HYROX burpee broad jumps: step or jump, the rules and pacing
For most people, stepping up out of the burpee beats jumping up. It costs a little time per rep but saves your legs and heart rate across 80 m, with four more runs still to come. Whichever you choose, the rules are the same: chest to the floor, then a two-footed jump forward with your feet level to within 5 cm. This guide covers the official 26/27 standard, step-up vs jump-up, how far to jump, pacing, breathing, no-reps and penalties, and how to train the station.
What are the HYROX burpee broad jump rules?
Burpee broad jumps are station 4, after the sled pull. Every division covers 80 m with bodyweight only. Under the 26/27 rulebook, a valid rep looks like this:
- Chest on the floor. At the bottom of every burpee your chest has to clearly touch the ground. The rulebook defines this as your nipple line making clear contact.
- First burpee of each section: hands on the floor behind the white start line, chest down.
- Hands close to your feet. On every burpee after the first, your hands can land no more than 30 cm in front of the toes of your front foot. That 30 cm is measured from the base of your palms, where hands meet wrists.
- Hands stay put. Once your hands are on the floor, you can't shift or creep them forward.
- Getting up: you can jump or step out of the burpee, and you're allowed to put a knee down on the way up. Your feet can't land beyond your fingertips, which the rulebook calls overstepping.
- The broad jump: both feet take off together and land together. The fronts of your feet can be no more than 5 cm apart on take-off and on landing. Extra steps or shuffles before or after the jump aren't allowed.
- Getting back down: you can jump or step your feet back into the burpee.
The 5 cm stagger rule
The stagger limit is the rule that catches people out. Under the 26/27 rules, if one foot lands more than 5 cm ahead of the other, or you take off from a split stance, the rep is an infringement. A small shuffle to square your feet up after landing also counts. Line your toes up before each jump and land with both feet at the same moment.
Turns, lanes and the finish line
- Lanes are optional. Grid lanes are a guide only. Faster racers may cross lanes to overtake.
- Turns: at venues with turning points, you don't have to burpee around the turn. But you do have to jump fully across each white start/finish line with both feet before you turn. Every new section starts again from the start line, chest down with hands behind the line.
- Finishing: the station ends when you jump over the finish line. If either foot lands on the line, you owe one more burpee broad jump.
The rulebook also puts the burden on you: it's your job to make it obvious to the judge that you meet the standard.
Should I step up or jump up on burpee broad jumps?
Step up if you're an Open racer aiming to finish strong. Jump up if you're very fit, light on your feet, and chasing time. The rules allow both, and you can mix them: jump for the first half, then switch to stepping when your heart rate climbs.
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Step up (one foot, then the other) | Lower heart rate, less leg fatigue, easy to keep up for 80 m | A little slower per rep |
| Jump up (both feet at once) | Faster per rep | Spikes heart rate, tires your legs before the run |
| Knee down, then step | Easiest option, fully legal | Slowest per rep |
The same choice applies on the way down. Stepping back into the burpee means one fewer landing per rep, which many coaches recommend to save your legs. Wherever your feet land, keep them behind your fingertips, because overstepping is an infringement.
A good test: do 20 m each way in training, straight after a 1 km run, and time both. Then check how your next run feels. A few seconds saved here isn't worth it if the next kilometer costs you 20.
How far should I jump?
The rulebook leaves jump length up to you, and coaches agree on the answer: moderate, repeatable jumps, not maximum leaps. A maximal broad jump means a deeper squat, a harder landing and a slower recovery into the next burpee. Over 80 m, that adds up.
Some quick math shows why distance matters but isn't everything:
| Average jump | Approximate reps for 80 m |
|---|---|
| 1.3 m | about 62 |
| 1.6 m | 50 |
| 2.0 m | 40 |
Those are idealized; real counts run a little higher because each section restarts at a line. Rox Lyfe's guide puts most athletes at roughly 40 to 60 reps.
How to get a good, sustainable jump:
- Swing your arms. Drive them back, then forward and up as you jump. Arm swing is free distance.
- Hinge, don't squat deep. A quarter-squat with hips back is enough.
- Land soft with bent knees, feet roughly hip-width apart and level, then place your hands straight down in front of your toes.
- Keep the 30 cm rule in mind. A long jump followed by reaching your hands far forward is an infringement. Hands go down close to your feet.
How should I pace 80 m of burpee broad jumps?
Pick a rhythm you could hold for the whole 80 m on a bad day, and keep moving. This is a rhythm station: steady, unbroken reps beat fast bursts followed by long stops.
- Start slower than you want to. You arrive after the sleds with heavy legs and a high heart rate. Give yourself the first 10 to 20 m to settle.
- Use short pauses, not long rests. If you need a break, take two or three breaths at the bottom or top, then go. Some racers rest briefly lying chest-down, which is also where the next rep starts.
- Don't empty the tank. A 1 km run and four stations follow. Finish the station feeling you could do a few more reps.
How should I breathe during burpee broad jumps?
