ErgBeginner

Rowing (Concept2)

The Concept2 rower delivers Hyrox station 5, a 1,000 m row sandwiched between burpee broad jumps and farmer's carries that decides the back half of your race.

GIF · Demo Rowing (Concept2)

What is the rowing (concept2)?

Rowing is a sequenced full-body pull: legs drive first, back opens, arms finish, then the same chain unwinds on the recovery. In Hyrox it's 1,000 m on a Concept2 RowErg, station 5 of 8. Athletes arrive with legs cooked from burpee broad jumps and need to row efficiently without spiking the heart rate before the farmer's carry. The key metric is the split (time per 500 m), held steady while staying relaxed on the recovery to recover.

How to do the rowing (concept2)

Catch position

Shins vertical, knees bent fully, arms straight, back at a slight forward lean (around 1 o'clock). Heels can lift. Grip the handle loose, not crushed.

Legs first

Push the floor away. Hands and back stay still until the legs are nearly straight. This is where 70% of the power lives. Quiet upper body, explosive legs.

Back swings, arms pull

Once the legs are extended, hinge the back from 1 to 11 o'clock, then bend the elbows to pull the handle to the lower ribs. Order matters: legs, back, arms.

Reverse the sequence

Arms straighten, back hinges forward, then knees bend to slide back to the catch. The recovery is half the stroke, slow it down to breathe and stay efficient.

Coach tip

Stop chasing stroke rate. Pull harder on each stroke at 24-26 spm rather than spinning at 32+. Lower rate, bigger pulls, lower heart rate at the same split. That's free time.

Common mistakes

Arms before legs. Pulling early kills power and burns the biceps. Legs finish their drive before the arms move.
Rushing the recovery. Sliding back fast tanks your heart rate. Drive fast, return slow, ratio around 1:2.
Hunched lower back. Loss of bracing under load. Keep a long spine and hinge from the hips, not the lumbar.
Death-gripping the handle. Crushes the forearms before 500 m. Grip with the fingers, not the palm; relax on the recovery.

Hyrox standards

Official Hyrox standards by division. Always confirm the current weights on the official Hyrox site before a race.

Division	Distance	Men	Women
Open	1,000 m	Damper free	Damper free
Pro	1,000 m	Damper free	Damper free
Doubles / Relay	1,000 m	Damper free	Damper free

Variations & progressions

Easier

500 m steady-state intervals

Row 5 × 500 m at conversational pace with 1 minute rest. Build aerobic base and grooved technique before pushing splits.

Harder

2,000 m time trial

All-out 2 km row. The benchmark erg test: scores under 6:50 (M) / 7:50 (W) correlate with strong Hyrox times.

No rower?

KB swings + bent-over rows

Pair heavy kettlebell swings with barbell bent-over rows for the hip-hinge plus pull pattern. Add intervals on a bike erg for aerobic load.

How to program it

Three protocols by goal. Pick one per cycle and aim for progression on load or distance.

Goal	Sets × Distance	Load	Rest
Technique	8 × 250 m at race pace +5 s	Damper 5	60 s
Aerobic capacity	4 × 1,000 m	Damper 5-6	2:30
Race simulation	10 burpee broad jumps → 1,000 m row → 200 m carry	Race damper	As in race

Log every rep

Add the rowing (concept2) to your ZON program

Track load, distance and progression in one timeline.

Download ZON →

Rowing (Concept2) FAQ

What damper setting should I use?

Damper 4-6 for almost everyone. Higher feels powerful but spikes the heart rate and burns the legs early. Watch the drag factor (under settings), aim for 120-135 for Hyrox. That gives racing feel without the cost.

How do I pace 1,000 m in a race?

Open with the first 100 m around 5 s slower than target split to settle in. Hold target through 800 m. Push the last 200 m only if you've banked breath. Most age-groupers aim for a 1:55-2:05 / 500 m split (men) or 2:05-2:15 (women).

Why does my back hurt after rowing?

Almost always the catch position. Rounding the lumbar under load and yanking with the arms shears the lower back. Lock in a neutral spine, hinge from the hips, and drive with the legs. If it persists, drop intensity for a week and groove technique.