Bursting onto the fitness scene in 2017, HYROX is one of the fastest-growing competitive fitness races in the world. A mixture of strength exercises and endurance running, it is open to all athletes, irrespective of ability, and has no strict finishing times, making it a popular choice for fitness enthusiasts wanting to test themselves.
But what exactly is HYROX?
If you've been wondering what's involved in a HYROX competition and how to prepare yourself, you've come to the right place! This blog covers everything involved in competing at HYROX, including what it is and how to train for it in the weeks leading up to the competition. Prepare to be a HYROX superstar!
Table of contents:
What is HYROX?
What is a HYROX workout?
What are HYROX doubles?
What is HYROX training?
What is a good HYROX time?
What is HYROX?
HYROX is a unique fitness competition that combines functional fitness exercises with running to challenge each participant's agility, strength, and endurance. Each competition consists of 8 functional fitness exercises, broken up by a 1km run between each workstation.
Created by Christian Toetzke and three-time Olympic Medallist and World Champion hockey player Moritz Furste, HYROX is one of the world's fastest-growing fitness events. First launched in Germany in 2017, the competition has now visited 11 countries and 30 cities worldwide, with plans for further expansion.
What's great about HYROX, in comparison to other strength and endurance events such as CrossFit, is that the race format is consistent across the globe, so wherever you're competing, you know what to expect. Because of this, global leaderboards are created, allowing for World Championships at the end of every race season.
Whether you're a beginner or a pro athlete, there's a HYROX race for you! You can compete individually, as a duo, or as part of a relay team to push for a PB or share the workload. With no finish time restriction and no entry qualification required, HYROX is a race you can run at your own pace.
Working through all of the divisions, start waves of all ages happen at regular ten-minute intervals throughout the day, which lessens the fear of coming last. Theoretically, a three-hour athlete could cross the line simultaneously as a competitor running for under an hour.
What is a HYROX workout?
Wherever you compete at a Hyrox event, the format remains the same. Each Hyrox competition features 8 km of running (broken into 1 km intervals) between eight workstations. The workstations always consist of the following exercises in the same order:
1. 1000m SkiErg
A fitness machine that replicates Nordic skiing, the aim is to reach 1000m in as quick a time as possible. The SkiErg targets arms, shoulders, and core muscles and, if done efficiently, should also work the lower body muscles for a full-body workout.
2. 50m Sled Push (2 x 25m)
The sledge push is ideal for strength development and improving speed and acceleration. It's a challenging full-body workout in which a weighted sled is pushed across the floor, targeting the lower body muscles, including the posterior chain, core, and anterior thigh muscles.
Be sure to try this one before the competition, not only to see how you handle the exercise but to test your competition shoes on the gym floor to see if they're grippy enough to perform the action easily.
There is a difference in weight for men and women and between open and pro levels with this exercise.
3. 50m Sled Pull (2x 25m)
This exercise works the glutes, biceps, back, and trunk. You face the sled and pull it along with a rope. Again, there is a weight difference for men and women, and between open and pro levels.
4. Burpee Broad Jumps
Also known as a long-jump burpee, a burpee broad jump combines standard chest-to-floor burpees with a long jump forward into a squat. For all standards, the distance covered is 80 metres.
5. 1000m Row
The exercise that marks the second half of the competition is a 1000-metre row on a standard rowing machine.
6. Farmer’s Carry
Holding a designated kettlebell weight in each hand, a farmer's carry sees the competitor walk 200m. This exercise engages the upper back muscles whilst working the core and grip strength. At this workstation, the heaviness of the kettlebells differs between genders and standards.
7. Sandbag Lunges (10/20/30 kg)
Sandbag lunges are simply lunges performed whilst carrying a heavy sandbag on your back. This exercise targets the glute and thigh muscles, and the weight carried ranges from 10 to 30 kg depending on gender and standard entered.
8. 75/100 Wall Balls
In the final exercise, at this workstation, a weighted ball is thrown up against a wall to a set mark height. In this exercise, both the number performed and the weight of the ball are determined by standard and gender.
What are HYROX doubles?
In HYROX doubles, you can enter the competition with a partner instead of taking on the challenge alone. In this version, you must run each of the eight 1 km intervals together, but you can decide which of you will complete the exercise at each workstation.
If you like the idea of completing HYROX as part of a team, you could also enter as a relay team of four, where each of you will undertake 2 km of running and 2 workstations.
HYROX is open to all athletes, so whether you're looking for an individual challenge in the open or pro category or as part of a team, you'll find the race for you. The main difference between the open and pro categories is the heaviness of the weights.
What is HYROX training?
Just like any endurance sport, HYROX requires proper training to cope with the competition, so you'll need to have a solid training plan in place.
The best way to train for HYROX is to incorporate a mix of strength training and training techniques for each workstation to improve efficiency. You'll also need to incorporate lots of running into your training plan.
