Sports Doctors Share HYROX Station Tips To Help You Crush Your Next Hyrox

HYROX has taken Singapore’s fitness scene by storm since landing in October 2023. The race combines endurance and strength in a gruelling format — eight rounds of a 1-kilometre run followed by a functional workout. But beyond speed and power, success in HYROX comes down to one thing: efficiency. Moving smartly through each station not only shaves seconds off your time but also helps you stay injury-free and ready for the next challenge.

 

For seasoned runners, an 8km run might feel like a warm-up — and many already know how to protect their bodies with efficient running techniques: shorter strides, higher cadence, and midfoot landings instead of heel strikes. But when it comes to HYROX, even the most experienced runners often hit a steep learning curve. The functional workout stations can be a complete culture shock. Without proper technique, fatigue sets in faster, injuries become more likely, and the resulting muscle exhaustion spills over into the running segments — a phenomenon known as “compromised running.”

 

To help you conquer HYROX with confidence, Dr Foo Gen Lin, Sports and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Dr Wang MingChang, Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician, both from Apex Sports Clinic put together expert tips for key stations — from burpee broad jumps to rowing, Farmers Carry, and sandbag lunges — so you can move efficiently, preserve energy, and stay injury-free from start to finish.

 

Dos: Stay low in between jumps. This reduces wasted vertical motion—less energy is spent in lifting your bodyweight unnecessarily. More of your effort goes into horizontal distance, which is the goal. A lower centre of mass also makes you more stable on landing, so you can start the next jump faster. Staying low also results in less impact force on your wrists. Have a slightly wider stance. This lets your knees track in line with toes and reduces stress on your kneecaps.

 

Don’ts: Don’t stand tall between reps. This wastes energy on unnecessary vertical motion. Standing tall means your hands have to reach farther down and absorb more force on each landing. Don’t keep a narrow stance. A narrow stance may cause knees to “cave in” and increase stress to the kneecaps.

 

Dos: For the active phase of the row, the recommended sequence is leg drive (knee extension), then a slight backwards lean of the trunk, then arm pull. The sequence is reversed for the recovery phase. This keeps the lower back in a neutral or slightly extended position, reducing the risk of lower back strain. This technique also improves stroke efficiency – more power is generated per stroke-- and you spend less time on the station, which means less cumulative load on your muscles.

 

Don’ts: Don’t concurrently pull with arms and extend your knees. It will often end up in rounding of the lower back. This can result in increased stress of the intervertebral discs of the lower back. If you start pulling while your legs are still driving, you lose out on the full power your legs can generate — meaning less force, less efficiency, and more fatigue later on. This lowers stroke efficiency and you end up spending more time on the station, increasing cumulative load on your muscles.

 

 

Dos: Hold the front (anterior) side of the kettlebell handle. This aligns the weight more directly under your forearm, reducing strain on the wrist and forearm tendons. This position also shifts the kettlebell slightly backwards, helping you walk more upright and reducing stress on the shoulder tendons and lower back.

 

Don’ts: Don’t hold the back (posterior) side of the kettlebell handle. This places more strain on your wrist and elbow tendons. The kettlebell will also be shifted slightly forward, causing your body to slouch and stress the shoulder tendons and lower back.

 

Dos: Keep your body upright as much as possible. This will provide better load distribution throughout the upper and lower back, resulting in less stress to the intervertebral discs of the lower back.

 

Don’ts: Don’t slouch or round your lower back. A slouched posture will result in increased pressure on the intervertebral discs of the lower back, which the weight of the sandbag will further load. This can result in damage to the intervertebral discs, or what is commonly known as “slipped disc”

 

 

Featured Contributor:

Apex Sports Clinic
As passionate athletes, we intimately understand the anguish and frustration that injuries can inflict, and our primary commitment is to facilitate your swift return to the sports you love.

With a collective experience exceeding 15 years, the Apex team has been dedicated advocates for athletes, assisting them in preventing, overcoming, and conquering injuries. We've invested countless hours in rigorous training and education to ensure we are exceptionally equipped to provide you with the highest care and support.

Our practice specialises in both non-surgical and surgical treatments for sports injuries, including knee ligament injuries, shoulder dislocations, and hip labral tears. We also handle emergencies like acute fractures and injuries and chronic joint conditions like osteoarthritis. With our experienced medical team and evidence-based approach, we provide personalised care to help patients recover and improve musculoskeletal health.

Connect with Apex Sports Clinic on their website.