If you ask HYROX athletes which two stations they fear, you'll hear the same pair every time: wall balls and burpee broad jumps. One comes right in the middle of a race, the other comes last, when everything hurts. Here's a plain guide to wall balls and burpee broad jumps, the standards, and how to survive both.
Wall balls and burpee broad jumps in context
A HYROX race is eight 1 km runs, each followed by a station. Burpee broad jumps are station 4, right after the sled pull. Wall balls are station 8, the last thing you do before the finish line.
Those placements matter. The jumps hit you in the first half when you're still fresh, so it's easy to go too hard. Wall balls arrive when your legs are shot and your shoulders are fried, so every rep has to be earned.
Check hyrox.com for the current rulebook before race day, because standards get updated between seasons. What follows comes from the official singles rulebook.
Burpee broad jumps: the standards
The distance is 80 metres. A rep is a burpee into a broad jump, over and over until you cross the finish line.
- Your chest must clearly touch the ground on every burpee.
- Your hands can't be more than 30 cm in front of your toes when you start a burpee after the first.
- Your feet can't go beyond your fingertips when you jump or step out.
- You must take off and land with both feet parallel. No staggered feet, no extra shuffle steps.
- The section ends when you jump fully over the finish line. If a foot lands on the line, you jump again.
The most common no-rep traps are a chest that doesn't quite touch, and jumps that finish with one foot ahead. Both are easy to fix in practice.
Burpee broad jump strategy
Think of the 80 metres as small chunks, not a monster. Here's what works.
- Steady beats fast. Pick a rhythm you could hold for the whole distance. Your heart rate is going to spike anyway.
- Shorter jumps, more of them. A maximum jump looks heroic but burns your legs. A comfortable jump with a clean landing is quicker over 80 metres.
- Use the knee. The rules let you use a knee when coming up from the floor, which saves energy.
- Breathe on the floor. Exhale when your chest hits the ground. Inhale as you stand.
- Look ahead. Stare at the finish line, not your hands.
Wall balls: the standards
Wall balls are 100 reps. The weight and target depend on your division:
- Open women: 4 kg ball to a 2.70 m target
- Open men: 6 kg ball to a 3.00 m target (Pro women also use 6 kg)
- Pro men: 9 kg ball
Each rep has to meet the standard: stand tall to start, squat so your hips drop below your knees, and throw with both hands into the target zone. A breach is a no-rep. HYROX says there are no warnings, and each missing rep adds 15 seconds to your time. Digital targets log valid reps, and you only move on when your screen shows 100.
You also can't catch a bounced ball and keep going. If it hits the floor, you restart from standing tall.
Wall ball strategy
Wall balls reward people who plan their sets, not people who try to go unbroken and implode.
- Break it up before you have to. Sets like 25, 25, 25, 25 or 20, 20, 20, 20, 20 with a quick breath between are faster than 50 straight followed by a collapse.
- Use your legs. The throw should come from the squat drive, with arms finishing the work.
- Catch high. Catching the ball near your chest means you're already in position for the next rep.
- Aim for the middle of the target. A throw that kisses the edge is a no-rep waiting to happen.
- Rest standing. Hold the ball at chest height during a pause so you can restart immediately.
Video: wall ball technique
This walkthrough from a HYROX athlete covers the skill side of wall balls.
How to train both
Neither station is a fitness test you can fake. Both mix strength, endurance and technique.
- Strength base. Squats, lunges, push-ups and overhead pressing build the engine.
- Station practice. Do 40 metres of burpee broad jumps or 3 sets of 20 wall balls weekly, ideally after something hard.
- Run in between. Alternate a station set with a 400 metre run. That's the race.
Our HYROX / DEKA Training class does this kind of practice, and as an official HYROX Training Club and DEKA affiliate we also host HYROX PFTs and Half HYROX simulations. Learn more on our HYROX and DEKA page, or build a plan with personal training. Our small group classes cap at 8, so every rep gets a coach's eyes.
Quick answers
How many wall balls are in HYROX?
100 reps. Open women use a 4 kg ball to 2.70 m, and open men use a 6 kg ball to 3.00 m.
How far are the burpee broad jumps in HYROX?
80 metres. Your chest must touch the ground on every burpee and you must jump with both feet parallel.
What counts as a no-rep on wall balls?
Not squatting below parallel, missing the target, or catching a ball that bounced. Each missing rep adds 15 seconds in HYROX.
Can beginners do HYROX?
Yes. Plenty of first-timers finish. Start with the stations at lighter weights and build up.
Train the stations that hurt
HYROX and DEKA coaching where we rehearse the hard bits on purpose.