AI-built HYROX training plan
The 8 official stations, structured running and full simulations. Your plan adapts to your level, equipment and weeks until race day, and recalibrates daily based on your fatigue and biofeedback.
Updated
What is a HYROX training plan?
HYROX is the world's fastest-growing fitness race format. Each athlete completes 8 km of running broken into 8 × 1 km laps, alternating with 8 functional stations that everyone performs in the same order:
- SkiErg 1000m — opening warm-up emphasizing upper-body pull and core
- Sled Push 50m — pushing the sled (152 kg Open men / 102 kg Open women)
- Sled Pull 50m — pulling the sled with rope (103 kg / 78 kg)
- Burpee Broad Jumps 80m — the most feared moment, full ground contact + jump
- Rowing 1000m — back and leg engine
- Farmers Carry 200m — kettlebells (2×24 kg / 2×16 kg)
- Sandbag Lunges 100m — walking lunges with shouldered sandbag (20 kg / 10 kg)
- Wall Balls 100 reps — finisher: deep squat + throw (9 kg / 6 kg)
It's simultaneously a test of aerobic endurance, strength-endurance, fatigue management and pacing strategy. That's why a HYROX plan looks like nothing else in fitness: it has to combine four qualities that are normally trained separately.
The race, station by station
Eight times the same thing: 1 km of running and a station. Weights are the open category (men / women). The plan trains each station with its technique and, above all, running on legs loaded by the previous one.
Your AI-generated plan
EntrenAI builds your HYROX plan from your current level, weekly hours available, equipment access and target race date. The AI distributes weekly volume using the split that the literature flags as optimal for this format:
- 40% running structured by zones (Z1-Z2 base, Z3-Z4 threshold, Z5 VO2max)
- 35% functional stations — the 8 official exercises at progressive weights
- 15% strength focused on push, pull, squat and lunge patterns
- 10% mobility and active recovery
Total intensity follows the 80/20 polarized model (Seiler 2010): 80% of sessions at low intensity, 20% at high intensity. This split has been shown to produce better aerobic performance with fewer injuries than the "always crush it" approach in endurance sports.
Each day the app analyzes your readiness score — a 0-100 metric calculated as 40% accumulated volume + 30% sleep quality + 30% stress level. If your fatigue exceeds the critical threshold (>80), the plan automatically cuts volume by 40% and caps RPE at 7 that day. If you recover better than expected (<35), it adds 15% load.
Full simulations are scheduled strategically every 3-4 weeks: shortened rounds at the start (4 stations), half-race at the block midpoint, full simulation once the plan is complete.
Five HYROX plans, by level and by format
The target pace, the sessions and whether you race alone or as a pair all change. Pick yours and you will see its splits, its course and its week.
| Plan | Weeks | Indicative finish | Sessions/week | Key session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 12 | 1:40-1:50 | 4 | Isolated station with technique |
| Intermediate | 12 | 1:20-1:30 | 5 | Compromised running: 4 × (1 km + station) |
| Advanced | 16 | 1:00-1:10 | 6 | Simulation at target pace |
| Full simulation | 12 | By level | 5 | Whole race every 3 weeks |
| Doubles | 12 | 1:10-1:25 | 5 | Partner-split sessions |
Who is this plan for?
This plan works for three different profiles, with significantly different volume and intensity each:
-
Beginner (first HYROX, 6-10 h/week available). The plan prioritizes tendon adaptation and running mechanics, introduces official weights gradually, and never schedules a full simulation before week 6. Starting intensity is 85% low / 10% moderate / 5% high. Optimal volume: 8 h/week.
-
Intermediate (1-2 HYROX completed, 8-15 h/week). Optimal volume 12 h/week. "Compromise" sessions appear (20-30 min combining stations + running) and half-simulations every 3 weeks. Periodization in 4-week blocks with deload on week 5.
-
Advanced (regional top or Pro category target, 12-20 h/week). Optimal volume 15 h/week, max 20 h. Two peaks per mesocycle, station-specific pacing sessions and grey-zone work (Z3-Z4) with high-intensity sled push.
