What exactly is HYROX?

HYROX is a global fitness race that follows a standardized format, allowing athletes to test their endurance, strength, and mental resilience. The competition consists of a one-kilometre run followed by a functional workout station (weights vary based on gender, ensuring appropriate challenge and scalability for all competitor) repeated eight times in the following order:

1. One-kilometre run
2. One-kilometre ski erg
3. One-kilometre run
4. 50-metre sled push
5. One-kilometre run
6. 50-metre sled pull
7. One-kilometre run
8. 80-metre burpee broad jump
9. One-kilometre run
10. One-kilometre row
11. One-kilometre run
12. 200-metre farmer’s carry
13. One-kilometre run
14. 100-metre sandbag walking lunges
15. One-kilometre run
16. 100 wall balls

Why Are Distance Runners Transitioning to HYROX?

Many endurance athletes are embracing HYROX as a natural evolution of their training—one that enhances performance, prevents injury, and offers a fresh competitive challenge.

A New Challenge – HYROX provides a structured, goal-oriented race that balances endurance with strength-based challenges.
Injury Prevention – Incorporating strength training into endurance programs helps reduce common overuse injuries associated with long-distance running.
Full-Body Fitness – HYROX builds a well-rounded athletic profile by integrating upper-body strength, core stability, and power.
Competition & Community – Unlike solo road races, HYROX fosters a high-energy, mass-participation atmosphere where athletes compete together.
Team Options for Added Motivation – With Doubles (split workouts, run together) and Relay (four-person teams), HYROX offers accessible options for all fitness levels.
Leveraging Running Strengths in HYROX
Distance runners already have key advantages when transitioning to HYROX:
Aerobic Engine – Their superior cardiovascular endurance allows them to sustain effort across HYROX’s eight one-kilometre runs.
Mental Resilience – Long-distance training fosters the mental toughness needed to push through fatigue and discomfort.
Pacing Strategy – Runners understand how to manage effort over time, a crucial skill when balancing endurance with functional fitness.

How Runners Should Adapt Their Training for HYROX

While runners have a strong aerobic base, strength and power development are essential for success in HYROX. Training
should focus on:

Building Strength – Resistance training for movements like sled pushes, lunges, and farmer’s carries.
Developing Power – Incorporating explosive exercises like burpees and wall balls.
Enhancing Functional Fitness – Grip strength and core stability training to support sled drags, rowing, and kettlebell carries.

A New Chapter in Athletic Performance

For runners seeking a new challenge, HYROX is the perfect blend of endurance and strength—offering a race format that rewards well-rounded fitness. The transition requires adaptation, but those who embrace the challenge will find themselves stronger, more resilient, and ready for a new level of competition.

As the fitness industry continues shifting towards hybrid endurance-strength events, HYROX is emerging as the ultimate proving ground, redefining what it means to be a complete athlete. Are you ready to take on the challenge? 

Training Tips: One Week Training Simplified

Training for HYROX requires a balance of endurance, strength, and functional fitness. Here’s a refined and effective weekly training plan to help athletes build the power, stamina, and resilience needed for race day.
Monday: HYROX simulation session
A combination of running and functional exercises focused on race-specific movements.
Example: Alternating rounds of sled push, burpees, and rowing paired with one-kilometre runs.
Tuesday: Full-body strength and conditioning
Strength training in supersets with a one-kilometre run or row between each.
Exercises: Bench press, bent-over row, deadlift, Bulgarian split squat, squat, pull-up.
Wednesday: Rest and recovery
Active recovery options include mobility work, yoga, or a light walk.
Thursday: HYROX gym session
Another race-focused workout incorporating strength, endurance, and transitions.
Example: Farmer’s carries, lunges, and ski-erg intervals with running.
Friday: Full-body strength and conditioning
Strength training in supersets with a one-kilometre run or row between each.
Exercises: Step-ups, deadlifts, thrusters, seated row, reverse lunges, lat pulldown.
Saturday: Endurance run
Steady-state eight- to 12-kilometre run to build aerobic capacity and running economy.
Optional: Finish with wall balls or sled pulls for race-specific fatigue training.
Sunday: Rest and recovery
Prioritize foam rolling, stretching, or a light mobility session.

