3-Day-a-Week Hyrox Training Plan
Race a competent Hyrox on 3 sessions/week. Realistic targets: sub-1:40 men, sub-1:50 women. Higher times possible for advanced athletes — see notes.
Full-time job, family commitments, or other constraints mean you can train 3 times a week. You want to race Hyrox without lying to yourself about how much you can train.
- Run 5 km comfortably
- Some general gym fitness
- Access to a gym with Hyrox stations 1-2× per week
Overview
Most Hyrox plans assume 5-7 sessions per week, which is fantasy for parents, shift workers, and anyone with a real job. This plan delivers race-ready fitness on three sessions: one running quality day, one strength + station day, one long aerobic day. That's it.
Why this plan works
On 3 sessions you cannot afford a junk session — every workout must hit a specific adaptation. The plan picks the highest-leverage stimulus per slot: threshold running (Tuesday), strength + station volume (Thursday), long aerobic work that gradually adds race-specific elements (Saturday). Recovery between sessions is unusually generous, which actually helps quality.
Week-by-week schedule
Each row is one week. Each column is one day, Monday → Sunday. Hover or tap any session to read the detail.
| Week | Phase | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Base Foundation | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 3×10 min55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Station-specific strength55 min Heavy carries, sled drag, lunge volume under load. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 75 min75 min Long aerobic effort. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W2 | Base Add sled work | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 3×10 min55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Sled volume45 min 4×25 m push + 4×25 m pull at race weight. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 75 min75 min Long aerobic effort. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W3 | Base Threshold extension | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 5×1 km50 min 5×1 km at threshold with 90 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Sled volume45 min 4×25 m push + 4×25 m pull at race weight. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 90 min90 min Aerobic durability builder. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W4 | Base Recovery | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 3×10 min55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Mobility & core30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 75 min75 min Long aerobic effort. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W5 | Build Race-pace introduction | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 655 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Sled volume45 min 4×25 m push + 4×25 m pull at race weight. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 90 min90 min Aerobic durability builder. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W6 | Build Compromised + sled | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 655 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Compromised running circuit45-55 min 3 rounds: 1 km run + 50 wall balls + 200 m sandbag lunges. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 90 min90 min Aerobic durability builder. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W7 | Build Heavy sled day | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 655 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Heavy sled day40 min 3×25 m push + pull at race weight + 20 kg. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 90 min90 min Aerobic durability builder. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W8 | Build Recovery | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 3×10 min55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Mobility & core30 min Hip, ankle, T-spine mobility plus a short core circuit. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Long run 75 min75 min Long aerobic effort. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W9 | Peak First simulation | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 875 min 8×1 km at goal pace simulating full race running volume. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Station-specific strength55 min Heavy carries, sled drag, lunge volume under load. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Mini Hyrox (half race)45-55 min 4×1 km + 4 stations at race pace. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W10 | Peak Three-quarter sim | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 655 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Station-specific strength55 min Heavy carries, sled drag, lunge volume under load. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Three-quarter Hyrox60-75 min 6×1 km + 6 stations at race pace. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W11 | Peak Full dress rehearsal | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Hyrox 1 km repeats × 655 min 6×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Station-specific strength55 min Heavy carries, sled drag, lunge volume under load. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Full Hyrox simulation60-100 min Complete Hyrox: 8×1 km + all 8 stations at race effort. | Rest0 min Full rest day. |
| W12 | Taper Race week | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Threshold 3×10 min55 min 3×10 min at threshold with 2 min jog rest. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Pre-race activation30 min Light activation 1-2 days before race. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | Rest0 min Full rest day. | RACE DAYRace The race itself. Trust the plan. |
- Week 4 (Base): Light week. Don't add sessions.
- Week 8 (Build): Light week.
Weekly volume notes
- Weekly run volume: 18-30 km. The Saturday long session does most of the aerobic work.
- Strength: 1 session/week (Thursday) combined with sled or station volume.
- Add a 4th session (easy 30-min run on Sunday) if you have spare time and feel recovered.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the long Saturday session. It is 50% of your aerobic stimulus — protect it.
- Trying to make Tuesday harder to compensate for low frequency. The plan's intensity is calibrated for 3 sessions; harder Tuesdays just under-recover Thursdays.
- Missing weeks because life happens, then trying to make them up by doubling. Forward only — never back.
Session library
Every workout referenced in the schedule above. Click to expand for cues, target paces, and rest intervals.
Rest 0 min
Complete rest. Sleep, hydration, light stretching only. Recovery is when adaptation happens — do not skip rest days during a hard build phase.
Threshold 3×10 min 55 min
15 min easy warm-up, then 3×10 minutes at threshold pace (comfortably hard, ~10 km race pace) with 2 min easy jog between. 10 min cool-down. Lifts your lactate threshold so race-pace running feels easier.
