SkiErg Guide for HYROX Doubles: Relay Strategy and Work Intervals

The first station and you're already in this together. The goal on the SkiErg is to complete 1,000 meters but there's something even more important: you must have a team strategy for this and the rest of the stations and the race. Who starts, how long each works, how you make the change, and how both of you leave that area with your heart ready to run.

In this guide you'll learn:

• Who should start and why
• How to manage work blocks
• What pace to use according to your level
• Which mistakes destroy most teams

Let's go with the video and then we'll explain some key points in more detail and how you can get access to the full course (Individual and doubles) at no cost, gifts, discounts and much more.

Let's break it down.

First the video to prepare the HYROX SkiErg in doubles mode:

Remember that in this post you have the detailed explanation of the technique if you compete individually or want to improve it, with a very, very... you decide:

👉 Click here to see the SkiErg technique explanation.

Velites is an international partner of HYROX, and we have developed specific resources for you to help you prepare for this competition: a full video course with running technique and station-specific content, preparation for the doubles competition, free access to our app with exclusive training plans, gifts, discounts and much more. Join and enjoy.

👉 Click here or on the image

And here you have the links to the rest of the guides to prepare the race and HYROX stations in doubles mode:

• HYROX Run Guide doubles
• Sled Push doubles
• Sled Pull in pairs
• Burpee Broad Jumps doubles
• Row in pairs
• Farmers Carry HYROX doubles mode
• Sandbag Lunges HYROX doubles
• Wall Balls doubles

Station allocation: who does what

On the SkiErg only one athlete works at a time. While one skis, the other rests in the marked zone behind the pair. The method is simple: one works, the other recovers. And so on until the two complete the 1,000 meters together.

The big decision is who starts and also how the changes are made.

Who should start

Start with the athlete who is feeling better at that moment, that is, the one who arrives freshest at that first station after the first kilometer of running.

That decision is made before entering, not upon arrival. Arriving at the station with doubts is time wasted.

The athlete who works

Adjust the SkiErg to your settings before starting. The damper is pre-set to resistance 6; you can modify it as many times as you want during your turn, but only you. When you finish your block, leave the handles in place. Do not hand them to your teammate, it is not allowed.

The athlete who rests

Remain in the marked zone behind the machine. Do not interfere, do not touch anything, do not approach the machine. This time is for recovery: lower your breathing, relax your arms and prepare for your turn.

Pacing strategy in HYROX doubles

Work blocks are the core of the strategy at this station. It depends on your level but they should always be consistent, regular and agreed upon before starting.

The most common mistake: irregular blocks

One works a lot, the other little. One arrives at the change spent, the other is still fresh and you end up like that. The result is an unbalanced station that leaves both of you in poor condition for the next run.

Irregular blocks, where one is spent and the other comes out fresh, affect everything that follows negatively.

Recommended blocks according to level

If you are starting in HYROX doubles, at the SkiErg station use 60-second blocks at a steady pace. Regularity is more important than speed. If you can't maintain technique during the work block, it's because the interval you've chosen for each person is too long or the pace too high.

If you already have experience in doubles, use 45-second blocks with a stronger pace.

The goal is to maintain between 32 and 38 pulls per minute in each turn, with clean changes and without unnecessary pauses between blocks.

Useful reference: maintain a sustainable pace

If there is a level difference between the two, the work pace of each block must be sustainable for both. An athlete who works at the limit in their turn arrives at the change spent and without gas for the next station and that affects the teammate and the delay times you'll accumulate.

The correct pace is the one with which both of you can maintain technique until the end.

Official rules you should know

• Enter through IN, exit through OUT. Confusing the arches costs a 2-minute penalty each time it happens. It's a more common mistake than it seems, especially at the first station when running pace and motivation are still high.
• Move within the Roxzone. The ROXzone is the central core of the course where all the stations are located. Do not stop when crossing the IN — keep jogging to your lane. When finished, jog until you re-enter the track. Every second counts.
• The resting athlete cannot interfere. The athlete at rest must remain in the marked zone at all times. They cannot touch the machine, adjust the damper or hand the handles to their teammate. Doing so is an infraction.
• At the end, raise your hand. When the 1,000 meters are completed, the athlete working raises their arm so the judge can confirm the finish. Only then may you leave the station. Both of you exit together toward the next kilometer.

Common mistakes in HYROX doubles

Most failures come from incorrect decisions before or during the station.

• Not deciding who starts before arriving: Improvising at entry costs seconds and generates doubts at the worst possible moment. Decide roles before starting the race.
• Blocks that are too long at the start: It's the first station and the body is still fresh. The temptation to go all-out in the first block is high — and almost always a mistake. What you spend extra here you'll pay for in kilometer two.
• The athlete who rests does not recover well: Being behind the machine restless, not lowering your breathing, not relaxing the body. Rest time is real recovery time. Take advantage of it.
• Slow or hesitant changes: Every second lost in the change is time gifted. The relay must be automatic: signal, handles in place, teammate picks them up and starts. No pauses, no unnecessary adjustments.
• Handing over the handles: It is not allowed. The change is done by leaving the handles in their natural position so the teammate can pick them up from there.
• Leaving the rest zone: The resting athlete must remain in the marked zone at all times. Leaving it is an infraction even if unintentional.

Next step: train the SkiErg as a pair

Make sure to train this station in these three ways:

1. SkiErg-specific blocks: build the base

Include at least one weekly SkiErg session as a pair to consolidate work blocks and changes.

Start with 60-second blocks each, at a steady pace. The goal here is not speed — it's that both of you maintain technique throughout the block and that changes are clean and automatic. As you improve, reduce blocks to 45 seconds and increase the pace.

2. Fatigue sets: improve effort management

Include SkiErg sets as a pair once or twice a week to get used to working with a fatigued body.

Do blocks of 200–300 meters per athlete at race pace, with changes in each block. Rest 90 seconds between sets and complete between 4 and 6 rounds. These sessions train the ability to maintain pace and technique when you're already fatigued — which is exactly the situation you'll find in competition.

3. Transition simulation: train real HYROX

Finish the week by combining the SkiErg with running and other stations, with minimal rest between blocks.

Run 400 meters at race pace, complete a round of SkiErg as a pair with the agreed blocks and immediately return to running. The key is to recover your running pace as quickly as possible after the station. This simulates the real transition and improves your ability to move from one effort to another without losing time or quality.

Closing

The SkiErg is done. Now it's time for the first run and the next station. Keep preparing your doubles race with the rest of the guides.

Velites is an international partner of HYROX, and we have developed specific resources for you to help you prepare for this competition: a full video course with running technique and station-specific content, preparation for the doubles competition, free access to our app with exclusive training plans, gifts, discounts and much more. Join and enjoy.

👉 Click here or on the image