What Is Hyrox and is it good for me? By Megan Schneider Senior APA Physiotherapist
It seems like everyone I talk to lately is doing a Hyrox, and if you’re like me and had no idea what this is and what it involves, I’ve done the hard work to break it down so you don’t have to.
So let’s talk about what Hyrox is, what benefits it may have for you and what considerations you should have if you are think about or currently completing training for a Hyrox. Starting with the name, Hyrox stands for ‘Hybrid Rockstar’, which indicates a hybrid style of both strength and endurance training in somewhat of a HIIT style.
Hyrox is a fitness competition that combines functional strength training with endurance. Often referred to as the “marathon of fitness,” it features a standardised format: competitors complete 8 rounds of 1 km runs, each followed by a functional workout station including: skiErg, sandbag lunges, farmers carry, sled push, sled pull, rowing, wall balls and burpee broad jumps. Hyrox challenges both aerobic endurance and muscular strength in a race-style setting.
Participating in Hyrox can offer a broad range of physiological adaptations and benefits:
1. Aerobic AND Anaerobic Conditioning
The repeated 1 km runs, interspersed with intense strength movements, challenge both the oxidative and glycolytic energy systems which are commonly referred to as aerobic and anaerobic
Lets look into these a bit further.
Aerobic conditioning exercise utilises oxygen to break down fuel in the body (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) to produce energy. Where anaerobic conditioning produces energy WITHOUT utilising oxygen, instead using energy (glucose) stored in muscles for shorter but intense efforts.
There are benefits to utilising both of these energy usage systems when training as they will create different physiological adaptations.
Aerobic exercise includes benefits such as:
1. Cardiovascular Health; Improves heart function (increased stroke volume, decreased resting heart rate), enhances capillary density and endothelial function, lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.
2. Respiratory Efficiency; Increases lung capacity and oxygen uptake (VO₂ max), Improves mitochondrial density and function.
3. Metabolic Health; Enhances insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation, promotes fat metabolism and weight management.
4. Mental Health; Releases endorphins (reducing anxiety and depression), Enhances cognitive function and neuroplasticity.
Whereas anaerobic exercise benefits include:
1. Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy; Stimulates fast-twitch muscle fibers, promotes muscle growth (hypertrophy) via resistance training.
2. Power and Speed; enhances neuromuscular coordination and motor unit recruitment, boosts explosive power output (e.g., for sports performance).
3. Metabolic Adaptation; Increases anaerobic enzyme activity and lactate threshold, Improves phosphocreatine and glycogen storage.
4. Bone Density and Joint Health; Promotes osteoblast activity and skeletal strength, Enhances joint stability through muscle development.
The benefit of combining both of these types of exercise in one ensure you are getting resistance training combined with endurance which leads to significant improvements in muscular strength without compromising endurance performance.
Hyrox necessitates training both aerobic and anaerobic systems, which is a hallmark of concurrent training.
Now lets look at what might be some common injuries in Hyrox training
Due to its high-volume, high-intensity nature, Hyrox participants may be prone to or experience the following injuries:
1. Overuse Injuries
Overuse injuries are just like they sound- over use of the musculoskeletal system. During Hyrox training you would predict this to be most commonly affecting the muscles and tendons around the hips, knees, or feet. These types of injuries may include things like Patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee), Achilles tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, or IT band syndrome. These are typically a result of high running volumes combined with loaded movements in a repetitive movement pattern.
2. Muscle tears and strains
Muscle tears and strains may occur due to high repetition movements under load, explosive movements, when you may be experiencing muscle fatigue or if executing movement with poor technique/form. Hyrox specific injuries in this category could include rotator cuff strains/tears (high-rep wall balls, ski erg, sled pulls), hamstring or calf strains/tears (running, sled push, burpee broad jump), lower back strain (wall balls, sled push/pull).
There are many things you can do to ensure injury management and prevention for these types of injuries. Most commonly focusing on:
1. Load Management
This should focus around adjusting your weekly training volume and intensity as evidence shows that sudden spikes in load increase injury risk by up to 4.5x. Training volume includes how many training session you are completing per week. And Training intensity means how hard you push yourself during these sessions. Starting these with a balanced volume and intensity is key to reducing injury risk. Speaking with your physiotherapist can help to determine an appropriate weekly training load.
2. Technique
Correct movement patterns will reduce stress on joints and connective tissues. Meeting with a qualified trainer or physiotherapist to understand how these various exercise movement should be performed is essential before you start training for a hyrox, particularly if you don’t have experience with this type of training or movements.
3. Strength and Mobility Programs
Introducing posterior chain and core strengthening with an appropriate progressive loading program will set the foundations for your strength to complete the required exercises and movement during Hyrox. Preventative strength training has been shown to reduce overuse injuries by 50%. So this is a no brained for starting with strength training before you throw yourself into a Hyrox plan.
4. Recovery Protocols
Recovery is just as important as performance! You need to prioritise sleep, hydration, fuelling and active recovery; e.g., zone 2 cardio, stretching and deload weeks. Recovery is key for tissue repair and performance. – you can read more about recovery principals and practice in my blog about “key considerations for marathon trianing”.
Conclusion
Hyrox represents a new frontier in fitness competition—demanding, diverse, and accessible. With its unique blend of running and functional strength, it improves cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, and metabolic conditioning. By applying evidence-based principles of strength and conditioning and managing common injuries with smart training practices, athletes can thrive in the Hyrox arena.
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