Sandbag lunges are station 7 in a HYROX race: 100 meters of walking lunges with a sandbag on your shoulders. They come after seven runs and six stations, right before the wall balls, so your legs are already cooked when you pick up the bag.
That is why this station decides so many finish times. It is not the heaviest thing you will lift all day, but it is the one where people stop, stand around and lose minutes. The fix is a clean, repeatable rep, a pace you can hold and some smart training in the weeks before.
The sandbag lunge rules that matter
These come from the official HYROX 26/27 Singles rulebook. Always check the current rulebook for your event, because standards can change between seasons.
- Distance: 100 meters for every division.
- Weights: Women 10 kg, Women Pro and Men 20 kg, Men Pro 30 kg. Picking up the wrong bag means repeating the whole station with the right one.
- Start: stand tall with both feet behind the line, then lunge across it.
- Knee to the ground: on every rep your back knee has to clearly touch the floor.
- Stand tall: each rep ends with your knees and hips fully extended.
- Alternate legs: left knee, right knee, left knee. You can lunge continuously or pause with both feet side by side between reps.
- No extra steps: no shuffles or steps between reps.
- Bag on both shoulders: the bag has to stay fully supported on your shoulders the whole time. Setting it down on the floor, a barrier or your foot is a 15 second penalty each time.
- Lane ends: your front foot must fully cross the white line at the end of each lane and the finish line. You can walk around the turn, but you restart each section with both feet behind the line.
- Return the bag: put it back in the right area when you finish, or take a 30 second penalty.
Most other infringements follow the usual protocol: a warning first, then 15 seconds for each one after that.
How to do a good sandbag lunge
A good rep is boring. It looks the same at meter 5 and meter 95. Here is what we coach.
1. Set the bag before you move
Get the bag high on your upper back and across both shoulders, like a back squat bar, with your hands holding the ends. If it sits on your neck you will fight it every rep. Take two seconds at the pickup to set it right. Those two seconds pay you back over 100 meters.
2. Take a medium step
Too short and your front knee shoots forward, your quads burn out and your back knee struggles to reach the floor. Too long and you lose balance and have to push hard to stand. Aim for a step where both knees bend to roughly 90 degrees at the bottom. That is usually a little longer than a normal walking stride.
3. Touch the knee, don't slam it
Lower under control until the back knee kisses the floor. Dropping onto it hurts, and a light, unclear touch is where judges hand out no-reps. Make the touch obvious and gentle.
4. Drive through the front foot
Push the floor away with your whole front foot, not just your toes, and stand all the way up. Hips through, knees straight. Skipping the full stand is the most common no-rep at this station.
5. Stay tall
Chest up, eyes forward. When you get tired your torso folds forward, the bag slides and your low back takes over. A tall torso keeps the work in your legs, where it belongs.
How to pace 100 meters of lunges
Most people go out fast on fresh adrenaline, then break into long stops halfway. A steady rhythm beats that every time.
- Pick a rhythm early. Count your reps in sets, for example 10 lunges, one breath standing tall, 10 more. Short pauses on your feet are fine. Long stops are not.
- Breathe at the top. Exhale as you drive up and take a quick breath while you stand tall.
- Don't put the bag down. It is a penalty, and picking it back up costs more energy than just holding it.
- Save something for the wall balls. 100 wall balls are next. If your legs are gone at the end of the lunges, the final station gets ugly. Finish the lunges feeling like you could do a bit more.
- Use the run in. Ease off slightly on the last 200 meters of run 7, so you start the lunges with your breathing under control.
How to train sandbag lunges
You don't need a race sandbag to get ready. A backpack with books, a sandbag from a sporting goods store or a barbell all work. Here is a simple way to build it into your week.
- Strength, once a week: 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reverse or walking lunges per leg, heavier than race weight, with full rest. This builds the legs that make race weight feel light.
- Station practice, once a week: 2 to 4 rounds of 25 to 50 meters of sandbag walking lunges at race weight, with a 400 to 800 meter run before each round. Lunges on tired legs is the skill you are training.
- Volume, every few weeks: a full 100 meters at race weight right after a run, so you know what it really feels like and can test your pacing plan.
- Accessories: step-ups, split squats and calf raises keep your knees and ankles ready for the volume.
Build up slowly. If you are new to lunges, start with bodyweight and short distances and add load over a few weeks. Lunging is hard on the knees and quads if you jump straight to 100 meters with a bag.
Want to see how this station fits into the whole race? Read HYROX Stations Explained: All 8 in Race Order.
Common sandbag lunge mistakes
- Setting the bag on your neck instead of across your upper back.
- Short, choppy steps that load the front knee.
- Not standing all the way up between reps.
- A soft or unclear knee touch that earns a no-rep.
- Going out hard and then stopping for long breaks.
- Putting the bag down to rest and eating a penalty.
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, so you know exactly what to do each day.
Want a coach in your corner? Founding 1:1 Coaching gives you a plan built around your schedule and your weak stations. Racing soon? Hybrid Race Prep (8 Weeks) takes you through every station with progression built in.
Set the bag. Stay tall. Keep moving. 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.