Hyrox wall balls: how to get through 100 reps

Wall balls come last. You have run 7 km and done 7 stations. Now you have to squat and throw a ball 100 times.

It is not heavy. It is long. People who hit the wall here did not lose strength. They lost rhythm and breath. The good news is you can train both.

The basics of the station

You hold the ball at your chest. You squat down, stand up and throw the ball at a target on the wall. You catch it and go straight into the next squat. You do 100 valid reps.

The ball weight and the target height depend on your category. The target is lower in the women's categories than in the men's. The weights and standards guide lists both for every category, so check yours.

A rep only counts if you squat to the right depth and the ball hits the target. Short squats and low throws do not count, and a rep that does not count is wasted energy. Learn the standard and train to it.

Technique in four steps

1. Hold it high. Keep the ball at your chest, elbows in front. A ball that hangs low makes the throw harder.
2. Squat deep. Go below parallel every rep, even when you are tired. Shallow reps are the first thing to creep in.
3. Drive up and throw as one move. Stand fast and let your legs throw the ball. Your arms only guide it. If you throw with your arms, they will give out first.
4. Catch it and go. Catch the ball on the way down, absorb it into the squat, and reset your elbows.

Aim at a spot a little above the line, not right at it. A bit of margin saves you from no reps when you are tired.

Breathing

Breathe on every rep. Do not hold your breath. A simple pattern: breathe in as you go down, breathe out as you throw.

When you are tired, your breathing falls out of rhythm before your legs do. Slow down for one rep, get the breath back, then carry on.

Break it up before you have to

Do not try to do 100 in one go. Plan your sets. A common approach is to start with sets of 15 to 20 reps and take a short pause between each. As you tire, shorten the sets.

Short rests early beat long rests late. A 5 second pause when you feel fine is worth more than a 20 second collapse at rep 70. Decide your plan in training, then use it.

How to train wall balls

• Sets of 15 to 20. Do 5 sets with 45 to 60 seconds of rest. Build up from there.
• After a run. Run 1 km easy, then do a set of 20. That is what the race feels like.
• Build total reps. Over a few weeks, add reps to each set or cut the rest, not both at once.
• Practise at your race height. A lower target teaches bad habits. Mark the right height if you can.

No wall ball rig? Use a swap

Many gyms have no target wall and no medicine ball. You can still train the pattern:

• Dumbbell thrusters. Hold a dumbbell at your chest, squat deep, and press as you stand. Five sets of 15.
• Goblet squat to press. Same idea with a kettlebell.
• Plate squat to reach. A light plate at your chest, a deep squat and a reach up.
• Squat to reach. No kit at all. Five sets of 20 with a tall finish.

The gym substitute finder picks the best one for the kit you tick, with sets and reps.

Common mistakes

• Going too fast in the first 30 reps and paying for it after.
• Squatting too shallow when tired and getting no reps.
• Throwing with the arms instead of the legs.
• Holding your breath.
• Never training wall balls on tired legs.

Questions people ask

How many wall balls should I do in a training session?

Start with 5 sets of 15 to 20 and build slowly. Clean reps at the right depth and height matter more than a big total.

Why do I keep getting no reps?

Usually the squat is too shallow or the ball misses the target. Squat deep every time and aim slightly above the line.

Does the ball weight change by category?

Yes, and so does the target height. The weights and standards guide lists both for every category.

How do I stop my arms burning out?

Throw with your legs. Drive up fast from the bottom of the squat and let the ball float to the target.