Station-specific strength 55 min
Trap-bar carries 4×30 m, heavy sled drag 4×25 m at 1.5× race weight, walking lunges with sandbag 3×60 m, weighted plank 3×60 s. Targets the exact muscle groups that fail in the back half of Hyrox.
Long run 75 min 75 min
75 minutes continuous, mostly zone 2 with the last 10 minutes drifting into low zone 3 if you feel good. Builds aerobic durability and fat oxidation.
Sled volume 45 min
After warm-up: 4×25 m sled push at race weight (152 kg M / 102 kg W) with 90 s rest, 4×25 m sled pull at race weight (103 kg M / 78 kg W) with 90 s rest. Builds technique under fatigue.
Threshold 5×1 km 50 min
15 min warm-up, 5×1 km at threshold pace (~10 km race pace) with 90 seconds easy jog rest. 10 min cool-down. Pure lactate-threshold work.
Long run 90 min 90 min
90 minutes continuous. Optional finish: last 15 minutes at marathon pace. Critical for handling Hyrox's 8 km of running spread across stations.
Mobility & core 30 min
10 min hip openers (90/90, couch stretch, deep squat hold), 10 min ankle and T-spine work, 10 min core (dead bugs, side plank, hollow holds). Important for sled push depth and lunge stride length.
Hyrox 1 km repeats × 6 55 min
15 min warm-up, 6×1 km at your goal Hyrox running pace (treadmill or track) with exactly 60 seconds rest — same as Hyrox's compressed transition windows. Cool-down 10 min.
Compromised running circuit 45-55 min
After warm-up, 3 rounds: 1 km run at goal pace, 50 wall balls (6 kg M / 4 kg W), 200 m sandbag lunges (10 kg). Teaches your legs how to run on a fatigued posterior chain.
Heavy sled day 40 min
After warm-up, 3×25 m sled push at race weight + 20 kg with 2 min rest, 3×25 m sled pull at race weight + 20 kg. Overloads the system so race weight feels manageable.
Hyrox 1 km repeats × 8 75 min
15 min warm-up, 8×1 km at goal Hyrox running pace with 60 s rest between. Total volume mirrors race-day running. Most race-specific aerobic session in Hyrox prep.
Mini Hyrox (half race) 45-55 min
4×1 km run + 4 rotating stations (ski 500 m, 25 m sled push, 25 m sled pull, 40 m burpee broad jumps) at race pace. Half the volume of a full sim — usable mid-week without crushing recovery.
Three-quarter Hyrox 60-75 min
6×1 km run + 6 stations (ski, sled push, sled pull, burpees, row, farmers) at race pace. Bridge between mini and full sim. Useful 4-6 weeks before race.
Full Hyrox simulation 60-100 min
Full Hyrox simulation at race effort. 8×1 km running, all 8 stations in order, race weights. The most accurate predictor of race-day finish. Schedule 4-6 weeks out, not sooner.
Pre-race activation 30 min
10 min easy bike or row, dynamic mobility, then 3 rounds of: 200 m run + 5 wall balls + 10 m sled push + 5 burpee broad jumps. Wakes up race-day movement patterns without fatigue.
RACE DAY Race
Race day. Eat your normal breakfast 3 hours out, arrive at the venue 90 minutes before your wave, complete the activation drill, and execute your pacing strategy. Nothing new on race day.
Frequently asked questions
Can I really train for Hyrox on 3 sessions a week?
Yes — for sub-1:40 men or sub-1:50 women, 3 well-chosen sessions are enough. For sub-1:30, you'll need 4-5 sessions. For sub-1:15, you need 6+.
Which 3 days should I pick?
The default is Tue/Thu/Sat for ~48-hour spacing. Mon/Wed/Sat works too. Avoid back-to-back days unless one is a recovery session.
What if my schedule is unpredictable?
Pick a session at the start of each week and accept the order may shuffle. The non-negotiables: never skip the long aerobic day, and at least 24 hours between threshold and strength sessions.
- Mini Hyrox (4 + 4) — Half-distance Hyrox simulation — 4 km running plus 4 stations. The standard mid-cycle benchmark workout.
- Hyrox 1k Repeats — 8 × 1 km running with short rest — the gold-standard Hyrox running workout.
- 12-Week Hyrox Training Plan — Open division · Any goal
- Sub-1:40 Hyrox Training Plan — Open Men · First-timer
Track your progress with the calculator
As you complete each phase, run your improving 5K times and station benchmarks through the Hyrox time calculator to see how each fitness gain translates to your projected race finish. The calculator's goal-time guides give you split-by-split targets for sub-60, sub-75, sub-90, and sub-100 finishes.