# HYROX Rowing (station 5 of 8, 1,000 m) Source page: https://roxskin.io/stations/row The fifth station is 1,000 m on a Concept2 rower, straight after the burpee broad jumps. Good rowers drive with the legs, keep a calm stroke rate with real power behind each stroke, and finish with enough left for the farmers carry and the second half of the race. ## Loads - All divisions: no load; damper preset to 6, footplate preset to position 4, both adjustable ## Technique 1. **Compressed and ready.** At the catch you're forward on the slide with your shins about vertical, arms straight and your body leaning slightly forward from the hips. Your back is long and braced, not rounded, so the legs can push into a solid platform. Cues: Shins vertical; Arms long; Lean from the hips, not the lower back; Feet pressed into the footplate. 2. **Legs, then body, then arms.** Push hard through the footplate with your legs first while your arms stay straight and your torso holds its angle. Once the legs are nearly flat, swing your body back slightly and let the arms take over at the end. Cues: Push the floor away; Arms stay straight until the legs are down; Hang off the handle; Power, not panic. 3. **Strong finish, slow return.** Finish with your legs flat, a slight lean back and the handle drawn into your lower ribs with your elbows past your body. Then reverse the order on the way back, arms, body, legs, taking about twice as long to return as you took to drive. Cues: Handle to the lower ribs; Shoulders down, not shrugged; Hands away before the knees bend; Two counts back for every one out. ## Common faults - **The elbows bend as soon as the drive starts, so the arms pull before the legs have pushed.** Why it matters: Your arms are the smallest muscles in the chain. Pulling early wastes the leg drive, shortens the stroke and tires your grip and biceps before the farmers carry. Fix: Think of your arms as ropes connecting the handle to your body until your legs are almost flat. Practice legs-only and legs-and-body strokes at low rates to feel the sequence. - **At the catch you slide too far forward, with your shins past vertical, your back rounded and your shoulders reaching over your toes.** Why it matters: Over-compression puts your legs in a weak position and loads your lower back. You lose power at the start of every drive and fatigue the back you still need for the carry and lunges. Fix: Stop the slide when your shins are vertical and keep your chest proud as you lean from the hips. If you can't get there without rounding, check your footplate and strap position. ## Standards (26/27 rulebook, paraphrased) - The judging team resets the monitor before you start. - The damper is preset to 6 for all divisions, and you can change it as often as you like. - The footplates are preset to position 4, and you can adjust them to your preferred setting before you begin. - You must stay seated on the rower until the full 1,000 m is complete. - You can stop at any time, put the handle back in its holder and rest with your feet in or out of the foot plates. - You can't stand up, leave the seat or get off the rower until 1,000 m is done and a judge has confirmed it. - Use only the rower the Race Crew assigns you; you can't choose your own machine. ## Penalties - First infringement of the rowing standards (for example leaving the seat): formal warning - Second infringement: 15-second penalty - Each further infringement: another 15 seconds, with no more warnings - Leaving the rower before 1,000 m: disqualification (incomplete station) - Using a rower not assigned by the Race Crew: 2 minutes per infringement - Using chalk at the rower: 2 minutes (chalk is only allowed at the sled pull and farmers carry) ## Pacing (approximate) - First race: about 4:45–5:30. Row at an effort you could hold for much longer, around your 5,000 m pace, at a steady 24–28 strokes per minute. HYROX Data Lab's average across all divisions is about 5:06, so finishing near there with good legs is a solid result. - Intermediate: about 4:00–4:45. Take the first 10–15 strokes a touch easier to settle your breathing after the burpee broad jumps, then lock onto your target 500 m split. Hold it evenly and lift the rate slightly in the last 250 m. - Advanced: about 3:30–4:00. Hold an even or slightly negative split at a firm but sustainable rate, typically in the high 20s to low 30s. Don't empty the legs, since the farmers carry and lunges come next. ## Breathing Breathe out on the drive and in on the recovery, one breath per stroke. At higher rates or effort, add a second quick breath as you come forward. ## Kit Set the damper to what you train on (it starts at 6, and Concept2 suggests around 3–5 for most athletes) and adjust the footplate so the strap crosses the widest part of your foot. Gloves are permitted but most racers don't need them here, and chalk isn't allowed at the rower. ## Drills - **Pick drill:** Row 10 strokes arms only, 10 arms and body, then 10 half slide and 10 full slide, twice through. It builds the legs-body-arms order that stops early arm bend. - **Low-rate power strokes:** 3–4 x 3 minutes at 20–24 strokes per minute, trying to hit your race split with fewer, stronger strokes. It teaches power per stroke instead of spinning. - **500 m race-pace repeats:** 4–6 x 500 m at your target 1,000 m split with 90 seconds rest. It grooves the pace so you can hold it on race day without checking the monitor every stroke. - **Row-to-run bricks:** 2–3 rounds of 1,000 m row at race pace, then step off and run 800 m–1 km. It trains the transition from the rower to running on tired legs. - **Catch position pause:** Row 5 minutes easy, pausing 2 seconds at the catch every third stroke with shins vertical and back long. It fixes overreaching by teaching where the slide should stop. ## FAQ ### What damper setting should I use on the HYROX rower? The rower is preset to damper 6, and you can change it as often as you like. Use the setting you train on; Concept2 suggests around 3–5 for most athletes. A higher damper feels heavier but isn't automatically faster. ### Can I stop and rest on the HYROX rower? Yes. You can stop at any time, put the handle back in its holder and rest with your feet in or out of the foot plates. You must stay seated until 1,000 m is done and a judge has confirmed it. ### What is a good HYROX row time? HYROX Data Lab's average across all divisions is about 5:06, with a median around 5:01. Many intermediate racers row 4:00–4:45 and strong racers under 4:00. Your recent 1,000 m test time plus a little margin is a better target than any table. ### What stroke rate should I row at in HYROX? Concept2 suggests around 24–32 strokes per minute for most racers. Power per stroke matters more than rate, so a strong drive at the mid-20s usually beats a fast, light stroke. ### What happens if I stand up on the rower before 1,000 m? Leaving the seat is an infringement: a formal warning first, then 15 seconds for each one after that. Getting off the rower before the full 1,000 m is a disqualification. ### Should I go hard on the HYROX row? Not all-out. The row comes at the halfway point, and the farmers carry, lunges and wall balls are still ahead. Row at a firm, controlled effort, around your 5,000 m pace.