If you’ve been following our plan, you’ve spent the last four weeks building your foundation—improving your aerobic base and developing functional strength. Now it’s time to get specific.
The next phase of your training is all about preparing your body for the unique demands of a HYROX race. This means getting comfortable with “compromised running” and mastering the specific techniques for each of the eight workout stations. This is where you transform your general fitness into HYROX-specific power.
Understanding Compromised Running
In a HYROX race, you run 1km, then immediately go into a workout station, and then you run again. Your legs will never feel “fresh.” This phenomenon of running on tired legs after a muscular endurance workout is called compromised running, and it’s what separates a well-prepared athlete from a beginner.
The key to training for this is to mimic it in your workouts. Don’t just run and lift separately. Combine them.
- Workout Drill:
- Run 1km at your target race pace.
- Immediately do a set of 25 wall balls.
- Rest for 2-3 minutes.
- Repeat 3-4 times.
This simple drill will train your body to recover from a high-intensity workout while still running efficiently.
Mastering the Stations: Technique is Everything
HYROX stations are less about pure strength and more about smart, efficient movement. Here are some key tips for the most challenging stations.
- Sled Push & Sled Pull: These are often the biggest mental hurdles.
- Technique: For the sled push, a low body angle is crucial. Place your hands on the poles at shoulder height and drive with your legs, keeping your back straight. For the sled pull, stay low and use your entire body to pull the sled toward you, not just your arms.
- Pro Tip: Practice with a heavier weight than what you’ll use on race day. This makes the race-day weight feel much easier. Use chalk to improve your grip and save your hands.
- Burpee Broad Jumps: The 80 meters of burpees can feel endless.
- Technique: Don’t focus on jumping for maximum distance on each rep. Focus on a consistent, repeatable rhythm. Keep your chest to the ground and then get back up as smoothly as possible. Your goal is to be efficient, not explosive.
- Pro Tip: Find a pace you can maintain without stopping. A steady, consistent pace will get you to the finish line faster than a fast start followed by long rests.
- Wall Balls: This is the final station, and it’s a mental test.
- Technique: The most important part is the squat. Ensure your hips drop below your knees on every rep. Use the power from your legs to drive the ball up to the target. Catch the ball at the top of the bounce and immediately descend into your next squat.
- Pro Tip: Break the 100 reps into smaller, manageable sets. For example, do 5 sets of 20 reps or 10 sets of 10 reps with short rests. It’s better to be consistent than to fail halfway through.
Putting It All Together: Race Simulations
Now, let’s combine everything into a single workout. These are not full race simulations, but “mini-simulations” that will give you a feel for the race.
- Mini-Simulation 1 (Strength-focused):
- Run 1km at race pace.
- Complete 50m Sled Push (race weight).
- Run 1km at race pace.
- Complete 50m Sled Pull (race weight).
- Rest for 5 minutes.
- Repeat 2 times.
- Mini-Simulation 2 (Endurance-focused):
- Run 1km.
- Do 30 Burpee Broad Jumps.
- Run 1km.
- Do 50 Wall Balls.
- Run 1km.
- Do a 200m Farmer’s Carry.
- Rest for 5 minutes.
- Repeat 2 times.
By incorporating these workouts into your weekly routine, you’ll be building the specific strength and endurance needed to succeed on race day. You’ll also learn valuable lessons about pacing and how your body responds to fatigue.
In our next and final blog post in this series, we’ll put it all together and give you the ultimate checklist for race day strategy and nutrition. Stay tuned!