Breathe out as you jump and as you drop to the floor, and breathe in as you come up. The exact pattern matters less than never holding your breath. Many racers hold it through the burpee without noticing, and their heart rate climbs fast.
- Settle into one or two breaths per rep. If you're gasping, add a breath at the top before you jump.
No-reps and penalties: what happens if you break the standard?
Burpee broad jumps use a warning, then time penalty system, not no-reps that you have to repeat on the spot:
- Your first infringement gets a formal warning.
- Your second earns a 15-second penalty.
- Every infringement after that adds another 15 seconds, with no more warnings.
The one exception is the finish line. If either foot lands on it, you have to do another burpee broad jump.
The most common infringements:
- Chest not touching. The top cause, especially late in the station. Let your chest reach the floor before you push up.
- Staggered feet. Taking off or landing with one foot ahead by more than 5 cm.
- Shuffling. An extra step to line up your feet before jumping, or a stutter step after landing.
- Hands too far forward. Reaching more than 30 cm past your toes to gain distance, or sliding your hands forward once they're down.
- Overstepping. Feet landing past your fingertips when you come up.
- Skipping a line. Turning before both feet have fully crossed a white line, or starting a new section without the chest-down start behind the line.
Four infringements cost 45 seconds, so clean, slightly slower reps almost always win. (For the full penalty list, see our rules guide.)
Burpee broad jumps in Doubles
In Doubles you share the 80 m, and the 26/27 Doubles rulebook adds two rules. The resting partner has to walk behind the working partner, not beside them, and must not get in other racers' way. At each handover, the incoming partner places their hands where the working partner's feet landed, with toes and fingers in line. Breaking either rule is treated as an infringement, using the same warning-then-15-second protocol. See our Doubles strategy guide for more.
How do I train for HYROX burpee broad jumps?
Practice the real movement, practice it tired, and build the strength behind it.
Technique and capacity
- Distance ladders. 10 m, 20 m, 30 m, 40 m, with a minute's rest between. Focus on the chest touch and square landings.
- EMOMs. 8 to 10 reps every minute for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Method test. Do 20 m stepping up and 20 m jumping up, then decide which you'll race with.
Under fatigue
- Run plus BBJ. 1 km at race pace, then 20 to 40 m of burpee broad jumps, for three or four rounds.
- Race order. A sled session or heavy leg work, then a 1 km run, then 80 m of burpee broad jumps, then another run. This is the closest match to race day.
Strength and mobility
- Legs and hips: squats, lunges and broad jumps or box jumps help you jump and land well.
- Upper body: push-ups make getting off the floor easier.
- Mobility: work on hips, ankles and upper back so you can get low and up again smoothly.
Build volume gradually. Burpee broad jumps involve hundreds of landings over a training block. If you're new to jumping, or have knee, hip, back or shoulder issues, start with stepping options and ask a qualified coach to check your form.
FAQ
Should I step up or jump up on HYROX burpee broad jumps?
Most racers should step up. It's a little slower per rep but keeps your heart rate and leg fatigue lower for the runs ahead. Both methods are legal, and you can also put a knee down or switch methods mid-station.
What are the HYROX burpee broad jump rules?
Your chest must clearly touch the floor on every burpee. Your hands land no more than 30 cm in front of your toes and can't move once they're down. Then jump forward with both feet taking off and landing together. Your feet can't land beyond your fingertips when you come up, and extra steps or shuffles aren't allowed.
What is the 5 cm stagger rule in burpee broad jumps?
Under the 26/27 rulebook, the fronts of your two feet can be no more than 5 cm apart on take-off and landing. Anything more counts as an infringement, and so does a shuffle to fix your feet.
How far is the burpee broad jump station?
80 m for every division, using bodyweight only. Depending on the venue, it may be split into sections with turns. You must jump fully across each white line before turning.
How many burpee broad jumps is 80 m?
It depends on your jump length. At 1.6 m per jump it's about 50 reps, and at 2 m it's about 40. One coaching guide puts most athletes at roughly 40 to 60.
How far should each broad jump be?
It's up to you. Use a moderate, repeatable jump with a strong arm swing, not a maximal leap.
How should I pace burpee broad jumps?
Start slower than you want, then hold a steady rhythm you could keep for all 80 m. Take two- or three-breath pauses instead of long rests, and save energy for the run.
What is the penalty for a bad burpee broad jump?
Your first infringement gets a warning. The second earns a 15-second penalty, and each one after that adds another 15 seconds. If a foot lands on the finish line, you have to do one more rep.
How should I breathe during burpee broad jumps?
Breathe out on the jump and on the way down, and in as you come up. Never hold your breath. Add an extra breath at the top if you need it.
How do I train for burpee broad jumps?
Do distance ladders and EMOMs for technique, then practice them tired, straight after a 1 km run or a sled session. Add squats, lunges, jumps and push-ups for strength, and build volume gradually.
Next steps
See where this station fits in the race in our HYROX pacing and Roxzone guide, check every penalty and banned item, and work it into a full training plan. Ready to test it? Find an event in the race calendar.