Sandbag Lunges for Beginners

Know the current race standard

In Singles, the Sandbag Lunge is station 7 and covers 100 metres. The current rulebook requires the sandbag to remain fully supported on both shoulders. A bear-hug or low front carry is therefore not the competition standard. Singles loads are 10 kg for Women, 20 kg for Women Pro and Men, and 30 kg for Men Pro. Check the rulebook for your actual division rather than borrowing a load from another format.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Learn the movement before adding load

Start each working section standing tall with both feet behind the line. Alternate legs; the trailing knee must clearly touch the ground, and each repetition ends with hips and knees fully extended. You may pause between repetitions with both feet parallel, but may not step or shuffle. At each lane end, cross the line fully, turn without lunging, then restart with both feet behind the line and lunge across it.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Build practice progressively

For training, first practise the legal shoulder position and complete controlled alternating repetitions through a comfortable range. Add distance or load gradually when the movement remains controlled. A fixed six-week schedule, percentage, stride length, breathing pattern or weekly frequency is not established for every beginner. ACSM’s current overview supports progressive overload and programming matched to the person and desired outcome. Include some practice after other work only when it can be performed safely and without losing the required standard.

ACSM resistance training prescription overview 2026

Race-day checklist

Select the correct colour and weight for your division. Begin behind the line, show the trailing-knee contact and full extension, avoid steps between repetitions, and ensure the lead foot fully crosses each lane and finish line. The bag may not be placed on the floor, barriers, feet or another surface to unload it; the rulebook assigns a 15-second penalty for each such infringement. Return the bag to the marked area when finished.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I carry the sandbag in a bear hug?

Not under the current Singles standard. The bag must remain fully supported on both shoulders.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

May I stop during the lunges?

You may stop between repetitions with both feet parallel, while keeping the bag supported on both shoulders. Steps or shuffles between repetitions are not allowed.

HYROX^® Singles Rulebook 2026/27

What load should a beginner use in training?

There is no universal starting percentage. Use a load that lets you practise the required position and movement under control, then progress gradually toward your division load.

ACSM resistance training prescription overview 2026

What should I do if loaded lunges cause pain?

Stop the painful set and do not diagnose the cause from an article. A qualified healthcare professional can assess persistent, acute or worsening pain and guide an appropriate return.

Marketing text preserved unchanged

This is the most expensive mistake at Station 7 in terms of race time. Repz data from hundreds of thousands of athlete race records shows that beginners who post the worst Station 7 splits are almost universally athletes whose second 50 meters takes dramatically longer than their first, not athletes who were too slow overall, but athletes who went out too fast and deteriorated.^[4]

Sources

1. In repeated-effort tasks under accumulated fatigue, a positive-split strategy consistently produces worse total performance than an even or negative split.[^6] For a loaded 100-meter lunge, athletes who begin at a pace that exceeds their sustainable stride rate deplete quad glycogen faster in the first half, producing a disproportionate slowdown in the second half and a higher total time compared to athletes who begin conservatively and maintain or increase cadence on the return leg. ↩

2. Ribeiro, G., De Aguiar, R. A., Tramontin, A. F., Martins, E. C., & Caputo, F. (2024). Fatigue and performance rates as decision-making criteria in pacing control during CrossFit. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 131(4), 1274-1290. https://doi.org/10.1177/00315125241247858 ↩