For the SkiErg and rower, women should wear a top that allows full overhead and forward reach without riding up or clinging, and shorts that stay put through the compressed catch position, so a ventilated singlet or tank with a close race short is ideal. As of 2026, THETA's women's race kit is built to move through exactly these two machine stations.

• The SkiErg opens the race at 1000m of overhead pulling; the rower is 1000m mid-race, both after hard running.
• The SkiErg demands full overhead reach; the rower demands a deep, compressed catch, so kit must not restrict either.
• THETA's Women's Race Singlet and Race Short move through overhead and hip-flexed positions without riding up.

What does the SkiErg demand from your kit?

It is fair to ask whether a top really rides up enough to matter, and on the SkiErg the answer is yes. The station is first, 1000m of repeated overhead-to-hip pulling, and each rep sends the arms fully overhead, which is exactly where a poorly fitted top rides up, exposes the midriff or restricts the shoulders. A top needs enough length and stretch to stay down through full extension, plus a shoulder construction that allows a free overhead reach without pulling.

THETA's Women's Race Singlet answers that with a light shell build, laser-cut ventilation and reinforced shoulder and hem seams. The reinforced hem helps the top stay in place through the repeated overhead pull, and the shoulder reinforcement holds structure without limiting the reach. A tank works equally well if you prefer more coverage.

What does the rower demand from your kit?

The rower tests the opposite end of the range, and it is the one people underestimate. It is 1000m mid-race, and the catch position compresses you into deep hip and knee flexion with the torso folding forward. That position stresses the waistband and the seat of your shorts and can bunch a loose short at the hip. The top folds at the stomach too, so a fabric that clings when soaked gathers uncomfortably.

A close race short with a secure waistband stays put through the repeated catch, and the "fitted chest, relaxed stomach" cut THETA uses on its tops means the top does not bind at the fold. Because you reach the rower already soaked from the SkiErg and runs, kit that stays light when wet keeps the compressed catch comfortable rather than clammy.

What kit cannot do for the machines

Be clear about the limit: the right top and short will not row the 1000m for you, and no fabric fixes a weak pull or a rushed catch. Kit removes distractions, it does not add watts. What it can honestly do is stop the small problems, the ride-up, the bunching, the clammy cling, that steal your attention and rhythm during 2000m of machine work. Fix your technique and pacing separately; let the kit do the one job it can, which is to stay out of the way. That is a real benefit, but it is a modest one, and worth keeping in proportion.

"The machines catch people out because they load the body in opposite directions, arms up on the ski, folded up on the row. If your top rides up when you reach or your shorts bunch when you fold, you feel it for two thousand metres. We fit our women's race kit to move through both without a single adjustment," says the THETA coaching team.

How do you test kit for the machines?

Both stations are easy to replicate in training, so test your kit against them before racing. Follow the steps below to confirm nothing rides up, binds or bunches.

1. Do a hard SkiErg piece and check the top stays down through full overhead reach.
2. Confirm the shoulders move freely without the top pulling or restricting.
3. Do a rowing piece and check the shorts stay put through the compressed catch.
4. Feel whether the top binds or gathers at the stomach when you fold forward.
5. Repeat both once soaked to confirm the kit stays light and does not cling.

Common questions

What should women wear for the SkiErg and rower?

Wear a ventilated singlet or tank that stays down through full overhead reach and does not bind when you fold forward, with a close race short that stays secure through the deep catch. Wicking, light-when-soaked fabric matters because you reach both stations already sweaty. THETA's women's race kit is built to move through both positions.

Why does my top ride up on the SkiErg?

The SkiErg reaches the arms fully overhead on every rep, and a top that is too short or lacks stretch and a secure hem will ride up and expose the midriff. A race top with enough length, stretch and a reinforced hem stays down through the pull. Test it with overhead reps before racing.

What kind of shorts work best for rowing?

A close race short with a secure waistband works best, because the rowing catch compresses you into deep hip and knee flexion that can bunch a loose short. Good fabric recovery keeps it in shape rep after rep. THETA's Women's Race Short is built for this.

Does the same kit work for both machines?

Yes, a well-designed race top and short handle both, since the qualities that keep a top down overhead and shorts secure at the catch cover both positions. THETA builds its women's race kit to move through the full range HYROX demands. Test one set across both stations to confirm.

Why does kit fit matter more on the machines?

Because the SkiErg and rower load the body into opposite extreme positions, overhead extension and deep compression, that expose riding up, binding and bunching more than steady running does. Kit that fits and moves through both keeps you focused on the effort. Poorly fitted kit becomes a repeated distraction over 2000m of machine work.

Should I worry about being soaked before the machines?

You reach the SkiErg after a run and the rower mid-race, so you are sweaty at both, which is why wicking and light-when-soaked fabric matters. Kit that clings or goes heavy when wet is uncomfortable in the compressed rowing catch especially. Choose ventilated fabric that stays light.

Sources

• HYROX official race format: SkiErg 1000m and Rowing 1000m station order (hyrox.com)
• THETA women's race kit construction (Women's Race Singlet, Race Short, fitted-chest cut)
• THETA coaching data, 2024–2026 (kit performance on machine stations)

Move through the machines without a single adjustment. THETA's Women's Race Singlet and Race Short are built to stay put through overhead pulls and deep catches, tested through elite HYROX racing. Shop THETA performance kit.