What is Hyrox Training?

Writer and expert3 days ago

Since its inception in 2017 in Hamburg, Hyrox has dominated fitness forums and social media feeds.

With participation appearing to grow significantly over the last five years, it’s clear this blend of cardiovascular, strength and endurance exercise has captured the attention of the sports community.

If you’re interested in giving it a go, we’ve broken down what Hyrox training is in this guide.

What Does Hyrox Stand For?

The founders of Hyrox, former professional athlete Christian Toetzke, and Olympic hockey player Moritz Fürste, have stated that the name, created on a night out, combines ‘hybrid’ and ‘rockstar’.

What Does Hyrox Consist Of?

Described as ‘the world series of fitness racing’, Hyrox is a global competition comprising eight 1km runs interspersed between eight functional workouts that mimic movements from day-to-day life.

Though over half of the race involves running, it's also designed to test the competitors’ all-round fitness. The high-intensity interval training (HIIT) format spotlights both endurance and strength exercises.

The wide range of age and gender divisions means people of all fitness levels can take part. Typically, a DJ is present at the event to provide an invigorating live soundtrack, while friends and families are allowed into the venue to cheer their loved ones on.

Because of this, Hyrox has established a solid community of more than 90,000 athletes in a relatively short period, and proudly reports that over 98% of participants complete their race.

A close-up on the shoes of a group of runners

What Are the Hyrox Exercises?

These workouts are positioned at dedicated stations throughout the race. They encompass a range of upper, lower and full-body drills to test versatility.

It’s worth noting that the weight requirements of some of these exercises vary depending on the division. This helps to foster Hyrox’s philosophy of inclusivity and accessibility.

Singles Division: The weight requirement differs depending on whether the participants are professionals, and what their gender is.
Doubles Division: Here, both competitors are expected to complete the runs, and the weights remain the same as the singles group.
Relay Division: For the relay division, each person taking part is expected to complete at least two runs and two stations. The weight requirements mirror that of the men’s and women’s singles.

The stations are as follows:

Station One: 1000m SkiErg

This upper body task involves pulling down weighted cords in a skiing motion, which predominantly targets the biceps and trapezius muscles.

Station Two: 50m Sled Push

The second exercise, this station sees participants push a weighted sled, targeting the hamstrings and glutes.

Men’s: 152kg Men’s Pro: 202kg Women’s: 102kg Women’s Pro: 152kg

Station Three: 50m Sled Pull

Competitors drag a weighted sled across a distance to work the lower muscles, including the glutes.

Men’s: 103kgMen’s Pro: 153kgWomen’s: 78kgWomen’s Pro: 103kg

Station Four: 80m Burpee Broad Jumps

Competitors perform a burpee before going into a broad jump. This is a full-body movement and is repeated until competitors reach a distance of 80m.

Station Five: 1000m Row

The fifth exercise marks the race’s midway point and sees competitors complete 1000m on a rowing machine. Though this works most muscle groups, it focuses on the trapezius and biceps.

Station Six: 200m Farmer’s Carry

In this full-body drill, participants squat to lift a weight in each hand, return to a standing position and walk 200m.

Men: 2 x 24kgMen Pro: 2 x 32kgWomen: 2 x 16kgWomen Pro: 2 x 24kg

Station Seven: 100m Sandbag Lunges

A lower-body exercise targeting the calves and hamstrings, that requires competitors to perform lunges while carrying a sandbag on their shoulders until they’ve reached 100m.

Men: 20kgMen Pro: 30kgWomen: 10kgWomen Pro: 20kg