HYROX Sled Pull: Technique, Weights, and Rules (Station 3)
HYROX Stations · Station 3 of 8
The sled pull is the most technical station in HYROX. It is lighter than the sled push, yet most athletes take about two minutes longer to finish it. Two people of identical strength can be minutes apart here, and almost all of that gap is technique. That makes it the most trainable station on the course, and the one where smart preparation pays back fastest.
It is also where grip quietly decides your race. What you spend on the rope at station 3 is taken directly from your rowing at station 5 and your farmers carry at station 6. Very few athletes plan for that.
50 m total, in four lengths of 12.5 m. You must stay standing, inside your Racers Box, for the whole station.
The Station, Weights, and Rules
Station 3 comes straight after the sled push, so you arrive with the push already in your legs. You pull a weighted sled 50 m towards you using a rope, in four lengths of 12.5 m. Pull the sled fully past the line, then walk to the other end and pull it back. Four times.
The rules matter here more than anywhere else. Breaking a movement standard escalates through a penalty protocol.
- First infringement: a formal warning.
- Second infringement: a 15-second penalty.
- Each further infringement: another 15-second penalty.
This applies to both Singles and Doubles.
- You must remain standing. Pulling from a seated or kneeling position is not allowed. This is not CrossFit rope work.
- Stay inside the Racers Box. You must remain within the Racers Box at each end of the lane. You are not allowed to step on the solid line at the front or back of the box while holding the rope.
- Behind the line to start. Both you and the entire sled must be fully behind the start line.
- The sled must fully pass the 12.5 m mark before you change direction.
- Keep your rope in your lane. It must not interfere with the lane beside you.
| Singles Division | Weight (incl. sled) |
|---|---|
| Women Open | 78 kg |
| Men Open | 103 kg |
| Women Pro | 103 kg |
| Men Pro | 153 kg |
| Doubles Division | Weight (incl. sled) |
|---|---|
| Doubles Women | 78 kg |
| Doubles Women Pro, Men, Mixed | 103 kg |
| Doubles Men Pro | 153 kg |
Weights change by season, so confirm the current numbers on the official HYROX rulebook before race week.
- Only the working partner may handle the rope. The resting partner must stay behind the working partner and must not interfere with the lane or with other racers.
- Partners may switch at any time during a length.
- Clearing a tangled rope is the working partner's job.
Why Momentum Does Not Help You Here
This is the key difference from the sled push, and understanding it changes how you approach the station. On the push, keeping the sled rolling is everything, because restarting a still sled is expensive. On the pull, you cannot keep it rolling. You are limited by the rope in front of you and the small box behind you. So you pull, reset, and pull again. It is reps, not a continuous drive.
That is why the sled pull typically takes athletes around two minutes longer than the push, even though it is substantially lighter. Accept the rhythm rather than fighting it. Fewer, cleaner resets are faster than many rushed ones.
The Three Techniques, and Which to Pick
Every pull starts the same way. Take the rope and pull until every bit of slack is gone. Race ropes have some stretch, so an early hard pull on a slack rope wastes force and can throw you off balance. Then set up like a deadlift: feet under your hips, neutral spine, chest proud, tension through the legs and glutes.
- Feet planted, lean your body weight back, and pull the rope hand over hand.
- Works only if you are strong relative to your division's weight. Most athletes cannot hold it for the full 50 m.
- Keep the pulls short and choppy, never long sweeping hauls. Long pulls let the rope go slack and waste energy.
- Feet planted, hands on the rope, drive the sled towards you with a strong hip extension while the arms hold position.
- Uses the posterior chain rather than the biceps, which is where your real power lives.
- Grab the rope with straight arms, lean back against the load, brace the core, and walk backwards, dragging the sled with you.
- At the back of the box, feed the rope to one side, walk to the front, and repeat.
- Less explosive, but by far the most energy efficient. For most athletes this is the right choice.
Rope and Box Management
This is the skill nobody trains, and it costs real time. As you pull, the rope piles up behind you inside the Racers Box. That space shrinks with every pull. Feed the rope deliberately to one side as it comes in, so you are not standing on it or tripping over a coil on your next step back. Remember you cannot step on the solid line at the front or back of the box while holding the rope.
Also watch the dead time. Between pulls, and while walking to the other end of your lane, the sled is not moving. Some rest is fine, but seconds leak away here faster than anywhere else on the course. Practise the resets, not just the pulls.
Grip: The Shared Budget
Most athletes do not fail the sled pull because they lack strength. They fail because their grip gives out. The hand over hand motion is punishing on the forearms and finger flexors, and by station 3 those muscles have already worked through the SkiErg and the sled push.
Then it compounds. The rowing at station 5 and the farmers carry at station 6 both tax the same grip on tired hands. Think of grip as a single budget for the whole race, not a fresh resource at each station. Choosing the walk back technique over hand over hand is partly a grip decision, and a wise one.
Average Sled Pull Times
| Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Elite | 3:00 to 3:20 | 3:30 to 4:00 |
| Advanced | 3:30 to 4:30 | 4:00 to 4:45 |
| Intermediate | 4:30 to 5:30 | 5:00 to 6:00 |
| Beginner | over 6:00 | over 6:00 |
Look at that spread. It is enormous. On the rowing machine almost everyone finishes within ninety seconds of each other. Here, the difference between a well-drilled athlete and an unprepared one can be several minutes. This is where technique buys you places.
How to Train It in an Indian Gym
Few gyms in India have a competition sled and rope. You can still build every quality the station demands, and improvise the movement itself.
- Build the setup: tie a knot in a thick rope, loop it over the sled, secure it with a plate on top.
- Technique first: light weight, perfect the walk back and the hip drive. Then add load.
- Add resistance: place a sandbag in front of the sled to increase friction and mimic race carpet.
- Train it fatigued: pull after a 1 km run and a sled push. Pulling fresh teaches you almost nothing about race day.
- Backwards manual treadmill walk. Turn the treadmill off and walk backwards, driving the belt. Close to the real feel and available in most Indian gyms.
- Tyre drags. Tie a rope around a tyre, add plates on top, pull it towards you. Cheap and effective.
- Seated cable rows and heavy horizontal rows. The exact pulling pattern.
- Straight-arm and wide-grip lat pulldowns. Lat strength and endurance for the pull.
- Dead hangs and heavy farmers walks. The single best grip work, and it doubles as station 6 training.
- Battle rope pulls. If your gym has a rope anchored low, drag a weighted object towards you hand over hand.
The Top Mistakes
Pulling with the arms alone, which burns out small muscles and ignores the legs. Starting the pull on a slack rope, which wastes the effort on stretching the rope rather than moving the sled. Long sweeping pulls instead of short, controlled ones. Rounding the back or standing too upright, which kills your force. Letting the rope coil under your feet inside a shrinking box. Drifting through the resets and the walk to the other end. And the most costly of all, training the pull only when fresh, then meeting it on race day with two kilometres and a sled push already in your legs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How heavy is the HYROX sled pull?
Including the sled: 78 kg for Women Open and Doubles Women, 103 kg for Men Open, Women Pro, Doubles Women Pro, Doubles Men and Doubles Mixed, and 153 kg for Men Pro and Doubles Men Pro. It is lighter than the sled push, since pulling is a mechanically weaker position than pushing with full leg drive.
What is the penalty on the HYROX sled pull?
A first infringement brings a formal warning. A second infringement brings a 15-second penalty. Each further infringement adds another 15-second penalty. This applies to both Singles and Doubles.
Can both partners handle the rope in Doubles?
No. Only the working partner may handle the rope. The resting partner must stay behind the working partner and must not interfere with the lane or with other racers. Partners may switch at any time during a length.
Can you sit down during the HYROX sled pull?
No. HYROX rules require you to remain standing throughout. Pulling from a seated or kneeling position is not allowed. You must also stay within the Racers Box at each end of the lane, and you cannot step on the solid line at the front or back of the box while holding the rope.
What is the best HYROX sled pull technique?
For most athletes, the walk back. Grab the rope with straight arms, lean back against the load, brace your core, and walk backwards. The fastest version is a hybrid: an explosive hip drive to break the sled's inertia, then walk back while it is moving. Arm-only pulling is the least efficient option.
Why does the sled pull take longer than the sled push?
Because momentum does not help you. On the push you keep the sled rolling. On the pull you are limited by the rope and a small box, so you pull, reset, and pull again. It becomes reps rather than a continuous drive, and most athletes take around two minutes longer despite the lighter weight.
How do I train the sled pull without a sled?
Walk backwards on a switched-off treadmill, drag a weighted tyre with a rope, and build the pulling pattern with seated cable rows, heavy rows, and lat pulldowns. Add dead hangs and farmers walks for grip, which also prepares you for station 6.
How do I stop my grip failing on the sled pull?
Choose the walk back technique over hand over hand, since it loads the legs rather than the forearms. Train dead hangs and heavy carries. Remember that grip is a shared budget across the race, and the rowing and farmers carry later will need what you leave behind here.
Why does the sled feel heavier than the listed weight?
The competition carpet adds substantial resistance compared with normal gym flooring. Expect it to feel heavier than the number suggests. Many coaches add around 35 kg in training to approximate the race feel, though this varies with your rope, sled, and floor.
About the Coach
Niraj Kumar Borah
Founder and head coach of Fitness Bootcamp, a premium residential health transformation program based in Rishikesh. Since 2020 he has guided more than 4,600 guests through structured, fully supported transformations.
He is a HYROX Academy Level 1 certified coach, a Precision Nutrition and Bioforce Conditioning coach, and a VDOT certified running coach. He races HYROX himself. At HYROX Bengaluru 2026 he placed 25th in the 35 to 39 age group, finishing the Doubles in 1:24:59, so the coaching here comes from racing the stations, not just reading about them.
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Message the team on WhatsAppThis is general training guidance for healthy adults. Heavy sled work places real load on the back and shoulders. If you have a health condition or an injury, speak with your doctor before starting a new training plan.
