Hyrox SkiErg Guide: Technique, Pacing, Workouts & Training
HYROX SkiErg guide using Singles and Doubles 26/27: distance, changeovers, judge confirmation, manufacturer technique, pace calculations and optional training.
What is the SkiErg?
Concept2 supplies SkiErgs for HYROX®. The handles connect through cords, not a rowing-machine chain, to an air-resistance flywheel. The PM5 reports distance, time, pace per 500 m, stroke rate and other metrics. The damper regulates airflow; a higher number is not a guarantee of a faster pace.
Wall mounting and a floor stand are different support configurations. The standard stand installation measures 60 × 127 × 216 cm; the manufacturer’s stated wall-unit dimensions exclude the user. Check the exact installation and movement space rather than assuming a 0.5 × 1.2 m footprint.
Concept2 · HYROX® partnership · Concept2 · SkiErg · Concept2 · Assembly, p. 4 · Concept2 · PM5 · Concept2 · Damper Setting
Distance and rules for 26/27
Singles and Doubles 26/27 both place 1,000 m SkiErg after run 1. In Doubles, this is a shared team distance with self-selected work portions, not a mandatory 500 m each. Only one teammate works at a time. The resting partner stays in the marked area, and direct passing of the handles between partners is prohibited.
The starting damper setting is 6 and may be changed; in Doubles only the working partner may adjust it. Feet must use the base: jumping is allowed if they land back on it, and heels may overhang without touching the floor. After completing the distance, raise an arm with both feet on the platform and wait for the judge’s confirmation before leaving. These are movement rules, not an unrestricted choice of technique.
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · HYROX® Doubles 26/27 · §7.2 / §8.1
Technique and form
The manufacturer starts the double-pole movement with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and arms bent about 90°, with the hands slightly above eye level. Initiate from the core, bringing head, chest and shoulders down as the arms follow. Use the hips before bending the knees further, finish with the handles alongside the thighs, then stand up and raise the arms for the next stroke.
This is not a requirement to lock both arms overhead or copy a rigid deadlift-style bow. The manufacturer specifically distinguishes a core-led crunch from simply bowing. There is no verified universal 60% hip-power share or 30-second technique gain here. Back pain after 500 m does not identify one technical fault: stop an exercise that worsens the pain and seek medical advice.
Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Crunch, Don’t Bow · NHS · Back pain
Damper and PM5 setup
For starting training, Concept2 suggests trying damper 3–5 and adjusting with experience. This coaching starting point differs from the adjustable race preset of 6. The same damper number does not guarantee the same drag factor on every machine. Do not select it from an unsupported body-weight formula.
For a fixed-distance practice, use the PM5 workout menu: Select Workout → New Workout → Single Distance, then set 1,000 m. Just Ski is an open-ended alternative. A stroke-rate number describes frequency, not effort or technique quality on its own; 38 strokes per minute is not a universal ceiling.
Concept2 · Getting Started · Concept2 · Damper Setting · Concept2 · PM5 · HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · HYROX® Doubles 26/27 · §7.2 / §8.1 · Concept2 · First SkiErg Workouts
Pacing the 1,000 m
After SkiErg comes run 2, then the sled push. Plan the station in that context. A controlled opening and even or negative splits are options to rehearse, not a guaranteed optimum for every athlete. For example, 500 m in 2:30 followed by 500 m in 2:20 totals 4:50, averaging 2:25/500 m.
The table converts average pace into 1,000 m time; it does not assign ability labels, percentiles or overall HYROX® finish times. Neither a 4:45/km run pace nor a target finish time establishes your SkiErg target. The cited CrossFit pacing study and cycling work-capacity model do not establish a 15–30-second station gain or a 45–60-second loss later in HYROX®.
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · Concept2 · PM5 · Ribeiro et al. (2024) · abstract · Skiba et al. (2012) · abstract
| Average pace / 500 m | Time / 1,000 m |
|---|---|
| 1:45 | 3:30 |
| 2:00 | 4:00 |
| 2:15 | 4:30 |
| 2:30 | 5:00 |
| 2:45 | 5:30 |
Muscles involved
Concept2 describes the double-pole technique as a full-body movement involving upper body, core and lower body. Core and lats initiate the effort, the arms complete the pull and the legs participate in the movement. Standing does not mean the legs are resting.