HYROX training tip
Master the transitions. HYROX success isn’t just about strength or endurance—it’s about moving efficiently between exercises. Incorporate quick transitions in training, such as finishing a one-kilometre run and immediately starting sled pushes, to replicate race intensity.This plan ensures a structured yet adaptable approach, balancing strength, endurance, and recovery while building HYROX-specific fitness.

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Whether you are a beginner or seasoned off-road athlete, here are some training tips to get you fit for an OCR event or to tackle anything Mother Nature throws at you. While training on the obstacles themselves is ideal, an athlete can easily adapt these tips and workout to a home routine. Let’s get started!

Warm-Up

Begin with an easy 5-8 minute run that changes direction (sideways, backwards and laterally). Add 10 full-extension lunges, 10 burpees and 40 jumping jacks.

Workout

1. Get a leg up

Training legs builds the strength and explosiveness needed to overcome many obstacles. Most people tend to rely on upper body strength in OCR, however muscling through an obstacle with your arms and shoulders may not be the best option, especially on longer races. Your upper body will fatigue much faster than your legs.

Scissor Lunges (Tabata style)

• Begin with left foot forward, bent 90 degrees at the knee.
• Lower knee of  trailing leg almost to the ground.
• Bring hands to chest and explode to a full extension jump so feet switch positions.

1 of 3

Squat Jumps

• With toes pointed out and feet shoulder width, squat as low as possible.
• Bring hands in front of your chest and explode out of the squat into a high jump.
• Land softly with bent knees.

Go hard for 20 seconds and rest 10 seconds, first with squat jumps, then scissor lunges and repeat 8 times.

2. Get a grip

Training grip strength will be key to any hang or hold obstacle. Hanging not only becomes a life-skill, but will save you from doing penalty burpees.

Grip Strength

Train grip strength by increasing the duration of a hang from anything (monkey bar, door jamb, rope, etc.).

• Start with 10 second hang and build up in 10-second increments until failure.
• You can train the same muscles by holding weighted objects vertically with just your finger tips.
• Hold a 2-pound object until a 1-minute hold is routine. Gradually increase the weight and time of the holds so you are constantly building strength.

3. Get animal

Become aware of functional, but unconventional movements such as bear crawl and crab walk. These will target your core and leave you stronger mentally and physically, training your body for obstacles such as the barbed wire fence, slanted wall and cargo net.

Bear Crawl

• Begin on all-fours with hands beneath shoulders and the knees below the hips.
• Lift knees off the ground slightly, activating core and shoulders and begin to crawl.
• Reach an arm and the opposite leg forward six to 10 inches with each stride, staying relatively flat.
• Aim for 30 seconds, repeat 8 times.

Crab Walk

• Begin seated on the floor with hands behind you and knees slightly bent.
• Driving through your heels, lift hips off the floor and crawl backwards.
• Aim for 30 seconds, repeat 8 times.

4. Get Running

Running is fundamental in obstacle racing and so many other outdoor activities, so get out and run whenever you can, but make this exercise overload training like in a burden run.

Burden Run:

• Carry an unconventional weight you can sustain for a 3-minute run.
• Increase by 1 minute as you build stamina.
• In the gym we use sandbags, pancakes and cylinders. At home, you can be creative, filling a backpack with weights and carrying it on your shoulders, above your head, with a bear hug, dragging it, or a combination of these adaptations.
• The more unstable the weight sits, the more you will have to engage your core to stabilize the weight.

Learning the Ropes

Using the “J Hook” technique allows you to harness the strength of your legs to power through a rope climb. First, hold yourself up on the rope with your hands. Using your feet, weave the rope from the outside of your body underneath your dominant foot then over your weaker foot, pinching it. Use this foothold as a step to move up the rope. Reposition your hands first, then your feet as you move upwards.