How do I pace the Hyrox Ski Erg?

Aim for 5-10 seconds slower than your 2 km PR. The Ski Erg is the opener, going too hard here cooks your back end. Save 5% effort for the first kilometre of running.

Is the Ski Erg arms or legs?

Both, but legs first. The hip hinge and leg drive produce most of the power; the arms transmit it. Athletes who pull only with arms fatigue by metre 400.

[ Station 01 · 1,000 m ]

Hyrox Ski Erg

1,000 metres on a SkiErg machine, the opening station.

Men's open: 1,000 mWomen's open: 1,000 m

Illustration of the Ski Erg station — Illustration, not race footage

[ Goal splits ]

What good looks like.

Sub-60: 3:25; Elite
Sub-75: 3:50; Strong age-group
Sub-90: 4:20; Solid age-group
Finish your first: 5:00; First-time

[ Coaching cues ]

What to think about during the ski erg.

01
Hinge from the hips on every stroke. Knees soft, chest down.
02
Pull the handles past the hips, then drive the legs again.
03
Breathe out on the pull, in on the recovery. Three-count rhythm.

[ Common faults ]

What costs time.

Going out at 100% in the first 200 m, every other station is harder.
Pulling only with arms and shoulders instead of driving with the legs.
Standing tall, defeats the hip drive that powers the stroke.

[ Training drills ]

What to train this week.

5×500 m race-pace
Five rounds of 500 m at goal Ski Erg split pace, 90 sec rest. Builds tolerance to the opening surge.
2 min on / 2 min off × 8
Aerobic threshold work on the machine. Pace yourself so all 8 efforts are within 5 m of each other.
Hip-hinge with PVC pipe
30 reps × 3 sets. Reinforces the hip-driven motion off the machine.

[ FAQ ]

Ski Erg questions.

[ Up next ]

Next station →

Sled Push

[ Train it properly ]

Build the ski erg into your plan.

Suth Performance programmes include station-specific drills in every week. Three-minute quiz, dated Week 1 before you pay.

Find your plan →