Salus House · Strength
4-Week Strength Progression.
Leg press, hack squat, hip thrust, close grip pulldown and dumbbell bench, plus accessory supersets, with notes on how each lift carries over to Hyrox. Weeks 1 to 3 add load and lower the reps. Week 4 is a lighter deload week so you recover and come back stronger.
- Effort (RPE) is how hard a set feels out of 10. RPE 7 means you could have done 3 more reps. RPE 8 means 2 more. RPE 6 means 4 more.
- Week 1: pick a weight that matches the effort target, not your ego. Write it down.
- Weeks 2 and 3: add weight when you hit every rep with good form and the effort feels at or below target. Add 2.5 kg (upper body) or 5 kg (lower body). For dumbbell bench, add 1 to 2 kg per dumbbell. If it feels harder than target, keep the same weight.
- Week 4: drop to roughly 80% of your Week 3 weight. Move fast and clean.
- Warm up with 2 to 3 lighter sets before the first working set of each lift.
- Train each lift once or twice a week with at least 48 hours between sessions for the same muscles.
Leg press
Feet shoulder-width, mid-platform. Lower under control until knees are around 90 degrees, without your lower back peeling off the pad.
Hyrox benefit: builds the leg drive you need to push the sled, and the quad strength that keeps your pace up through eight 1 km runs and the sandbag lunges.
| Week | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 10 | RPE 7 | 2 min | 3 sec lowering, find your base weight |
| Week 2 | 4 × 8 | RPE 7.5 | 2 to 3 min | Add 5 kg, same tempo |
| Week 3 | 4 × 6 | RPE 8 | 3 min | Add 5 to 10 kg, drive hard through heels |
| Week 4 | 3 × 8 | RPE 6 | 2 min | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Hack squat
Feet low and shoulder-width for more quad work. Go as deep as you can with heels flat and control the bottom.
Hyrox benefit: strong, deep-range quads help you hold a low sled push position, recover from sandbag lunges and keep wall ball squats smooth when you are fatigued.
| Week | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 8 | RPE 7 | 2 min | 3 sec lowering, full depth |
| Week 2 | 4 × 6 | RPE 7.5 | 2 to 3 min | Add 5 kg, 1 sec pause at the bottom |
| Week 3 | 5 × 5 | RPE 8 | 3 min | Add 5 kg, keep the pause |
| Week 4 | 3 × 6 | RPE 6 | 2 min | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Hip thrust
Upper back on the bench, shins vertical at the top. Squeeze the glutes hard and pause at the top of every rep without arching your lower back.
Hyrox benefit: stronger glutes mean more power through the sled push and pull, a more explosive burpee broad jump, and less fading in your running stride late in the race.
| Week | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 10 | RPE 7 | 90 sec | 1 sec squeeze at the top |
| Week 2 | 4 × 8 | RPE 7.5 | 2 min | Add 5 to 10 kg, 2 sec squeeze |
| Week 3 | 4 × 6 | RPE 8 | 2 to 3 min | Add 10 kg, 2 sec squeeze |
| Week 4 | 3 × 8 | RPE 6 | 90 sec | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Close grip pulldown
Use a close neutral-grip handle, lead with the elbows and pull to your upper chest with a steady torso. Control the handle back up until your arms are fully stretched.
Hyrox benefit: builds the pulling strength behind the SkiErg and rowing stations, and helps you drag the sled on the pull without your grip and back giving out.
| Week | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 10 | RPE 7 | 90 sec | 2 sec on the way up, no swinging |
| Week 2 | 4 × 8 | RPE 7.5 | 2 min | Add 2.5 kg, same tempo |
| Week 3 | 4 × 6 to 8 | RPE 8 | 2 min | Add 2.5 to 5 kg, stay strict |
| Week 4 | 3 × 8 | RPE 6 | 90 sec | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Dumbbell bench
Shoulder blades pinched back and down, feet planted, dumbbells lowering to chest level with wrists stacked over elbows. Weights below are per dumbbell. Ask for a hand getting the heavier pairs into position.
Hyrox benefit: builds pressing strength and shoulder stability for the sled push, burpee press-ups and wall balls, and each arm works on its own so one side cannot cover for the other.
| Week | Sets × reps | Effort | Rest | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 8 | RPE 7 | 2 min | 2 sec lowering, press both dumbbells evenly |
| Week 2 | 4 × 6 | RPE 7.5 | 2 to 3 min | Add 1 to 2 kg per dumbbell |
| Week 3 | 5 × 5 | RPE 8 | 3 min | Add 1 to 2 kg per dumbbell, stay tight through the set |
| Week 4 | 3 × 5 | RPE 6 | 2 min | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Accessory supersets
Do these after your main lifts. Each pair is a superset: do the first exercise, move straight to the second, then rest and repeat. All pairs follow the same weekly progression.
| Week | Rounds × reps | Effort | Rest per pair | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 3 × 12 | RPE 7 | 60 to 90 sec | Find your weights, smooth tempo |
| Week 2 | 3 × 12 | RPE 7.5 | 60 to 90 sec | Add a small amount of weight |
| Week 3 | 4 × 10 | RPE 8 | 90 sec | Add weight again, extra round |
| Week 4 | 2 × 12 | RPE 6 | 60 sec | Deload: about 80% of Week 3 weight |
Superset A: legs and hips (after leg press or hack squat)
| Exercise | Reps | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| A1. Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat | Each leg | Back foot on a bench, torso tall, lower under control |
| A2. Single leg RDL | Each leg | Dumbbell in the opposite hand, hinge at the hips with a soft knee, back leg long, squeeze the glute to stand |
Hyrox benefit: the split squat builds single-leg strength for the sandbag lunges and your running stride, and the single leg RDL strengthens the hamstrings, glutes and balance you rely on for running and for driving the sled.
Superset B: back and shoulders (after pulldown or dumbbell bench)
| Exercise | Reps | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| B1. Single-arm cable row | Each arm | Elbow to your hip, no twisting through the torso |
| B2. Dumbbell shoulder press | Full reps | Seated or standing, ribs down, press straight overhead |
Hyrox benefit: the row backs up the rowing and sled pull stations, and the press builds the overhead strength for the wall balls.
Superset C: core (any session)
| Exercise | Reps | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| C1. Weighted cable abdominal crunch | Full reps | Kneel, hips still, curl your ribs towards your pelvis |
| C2. Cable Pallof press | Each side | Press straight out and resist the cable pulling you round |
Hyrox benefit: the crunch builds strength for burpee broad jumps and the SkiErg, and the Pallof press keeps your torso steady under load in the sled work, carries and running.
Superset D: grip and carry (finisher)
| Exercise | Reps | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| D1. Dumbbell farmer's carry | 30 to 40 m | Heavy pair, tall posture, short fast steps |
| D2. Cable face pull | Full reps | Pull to eye level, elbows high, squeeze the upper back |
Hyrox benefit: the carry trains the grip and posture for the farmers carry station, and the face pull keeps your shoulders healthy through all the pulling work.
After Week 4
Start again at Week 1 using your Week 3 weights as the new baseline. Pick a Week 1 weight about 5% above where you started last time and work through the cycle again.
If a lift stalls for two weeks in a row, or anything hurts rather than burns, drop the weight and check your form before pushing on.