IMPROVE · HYROX STATION 2
How to get faster at the Hyrox sled push
You get faster at the Hyrox sled push by training three things: leg strength for a sled of 102 to 202 kg, a low body position you can hold, and turns that keep the sled moving. Heavy short pushes build the strength, and pushes straight after a run teach your legs to work while you are out of breath. Without a sled, leg press (a machine where you push a weight away with your legs), lunges and step-ups (stepping up onto a bench, one leg at a time) train the same muscles.
How to get faster at the sled push
The sled push is station 2 of 8 in a Hyrox race: you push a loaded sled 50 m, as four lengths of a 12.5 m lane. The weight depends on your division, the group you race in. It is 102 kg for Women, 152 kg for Women Pro and Men, and 202 kg for Men Pro, and each weight includes the sled.
Speed here comes from three habits. You move the sled with your legs. You keep a low, braced position so the force goes into the sled. And you stop as little as possible, because a sled that is already sliding is easier to push than one at a standstill.
In the race, do not blow up here. After the push you still have six runs and six stations to go, so push at a pace you can hold to the last length and still run straight after. Our advice: once race weight moves cleanly, add short pushes with a sled heavier than race weight, so race weight feels lighter, and train the push into a run at race weight, because that is how the race asks for it.
This page covers what to train, the drills that help, a simple week, a session you can run, and what to do without a sled. The rules, weights and technique are on the station guide linked below.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (official PDF) checked 18 Oct 2026
What the sled push asks of your body
Hyrox says the push works the lower body, including the whole posterior chain (the muscles along the back of your body, such as the glutes and hamstrings), the core and the front of the thigh. The table below rates how much each quality matters. The ratings are coaching judgement, with no measurements behind them.
| Quality | How much the push needs it | What it does for you |
|---|---|---|
| Leg and hip strength | Most | Gets the sled moving from a standstill and keeps it moving. |
| Trunk bracing | High | Holds your low position so the push goes into the sled and spares your lower back. |
| Engine (breathing and heart rate) | Medium | Lets you push at an even pace, then run 1 km straight after. |
| Grip | Low | Your hands rest on the sled posts. Grip matters more on the sled pull and the farmers carry. |
- HYROX: The Fitness Race (official site) checked 18 Oct 2026
Sled push drills
Dead-start pushes. Bring the sled to a full stop, set your feet and start it again. This trains the hardest part of every length, and you meet it four times in the race.
Lane-end resets. Push to a line, stop with the whole sled over it, turn and restart low without standing up. Practise the turn on its own until it feels routine.
Heavy short pushes. Load the sled above race weight and push a short distance. Stop the set as soon as your posture starts to rise, because pushing tall teaches the wrong habit.
Pushes after a run. Run hard for a few minutes, then push straight away. This is how the station feels in the race, so give it a place in your block.
A weekly approach for the sled push
You do not need a separate sled week. Fit the push around the training you already do, and keep the legs fresh enough that the push sessions stay heavy and clean.
| Day | What you do |
|---|---|
| Main day | One strength session for the push, such as the one below. Pick a load where your last push looks like your first. |
| Support day | Leg strength you may already do: step-ups, lunges or a leg press. This builds the base that the sled work draws on. |
| Race practice | Train a race segment back to back: run, push the sled, then run again. A station and a run back to back is called a brick. The station guide has a session for stations 2 and 3. |
| Day before and after | Keep these easy for the legs. A hard leg day on either side of a sled session makes the pushes slower and the posture worse. |
A sled push session to try
This session is built around short, repeatable pushes. Effort runs from 1 (very easy) to 10 (all out). A lighter version is 4 pushes of 20 m with 120 seconds of rest. A harder version is 8 pushes of 25 m with 75 seconds of rest.
| Block | What you do |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | 2 sets of 10 air squats (squats using only your bodyweight). Find your own depth and brace before you load the sled. |
| Main | 6 rounds, resting 90 seconds between rounds. Each round: sled push 25 m at effort 8. Keep your torso low and take short, forceful steps. Stop before your posture collapses. |
| Cool-down | 1 set of 10 air squats at effort 2, then walk until your legs loosen up. |
Train the sled push without the equipment
Many gyms have no sled. Hyrox says to try the sled at least once before your race, so find one for that, and use the options below for the weeks in between. Each trains the same muscles. Only a loaded sled teaches the feel.
| Option | What it trains | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Leg press | Leg and hip strength | Drive with a steady push and keep your lower back flat against the pad. |
| Step-ups | One leg at a time, the way you drive the sled | Use a bench height that lets you push through the whole foot. |
| Walking lunges | Hips, thighs and balance | Take long steps and keep your chest tall. |
| Steep incline walk | Low hips and short, driving steps | Lean in a little and keep your steps short. |
Working on the sled push in Complete
Complete starts from your long-term goals. The daily recommendation reads your goals, your recovery and your recent training, and it needs no plan. A sled session you log, or one that reaches Apple Health, counts like any other workout. We think brick sessions are the best way to train for Hyrox, so we build them into Complete’s Hyrox plans. Roads are Complete’s ladders of targets, which you take on next to your friends, and the sled push has its own, moved by your official race results.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I train the Hyrox sled push?
One focused session a week is a sensible start for most people, plus the leg strength work you already do. Add race practice, with the push after a run, now and then.
Can I get faster at the sled push without a sled?
You can build the leg strength with a leg press, step-ups, lunges and steep incline walking. Try a real sled at least once before your race, because the position and the turns are specific to it.
How heavy should my sled push training be?
Pick a load where the last push in a set looks like the first. If your posture rises or your steps get long, the load is too heavy for that set, and a lighter sled will teach more.
Does a stronger squat make me faster at the sled push?
It helps, because the push leans on leg and hip strength more than anything else. It does not cover the low position, the turns or pushing while out of breath, so practise those on a sled too.