SkiErg Guide for HYROX: Technique, Strategy and Mistakes That Can Slow You Down

The SkiErg is the first station in HYROX. The most important one, the one that sets the tone for the whole race. Whoever arrives without a plan bolts out, empties themselves in the first 200 meters and pays for it in every subsequent kilometer. Whoever arrives with technique and a clear head leaves with controlled heart rate and legs ready for what remains.

We’ve prepared a video on how to set up the SkiErg station and then we explain some key points in more detail and how you can get access to the full course free of charge, gifts, discounts and much more.

Let's go step by step. First, the video on how to prepare this station:

COMPETING IN DOUBLES?

👉 If you're competing as a pair, don't miss this post that includes a video with the key points for this station in the pairs format

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

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Also, if you want to train a specific HYROX station, here are the athlete guides we already have unlocked:

• HYROX Guide: Running
• HYROX Guide: Sled Push
• HYROX Guide: Sled Pull
• HYROX Guide: Burpee Broad Jumps
• HYROX Guide: Rowing
• HYROX Guide: Farmers Carry
• HYROX Guide: Sandbag Lunges
• HYROX Guide: Wall Balls

Want to train every station with technique, strategy and reference video? Access the 8 Week Digital Training System you have everything here on the blog, on YouTube and in the Velites Training App.

What is the SkiErg in HYROX?

The SkiErg is a vertical rowing machine that simulates cross-country skiing. In HYROX it is always the first station: it appears right after the first kilometer of running and requires completing 1,000 meters before continuing. The movement combines arm pulling with hip extension and core activation. It is a posterior chain-dominant exercise.

Why the SkiErg makes you a better athlete

Working the SkiErg specifically improves coordination between the upper and lower body, develops pulling strength of the lats and core, and trains the ability to maintain power under aerobic fatigue. All that transfers directly to performance in the rest of the stations and in the running kilometers.

Official distance in HYROX

In all divisions and formats — singles, doubles and relay — the SkiErg distance is 1,000 meters. They must be completed in full before leaving for the next running kilometer.

Official station rules

• Feet must remain on the SkiErg platform at all times. Lifting them is allowed, but heels may not touch the ground.
• At the end of the 1,000 meters, the athlete must remain on the platform and raise their arm so the judge can confirm completion. Only then may they leave the machine.
• The damper is pre-set to resistance 6 for all divisions. The athlete working can adjust it as many times as they want.
• In doubles, the resting athlete stays in the marked area. Passing the handles from one to the other is not allowed.
• Equipment and the assigned lane are determined by the judging team. You cannot choose.

Technique: how to execute it well

Starting position

Set the damper to your usual setting. Step one arm's length away from the machine and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Position the heel of your hand on the widest part of the handle. With the handles just above your head and a slight bend in the elbows, engage the lats and brace the core as if someone were going to punch you in the stomach.

Movement pattern

Push the hips back and bring the elbows down. Let the hands follow the line of the torso until they reach the thighs. Keep a slight bend in the knees. Continue the arm movement without fully extending them and bring your thumbs to your pockets as you extend the body. The handles rise close to the sides and you prepare for the next repetition.

Exercises to improve on the SkiErg

The SkiErg improves with specific pulling work and hip extension. These exercises have direct transfer to the station:

• Strict pull-ups. You can use grip straps for a better hold.
• Hip hinge with a band or unloaded, to automate the hip-push pattern. Band pull-down or high-pulley lat pull-down, to develop lat pulling strength.
• Dumbbell or barbell row, for back strength under fatigue.

Race pacing strategy

Use the first 200 meters to stabilize heart rate. Don't go all-out; it's the first station and the body is still warmed up from the run. Breathe with the movement: exhale on the push, inhale on the return. Between 200 and 800 meters maintain between 32 and 38 pulls per minute. It's the zone where you can sustain the most meters per minute without your heart rate spiking. In the last 100 meters, ease off slightly. It may seem counterintuitive, but leaving the SkiErg with a calmer heart rate allows you to enter the second kilometer more efficiently. And that margin accumulates across each of the following seven stations. At the finish, hand up so the judge can give the go-ahead.

Common mistakes to avoid

Dropping the torso too much. The athlete falls forward and pushes the handles to the bottom, losing all leverage. Solution: keep the shoulders always above the hips.

Squatting during the pull. The knees bend excessively and the movement loses power. Solution: imagine you have to hit an imaginary wall with your butt as you push the hips back.

Pushing only with the arms. The SkiErg is not an arm exercise. If the arms fatigue before the rest, it's a sign the hips and core are not working. Solution: do 4–5 repetitions focusing only on the hip movement, without using the arms, so you see that most power is created in that range of motion.

Arms too wide. The handles move away from the body forming a big Y, which reduces push efficiency. Solution: imagine your arms slide on a rail, glued to the torso.

How to train the SkiErg for HYROX

The most important thing is to work the movement pattern — hip hinge, lat pulling and core control regularly. If you have access to a SkiErg, include specific intervals once or twice a week: blocks of 200–300 meters at race pace followed by active rest. If you don't have access, the transfer exercises mentioned in the previous section are sufficient to arrive prepared. The key is to arrive with the pattern automated so the body executes it well even after you've already run a kilometer.

Workout of the day: SkiErg-specific session

• Warm-up: 8 min easy jog + 10 unloaded hip hinges + 10 band pull-downs. Activate lats and core before touching the machine.
• Main set: 5 x 200 m at 80–85% of your maximal power. Rest 90 seconds between sets. Count pulls per minute in each set the goal is to keep between 32 and 38 without your heart rate spiking.
• Endurance block: 1 x 500 m steady, controlled pace. Exhale on the push, inhale on the rise. Do not accelerate in the last 100 meters — practice finishing calmly, as you will in the race.
• Cool-down: 5 min easy jog + stretches for the lats and posterior chain.

More HYROX content

If you already have the SkiErg under control, the next station awaits.

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

👉 Click here or on the image