Station 8 of 8100 reps

HYROX Wall Balls

The final station is 100 wall balls: a full squat below parallel, then a two-handed throw that hits a target at 2.70 m for women or 3.00 m for men. It comes straight after the lunges and 8 km of running, so the fastest racers plan their sets in advance, break early and briefly, and make every rep count.

Quads and glutes, with deep squats on already tired legs
Shoulders and arms, to finish each throw
Aerobic capacity and breathing control at a high heart rate
Pacing discipline and focus at the end of the race

Open Women: 4 kg
Open Men: 6 kg
Pro Women: 6 kg
Pro Men: 9 kg
Target height: women (incl. Pro) 2.70 m; men (incl. Pro) 3.00 m; in mixed teams each athlete throws to the target for their own sex

The perfect rep, in three positions

Side view. The darker arm and leg are nearest you; dashed lines show the alignment to hold.

Step 1
Sit below parallel
With the ball held at your chest in both hands, sit back and down until your hip crease drops below the top of your knee. Keep your chest up and your weight through your whole foot. Depth is the number one cause of no-reps, and it slips as your legs tire.
- Ball tight to the chest
- Sit back and down
- Hips below knees
- Chest up, heels down
Step 2
Drive with the legs
Stand up hard out of the bottom, driving through your heels and extending your hips and knees fast. The leg drive should do most of the work of moving the ball upwards. Think of it as one smooth movement from squat to throw.
- Drive through the heels
- Hips extend first
- Elbows stay under the ball
- Exhale as you rise
Step 3
Release to the target
As your legs reach full extension, push the ball up with both hands so it hits your target, finishing with your arms reaching up. Catch it on the way down and ride straight into the next squat, or let it drop and stand tall with it before starting again.
- Arms finish the throw
- Eyes on your target
- Catch high, absorb into the squat
- Inhale on the way down

Common faults and how to fix them

The fault

The fix: sit below parallel

What it looks like: The hips stop at or above knee height at the bottom, usually more and more often as the legs fatigue late in the station.
Why it costs you: Every shallow rep is a no-rep you have to repeat, with no warning first, so each one costs the full energy of a rep at the hardest point of the race.
The fix: Think 'sit back and down' and slow the descent slightly when you feel depth slipping. Break into smaller sets before your squat starts shortening, not after.

The fault

The fix: drive with the legs

What it looks like: The racer pushes the ball with the arms before the legs have finished driving, or stands up first and then throws, so the movement splits into a squat and a separate press.
Why it costs you: The shoulders tire quickly when they do the lifting, throws start falling short of the target, and short throws are no-reps.
The fix: Let your legs drive the ball upward and use your arms only to guide it to the target at the end. Practice thrusters or push presses to learn the leg-to-arm timing.

Pacing targets

Rough ranges to plan around, not official cut-offs. Your division, the floor and the run before it all move the number.

First race
about 7:00–9:00
Use small planned sets, such as 10 x 10, with a fixed rest of a few breaths. Published averages across all divisions are around 7 minutes, and a long unplanned stall costs more than many short breaks.
Intermediate
about 5:00–7:00
Try descending sets such as 25-20-15-15-15-10, starting with a set you could beat by 3 to 5 reps. Keep rests to a count of five or three breaths.
Advanced
about 3:30–5:00
Bigger sets such as 40-30-20-10 or 2 x 50, with very short breaks and fast catches straight into the next squat. Only go for long sets if you've rehearsed them after lunges and running in training.

Breathing

Exhale as you drive up and throw, and inhale as you catch and sink into the squat, one breath per rep. If you need more, take one or two quick breaths standing tall with the ball at your chest rather than a long rest.

Kit

No powdered chalk at this station, which is a 2-minute penalty; gloves are permitted but most racers find a bare grip easier on the ball. You can take your shoes off at your target if you've rehearsed it, but they must go under the rig and come with you to the finish.

Standards

From the 26/27 HYROX rulebook, in plain English.

✓Choosing the correct wall ball weight for your division is your responsibility.
✓Start each rep standing tall, hips and knees extended, holding the ball with both hands; you can't scoop it off the floor and throw it in one motion.
✓Complete a full squat, then throw the ball with both hands so it strikes your correct target on the rig.
✓Women must hit the women's target and men the men's target, in the strike zone.
✓After the ball touches the target, either catch it and go into the next rep, or let it hit the ground, pick it up and stand tall before the next squat.
✓You can't catch the ball off a bounce and carry on with the next rep.
✓At the bottom of the squat, your hips must go lower than your knees (below parallel).
✓Where there's no digital target, you can only go to the finish once your judge confirms 100 valid reps.
✓Digital targets that show rep counts and no-reps are a visual aid only; the judge and the physical target decide what counts, and the screen shows a green 'GO' after 100 valid reps.
✓A judge may place a squat depth box behind you to check depth; you can't ask for one, and you can't sit or rest on it.
✓You may take your shoes off once you reach your target, place them under the rig, and must take them with you to the finish; you can't come back for them later.
✓Avoid running under the wall ball rig.

Penalties

What a judge can give you at this station.

!Any rep that breaks the standard: no-rep, with no warnings given
!Using powdered chalk at the wall balls: 2 minutes
!Leaving before 100 valid wall balls: disqualification (incomplete station)
!Using equipment or a target you weren't assigned (incorrect use of workout station): 2 minutes per infringement

Drills to get better

1
EMOM to 100
10 wall balls every minute for 10 minutes at race weight and target height. Progress by adding reps per minute, for example 12, to build the capacity to finish 100 with short rests.
2
Run plus wall balls
1 km run at race pace, then 50 wall balls, for three rounds. It teaches you to squat to depth and throw accurately with a high heart rate.
3
Race-finish rehearsal
Sandbag lunges or a heavy squat set, a 1 km run, then 100 wall balls using your exact race split and rest count. It tests your plan in the order you'll race it.
4
Front squats
4 sets of 6–10 reps with moderate to heavy load. Stronger legs make light reps cheaper and help you hold depth when tired.
5
Thrusters
4 sets of 10–15 reps with a light barbell or dumbbells. They train the leg-to-arm drive that keeps throws reaching the target.

Wall Balls FAQ

How heavy is the HYROX wall ball and how high is the target?+

Open women use a 4 kg ball, Open men and Women Pro use 6 kg, and Men Pro use 9 kg. Women throw to 2.70 m and men to 3.00 m, in both Open and Pro.

How should I break up 100 wall balls at HYROX?+

Plan descending sets such as 25-20-15-15-15-10, with short rests of a few breaths. Start with a set you could beat by 3 to 5 reps. Going unbroken often ends in a long stall that costs more time than planned breaks.

How deep do I have to squat for wall balls?+

Your hips must go below your knees at the bottom of every rep. A judge may place a squat depth box behind you to check, but you can't request one or rest on it.

What causes a no-rep on wall balls?+

The most common causes are shallow squats, throws that miss or fall short, hitting the wrong target, catching the ball off a bounce, and scooping it off the floor without standing up first. There are no warnings at this station.

Can I take my shoes off for wall balls?+

Yes. Once you reach your target you can take your shoes off and put them under the rig. You must carry them to the finish after your 100th rep and can't come back for them later.

Is it 100 wall balls for every division?+

Yes. Under the 26/27 rulebook, every singles division does 100 reps; only the ball weight and target height change. In Doubles, the two partners share the 100.

The perfect rep, in three positions

Sit below parallel

Drive with the legs

Release to the target