HYROX Station 7 of 8
HYROX Sandbag Lunges
High variance, quad-specific fatigue. Pro is +50% heavier (30 kg vs 20 kg for men). Lunges hit late in the race when your legs are already cooked from running.
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The numbers
Format
100 m of walking lunges holding a sandbag on the shoulder
Weight standard (Rulebook 25/26)
Men: 20 kg Open · 30 kg Pro. Women: 10 kg Open · 20 kg Pro.
Variance (SSAC 2025)
high — SD 1.9 min
Primary risk factor
fatigue
Technique
Coach cue: "Stacked position: bag, shoulders, hips vertically aligned. Train lunges when legs are already tired."
Form steps
- Bag across the shoulders behind the neck, hands gripping the ends
- Step into lunge, front knee over ankle
- Drive through front heel to stand
- Immediate step into next lunge — no pause
- Keep bag, shoulders, hips stacked
Breathing
Exhale on stand, inhale on lunge
Key muscles
Quadriceps · Glutes · Core · Hip flexors
Common mistakes
- Pausing between reps (kills momentum)
- Leaning forward (stay stacked)
- Knee cave (track over toes)
- Taking the bag off the shoulders — 15s penalty each time; resting it on the ground or any surface is another 15s (26/27)
Target times
Realistic is FORMD's reference target for a well-trained athlete; Aggressive is a podium-level target. Neither is the field median: checked against real HYROX race results, the realistic target is faster than most finishers on most stations (Sled Pull most of all) and slower than the typical finisher on Farmers Carry.
| Division | Realistic | Aggressive |
|---|---|---|
| Men Open | 3:00 | 2:30 |
| Men Pro | 3:30 | 2:45 |
| Women Open | 3:30 | 3:00 |
| Women Pro | 4:00 | 3:15 |
Training implication
SSAC 2025 research — what the variance data means for training.
Quad endurance is critical. Train lunges when legs are already tired.
Race-day tip
100m of lunges. Legs are tired — stay smooth. The bag stays on your shoulders the whole way: there is no legal bail-out carry.
How to scale
Easier — beginner / deload
Lighter bag, smaller lunges
Harder — race-spec / elite
Pro weight, target sub-3:30
The other seven stations
Train sandbag lunges like a top finisher
Related guides
Train sandbag lunges in FORMD
FORMD identifies your weakest stations from your baselines and builds a personalized plan that targets them. 3-day free trial — see how much time sandbag lunges is costing you.