What Is Hyrox

Hyrox is a fitness race that involves running and different stations where specific work needs to be completed.

Here is the Hyrox Race:

1km Run

Station 1: Ski Erg

1km Run

Station 2: Sled Push

1km Run

Station 3: Sled Pull

1km Run

Station 4: Burpee Broad Jump

1km Run

Station 5: Rowing

1km Run

Station 6: Farmer's Carry

1km Run

Station 7: Sandbag Lunges

1km Run

Station 8: Wall Balls

What Is Hyrox Training

Hyrox is an endurance event that typically takes between 60–80 minutes to complete. Yet it is an endurance event that requires individuals to be strong enough to perform tasks that require relatively heavy loads. This means that individuals who are training for Hyrox need to be both very fit in terms of cardiovascular health but also strong.

Running for Hyrox

Running makes up over 50% of the Hyrox event. This means it is absolutely crucial to success in the sport of Hyrox and needs to make up a large part of your training routine. There are many different styles of running that you will need to perform in order to progress your running for Hyrox. These include:

Compromised Running

Running under fatigue from other exercises.

Long Runs

Running for endurance adaptations. Long means long for you as an individual.

VO2 Max Runs (Interval Training)

These involve increasing the heart rate to a very high percentage in order to increase VO2 max.

General Aerobic Running

General aerobic running involves running at a manageable pace.

This will mean that a huge portion of your week will be made up of running training. These will need to be organised into training blocks or cycles that progress over time and include deload weeks. I have written a detailed article on how running should be approached as someone who is looking to compete in Hyrox events.

Strength Training for Hyrox

Strength is a relative term. The strength levels that are required to be successful at Hyrox are substantially lower than those in other hybrid sports like CrossFit. If we compare the strength levels to actual strength sports like powerlifting and weightlifting, the levels of strength required are minimal. So Hyrox athletes need to have a good base of strength, which is actually really challenging when we consider how fast the running is in Hyrox.

Building a base of strength in order to be able to build specific strength on the sled and the lunges will be a very effective training strategy. This will mean performing typical strength training sessions far out from the race. If you would like more detail about what these styles of sessions look like and how to structure them for success in Hyrox, I have written a detailed article on the topic.

Metcons for Hyrox

Metcons or metabolic conditioning is a way of saying mixed-modal high-intensity interval training, which was heavily popularised by CrossFit. This is what the vast majority of people are doing when they are training for Hyrox. It is often a random mix of exercises performed at a high intensity in order to improve VO2 max or endurance, depending on the length and organisation of the workout. These are often very fun sessions that people enjoy doing, as there is a great deal of variation and they can be done in groups.

Avoiding Overtraining

When it comes to hybrid training, we cannot do everything at once. It is simply too much for our bodies to recover from, and if we try to do too much, we overtrain. This results in general fatigue, poor recovery, and poor performance in training sessions. This is why training plans for Hyrox need to be well-designed and carefully crafted for the individual.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hyrox training requires a mix of strength training, running training, and Hyrox-specific Metcons. Being successful in all these three areas will allow you to progress your Hyrox time.

The fun part of Hyrox training is that there are thousands of different training variations. For individuals who find variation fun in their training, they can really experiment with different training regimes and different training emphases. This makes staying in excellent health very easy over the long term, as training can be made fun and enjoyable. Below I provide a single example of what a week of hybrid training might look like for an avatar. Do not copy and paste this training plan — use it to inform you for how you might design your own structure of training.

Sample Hyrox Training Week

In this example, the athlete in question needs to make progress on their running and has years of strength training experience, so they do not require high levels of stimulus to maintain strength. This individual has been training on a regular basis for 5+ years and can easily deal with 6 training days in the week. The majority of people will not be able to do this.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday