Concept 2 Rower Workouts for Hyrox Prep

Check the rules and choose a provisional effort

Four stations and five runs come before rowing in Singles 26/27; run 6 follows before Farmers Carry. The damper is preset to 6 and can be adjusted. Concept2’s general suggestion to try 3–5 is not a mandatory HYROX^® range. Drag factor can vary between machines at the same lever setting.

Use observations from your own practice to choose a provisional effort. Adding 10–15% to a fresh 2k split is not a validated HYROX^® conversion in the cited studies. Even the arithmetic needs care: 7:00 over 2,000 metres averages 1:45/500 m; adding 12% gives 1:57.6/500 m. That calculation does not establish a suitable race target.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.5 · Concept2 · Damper Setting · Concept2 · PM5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

Workout 1: a single 1,000-metre practice row

As an optional pacing exercise, row 1 × 1,000 metres at an effort you intend to practise, and record both halves. Choose recovery before any further work according to your session plan rather than assuming 8–10 minutes guarantees complete recovery.

This is a rowing practice piece, not a full race simulation. You can compare what you intended with what you did without treating a 3–5-second difference or a lower perceived effort as proof of one particular physiological adaptation.

Concept2 · PM5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

Workout 2: five 500-metre intervals

One optional interval format is 5 × 500 metres with 90 seconds between repetitions: 2,500 metres of work. Adjust the number of repetitions, effort or rest to your current training. The format itself does not identify your lactate threshold.

Record the sequence of splits and how the effort felt. A pace exactly 8–12 seconds faster than a supposed race target does not automatically place you at a threshold, and an 8–10-second fade is not a validated diagnosis. These sources do not demonstrate that this session is the main driver of HYROX^® rowing improvement.

Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

Workout 3: practise the approach to rowing

In the race, Burpee Broad Jumps are followed by run 5 and then rowing. Three minutes of BBJ followed directly by 1,000 metres of rowing omit that run and do not reproduce the entire race state.

For an optional sequence rehearsal, include running before the row and choose the amount of work to fit your existing training. Compare the effort with a separate rowing session if useful. No fixed three-minute BBJ dose, weekly six-to-eight-week schedule or 5–8-second pace adjustment is established here as optimal.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

Workout 4: three 1,000-metre pacing repetitions

If this volume fits your training, an optional format is 3 × 1,000 metres with three minutes between repetitions: 3,000 metres of work. You can practise a second 500 metres faster than the first; that is a negative split over two equal distances. You can also repeat at an even pace instead.

Changing stroke rate by 2–3 strokes per minute does not guarantee a particular pace improvement. The suggested rest period is a planning choice, not proof of partial recovery in every athlete. This session does not have a demonstrated effect of preventing adrenaline-driven pacing errors or ensuring an ideal heart rate for the later carry.

Concept2 · PM5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract

Workout 5: longer easy pieces

For someone already accustomed to the volume, 4 × 1,500 metres with two minutes between pieces is an optional format: 6,000 metres of work. Shorten it or choose fewer pieces if it does not fit the plan. Decide the intended easy effort independently of an arbitrary race-pace-plus-25–35-seconds formula.

Winkert’s study examined energy demands in 14 elite male rowers; it did not test this HYROX^® workout or establish that easy volume is the only route to mitochondrial adaptations. Use the session as a practice option, without promising that its technique effects automatically transfer to race stress.

Winkert et al. (2022)

Use the monitor and technique cues accurately

On the PM5, pace is time per 500 metres, while stroke rate counts strokes per minute. The display distinguishes current and average values; the cited manual does not establish that every first stroke is inaccurate or that five or six strokes create a guaranteed reliable average.

Concept2’s technique sequence uses legs, trunk and arms on the drive, then reverses the order on the return. Keep a relaxed grip and flat wrists. Its rhythm cues are practice aids, not evidence of a cardiovascular recovery window on every stroke. More guidance is in the rowing technique article.

At the race, remain seated until the judge confirms the full 1,000 metres and return the handle to its holder before leaving. Follow the route into run 6 rather than directly to the carry.

Concept2 · PM5 · Concept2 · Rowing Technique · HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.5

Fit the choices into your complete plan

Choose from these examples rather than treating the list as five compulsory weekly sessions. As a planning exercise, place the selected work beside running, strength and other station practice, then review whether the combined workload matches your intentions.

The cited research does not establish one-to-two sessions as universally optimal, a third as inherently excessive, or a 40–50% rowing taper and 3 × 200 metres as sufficient for everyone. Ribeiro studied 13 male CrossFit competitors, not these HYROX^® prescriptions. Treat the proposed distances and rests as adjustable coaching choices, and use the sources for the specific facts they support.

Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

FAQ

Which station is rowing?

Station 5 in Singles 26/27, over 1,000 metres after run 5. Run 6 follows before Farmers Carry.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.5

Must I keep the damper between 3 and 5?

No. That is general Concept2 starting guidance, not a race requirement. The Singles 26/27 preset is 6 and may be changed.

HYROX^® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.5 · Concept2 · Damper Setting

Can I calculate race pace directly from my 2k best?

You can calculate the average 500-metre split by dividing the total seconds by four. The cited evidence does not validate adding a universal fatigue percentage to turn it into your HYROX^® target.

Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

What stroke rate or division benchmark should I use?

These sources do not establish a universal HYROX^® stroke rate or the “strong”, “elite” and “competitive” time cutoffs. Observe pace and rate separately and use your own practice to inform the plan.

Concept2 · PM5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)

Should I complete all five workouts every week?

No. They are a menu of coaching examples, not a required weekly schedule. Select and adapt them within your complete preparation; no single frequency or start date is established here as optimal.

Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Winkert et al. (2022)