Hyrox has quickly become one of the most demanding and popular fitness races in the world. Combining endurance running with high-intensity functional workouts, it requires athletes to be strong, fast, and exceptionally well-conditioned.
If you’re wondering how to train for a Hyrox, which machines to prioritise, or what equipment best supports race prep, the VersaClimber deserves serious consideration. We’ll break down Hyrox training requirements and explain how the machine can support your performance on race day.
What is Hyrox and what does it demand from your body?
Hyrox is a global indoor fitness competition that combines:
- 8 x 1km runs
- 8 functional workout stations (e.g. sled push/pull, wall balls, lunges, rowing)
Unlike traditional endurance events, Hyrox challenges both aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, often under fatigue. Successful athletes need:
- High cardiovascular endurance
- Full-body strength
- Grip and core stability
- The ability to recover quickly between efforts
A lot of people don’t know where to start or how to begin. Your training regime is crucial to improving performance, so we’ve noted some ways to improve your gym sessions to get you ready for Hyrox.
How to train for a Hyrox event effectively
When planning how to train for Hyrox, most programmes focus on three pillars:
1. Cardio conditioning
Running is non-negotiable, but supplementary conditioning is key for improving VO2 max and race stamina.
2. Muscular endurance
Hyrox workouts are high-rep and fatigue-driven. Training needs to replicate sustained effort rather than one-rep-max strength.
3. Hybrid efficiency
Transitions between running and functional movements define race success. Training should stress the body in a similar way.
This is where the right machines come into play.
What equipment do you need for Hyrox training?
While running remains central, effective training typically includes:
- Rowers or SkiErgs – for endurance and pulling power
- Sleds – to replicate race stations
- Free weights – for lunges, carries, and wall balls
- Functional cardio machines – to build race-specific conditioning
Among these, vertical climbers are often underused, despite offering exceptional crossover benefits.
Why the VersaClimber is ideal for Hyrox training
The VersaClimber isn’t a race station in Hyrox, but that’s precisely why it works so well as a training tool.
Full-body conditioning under race-style fatigue
Hyrox is not a steady-state race. It is 8 x 1km runs broken up by demanding functional stations, meaning your body is constantly switching between cyclical cardio and strength under fatigue.
Unlike treadmills or bikes, the VersaClimber engages:
- Legs through continuous knee drive and extension
- Glutes and hamstrings through repeated hip extension
- Core for upright stability and force transfer
- Upper body through active pulling and pushing
- Grip strength through sustained handle engagement
This matters for Hyrox because every station taxes multiple systems at once. The sled push and pull demand leg drive and upper-body tension. The farmer’s carry challenges grip and trunk stability. Wall balls combine lower-body power with shoulder endurance.
The VersaClimber forces you to produce output through both upper and lower body simultaneously, which more closely reflects the systemic fatigue of race day. Instead of isolating cardio from strength, it conditions your ability to keep moving when everything is working at once, just as it must during a Hyrox event.
High cardio output with lower impact load
A Hyrox race involves 8km of running in total. For many athletes, especially those increasing training volume, that can mean significant cumulative impact across a training block.
The VersaClimber delivers:
- Extremely high heart-rate demand
- Significant oxygen uptake stimulus
- Rapid lactate accumulation under effort
- Minimal joint impact compared to repeated road or treadmill miles
This allows you to build aerobic capacity and threshold conditioning without continually adding impact stress to ankles, knees and hips.
That is particularly valuable in a Hyrox build phase where you may already be running multiple times per week while also performing sled work, lunges and plyometric movements. Using the VersaClimber for conditioning sessions or intervals enables you to push cardiovascular intensity while managing overall joint load.
In practical terms, it helps you arrive at key running and station sessions fresher and more consistent across the week.
Builds race-relevant repeat endurance
Hyrox rewards athletes who can recover quickly and repeat efforts across all 16 segments of the race.
VersaClimber sessions improve:
- Aerobic capacity for sustained 1km efforts
- Muscular endurance in the legs and shoulders
- Grip stamina under prolonged tension
- Mental resilience during continuous, uncomfortable output
One of the defining challenges of Hyrox is compromised running. You are not running on fresh legs. You are running immediately after heavy sled pushes, 100m lunges or 80 to 100 wall balls.
The VersaClimber replicates this sense of cumulative fatigue because both upper and lower body are contributing throughout the session. Heart rate remains elevated, local muscular fatigue builds, and you must continue producing rhythm and coordination under strain.
This translates directly to race day. Athletes who develop this repeat-effort engine are better able to:
- Settle into pace quickly after each station
- Maintain running economy when legs are heavy
- Avoid dramatic drop-offs in the final kilometres
- Stay composed under sustained discomfort
Hyrox may be marketed as the Fitness Race for Every Body, but it is still a race. Success comes from combining strength and endurance seamlessly. The VersaClimber does not replace race-specific training, but it develops the systemic engine that allows you to perform across all eight runs and all eight stations without falling apart in the later stages.
Using the VersaClimber as part of a Hyrox training plan
If you’re looking to train for Hyrox more efficiently, the VersaClimber can be programmed in several ways:
Interval conditioning
Short, intense efforts (e.g. 30-60 seconds) paired with functional movements help replicate race fatigue.
Long aerobic efforts
Steady-state climbing supports endurance building without pounding joints.
Hybrid circuits
Combine VersaClimber intervals with:
- Lunges
- Wall balls
- Farmer’s carries
This simulates the cardiovascular stress of race day transitions.
VersaClimber vs other machines
When comparing machines, each has a role in Hyrox training:
| Machine | Primary Benefit |
| Treadmill | Running specificity |
| Rower / SkiErg | Pulling endurance |
| Bike | Low-impact cardio |
| VersaClimber | Full-body power + cardio |
The VersaClimber stands out by delivering maximum output in minimal time, making it ideal for busy athletes and commercial gyms programming Hyrox-style classes.
Learn more about how the VersaClimber also competed with Stairmasters.
If your goal is to improve your Hyrox performance efficiently, the VersaClimber offers a powerful conditioning tool. It allows you to train your aerobic capacity, muscular endurance and pulling strength in one low-impact session.
That means less wear and tear from excessive running volume, better recovery between key workouts and faster progress towards race-ready conditioning. It will not replace Hyrox-specific training, but used strategically, it can help you build the engine that carries you through every 1km run and every station that follows.
