You Signed Up for HYROX — Now What? Here Are 5 Tips to Follow

To no one’s surprise, HYROX has become a favorite for CrossFitters. A mixed-modal event with running and hybrid movements in a competition setting? What more could a CrossFitter ask for? 

When it comes to training for one of these races, however, athletes aren’t always sure where to start. 

Chris Hinshaw, founder of Aerobic Capacity and the endurance coach to many elite CrossFitters, has some answers for those looking to do their first HYROX event. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HYROX America (@hyroxamerica)

[Related: The 15 Best Glute Exercises for Size, Strength, and Activation]

What Is HYROX?

HYROX is a global fitness race that pairs substantial amounts of running with hybrid movements mixed in, such as burpees broad jumps, sled pulls/pushes, farmer’s carries, wall balls, and more. The races started in 2017 in Germany and have recently gained popularity in the United States. 

The race consists of eight one-kilometer runs, making it primarily all about an athlete’s running capacity and endurance, Hinshaw tells Morning Chalk Up. 

• “What people need to realize is that HYROX created an event that essentially has close to 50 percent running. Therefore, if you think about your finishing time, and this is what I would tell any new athlete, guesstimate what you think that you can finish it in, and 50 percent of that total time is going to be running,” Hinshaw says. 
• “If you think about just that alone, then at least half of your training should be running, if you’re targeting it.”
• Hinshaw uses the example that if an athlete believes they can finish the race in 90 minutes, that’s 45 minutes of running. That means your average 1,000-meter run in HYROX is going to be roughly five minutes and 30 seconds. What the athlete needs to do is practice at that pace per 1,000 meters. 
• “You need to practice and train at that speed because that’s what you’re going to be competing at. It’s called specific training. You train for the event and the speed of that event.” 

But that isn’t the extent of it, Hinshaw adds. 

CrossFitters, by nature, want to train “way too fast.” Athletes shouldn’t just train for one speed; they need to train for slightly faster and slightly slower speeds, depending on which part of the race they’re in. 

Athletes must complete eight stations in addition to the running station. The race can be done individually, as a doubles team, or as a relay. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HYROX America (@hyroxamerica)

[Related: The Gymgoer’s Guide to Whey Protein]

The other hybrid movements should also be trained, but running, given the distance, requires some special attention. Hinshaw recommends athletes go out and first focus on a longer continuous running effort. 

• “Get time on your feet,” he says. “Even if you’re not hitting the target paces, what you need to do is get comfortable spending an hour and a half on your feet. [Most] CrossFitters haven’t gone that long, and they lose emotional motivation as they get deeper.” 
• The biggest mistake he sees for CrossFitters is that they are “not prepared to go that long.” 
• Another mistake is transition time: “When they come into the run, and they go into an obstacle, it’s not uncommon to have five minutes of total transition time. CrossFitters tend to lose way too much time. There’s not a sense of urgency,” he says.
• “What traditional triathletes and HYROX athletes do is that they move through the transition quickly, but when they’re in the new movement, they’re just patient. They wait for the body to adapt to that new movement. When the body settles and adapts to the new movement they then bump up their intensity.” 

5 Main Takeaways

• Focus on the running portion more than you think. 
• Continue training for CrossFit and mixed-modal exercises you plan to see during the race.
• Work on transitions and keep the time to a minimum between stations. 
• Play with different 1,000-meter paces and find a target pace to work off of leading up to the competition. 
• Enjoy the race, and then be more strategic on your second (or third) attempt. 

The HYROX race is a great test of fitness for a CrossFit athlete and is a complement to CrossFit training, Hinshaw says. CrossFit athletes have an advantage because they aren’t intimidated by the obstacles, such as the sled pull or the farmer’s carry. These are all mixed-modal exercises they’re used to seeing and doing.

“It’s an amazing way to give a CrossFit athlete a challenge and to keep them coming back into that gym because they are going to do a second, maybe third event,” Hinshaw says.

More CrossFit Content

Check out the latest CrossFit content from the Morning Chalk Up:

• “We Just Do CrossFit”: The Secret to CrossFit Nashville’s Longevity
• New Documentary, “Danielle Brandon Energy,” Highlights Softer Side of the Fierce CrossFit Games Veteran
• An Ode to the CrossFit Garage Gym

Featured image: @hyroxamerica / Instagram 

The post You Signed Up for HYROX — Now What? Here Are 5 Tips to Follow appeared first on BarBend.