So, I’ve been thinking about tackling a Hyrox race. What is Hyrox, you might ask? Well, from what I can gather, it’s a fitness race that leans more towards endurance, in my opinion. Founded in Germany in 2017 by mass participation event organizer Christian Toetzke and three-time Olympic Medallist and World Champion Moritz Fürste, Hyrox is really taking off globally. They host races in tons of locations, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Norway, just to name a few. And the cool thing is, every race follows a pretty much identical format with only slight variations.
This past March, I started noticing more and more videos from YouTube creators who were either deep in Hyrox training or had just crossed the finish line. My curiosity started to build, and I began to think, “Maybe I could actually do this?” Now, keep in mind, I’m not much of a runner, and I’ve only recently started incorporating weightlifting into my routine. But this race is structured as a 50/50 split between running and functional workout stations, which sounds intriguing.
Here’s the breakdown of each round:
- 1 kilometer run
- 1 functional workout station
And here are the 8 functional stations you’ll encounter:
- SkiErg: 1000 meters
- Sled Push: 50 meters
- Sled Pull: 50 meters
- Burpee Broad Jumps: 80 meters
- Rowing: 1000 meters
- Farmers Carry: 200 meters
- Sandbag Lunges: 100 meters
- Wall Balls: 100 reps
You can choose to tackle this race solo, with a partner in a doubles division, or as part of a four-person relay team.
So, why do I want to do this? Well, I guess like many others, I’m looking for a new challenge. From the videos I’ve been watching, it seems like people from all walks of life are participating in Hyrox, so I thought, “Why not me?” Is it going to be incredibly tough for me? Probably! But I also think it will be incredibly rewarding once I cross that finish line – hell yes! I’ve even asked a couple of my cousins if they’re up for it, and they’re in! Hopefully, we can all participate together this fall. We’re still figuring out if we’ll do the relay (which would mean finding a fourth person) or if we’ll all go for the solo challenge.
The good news is we still have plenty of time to train before November. Starting now, I plan to incorporate Hyrox-style training into my weekly routine one day a week for the next couple of months. Here’s what my initial plan looks like:
- 1km Run or 5-minute jump rope
- 10 Burpee Broad Jumps
- 15 Kettlebell Swings (15lb)
- 20 Walking Lunges
- 25 Wall Balls (or Dumbbell Thrusters)
- 30-second Farmer Carry (Dumbbells or Kettlebells)
As the race gets closer, I’m planning to join a Hyrox-specific gym so I can train with the actual equipment used in the competition.
Have you heard of Hyrox? Would you ever consider doing one? If you have, what was your experience like? Let me know in the comments below!
Also check out my podcast where I speak about it.