Sled pull alternative: how to train the Hyrox sled pull in any gym

The best sled pull alternative is a rope tied to something heavy that drags along the floor, pulled hand over hand while you sit back into your hips and lean away from it. That covers the three things the Hyrox sled pull actually asks for: grip, upper back and a strong hip position, all working together for a couple of minutes. A seated cable row covers one of them. A bicep curl covers none.

Most commercial gyms have no sled, fewer have a rope, and almost no home gym has either, so this is a real problem for anyone racing Hyrox. Below: what the sled pull demands, the alternatives that transfer in a gym and at home, what to pair them with, and sample sessions. If you'd rather have a plan built around the equipment you actually own, that's an app built for Hyrox prep.

What a sled pull alternative needs to train

Start with the station itself. Under section 8.3 of the 26/27 singles rulebook, the sled pull is 50 m in four lengths of 12.5 m. The sled weighs 78 kg for Women Open, 103 kg for Men Open and Women Pro, and 153 kg for Men Pro, all including the sled. You stand inside a marked Racers Box, pull the sled toward you with a rope until the whole sled passes the 12.5 m mark, then move to the other end and pull it back. You must stay standing, and you can't step on the front or back line of the box while you're holding the rope.

That breaks down into four qualities:

1. ›Grip endurance, because your hands are on a rope for the whole station.
2. ›Upper back and lats, for the hand-over-hand pull.
3. ›A strong hip hinge and legs, because the efficient technique is sitting back and leaning away, so your bodyweight and legs move the sled.
4. ›Duration. In the first published Hyrox study, recreational athletes in a simulated race took a median of 155 seconds on the sled pull. That's not a max-effort single. It's a grind.

A good alternative covers at least two of these. A good week covers all four, which is the point of this Hyrox training program: strength early, station-specific work later, running throughout. For where the pull sits in the race, start with the 8 Hyrox stations in order: it's station three, straight after the sled push, so your legs arrive already loaded.

The best sled pull alternatives in a gym

1. Rope drag

Tie a thick rope or a strong strap to a heavy object that slides: stacked bumper plates on turf, or plates on a towel on a smooth floor. Stand at the other end, set up in a half-squat, and pull it to you hand over hand. Then walk back and do it again.

It's the closest thing to the real station you'll get without a sled. Same grip, same pull, same lean, and friction fights back just like a sled does. Add plates to load it, and ask your gym before dragging iron across their floor.

2. A sled without a rope

Plenty of gyms have a sled or prowler but no rope. Bring your own: a climbing-style rope or a heavy-duty strap tied to the sled's frame turns a pushing sled into a pulling one. Check the attachment before you load it. If you also need a substitute for the push, a sled push alternative built on plate pushes covers that half.

3. Rope trainer or rope pull machine

Some gyms have an endless-rope machine you pull hand over hand against adjustable resistance. It's excellent for the grip and the arm pattern and lets you train for time. It doesn't move you back in a box or teach you to manage slack rope, so pair it with something that loads the hips.

4. Backward sled or harness drag

Walking backward while dragging a sled by its handles, or walking forward with a harness, trains the leg drive and the grind. It isn't a rope pull, but it builds the legs that make the rope pull easier. Short, heavy, controlled.

5. Heavy rows and hinges

These don't copy the station, but they build the strength under it:

• ›Barbell or dumbbell rows for the upper back.
• ›Seated cable rows with a rope attachment for back and grip together.
• ›Romanian deadlifts and deadlifts for the hinge, done without straps for grip.

Do them heavy earlier in a block, when strength is the priority.

6. Grip builders

• ›Rope or towel hangs from a pull-up bar.
• ›Heavy carries: farmers carries double as practice for the kettlebell station later in the race.
• ›Pull-ups and chin-ups. If you can't do them yet, chin-up alternatives like band-assisted reps, slow lowering and inverted rows build toward them.

Sled pull alternatives at home

At home the loads are lighter, so the emphasis shifts to grip, pattern and volume.

The towel rope drag is the most underrated option: cheap, adjustable, and genuinely sled-shaped. Protect your floor, clear the path, and keep your feet out of the rope.

What a sled pull alternative can't teach

No substitute fully copies the real thing, and three skills especially need a real sled:

• ›Staying in the box. The rulebook doesn't let you step on the front or back line while holding the rope, and the most common infringement is stepping back too far while leaning hard. Mark a box with tape during rope drags and practice working inside it.
• ›Managing the rope. On a 12.5 m pull, a lot of rope ends up at your feet. Practicing with a real length of rope teaches you to let it fall to the side.
• ›How the sled responds. Floor surface changes how heavy a sled feels. Try to get on a real sled a few times before race day.

The station's rules and technique are in sled pull hyrox explained properly, including the infringements that collect 15-second penalties.

How to build sessions from sled pull alternatives

Combine one strength option with one pull option, then add running.

Strength day (early in a block):

Race-specific day (later in a block):

The push-then-pull pairing matters, because that's how the race delivers it. Practice pulling on legs that just pushed.

Where it fits in the week

Sled pull work loads your back and grip. Keep heavy versions away from the day before a heavy deadlift session, and away from the day before your hardest run if you've been pushing too. Rope drags pair well with an erg day or an upper-body day.

Alternatives for the other stations

The same logic, keep the pattern and swap the equipment, works for every station with special kit:

• ›Wall balls: thrusters or a goblet squat to press, in sets building toward 100 reps. A good wall ball alternative keeps the squat depth and the rhythm.
• ›Sled push: heavy plate pushes plus split squats. The station's standard and technique are in hyrox sled push explained.
• ›SkiErg: banded or cable straight-arm pulldowns with a hip hinge, or more rowing. A SkiErg alternative keeps the pulling pattern and the pacing, even without the machine.

How exrsz handles training without a sled

exrsz builds a periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, so if you tell it you have no sled or rope, the plan uses what you do have. Strength, grip work and running sit in one plan, it adapts each week to how you trained, and it reshuffles missed sessions.

FAQ

What is the best sled pull alternative?

A rope drag: a rope tied to heavy plates sliding on turf or a towel, pulled hand over hand while you sit back and lean away. It trains grip, upper back and hips together, like the real station.

What is a good sled pull alternative at home?

A loaded box or bag on a towel, dragged across a hard floor with a rope, plus banded hand-over-hand pulls, towel hangs and backpack Romanian deadlifts.

Can you train for the Hyrox sled pull without a sled?

Yes. Build grip, back and hinge strength, practice the hand-over-hand pull with a rope drag, and try to get on a real sled a few times before race day.

How heavy is the Hyrox sled pull?

Under the 26/27 singles rulebook, it's 78 kg for Women Open, 103 kg for Men Open and Women Pro, and 153 kg for Men Pro, including the sled.

Is a seated cable row a good sled pull alternative?

It builds back strength, which helps, but it doesn't train the standing lean, the hand-over-hand grip or the duration. Use it alongside a rope drag, not instead of one.