The final workout station in a HYROX race is the Wall Balls. The Wall Balls really are a finisher worthy of the name – 100 reps with strict movement standards after you’ve already run 8km and completed seven functional stations. Fun!
But… They are also a huge opportunity to gain precious minutes towards your goal as a station with a high variability in finishing times. Let’s dive into how to master the Wall Balls.
First off, let’s go over the rules (page 26). Follow these to complete the Wall Balls successfully and with no penalties.
It is your responsibility to select the correct ball for your division.
| Women | 100 reps with a 4kg ball |
| Pro Women | Men | 100 reps with a 6kg ball |
| Pro Men | 100 reps with a 9kg ball |
The start position is standing tall with knees and hips extended like in the image below. That means you must not pick up the ball and immediately throw it at the target.
- From there you squat down until your hips are lower than your knees (below parallel). Judges will be watching closely to make sure you adhere to this movement standard.
- Throw the ball up towards the target as you stand up. Each wall ball throw must hit the correct target for your division. For women that is the lower one (2.7 meters), and for men it is the higher one (3 meters). Each time you hit the target with correct form counts as 1 rep.
- After the ball touches the target you can either catch it on the way down and immediately begin the next rep by moving into a squat, or you can let the ball drop to the floor if you need a break. What you can’t do is let the ball bounce and then go straight into the next repetition.
- If there are digital targets the station is complete when you see 100 on the display. If there are no digital targets your judge will confirm when you have completed 100 reps.
- You can complete this station without shoes if you wish, but you must place them under the wall ball rig and carry them with you across the finish line.
- You can’t run under the wall ball rig to get to the Finisher stage. You must run around the wall ball rigs.
- If any of the requirements are not met you will record a no rep.
- If you leave the station before completing 100 reps you will not be called back. Instead you will receive a 15-second penalty for every rep you didn’t do.
- Squat depth boxes can be used by judges to assess whether you are squatting to the required depth. You cannot request them, they are only to be used at the judge’s discretion. You also can’t use them for resting!
Penalties
- No warnings are given. It’s either a rep or a no rep.
- Each missing rep will receive a 15-second penalty.
- A 2-minute penalty will be given to anyone using powdered chalk at this station.
What makes HYROX Wall Balls Hard?
Some skill required!
As with all HYROX workout stations the Wall Balls are a high-intensity movement. With the wall balls though, there is an added element of coordination and skill which isn’t really a feature at the other stations. If your throws aren’t accurate your reps will not count. Placed as they are at the end of the race, the Wall Balls therefore bring a test which you can’t just muscle your way through right when you are most-fatigued.
Cardio
If you’ve never done Wall Balls before, a good place to start is trying to do 100 bodyweight squats. For most people that will be quite a challenge and you will soon be out of breath. Then add in an explosive upwards throw, while maintaining correct form, for 100 reps and you have the Wall Balls station (not including the fatigue accumulated from running 8k and doing 7 other stations of course).
Fatigue
On that note, you will be tired by the time you get to this station. All that time pushing and pulling sleds, doing burpees and weighted lunges, not to mention the running… The Wall Balls are definitely a mental test. But, at least you know you can empty the tank here.
HYROX Wall Balls – Technique
Given the obvious physical and mental challenges of this station it is clearly very important to perform each rep as efficiently as possible. Let’s start by making sure you have a good squat.
- The squat
The first thing to consider is where you place your feet. For most people that will be slightly wider than your hips. You should experiment with what feels best for you though. Personally I find it easier to get the required depth with my feet directly under my hips, while you will see others with quite a wide stance.
- The Posture
One good thing about aiming for a target above you is that by keeping your eyes up, your chest will naturally stay ‘proud’. That is the posture you want to achieve. It’s especially important to consider this in the catching phase and when you squat back down. You don’t want to round your back and look down at the floor. If you find yourself doing this you may need to take a quick break to get your breath back before restarting with optimal form.
- The Catch
To help maintain good posture on the way down, try to catch the ball above your head as you descend into the squat. Doing this minimizes the time you spend holding the ball in the squat phase. If instead you catch the ball in a standing position then you will have to do a full weighted squat for your next rep.
