HYROX is a unique test of strength and endurance. You need enough strength to move heavy loads and the cardiovascular fitness to keep going once you start to fatigue.
An engine builder is a conditioning session designed to improve your ability to produce repeated efforts, recover quickly and keep moving efficiently under fatigue. Rather than simply training one exercise at a time, you combine movements that challenge different aspects of your fitness while keeping the intensity relatively high.
This simple engine builder workout is designed by Elite15 HYROX athlete Jade Skillen. Complete four rounds, resting only when required to maintain good technique. You should aim for a consistent pace through all four circuits.
500m Ski Machine
The Ski Trainer is an excellent low impact conditioning exercise that builds endurance. This is a full body exercise, so your legs and hips need to be working along with your arms.
Focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm. Use the data on the monitor to find a sustainable stroke rate and split time.
20 Walking Lunges with Kettlebells or Sandbag
The lunges challenge your legs while also testing your ability to maintain stability when you're already fatigued. This is particularly useful preparation for HYROX, where lower-body fatigue accumulates throughout the event.
Hold a 24kg Kettlebell in each hand and perform 20 controlled walking lunges. Keep your torso tall, ensure that the rear knee briefly touches the ground for each repetition. The shin of the front leg should be close to vertical and you should drive through the front foot to stand.
If you are limited for space, hold a 20kg Fitness Sandbag in the back rack position and perform 20 reverse lunges, alternating legs. You will get a very similar training effect without needing to move across the gym.
20 Wall Ball Throws
The wall ball is a demanding exercise that challenges the whole body and requires coordination and stamina. As fatigue builds, efficiency becomes increasingly important.
Choose a weight that allows you to complete your reps while performing good technique. Squat down under control, drive through the floor and use the momentum from your legs to send the ball to the target. To excel at wall balls focus on maintaining a consistent rhythm and strict squat depth. Catch the ball smoothly on the way down, using some of the downward momentum to transition into the next rep.
10 Burpees
Burpees are deceptively difficult and they raise the heart rate quickly. To perform, lower your chest to the floor, return to your feet and jump or stand tall before repeating. Increase the difficulty by jumping sideways over a sandbag between reps.
Finish each round with 10 repetitions.
Strive for economy of movement by placing your hands and feet in the same position for each rep and preserve your upper body strength by ‘relaxing’ into the bottom position.
If you are training for a HYROX event, you don’t need a complicated workout to build a solid engine. Perform this alongside your running sessions and aim to work at a consistent intensity, managing your pace as you start to get tired. Start conservatively and aim to make each round look similar to the last. As your fitness improves, you can gradually increase the pace, reduce rest or progress the loads for the weighted movements.
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