SkiErg

A standing cardio machine that mimics the double-pole action of cross-country skiing, driven by pulling two handles down from overhead. It opens every Hyrox race, so pacing here sets the tone for the whole event.

Standard: A valid effort is complete once the monitor registers the full 1000 m; both feet must stay on the base plate throughout.

In the race: Station 1 of 8, raced after the opening 1 km run. Distance is 1000 m for every division with no added load, so the target is identical for Hyrox Open men and women and Hyrox Pro men and women. In Doubles, partners split the 1000 m however they choose, swapping on and off the machine.

How to do the SkiErg

1. Set your feet hip-width on the base plate and grip the handles high, arms nearly straight overhead.
2. Hinge at the hips and drive the handles down by crunching through your torso, letting your arms follow.
3. Finish each pull with hands passing the hips and a slight knee bend, squeezing the stroke out.
4. Rise back to full extension in a smooth, controlled recovery, arms leading up to reset.
5. Settle into a steady damper setting and stroke rate rather than sprinting the first 200 m.

Common faults

• Pulling with the arms only and ignoring the powerful hip hinge and core crunch.
• Standing too upright so the stroke has no range and stalls on the monitor.
• Ripping the first few hundred metres and blowing up before the sleds.
• Letting the feet slide or lift off the base plate, which can draw a penalty.

Scaling & progressions

• Drop to shorter intervals (e.g. 4 x 250 m) and build volume toward the full 1000 m.
• Lower the damper and focus on a longer, cleaner stroke before chasing speed.
• Practise transitioning straight from a run into the SkiErg to train the leg-to-upper-body switch.
• Substitute banded lat pull-downs or double-under skipping when no machine is available.