As you move through the squat, bring the ball to just below your chin. If you hold it any lower your posture will be negatively affected.
- The Drive Phase
As your legs drive you back to a standing position push the ball upwards in the same motion. This means most of the movement is coming from the big leg muscles and will save your arms. 100 reps is a long time so try to relax your arms after the throw and avoid any flaring or unnecessary movement.
- The Positioning
You want to find a spot under the Wall Ball rig which is right for you. For me, I stand around 20 centimeters back from it so the ball is going almost straight up and straight down. Some people like to stand a bit further back but I find doing that forces me to reach forward to catch the ball and I lose my rhythm. Find what’s right for you.
- The Breathing
Again, this is very personal, but I like to get into a rhythm where I am taking two big inhales and exhales per rep. One at the top as I throw the ball, and one at the bottom just as I begin driving back to standing position.
- The Pacing
If you can go ‘unbroken’ and smash out 100 reps consecutively – congratulations! If that’s not you, then go in with a plan. Whether that’s two sets of 50 reps with a 10 second break in between, or a 40,30,20,10, it is helpful to break the Wall Balls into chunks.
One last tip. If you need to take a rest, drop the ball! You don’t need to waste any energy holding it.
Training
If you’re new to HYROX the first thing we’d recommend is getting your hands on a wall ball. Most gyms will have them in a variety of weights and it’s important to just get a feel for the movement required and to work out where to place your feet and how far you should stand from the target.
We recommend these Rogue Wall Balls, fantastic quality at a great price.
Next, it’s time to do some sets. When training we use a ball that is at least the weight that is required in our respective categories. Here are some sample sessions depending on the weight you choose:
Heavy EMOM
Get the heaviest ball you can manage with correct form and do 10 reps every minute until you get to 100 reps.
Unbroken PB
Pick the correct weight for your category and see how many reps you can do ‘unbroken’. If you can do 100 then the challenge is to do it for time.
Compromised
Once you are comfortable with the movement and can churn out a decent number of reps in one go, it’s time to emulate race day and do compromised workouts. That could mean adding wall balls at the end of a running session, or switching between an erg and the wall balls. One I like is:
1000m SkiErg and 20 wall balls
800m SkiErg and 40 wall balls
600m SkiErg and 60 wall balls
400m SkiErg and 80 wall balls
200m SkiErg and 100 wall balls
Thrusters
If you don’t have access to a wall ball or want to try something different, thrusters closely simulate the movement required. To do them, grab two dumbbells that you can comfortably shoulder press at least 10 times.
Go down into a deep squat position (below parallel) and then power up to a standing position. As you move upwards push the dumbbells up to the sky. Powering out of the bottom of the squat and doing the whole movement in one motion is the key.
Race Strategy
Don’t hold anything back at the Wall Balls. However you plan to pace yourself, by the last rep you should have just enough energy to stagger across the finish line and collapse into whichever brand of sports drink and energy bars they are handing out.
The Wall Balls is a high time variability station. Check out these two splits from 2025 World Champion Tim Wenisch in Stuttgart to see what we mean.
Here we have his performance in the SkiErg where he recorded the quickest time overall. To finish in the top 50% you needed to do this station in approximately 4:10, so he gained 30 seconds on an average racer here.
Now we have his performance in the Wall Balls. He recorded a time of 03:41 which was good for 7th overall at this station (and helped him win the race). To finish in the top 50% you needed to do around 06:35 or better. That means Tim was almost 3 minutes faster than the average racer at this station.
That is a significant difference. You can be a hero at the SkiErg and Row, but the impact of pushing hard at those stations is marginal compared to pushing hard at stations like the Wall Balls.
The Wall Balls are your chance to finish strong, safe in the knowledge that once the 100 reps are done, it’s time to relax and recover. As the great Colin McRae once said, “If in doubt, flat out”.
Conclusion
The Wall Ball station is a full-body workout, a test of coordination and skill under high-fatigue, and a serious mental test. Train hard with a focus on efficiency of movement and perfect technique and you will be ready.
