stay in place) and step-ups (stepping up onto a bench, one leg at a time) train the same legs.
How to get faster at the sandbag lunges
The sandbag lunges are station 7 of 8 in a Hyrox race: you lunge for 100 m with a sandbag on your shoulders. The weight depends on your division, the group you race in. The bag weighs 10 kg for Women, 20 kg for Women Pro and Men, and 30 kg for Men Pro.
Speed here comes from keeping every rep the same. The rulebook asks for a knee touch, an alternating knee and a tall finish on each rep, and the bag must not leave your shoulders. A stride that stays the same on the last lunge as on the first covers the 100 m with fewer fixes and fewer stops.
This page covers what to train, the drills that help, a simple week, a session you can run, and what to do without a sandbag. The rules and technique are on the station guide linked below.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (official PDF) checked 18 Oct 2026
What the sandbag lunges ask of your body
Hyrox says the lunges primarily work the thigh and glute muscles. The table below rates how much each quality matters, and adds the others the station calls on. The ratings are coaching judgement, with no measurements behind them.
| Quality | How much the lunges need it | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|
| Leg endurance (thighs and glutes) | Most | Repeats the lunge for 100 m after a 1 km run and a farmers carry. |
| Single-leg balance and control | High | Keeps the knee touch soft and the stand-up smooth with a load on your back. |
| Trunk and upper back | High | Holds the bag on both shoulders and your chest tall. |
| Engine (breathing and heart rate) | Medium | Lets you recover on the move, then run 1 km and start the wall balls. |
- HYROX: The Fitness Race (official site) checked 18 Oct 2026
Sandbag lunge drills
Knee-touch tempo. Lunge with a slow lowering count, touch the back knee down softly and stand all the way up. Do it without the bag or with a light one until the touch is quiet every time.
Marked stride. Put a piece of tape on the floor where your front foot should land. Lunge to it, so that your stride is the same on every rep.
Pause lunges. Stop between lunges with both feet parallel, as the rules allow, and start the next lunge from there. Know before race day whether a stop helps you or breaks your rhythm.
Line restarts. Practise the start of a lane: both feet behind a line, then lunge across it. Do the same at the turn, because every working section restarts that way.
Bag hold. Walk with the bag across both shoulders and your hands holding it in place, to learn how to keep it high and still.
Lunges after a run. Run for a few minutes, then lunge straight away. In the race you reach this station after a 1 km run and the farmers carry, so give that start a place in your block.
A weekly approach for the sandbag lunges
Lunges can leave your legs sore for days when you add distance or weight too fast, so change one thing at a time and keep the day before a run or a hard leg session easy.
| Day | What you do |
|---|---|
| Main day | Exact lunge sets, such as the session below. Stop a set when your stride shortens or your chest drops. |
| Leg strength | Single-leg work you may already do, such as split squats and step-ups. This builds the base each lunge draws on. |
| Engine day | Runs or intervals (hard efforts with rests between) you already do. A bigger engine (stamina for steady effort) helps you recover between lunges. |
| Race practice | Now and then, lunge and then do wall balls back to back, the way the race ends. The station guide has a session for stations 7 and 8. |
| Day before and after | Keep these easy for the legs. Heavy squats or a long run on either side make the knee touch and the stand-up sloppier. |
A sandbag lunge session to try
This session is built around exact, repeatable efforts. Effort runs from 1 (very easy) to 10 (all out). A lighter version is 4 efforts of 15 m with a lighter bag and 150 seconds of rest. A harder version is 7 efforts of 20 m with 90 seconds of rest, with the bag held high and the steps continuous.
| Block | What you do |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 2 sets of 8 reverse lunges per side (stepping backwards into the lunge). Prepare your range of motion before loading the bag. |
| Main | 5 rounds, resting 120 seconds between rounds. Each round: sandbag lunge 20 m at effort 8. These are five exact 20 m efforts. Keep the bag stable and your stride length repeatable. |
| Cool-down | 1 set of 6 reverse lunges per side at effort 2, unloaded, then walk. |
Train the sandbag lunges without the equipment
Not every gym has a sandbag in the Hyrox weights. Use the options below in the weeks in between, and try the real bag at least once before your race, because a bag shifts in a way a barbell does not.
| Option | What it trains | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Loaded backpack | The load on your back and shoulders | Wear it high and tight, and lunge with the same knee touch and tall finish. |
| Bodyweight walking lunges | The pattern and the endurance | Do longer sets without a load, and keep the stride the same from start to finish. |
| Split squats | Single-leg strength | Lower the back knee under control and stand up without pushing off the back foot. |
| Step-ups | Thigh and glute strength | Step onto a box, stand fully at the top and lower with control. |
Working on the sandbag lunges in Complete
Whatever you do counts. A lunge day you log in the app, or bring in from Apple Health, sits next to your runs and lifts, and the daily recommendation reads your goals, recovery and load before it suggests the next session. Roads are Complete’s ladders of targets, which you take on next to your friends. The sandbag lunges have a Road of their own, which your official race results move.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I train the Hyrox sandbag lunges?
One focused session a week is a sensible start, plus the single-leg strength work you may already do. Add distance or weight one at a time, because lunges can leave your legs sore.
How long should my stride be in the Hyrox lunges?
Long enough to touch your back knee down without losing balance, and short enough to repeat. Test a few lengths over a short lane and keep the one that left you able to keep going.
Is it better to lunge continuously or stop between lunges?
The rules allow both. Try each over a short lane in training and use the one that keeps your stride the same on the last lunge as on the first.
Can I train the Hyrox sandbag lunges without a sandbag?
Yes. A loaded backpack, split squats and step-ups all train the same legs. Try the real bag at least once before your race, because it shifts as you move.