Why You Should Take the Hyrox Training Course Even If You Never Plan to Compete.
Hyrox is all the rage right now , but I know for many gym-goers it seems to have come out of nowhere. Perhaps you noticed a class labeled “Hyrox” on your gym’s schedule and wondered what it was all about. Or maybe a video from an old friend popped up on your Instagram feed with a cheesy caption about how Hyrox helped him expand his capabilities. When I first noticed Hyrox, I felt the same way I do about CrossFit , Tough Mudder, or any other group fitness trend: a mixture of skepticism, indifference, and a vague feeling that it just wasn’t for me.
Now that I’ve completed the Hyrox race , however, I’m happy to take back my words—or at least most of them. (I still think I’d rather run 20 miles than drag a weighted sled 20 meters across the gym floor.) But even if I never run Hyrox again, I’ll definitely return to Hyrox-style training. That’s why I think Hyrox training is still worth your time, even if you have no desire to run an official Hyrox race.
What exactly is Hyrox training?
Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor (and my dual competition partner) Beth Skwarecki goes into more detail elsewhere , but here’s a quick overview of Hyrox: Launched in Germany in 2017, it’s currently one of the fastest-growing fitness competitions in the world. Many will tell you that Hyrox is short for “hybrid rockstar,” as “hybrid” is a term athletes often use when they feel somewhere between the extremes of endurance and strength athletes. The company hasn’t confirmed this origin story, but it fits.
The official competition program consists of eight one-kilometer runs, each followed by one of eight functional training stations. It’s clearly designed to be accessible to regular athletes, not just Olympic-level competitors, and this largely explains its rapid popularity.
However, Hyrox training, as well as the group classes that have sprung up around it, don’t require any prior knowledge of the race itself. Hyrox-style classes take familiar, functional movements and fitness principles and reinterpret them into an intense, coach-led group workout.
What does the Hyrox workout include?
The official competition program includes eight training stations, including: ski simulator, sled push, sled pull, long jump with burpees, rowing, weight carry, sandbag lunges, and wall ball throws. You’ll also encounter some of these movements in group classes, but it really depends on your gym’s capabilities. As for regular training, the Hyrox frame is a great way to develop strength, endurance, and coordination.
In my F45 Hyrox experience, we alternated between interval training or circuit exercises designed to elevate the heart rate and challenge the muscles, combining the benefits of both traditional cardio and standard strength training—hence the keyword “hybrid.” Classes typically last about 45 minutes; for comparison, Beth and I completed our actual Hyrox race in about 97 minutes.
What are the benefits of Hyrox training?
Here’s what I can tell you from personal experience: I attended Hyrox classes weekly for five weeks at my local F45 gym, preparing for my first competition. After talking to other attendees, I discovered I was the only one with a competition on their calendar. Everyone else was there simply because they thought the training was beneficial.
The main advantage of Hyrox workouts is their hybrid nature: your goal is to simultaneously develop aerobic endurance and functional strength. For gym regulars, any group training format is a great way to structure your workouts, and Hyrox is especially appealing to those looking for variety.
As a runner with limited strength training, these sessions were crucial for me to master the Hyrox-specific movements before race day (namely, sandbag lunges, deadlifts, and sled pushes). My coaches explained the basics in such a way that the movements seemed doable even for someone with no experience with these specific exercises. How “effective” the training will be depends on a number of factors , but I can say that—from my personal observations, subjective assessment, and sensations—I definitely feel stronger after five weeks of Hyrox training.
Is Hyrox considered high intensity interval training (HIIT) or CrossFit?
I’m not at all surprised by how many people have asked me whether Hyrox is simply a rebranded CrossFit or simply an improved high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Now that I’ve completed an official Hyrox run myself, I can say that Hyrox is a completely distinct phenomenon, combining elements of both approaches.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) typically involves short, maximal-intensity bursts of exercise followed by rest periods. This definition aligns with my experience with the Hyrox program at F45. The race itself feels more like an endurance race than a 45-minute workout. As Beth and I learned firsthand , Hyrox encourages a steady pace and efficiency rather than the explosive bursts of HIIT.
CrossFit is a completely different sport, unparalleled by Hyrox. They’re similar in popularity, and their communities certainly overlap, but that’s where the similarities end. CrossFit places a much greater emphasis on strength training, which naturally requires more specialized preparation before competition. Hyrox competitions are tough, but they’re much more beginner-friendly. You won’t see barbell snatches like in Olympic weightlifting or handstand walks like at the CrossFit Games. What seems to surprise most people (including Beth and me) is how much of Hyrox is just running around in circles.
And if you’re not interested in competition at all, Hyrox classes tend to be more structured and accessible than CrossFit, and lack the technical weight training that defines CrossFit.
What you need to know before trying Hyrox
After the race, Beth and I agreed that Hyrox classes at our gym alone weren’t enough to prepare for race day. There are technical aspects, pacing strategies, and specific skills that a 45-minute group class simply doesn’t have the time or resources to cover in depth.
For example, I showed up to the race without having ever properly performed a wall ball exercise. In class, we replaced it with overhead dumbbell presses. This strengthened my muscles a bit, but it didn’t give me the technique needed to perform a proper wall ball toss at a level that meets competition standards, and I suffered as a result. I was familiar with the sled exercises because we’d done them in class, but being able to properly distribute my strength over eight laps and eight different stations is a completely different skill.
This is by no means a criticism of Hyrox classes. It’s simply the reality of how broad a range of topics group fitness training can cover in a single session. If your goal is to compete, you’ll definitely need additional training specifically designed for competitions. But if your goal is simply to get fitter, stronger, and more capable in the gym, you can come to a Hyrox class without any competitive aspirations and leave with a great workout.