Whichever group you fall into, the AI tailors the plan from your 30+ initial questions and recalibrates weekly based on how your real sessions are going.
Your first weeks, in detail
Week 4
Base block — medium load week| Day | Session type | Detail | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Stations — push | 12 min Z1 warm-up + 4 rounds: Sled Push 50m at progressive load (50%, 60%, 70%, 80% of official weight) + 600m Z2 | 55 min |
| Tuesday | Running — aerobic base | 8 km progressive Z2 (first 4 km at 75% HRmax, second 4 km at 80% HRmax) | 50 min |
| Wednesday | Strength — lower body | Back squat 4×6 @ 75% 1RM, Romanian deadlift 3×8 @ RPE 7, KB lunges 3×10/leg | 60 min |
| Thursday | Compromise (stations + running) | 5 rounds: 200m Farmers Carry + 400m Z3 running + 25 wall balls. Full rest between rounds: 90 s | 45 min |
| Friday | Active mobility | Yoga / mobility 30 min + 30 min Z1 walk | 60 min |
| Saturday | Long run + finisher | 12 km Z2 + finisher: 100 wall balls split into 4×25 | 85 min |
| Sunday | Rest | Total recovery. Light stretching optional. | — |
Week 8
Specific block — first half-simulation| Day | Session type | Detail | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Running — VO2max intervals | 15 min warm-up + 6 × 800m Z5 / 400m jog recovery. 10 min Z1 cool-down | 55 min |
| Tuesday | Stations — pull | SkiErg 5 × 500m + Sled Pull 4 × 50m at official weight + Rowing 4 × 250m sprint | 60 min |
| Wednesday | HYROX-specific strength | Hip thrust 4×8, Bulgarian split squats 3×10/leg with sandbag, pull-ups 3×6, plank 3×60s | 55 min |
| Thursday | Half-simulation (HYROX at 50%) | 4 rounds: 1000m running + rotating station (SkiErg / Sled Push / Burpee Broad Jump / Wall Balls 50) | 50 min |
| Friday | Mobility & technique | Running drills 20 min + Sandbag Lunges technique 4×50m bodyweight/light | 45 min |
| Saturday | Progressive long run | 14 km split: 5 km Z2 + 7 km Z3 + 2 km Z2 (cooldown) | 90 min |
| Sunday | Active rest | 45 min nature walk + 20 min stretching | 65 min |
These examples are real extracts from the EntrenAI planning engine. Your personal plan adjusts to your level, equipment and availability.
Equipment needed
EntrenAI automatically substitutes any exercise if you don’t have the gear.
- SkiErg (functional gyms or HYROX-affiliate clubs)
- Push and pull sled (substitutable with DIY sled or alternate exercises)
- Concept2 rowing ergometer or equivalent
- 16 kg and 24 kg kettlebells
- 10 kg and 20 kg sandbag
- 6 kg and 9 kg wall ball with target at 2.7-3 m
- Space for 50-100m sprint efforts
- Heart rate monitor or GPS watch (recommended for zones)
What most people get wrong (and how to avoid it)
- 1
Training stations 'all out' every time
HYROX stations are long-duration efforts (50m, 80m, 200m, 1000m). Always running them at 100% accumulates fatigue, breaks technique and increases injury risk. EntrenAI's plan programs them at specific percentages of official weight (60-100%) so you progress without breaking down.
- 2
Skipping running sessions because they're 'boring'
40% of HYROX success is running, not stations. Without a solid aerobic base (Z2 conversational pace for 60+ min), no station improvement makes up for the time you lose between laps. The 80/20 polarized split (Seiler) is validated specifically for this type of demand.
- 3
Doing full simulations every week
A full HYROX simulation is brutal: it requires 5-7 days of proper recovery. Weekly simulations lead to overtraining, injuries and performance drops. EntrenAI schedules them every 3-4 weeks within the specific block, with partial simulations (4 stations / half-race) in between.
