HYROX® wall balls: set strategy, breathing and training

How heavy are the wall balls and how high is the target?

Every division does 100 repetitions. The ball weighs 4 kg for Open women, 6 kg for Open men and Pro women, and 9 kg for Pro men. The target is 2.7 m for women and 3 m for men. The table shows the values Tuffr uses, which match the organiser's 2026/27 rulebook as we compared them on 6 November 2026.

What counts as a good wall ball repetition?

A repetition is a full squat followed by a throw with both hands that hits the target. You start each repetition standing tall with the ball in your hands, and your hips must go lower than your knees at the bottom. This summary is in our own words.

• Start: stand tall with hips and knees extended and the ball in both hands. You may not scoop the ball off the floor and throw it straight away.
• Depth: at the bottom of the squat your hips go lower than your knees. A judge can use a depth box to check this, and you may not rest on it.
• Throw: both hands, and the ball must hit the target for your division, not the wrong one.
• After the hit: you can catch the ball and go again, or let it bounce and pick it up. You may not catch it after a bounce and continue straight into the next repetition. Stand tall first.
• Digital targets: if a screen shows rep counts and no-reps, it is a visual aid. The physical target and the judge decide whether a repetition counts.

There are no warnings at this station: a repetition is either valid or a no-rep. In the current 2026/27 Singles rulebook you must finish all 100 valid repetitions, and leaving the station early is a disqualification. An earlier version of the same season's rulebook allowed a minimum of 80 with time penalties, so check the version for your race. The guide to rules and penalties covers every station.

Should I do wall balls unbroken or in sets?

For most athletes planned sets beat an attempt at 100 unbroken, because a forced stop at repetition 62 costs more than a planned pause at 20. Our recommendation is sets of 10 to 25 with pauses of 3 to 5 seconds, set in training and kept on the day.

Wall balls come last, straight after the sandbag lunges, so your legs arrive tired. Choose your set size on tired legs, not on fresh ones. Pause standing tall with the ball in your hands, which is also your start position.

• Break before you fail. A pause at the first sign of slowing is shorter than one after a missed target.
• Count in blocks. A screen helps, but keep your own count so you never do more than the judge needs.
• Move the break, not the plan. If your legs fade, shorten the sets instead of stopping for a long pause.
• Save a few repetitions for the finish. If you have anything left in the last 20, go straight through to 100.

How do I breathe during wall balls?

Breathe out as you throw and in as you lower into the squat or catch the ball. A rhythm of one breath per repetition keeps the squat and throw smooth and stops you holding your breath under load. This is our coaching suggestion, not a rule of the sport.

• Exhale through the throw. A short, forceful breath out helps the legs drive and the arms release.
• Inhale as you catch and sink. Let the ball's weight pull you into the squat while you breathe in.
• Use the pauses between sets for two slow, deep breaths. Do not stand with your hands on your knees, which breaks the start position.
• Keep your shoulders and jaw relaxed. A tight upper body makes the throw feel heavier and slows the catch.

What technique saves energy on wall balls?

Use your legs for the throw and your arms only to guide the ball. The steps below are our suggestion. Keep the ball close to your chest in the squat, drive up through your whole foot, and release when your legs are almost straight. The aim is to spend the same effort on repetition 100 as on repetition 10.

1. Stand about shoulder-width apart, 15 to 30 cm from the wall if the rig allows, with the ball at chest height.
2. Squat until your hips are clearly lower than your knees, with your chest up and the ball close.
3. Drive up hard through your heels and mid-foot. Let the momentum carry the ball up.
4. Release both hands when your legs are nearly straight, aiming at the middle of the target.
5. Catch the ball low and absorb it into the next squat, so the catch is part of the descent.

Check the depth every few sets in training, and ask a partner or film yourself. Shallow repetitions feel easier but turn into no-reps on the day. Take advice on the stance from a coach if you have back or knee pain.

How much should I train wall balls?

One or two sessions a week of 100 to 150 wall balls in sets is enough for most athletes. Build from 60 to 100 repetitions with a light ball to the full 100 at race weight in the last three weeks. This is our recommendation, not a published standard.

Wall balls respond to leg strength, so keep strength training in the week. For the order of runs and stations, see compromised running, and for how every station fits together, see stations and weights.

What can I use instead of a wall-ball target?

Any flat wall and a strip of tape will do. Measure 2.7 m or 3 m from the floor, mark the line, and aim the ball at it. If you have no wall, a thruster with a dumbbell or a goblet squat to an overhead press builds the same pattern. The fitness race time calculator can show you what a slower station costs.

• Wall and tape: mark the target height and a stripe the width of the ball. Check the height with a measuring tape, not by eye.
• Soft medicine ball against a wall: a soft ball is kinder to the wall and hands. Use the weight for your division when you can.
• Dumbbell thrusters: hold one dumbbell at your chest, squat below parallel and press overhead. Use it for volume when no wall is free.
• Goblet squat to press: the same idea with a lighter load, good for learning depth.

Whatever you use, finish the set standing tall and keep the pause position the same. Try the fitness race time calculator to estimate how a faster final station changes your total.