HYROX Rowing Test: How to Calculate VO₂max Power and Training Zones

In HYROX, the row is one of the key stations where seconds can be won or lost. Having a clear understanding of your HYROX rowing pace, threshold power, and VO₂max output gives you a huge advantage when it comes to pacing and building specific fitness. But again, most athletes don’t have access to a physiology lab.

That’s why we built the ENDUROX Rowing Zones Calculator. With just a 5-minute rowing test, you can estimate your VO₂max power, set accurate rowing training zones, and target intensities that directly improve your HYROX performance.

Why the 5-Minute Rowing Test?

Unlike a 2 km row (common in CrossFit), the 5-minute time trial is better for hybrid athletes because it captures both aerobic capacity and sustainable power — critical for HYROX where you row 1 km under fatigue. It provides a reliable marker for your VO₂max pace while also linking back to your threshold zones.

Protocol: How to Complete the HYROX Rowing Test

1. Warm-up (15–20 minutes)
   • Start easy for the first 8–10 minutes, gradually building intensity.
   • Add 4–6 × 20 sec openers at higher stroke rate (with 40–50 sec light rowing between) to prime your muscles.
2. 5-Minute Time Trial
   • Row as hard as you can sustain for the full 5 minutes.
   • Focus on consistent stroke rate and power output — don’t sprint out of the gate.
   • Record your average pace per 500 m (the rowing machine will display this).
3. Cool-down (5–10 minutes)
   • Light rowing or easy movement to flush the legs.

Your key performance measure is the average 500 m split from the 5-minute effort. We recommend hat you set up the test as a 5 min time trial in the Erg PM5 monitor.

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Using the ENDUROX Rowing Calculator

Once you have your result, enter it into the ENDUROX Rowing Zones Calculator. The tool automatically converts your average split into training zones:

• Recovery (L1)
• Endurance (L2)
• Tempo (L3)
• Threshold (L4)
• VO₂max (L5)
• Speed/Anaerobic Capacity (L6)

These zones allow you to build structured HYROX training sessions — from long endurance rows to threshold intervals, and even compromised rowing workouts paired with burpees, wall balls, or sled pushes.

Why VO₂max and Threshold Power Matter for HYROX

Your VO₂max rowing power tells you how much aerobic capacity you can generate. Your threshold zone sets the line between sustainable and unsustainable efforts. Both are essential for pacing the 1 km row in HYROX: go too hard and you blow up for the run, go too easy and you leave free time on the table.

By testing and training with the ENDUROX Rowing Calculator, you’ll know exactly where your limits are — and how to push them higher.

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