- 4
Not respecting official weights in training
The 152 kg sled push, 20 kg sandbag and 9 kg wall ball are defined by HYROX rulebook. Always training with lighter weights gives you false confidence. The plan introduces official weights progressively and tests them every block so race day is no surprise.
- 5
Ignoring lower-body strength
Sled push, lunges, wall balls and Romanian deadlifts are the backbone of HYROX performance. If you only train pulling and erging, you'll be empty in the second half. The plan reserves 15% of volume for specific strength work.
- 6
Not practicing transitions
A HYROX is won or lost in the **running ↔ station transitions**. Heart rate shift, breathing pattern and coordination are trainable skills. The 'compromise' sessions (running + station chained) are designed exactly for this.
HYROX plans by goal and level
- AI-built beginner HYROX planBeginner HYROX plan for your first competition: 8-12 weeks of progressive simulations of the 8 official stations and 1 km runs, after a prerequisite check.
- AI-built intermediate HYROX plan for sub-90Intermediate HYROX plan to break 90 minutes: 12 weeks, 6 sessions a week, simulations at official Pro weights and full peaking for experienced racers.
- AI-built advanced HYROX plan for sub-65Advanced HYROX plan for a sub-65 finish: 16 weeks, up to 12 hours a week at peak and work on your weakest stations. For athletes already under 75 minutes.
- AI-built HYROX simulation planHYROX simulation plan to run after your base block: 8-12 weeks of partial and full bricks at race pace, station pacing work and a refined 2-3 week peak.
- AI-built HYROX Doubles plan for pairsHYROX Doubles plan for pairs chasing sub-80: 12 weeks of synchronized transitions, a smart station split and Pro or Mixed weights, peaking together.
Frequently asked questions
If you've never run a 5K continuously and never trained functionally, you need a minimum 16-week base before the HYROX-specific block. With a decent aerobic base (able to run 8 km at conversational pace) and some strength background, EntrenAI's beginner plan is 12 weeks. For intermediates and advanced, specific blocks run 8-12 weeks depending on race window.
Yes, with smart substitutions. The AI generates alternatives if you don't have SkiErg (banded upper-body pull work, rower or burpees with pull-up), sled (frontal load with sled bag or resistance band) or wall ball (heavy medicine ball against marked wall). Only rowing and wall balls are hard to substitute well — for serious prep, find a box that has at least those two.
Open is the standard category (152 kg sled push men / 102 kg women). Pro raises weights significantly (202 kg / 152 kg sled push) and reduces wall ball reps. Doubles is paired: you and your partner alternate who runs and who does the station, and the plan ensures both arrive fresh at critical stations (sled, burpees, wall balls). EntrenAI generates specific plans for all three formats.
The AI recalibrates the week automatically. If you miss a quality session (intervals, stations), aim to recover it later in the week or redistribute the block. If you're sick for 3+ days, the plan resets from the last completed week and skips that mesocycle's simulation. Main rule: never make up missed volume by stuffing it all into the next few days.
Yes, but carefully: there's interference between max strength and aerobic endurance (Hickson effect, 1980). EntrenAI's hybrid plan manages that interference by separating sessions in time (minimum 6h between heavy strength and quality running) and dropping hypertrophy volume 30-40% during HYROX peak load weeks. Check the HYROX-style hybrid plan if your goal is to keep muscle while prepping for the race.
No. What matters is respecting the weekly order and rest days. If your Monday strength session moves to Tuesday morning, the plan adjusts. What you shouldn't do is double up quality sessions on the same day (intervals + intense stations), because that exceeds acute load ceilings and spikes injury risk.
EntrenAI logs every session: per-km running times, time and weight at each station, perceived RPE and daily readiness. Every 4 weeks the plan calculates your estimated VO2max (Daniels), your progression on official station weights, and your target finish time — the simulated race time based on your real performance. The prediction is accurate to within ±3% if you've completed at least one half-simulation.
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