Rowing

A 1000 m effort on an indoor rowing machine sitting at the midpoint of the race. It blends leg drive, hip hinge and upper-body pull into one rhythmic movement.

Standard: A valid effort is complete once the monitor shows the full 1000 m, rowed with the racer seated and strapped in on the machine.

In the race: Station 5 of 8, after the fifth 1 km run, 1000 m for every division with no load difference between Hyrox Open men and women or Hyrox Pro men and women. In Doubles, partners split the 1000 m and swap seats as they like.

How to do the Rowing

1. Start at the catch with shins vertical, arms straight and torso leaning slightly forward.
2. Drive hard with the legs first, then swing the hips open, and finish by pulling the handle to the ribs.
3. Reverse the order on the recovery: arms away, hinge forward, then let the knees bend.
4. Keep the chain moving smoothly and avoid yanking with the arms early.
5. Lock in a target split you can hold and let the legs do most of the work.

Common faults

• Opening the back too early and rowing mostly with the arms instead of the legs.
• Rushing the recovery so the stroke rate spikes and efficiency drops.
• Bending the arms before the legs finish driving, breaking the sequence.
• Going out far too fast and fading badly over the final 400 m.

Scaling & progressions

• Row shorter repeats (e.g. 4 x 250 m) and stitch them together as fitness grows.
• Drill the legs-hips-arms sequence slowly before adding pace.
• Use a moderate damper and focus on power per stroke rather than frantic rating.
• Cross-train with cycling or the SkiErg to build the same aerobic base.