Station 7 is where races are won and lost. 100 meters of walking lunges — the single most quad-dominant station in Hyrox. By this point in the race, your legs have been through the sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jumps, rowing, and farmers carry. Now you are asking your quads to do 100+ controlled lunges. This is a mental and physical grinder. Athletes who maintain form and rhythm will pass dozens of competitors who are stumbling and cramping through this station.
Hyrox rules require knee contact. Hovering just above wastes energy as your muscles fight isometrically. Touch and go — let the ground do the stopping, then drive up explosively.
A 3-foot lunge vs a 2.5-foot lunge means 15-20 fewer reps over 100 meters. That is less quad burn and faster time. Stretch your hip flexors before race day.
Pushing through the heel activates your glutes and takes load off your quads. Your quads are fried — recruit every other muscle possible.
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Use contralateral arm swing (opposite arm to front leg) for balance and forward momentum. Keep your torso upright — leaning forward loads your quads more.
20% more reps over 100m. That is 20% more quad contractions on already exhausted legs. Each extra rep compounds the fatigue.
Shifts all load to your quads and puts strain on your knees. Stay upright — pretend there is a string pulling your head to the ceiling.
Wobbling costs time and energy. A controlled, rhythmic lunge is faster than a fast, wobbly one because you never need to pause to rebalance.
Fresh lunges are easy. Lunges after 50 minutes of racing are a different exercise. Train lunges at the END of workouts, not the beginning.
| Level | Target | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Elite (sub-60 min total) | Unbroken, steady rhythm | Total time 2:30-3:30. One lunge every 2 seconds. Metronome pace. No pauses, no acceleration — just smooth forward progress. |
| Competitive (60-75 min total) | 1-2 brief pauses | Total time 3:30-5:00. Break at 50m if needed. Stand and shake legs for 5 seconds. Resume. Consistency matters more than speed. |
| Open (75-90+ min total) | Multiple planned breaks | Total time 5:00-8:00. Break into 25m segments. Short standing rests between segments. Do not sit or kneel — keep blood flowing. |
When your quads are screaming, narrow your stance slightly and emphasize the glute squeeze at the top of each lunge. This shifts load from your exhausted quads to your relatively fresh glutes. The last 25m should be all glute drive.
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