Boost Your Hyrox Performance with Calisthenics (+ Routines)

Hyrox is a hybrid competition that combines running with functional exercises like wall balls, burpees, sled push and pull, and rowing. Calisthenics—bodyweight training—can be a perfect complement to your Hyrox prep, helping you boost your strength, endurance, and overall performance.

The Basics

When you're just getting started with Hyrox training, the priority is building a solid base of strength and muscular endurance. Basic calisthenics will help you master fundamental movements that are key in the competition.

Think about including:

• Deep squats
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups or inverted rows
• Burpees

Put them together in a simple circuit:

• 3–4 sets
• 10–20 reps per exercise

Pair that with light running sessions (3–5 km) to build a strong base of strength-endurance, technique, and general conditioning.

Grip Strength

One of the key differentiators in Hyrox is grip strength—and calisthenics lets you train it in a very direct and effective way.

Try incorporating variations of dead hangs:

• Dead hang: Just hang from a bar with both hands for time.
• False grip dead hang: This involves flexing the wrist so it sits higher on the bar, which increases forearm engagement significantly.
• Alternating single-arm dead hang: Hang from one arm for a set time, then switch. The resting arm gets a break while you hang with the other.
• Single-arm dead hang: Hang from one arm without switching—tough but excellent for building serious grip endurance.

Build a routine around these variations and aim to increase your times over the weeks. That’ll ensure your grip strength is well-developed.

And remember, all pulling exercises also engage your grip indirectly, so they’re a great complement to your grip-specific work.

Key Areas to Develop

Besides grip strength, there are other crucial physical qualities you'll want to develop to perform at your best in Hyrox. Focusing on these areas will round out your preparation:

• Muscular endurance: Long sets of squats and burpees.
• Cardiovascular capacity: Intense intervals with jumping jacks or fast-paced burpees.
• Core strength and stability: Planks, hollow holds, leg raises.
• Mobility and flexibility: Dynamic stretches and joint mobility drills.

Calisthenics Adaptations for Hyrox Events

Every Hyrox event has specific movement demands. You can tailor your calisthenics to mimic those patterns, helping you build neuromuscular familiarity with the actions you’ll face on competition day.

• Wall Balls: Explosive jump squats.
• Sled Push/Pull: Combine lower body work with push and pull drills—for example, burpees with double lunges and squats, or burpees followed by pull-ups.
• Sandbag Lunges: Walking lunges with a backpack or added weight.
• Rowing: Pull-ups, inverted rows, and high-intensity cardio with mountain climbers or jumping jacks.
• Burpee Broad Jumps: Practice burpees with long jumps, focusing on covering a specific distance.

Final Thoughts and Sample Routines

To sum it up, incorporating calisthenics into your Hyrox prep will help you build a solid foundation of strength, endurance, and mobility—all crucial for tackling the unique demands of the event. Start with basic exercises to condition your body, then progress into more intense and specific routines that simulate real Hyrox conditions.

Don’t forget to work on complementary aspects like muscular endurance, cardiovascular capacity, core stability, and joint mobility. If you follow these steps consistently and with a solid plan, you’ll show up at Hyrox physically prepared, resilient, and ready to crush it.

Here are three sample routines you can follow based on your level:

• Calisthenics x Hyrox Beginner Routine
• Calisthenics x Hyrox Intermediate Routine
• Calisthenics x Hyrox Advanced Routine

By Yerai Alonso