Running training
Running is a significant part of a HYROX competition, so this shouldn't be overlooked. Adding easy, long-distance runs, interval speed training and hill sprints into your workout should prepare you for the endurance you need to cope with the compromised running you'll face during the event.
Cardio training
Alongside running, HIIT, or High-Intensity Interval Training, can also be a really great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness and work on your endurance. This will help you get used to running between workstations after you've had an intense workout.
Strength training
To maximise your strength training for the competition, incorporate squats, lunges, push-ups, and deadlifts into your training sessions. If you're adding weights to these exercises, start with a low volume and build your intensity as your body adapts.
How long should I train for HYROX?
The length of time you train for HYROX will depend on your current fitness level and your competition goals. Whatever your ability, you should have a good plan in place anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks before the competition. Novices to the sport may need a slightly longer training plan to allow the body to cope with the intense demands of the competition.
Whatever your experience, listen to your body and don't overtrain. Increase your training and intensity gradually to prevent injury or burnout.
2 months before HYROX
You should have a good training regime in place two months before your HYROX event. This is also a great time to increase your intensity and ensure you're hitting all of the right exercises ahead of the competition.
Practice with the Ski-Erg, sled and rowing machine to familiarise yourself with the equipment before the competition.
Add in some good recovery, take time to rest, stretch, and roll regularly to prevent injury, and add in some Yoga to improve your mobility and flexibility.
Fuel with Efectiv Nutrition Performance
During this period, you should also practise your race-day fuelling and nutrition. If you’re looking for supplements built to enhance your HYROX training and performance, look no further than the Efectiv Nutrition Performance collection.
The products in this range were created with all athletes in mind, tailor-made to help you achieve your goals, and ideal for training for HYROX. In this collection, you’ll find:
- Efectiv Nutrition Performance Creatine - designed to help athletes perform at the highest level, this creatine uses two patented ingredients (Senactiv® and AstraGin®) to aid the production of ATP, energy for the body, and increases the absorption of healthy nutrients promoting gut health.
- Efectiv Nutrition Performance Daily is a creatine-based supplement designed for all athletes. It contains 5g of creatine monohydrate daily to help increase physical performance in short-term, high-intensity exercise, which is perfect for HYROX training.
- Efectiv Nutrition Performance Fuel - a carbohydrate and electrolyte supplement to help you fuel and rehydrate during longer training sessions.
- Efectiv Nutrition Performance Greens - a vegan-friendly green powder with a fully-loaded formula that keeps you hydrated, promotes digestion, contains essential probiotics, and is loaded with vitamin C and zinc to support immune function during high-stress periods.
- Efectiv Nutrition PeakO2® - designed to help overcome physical and mental stress and increase power and endurance, PeakO2® is an organic-certified combination of six adaptogenic mushrooms grown in the U.S. This formula helps promote oxygen consumption during exercise, reduces lactate and increases the time to fatigue.
- Efectiv Nutrition Performance Hydration - a food supplement that supports hydration during intense sport.
A week before the competition
A week before the competition is the ideal time to perfect your nutrition and to taper your training to give your body optimal time to recover.
Tapering is a great opportunity to reduce your training volume and intensity. To prevent your body from stiffening up, you can opt for light running, mobility, stretching, or yoga.
Take care of your body during taper week, ensuring it is fully hydrated and that your diet is balanced. Opt for food rich in protein, healthy fats and complex carbs and avoid caffeine, alcohol and excessive amounts of sugar, as they can be detrimental to your performance and recovery.
Competition day
Prepare your kit and bring everything you need to the event, along with your water bottle, energy gels if you're using them, and snacks.
Once you're in the competition arena, warm up using dynamic stretches to target all of your main muscle groups. Then get ready to go!
Once your event starts, pace yourself and don't go out too fast! Hyrox is an endurance competition, so it should be paced like a half marathon to prevent early burnout. Stay motivated during the competition by thinking about your goals, having fun and implementing positive self-talk. You've done the good work; now's your time to shine!
What is a good HYROX time?
Hyrox times are widely varied depending on the ability of the athletes competing.
According to HYROX, the average finisher time is usually around 1 hr 32 mins, but the race has no time limit, with some finishers taking 3 hours or more to complete the event.
Rather than concentrating on your time, remember to work hard and have fun! Your time will reflect all the hard work and effort you've put into training for the competition and will give you a benchmark should you compete again!
Find all of the support you need for fuelling HYROX at Discount Supplements
Whether you’re competing for the first time or you’re a seasoned pro, get your fuelling strategy and recovery perfect with Discount Supplements. Whether you’re looking for energy drinks, hydration products or recovery supplements for your rest days whilst training for the big day, you’ll find an extensive selection of high-quality products from industry-leading brands. Or, why not browse our complete sports performance range?
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