IMPROVE · HYROX STATION 1
How to get faster at the Hyrox SkiErg
We think the easiest way to get faster at the Hyrox SkiErg is a bigger aerobic base, built with easy zone 2 work (a pace where you can still talk in full sentences) on a run, a rower or a bike. On that base, pull with your hips and trunk (your torso) instead of your arms, and hold one pace for the full 1,000 m. Even-paced repeats of 500 m teach the pace, and pull-ups and rows build the muscle. Without a SkiErg, a cable pulldown (a gym machine where you pull a bar down to your chest) with a hip hinge (bending forward at the hips with a flat back) trains the same muscles.
How to get faster at the SkiErg
The SkiErg is station 1 of 8 in a Hyrox race: you pull 1,000 m on a ski ergometer (a machine with two handles that you pull down towards your hips), and the distance is the same in every division. The damper, the dial that sets the air resistance, is preset to 6 and you may change it.
Three things decide how this station goes. The first is your aerobic base, the engine (your stamina for steady effort) that easy zone 2 work on a run, a rower or a bike builds. We think base building is the easiest way to get faster here. The second is which muscles do the work. Arms tire first, so the hips and trunk have to start each pull. The third is the pace. This is the first station, with seven more to come, so the right pace is one you could still hold if the distance were a little longer.
This page covers what to train, the drills that help, a simple week, a session you can run, and what to do without a machine. The rules and technique are on the station guide linked below.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (official PDF) checked 18 Oct 2026
What the SkiErg asks of your body
Hyrox says the SkiErg works the arms, shoulders and core first, and that skiing efficiently also brings in the lower body. The table below rates how much each quality matters. The ratings are coaching judgement, with no measurements behind them.
| Quality | How much the SkiErg needs it | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|
| Pulling endurance (back, shoulders, arms) | Most | Lets you repeat the same pull for the whole distance without it fading. |
| Hip hinge and trunk | High | Moves the work from your arms to bigger muscles, so your arms tire later. |
| Engine (breathing and heart rate) | High | The 1,000 m is one steady effort, and you run 1 km straight after it. |
| Leg drive | Medium | Adds power to the start of each pull and shares the load. |
| Grip | Low | Hold the handles lightly. The pull comes from the back and trunk. |
- HYROX: The Fitness Race (official site) checked 18 Oct 2026
SkiErg drills
Hinge-first pulls. Start with long arms and make the first part of each pull with a hip hinge and a knee bend, then finish with the arms. Do a few minutes of this on its own until the order feels natural.
Damper test. Ski three short pieces at three damper settings and keep the one where you could hold the same pace for longer. A higher number makes each pull heavier, which can cost you pace late in the piece.
Even-pace repeats. Ski a set distance several times with short rests and aim for the same time on the last one as on the first. A last piece that is slower than the first means you started too hard.
Ski after a run. Run for a few minutes, then ski straight away. In the race you reach the machine after a 1 km run, so give that start a place in your block.
A weekly approach for the SkiErg
You do not need to ski every day. Easy aerobic work comes first, then one focused session plus the pulling strength you may already do.
| Day | What you do |
|---|---|
| Base days | Easy zone 2 sessions on a run, a rower, a SkiErg or a bike. This is the work that makes the SkiErg feel easier, and you may already do it. |
| Main day | Even-pace repeats, such as the session below. Choose a pace that lets the last repeat match the first. |
| Support day | Pulling strength you may already do: pull-ups, rows or a lat pulldown. This builds the muscle the SkiErg draws on. |
| Easy exposure | A few easy minutes on the machine as part of a warm-up. It keeps the movement familiar without adding load. |
| Race practice | Now and then, run first and ski straight after, then go on to the sled if you have one. The station guide has a session for the start of the race. |
| Day before and after | Keep these light for the back and shoulders. A hard pulling day on either side makes the repeats slower and the technique worse. |
A SkiErg session to try
This session is six even pieces of half the race distance. Effort runs from 1 (very easy) to 10 (all out). If six is too many, try 4 pieces of 400 m with 120 seconds of rest. If it is too easy, try 8 pieces of 500 m with 75 seconds of rest.
| Block | What you do |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | SkiErg for 5 minutes at effort 3. Use easy strokes and connect your lats (the large muscles of your upper back) before adding pressure. |
| Main | 6 rounds, resting 90 seconds between rounds. Each round: SkiErg 500 m at effort 7. These are six controlled repeats. Finish each pull below the shoulders and hold the same split every time. |
| Cool-down | SkiErg for 5 minutes at effort 2. Use easy strokes until your breathing settles. |
Train the SkiErg without the equipment
Many gyms have no SkiErg. Use the options below for the weeks in between, and try a real machine before your race, because the feel and the damper are specific to it.
| Option | What it trains | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Straight-arm cable pulldown | The lats, which do the main pull | Keep your arms long, hinge a little at the hips and pull the handle down towards your thighs. |
| Band pulldown with a hip hinge | The order of the movement: hips first, arms last | Anchor a band high, start with long arms and let your hips and knees start the pull. |
| Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups | Pulling strength for the back and arms | Use a number of reps you can finish with good form, and stop before your form breaks. |
| Rowing machine or air bike (a fan-driven exercise bike) | The engine | Hold a steady pace for several minutes. The movement is different, but the breathing demand is similar. |
Working on the SkiErg in Complete
Complete starts from your long-term goals, and the daily recommendation reads your goals, recovery and load without needing a plan. SkiErg intervals (hard efforts with rests between) reach Apple Health from your watch, or you log them in the app. An indoor workout from your watch that is named as a SkiErg workout can count toward a SkiErg Road. Roads are Complete’s ladders of targets, which you take on next to your friends.
Frequently asked questions
What damper setting should I use on the SkiErg for Hyrox?
Hyrox presets the damper to 6 for all divisions and lets you change it as often as you like. Try a few settings in training and keep the one you can hold for the full 1,000 m.
How often should I train the SkiErg for Hyrox?
One focused session a week is a sensible start for most people, plus the pulling strength work you already do. Add a run followed by a ski now and then.
Why do my arms tire before my legs on the SkiErg?
The arms are the smallest muscles in the stroke. Start each pull with a hip hinge and a knee bend so your trunk and legs share the work, and finish it with the arms.
Can a rowing machine replace the SkiErg in training?
It builds the engine and uses the back, but it pulls in a different direction. Use it when you have no SkiErg and spend some sessions on the real machine before the race.