Muscle activation is not a fixed percentage of total mechanical power. No verified 60/40 SkiErg split or 35/65 rowing split is established here. Nor does using overlapping muscles prove a specific improvement at sled pull, carries or wall balls.
Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Getting Started · Concept2 · Rowing Technique
Benefits and their limits
The machine offers indoor practice of the race equipment, visible pace feedback and different workout formats. These are practical uses. Low-impact exercise is not the same as zero joint loading, zero tendon loading or permission to train through an injury at full intensity.
Do not diagnose the cause of back pain from which muscles feel tired. If exercise worsens back pain, stop and seek medical advice. No six-week 3–5% VO2max gain, guaranteed running improvement, injury-prevention effect or absence of race anxiety is established by the sources cited here.
Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · First SkiErg Workouts · NHS · Back pain
Optional training examples
The following are optional examples for someone already familiar with the machine, not a validated programme or a requirement to complete every option in a week: 4 × 500 m with two minutes between efforts gives 2,000 work metres; 6 × 250 m with 90 seconds between efforts gives 1,500 work metres. Choose an effort you can repeat with controlled movement, and reduce the work if needed.
A run followed by SkiErg can rehearse the opening combination, but repeating that pair is not a simulation of the full eight-station race. A longer easy practice is another option; there is no verified requirement to add 50–100 m every week, achieve a fixed heart-rate band or treat three seconds of pace drift as a diagnosis. Include warm-up, recovery and the rest of your preparation when deciding frequency.
Concept2 · First SkiErg Workouts · HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1
Training without a SkiErg
If you lack access, separate general exercise from learning the machine’s pacing, handles and setup. A resistance-band or cable exercise may be selected as different training with a coach; it does not reproduce PM5 distance or prove equal race transfer. No verified ranking establishes slam-ball throws as the best substitute.
A slam ball is equipment, so it does not belong in a bodyweight-only list. The proportion of gyms with a SkiErg and a minimum of three or four familiarisation sessions are not established here. Look for access based on your own preparation rather than those numerical claims.
Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Getting Started
Repz automatically substitutes SkiErg exercises with the best available alternative based on your equipment profile. The app's exercise library contains 216 movements with prioritized alternatives, so you'll always get the closest-matching exercise for your setup. For a complete list of substitutions ranked by effectiveness, read SkiErg alternatives: training without the machine.
SkiErg and rowing
In Singles 26/27, SkiErg is station 1 and rowing is station 5, both 1,000 m. The manufacturer describes standing double-poling for SkiErg and a seated leg–body–arm sequence for rowing. Practise the setup and movement of each where possible.
Their different positions and movements do not establish a fixed calorie ratio, typical time gap, heart-rate recovery ranking or rule that rowing always transfers better. The SkiErg is followed by run 2; rowing is followed by run 6. Neither station is a rest period for the legs.
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · Concept2 · SkiErg Technique · Concept2 · Rowing Technique
Getting started
For a first SkiErg session, Concept2 suggests 3–5 minutes followed by a break to walk and stretch, repeating only if you feel good, up to four short efforts. This is a manufacturer familiarisation suggestion, not a requirement to begin with a continuous 1,000 m test.
Use a controlled double-pole movement and learn what the display reports. Progress according to how the session goes; there is no fixed rule to ignore the monitor for your first three to five visits. The illustration on this page is decorative, not a frame-by-frame technique reference.
Concept2 · First SkiErg Workouts · Concept2 · SkiErg Technique
FAQ
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · HYROX® Doubles 26/27 · §7.2 / §8.1
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · HYROX® Doubles 26/27 · §7.2 / §8.1
HYROX® Singles 26/27 · §1 / §8.1 · HYROX® Doubles 26/27 · §7.2 / §8.1
Further reading
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