The row is the fifth station of a HYROX race, and for a lot of first-time racers it feels like a break. You get to sit down. That is exactly why it catches people out. Row it too hard and the farmers carry and lunges that follow get ugly. Row it with poor technique and you work twice as hard for the same split. Good HYROX rowing technique is mostly about two things: moving in the right order, and pacing the 1000 meters so you leave the machine ready to run.
Here is how we teach the row to athletes getting ready for their first race.
What the HYROX row asks of you
The row is 1000 meters on an air rowing machine, the same distance in every division. It comes after your fifth 1 km run and the burpee broad jumps, and right before run six and the farmers carry. Three stations still come after it, which is the main reason to treat it as a controlled effort, not a sprint.
Based on the current official HYROX Singles rulebook, a few rules matter on the day:
- A judge resets the monitor before you start, so you do not have to.
- The damper starts on 6 for all divisions, and you can change it as often as you like.
- The footplates start on position 4. You can adjust them to your setting before you begin.
- Stay seated until 1000 meters is done and a judge confirms it. You can stop, put the handle back in its holder and rest, but standing up or leaving the seat early ends in a disqualification.
Rules get updated between seasons, so read the current rulebook for your race before you go.
Set up before you pull
Ten seconds of setup saves you a lot of wasted strokes. Sit down, check the footplate height and get the strap across the widest part of your foot, roughly across the base of your toes. If the strap sits too high or too low, your feet slide and your drive leaks power. Then decide on the damper. If you trained at a different setting, move it now, not halfway through.
A quick word on the damper: a higher number feels heavier, but heavier is not automatically faster. Many people find a middle setting lets them keep a smooth rhythm and save their legs. Test a few settings in training and use the one that gives you your best split for the effort, then use the same one on race day.
The four parts of a good stroke
Every stroke has the same four parts. Get the order right and the machine starts to feel lighter.
1. The catch
This is the start position. Shins close to vertical, arms straight, shoulders slightly in front of your hips, chest tall. You should feel ready to push, not crunched up with your knees in your chest.
2. The drive
Push with your legs first. Think of it as a leg press, not a pull. Your arms stay long while your legs do most of the work. Once your legs are nearly straight, swing your body back a little, then finish with the arms. Legs, then body, then arms.
3. The finish
Legs long, body leaning back slightly, handle pulled into the bottom of your ribs, elbows past your body and shoulders relaxed. Do not lean way back or yank the handle up to your chin. It costs energy and does not add distance.
4. The recovery
Reverse the order on the way back. Arms away, body forward, then bend the knees and slide up. Take your time here. A good rough guide is to come forward about twice as slowly as you drove back. Rushing the slide is one of the most common ways people waste energy on the rower.
How to pace the 1000 meter row
Your monitor shows a split, which is your pace per 500 meters. That number is your best friend on race day. Pick a split you could hold for the whole 1000 meters and still run off the machine, and keep it steady.
- First 10 strokes: firm and smooth to get the flywheel moving. Do not sprint.
- Up to about 800 meters: settle into your target split and a calm stroke rate. Breathe out on the drive and in on the recovery.
- Last 200 meters: pick it up a little if you feel good, but save something for the run.
If you do not know your split yet, row a steady 1000 meters in training at an effort you could talk through in short sentences. Use that time as your starting point and adjust from there.
Getting off the rower
The row comes right before run six, and the first few hundred meters off the machine can feel heavy. Two things help. Use your last few strokes to relax your grip and shake out your hands. Then, once the judge confirms 1000 meters, stand up calmly and start the run at an easy pace for the first minute before you pick it up.
Want to see where the row fits into a full training week? Read our guide on how to train for HYROX.
How to train the row
You do not need hours on the machine. Here is what we build into a typical training week:
- Technique work, once a week. 10 minutes of easy rowing with drills. Row with legs only, then legs and body, then the full stroke. It locks in the order.
- Intervals. Something like 4 to 6 rounds of 250 meters at your target race split with easy rowing in between. It teaches you what race pace feels like.
- Run plus row. Once a week, run 1 km and go straight into a 500 meter or 1000 meter row. Race day never lets you row on fresh legs.
- Leg and trunk strength. Squats, Romanian deadlifts and planks help you hold good positions when you are tired.
Common rowing mistakes
- Pulling with the arms first instead of pushing with the legs.
- Rushing the slide forward, so you never get a full rest between strokes.
- Cranking the damper to the top and grinding through every stroke.
- Sprinting the first 200 meters and fading for the rest.
- Gripping the handle so hard your forearms are fried for the farmers carry.
Where to start
New to hybrid racing? Grab our free 2-week Hybrid Race Starter Plan. It lays out your first two weeks of runs, stations and strength, rowing included.
Want the full build to race day? Hybrid Race Prep (8 Weeks) takes you through every station with progression built in. Prefer to train on your own schedule with fresh programming every month? Look at Hybrid Online Programming.
Legs, body, arms. Hold your split. Stand up ready to run. Change your state.
New State is not affiliated with HYROX®, DEKA, Spartan or any race organizer. This content is general fitness information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified professional before starting a new training program.