In HYROX Open, the sled push totals 152kg for men and 102kg for women (sled plus plates), and the sled pull is 103kg for men and 78kg for women, each over 50 metres. Pro divisions add weight on top. To train for them, build horizontal leg drive, a low powerful body position and short-burst leg endurance, not a bigger back squat. As of 2026, the sled is the station that most often blows up first-timers.
- Open sled push: 152kg total (men), 102kg (women), over 50m.
- Open sled pull: 103kg (men), 78kg (women), over 50m.
- Floor surface and technique change effective difficulty as much as the load itself.
Why does the sled feel so much heavier than the number?
The plated weight is only half the story, because friction between the sled and the floor is what you actually fight. A grippy carpet or a rubberised surface can make 152kg feel brutal, while a slick floor makes the same load move freely, so the number on the sled never tells the whole story. That is why athletes report wildly different experiences at different venues. The sled also comes straight after a 1km run, so you arrive with an elevated heart rate and legs that are already working, which magnifies the perceived load.
What physical qualities move a sled fast?
The sled rewards horizontal force production and leg endurance far more than maximal strength. You want strong quads and calves that can push repeatedly at a low body angle, a braced trunk to transfer force, and the aerobic capacity to keep driving without a full stop. A huge one-rep squat helps a little, but an athlete who can produce force again and again while breathing hard will beat a stronger athlete who stalls. In my coaching experience, the fix for a slow sled is almost never "get stronger"; it is body position and pacing.
| Division | Push total | Pull total | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open men | 152kg | 103kg | 50m each |
| Open women | 102kg | 78kg | 50m each |
| Pro men | Heavier | Heavier | 50m each |
| Pro women | Heavier | Heavier | 50m each |
How should you train the sled push?
Rehearse the exact demand rather than just loading a leg press.
- Push a heavy sled in short 10–15m bursts with a low, forward body lean.
- Keep arms long and locked, driving through the legs, not the chest.
- Train it tired: run a hard 400–1000m, then push, to mimic race fatigue.
- Add heavy leg work for endurance: walking lunges, split squats, calf raises.
- Practise a walk-through pace so you never fully stall and lose momentum.
How is the sled pull different to train?
The pull is a hand-over-hand rope effort that hammers grip, upper back and the ability to shift a load in a low athletic stance. Train it with heavy rows, rope pulls if you can access them, and grip-endurance work like heavy carries and dead hangs, because grip failure is what stalls most people. The technical key is a low seated-back position where you use your bodyweight against the rope rather than curling with your arms. If you cannot replicate a sled pull, band-resisted seated rope pulls and heavy horizontal rows build the same pulling endurance.
"The sled catches out strong people all the time because they attack it standing tall and gassing their arms. Get low, keep the sled moving in small steps, and you'll pass athletes twice your size. It's a technique and pacing station dressed up as a strength one," says George Wootten, Executive Coach, THETA.
How do you pace the sleds on race day?
Pace them so the runs either side survive, because a sled that spikes you into the red costs more time on the following kilometre than it saves on the station. Break the 50m into short segments with brief resets rather than one grinding effort, keep the body position low throughout, and never sprint the first metres and stall the last ten. The goal is continuous forward movement at a hard but repeatable effort. Athletes who empty the tank on the sled routinely walk the next run, the opposite of a fast race.
Common questions
How heavy is the HYROX sled push?
In Open, the sled push totals 152kg for men and 102kg for women, including the sled, over 50 metres. Pro divisions add more weight on top of these figures.
How heavy is the HYROX sled pull?
The Open sled pull is 103kg for men and 78kg for women over 50 metres, performed hand-over-hand on a rope. Pro divisions are heavier again.
Why does the sled feel heavier than the weight suggests?
Friction between the sled and the floor determines the real difficulty, so a grippy surface makes the same load far harder. You also hit the sled straight after a 1km run with an elevated heart rate, which magnifies the effort.
How do I get better at the sled push?
Train short heavy pushes with a low forward body position, add leg-endurance work like lunges and split squats, and practise pushing tired after hard running. Technique and pacing improve most people faster than raw strength.
Do I need a big squat for the HYROX sled?
No. The sled rewards repeatable horizontal leg drive and endurance more than maximal strength. A strong squat helps a little, but body position, leg endurance and pacing matter far more for a fast sled.
How do I train the sled pull without a rope?
Use heavy horizontal rows, band-resisted seated pulls and grip-endurance work such as heavy carries and dead hangs. These build the pulling and grip endurance that decide the pull, even without the exact equipment.
How should I pace the sleds in a race?
Break the 50m into short segments with brief resets, stay low, and keep the sled moving continuously at a hard but repeatable effort. Avoid emptying the tank, or you will walk the following run and lose the time you saved.
Sources
- HYROX official station weights and standards (hyrox.com)
- THETA coaching data, 2024–2026
- Established principles of horizontal force production and strength endurance
Want the sled programmed to your strength and race surface? THETA BLUEPRINT builds sled-specific work into your adaptive HYROX plan from a 2-minute assessment, with the first week of every block free. Build my plan.