HYROX Wall Balls: Weights, Target Heights, 100-Rep Standards and Pacing

Wall balls are station 8, the last thing between you and the finish line: 100 reps of a full-depth squat into a two-handed throw that hits a target 2.70 m or 3.00 m up the rig. There is no run afterwards, which means there is no reason to hold anything back, and also that this is where races are won and lost on no-reps. The time spread between elite and mid-pack is the largest of any station, about three minutes, and most of it is rest and failed reps.

Independent guide; not affiliated with HYROX, DEKA or Spartan.

Wall ball weights and target heights by division (Season 26/27)

Division	Reps	Ball	Target height
Women Open	100	4 kg / 9 lb (white)	2.70 m (about 9 ft)
Women Pro	100	6 kg / 13 lb (grey)	2.70 m
Men Open	100	6 kg / 13 lb (grey)	3.00 m (about 10 ft)
Men Pro	100	9 kg / 20 lb (black)	3.00 m
Doubles Women	100 shared	4 kg	2.70 m
Doubles Women Pro	100 shared	6 kg	2.70 m
Doubles Men	100 shared	6 kg	3.00 m
Doubles Men Pro	100 shared	9 kg	3.00 m
Doubles Mixed	100 shared	6 kg	2.70 m women, 3.00 m men
Relay Women / Men	100	4 kg / 6 kg	2.70 m / 3.00 m
Relay Mixed	100	4 kg women, 6 kg men	2.70 m women, 3.00 m men

Loads and heights are unchanged from Season 25/26. Note that Women Pro throws the same 6 kg ball as Men Open but to the lower target. All stations by division are in the weights lookup.

Movement standards

• Start standing tall, hips and knees fully extended, holding the ball in both hands. You cannot pick the ball up and throw it straight away.
• Every rep: a full squat with the hip crease below the knee, then a drive up and a two-handed throw that strikes the target or the zone above it.
• After the ball hits the target, either catch it and continue, or let it drop and restart from standing. A ball cannot be caught off a bounce and thrown.
• Digital counters on the rig are a visual aid only; the physical target and the judge are the official standard.
• A squat-depth box may be introduced at the judge's discretion, never at your request, and you cannot sit on it.
• Shoes may be removed at the target (some athletes do, for depth) but must be carried to the finisher stage.
• Doubles: the ball can be handed over or allowed to hit the floor first; a "flying" transition where the partner catches a thrown ball is a no-rep.

Penalties

• No-reps: there are no warnings at this station. Each rep either meets the standard or does not count.
• Leaving with missing reps: 15 seconds per rep below 100, and a disqualification below 80 reps. Since 26/27, any incomplete station is a DQ, so finish the hundred.
• Powdered chalk at the wall balls: 2 minutes.

Technique cues

Depth first. Squat to a depth that leaves no doubt. Judges no-rep shallow squats more than any other fault. If you tend to cut depth when tired, train with a box or a medicine ball as a depth marker.

Legs throw the ball. The ball leaves your hands as a continuation of the squat drive, with the arms finishing the push. Arm-throwing fatigues the shoulders in 30 reps.

Catch high. Receive the ball at chest height with elbows under it and ride it straight down into the next squat. Catching low wastes the bounce.

Stand close. About an arm's length from the wall. Too far and the ball travels in an arc that misses the target; too close and it comes down on your head.

Breathe. Out on the throw, in on the catch. Every rep, no exceptions.

Sets and pacing

Plan sets before the race and write them on your hand if you need to. Three proven structures for 100 reps:

• Descending: 16-15-14-13-12-11-10-9 (= 100) with 5 to 8 seconds between sets.
• Even: 10 x 10, or 5 x 20 for stronger athletes.
• Front-loaded: a big opening set (30 to 40) while fresh, keeping 5 to 10 reps in reserve, then sets of 10 to 15.

Planning targets by finish bracket, from published split data (men's; women's times are similar at the lighter ball):

Target finish	Wall balls 100 reps	Suggested structure
Sub-60	4:00 to 5:00	Unbroken or 2 to 3 sets
60 to 75	5:00 to 6:30	4 to 6 sets, 5 to 8 s rest
75 to 90	6:30 to 8:15	10 x 10 or 16-to-9 descending
90+	8:15 to 10:00	Sets of 8 to 10, strict rest

Every no-rep costs about five seconds plus a rep's worth of fatigue; ten no-reps is a minute. Clean reps at a steady rate beat fast sloppy ones. Model it in the race time calculator.

How to train it in a regular gym

1. Volume with standards: EMOM 10 minutes, 10 wall balls at race weight and your target height, every rep judged by a partner. Progress to 12 per minute.
2. Compromised 100: 100 m sandbag lunges, 1 km run, then 100 wall balls for time. Twice in the final month.
3. Strength: front squats and thrusters, 3 x 8 to 10, to make the race ball feel light.

Check your gym's target: mark 2.70 m or 3.00 m with tape if the painted lines differ. Train with the exact ball weight. Gyms with wall ball rigs and race-prep classes are filterable in the gym directory.

Equipment needed

A soft medicine ball at race weight (4, 6 or 9 kg) and a wall or rig with a target marked at your height. Options are compared in wall balls and medicine balls. Knee sleeves are allowed; chalk is not.

Before this station

The sandbag lunges come before the final 1 km run and the wall balls. Finish, collect your medal, and then look up the next race in the events calendar.

Updated October 2026 for the HYROX Season 26/27 rulebook.