There is no secret Hyrox programme. What works is the same thing that works in all endurance training: enough running, specific strength on the stations and regular practice at combining them. The plan below is built for you if you already train a few times a week and have eight weeks until your first race.
The structure of the week
- Monday: intervals, 6 to 8 x 1,000 metres at your intended race pace with 90 seconds' rest
- Tuesday: strength and stations
- Wednesday: easy run, 40 to 60 minutes at a conversational pace
- Thursday: rest or mobility
- Friday: strength and stations
- Saturday: Hyrox simulation
- Sunday: rest
Three runs, two strength sessions and one simulation. That is six days, but two of them are easy. If you only have four days, drop Wednesday's run and one strength session.
The strength and station sessions
Build the sessions around what actually appears in the race: sled push and sled pull, lunges with a sandbag or barbell, wall balls, farmers carry, rowing intervals and SkiErg. Do the stations at or near race weight and at race distance, but fewer rounds. One example:
- Sled push 4 x 25 metres, rest 90 seconds
- Sled pull 4 x 25 metres, rest 90 seconds
- Sandbag lunges 3 x 50 metres
- Wall balls 5 x 20
- Farmers carry 3 x 100 metres
- Squats or deadlifts 3 x 6 for base strength
The simulation
Saturday's session is the most important of the week, because that is where you learn to run after a station. In weeks one and two you do four stations with 500 metres of running in between. In weeks three to five you increase to eight stations with 500 metres. In week six you do half a race at full scale, four stations with 1,000 metres of running. In week seven you do the whole race at an easy pace as a final test. In week eight you rest.
Week by week
Weeks 1 and 2, base: learn the technique on each station, run easy and keep the intervals short. Focus on getting through the week without wearing yourself out.
Weeks 3 to 6, build: increase the weight on the sled towards race weight, extend the intervals to eight and add a kilometre to the easy run every other week.
Week 7, peak: full simulation at an easy pace early in the week, then shorter but sharp sessions.
Week 8, taper: halve the volume, keep the intensity in a couple of short sessions and rest for two days before the race. You will not get fitter in the final week, but you can get worse by doing too much.
Pacing on race day
The most common cause of a bad day is a first kilometre that goes too fast. Run the first two kilometres 10 to 20 seconds per kilometre slower than you think you can manage. Keep an even, controlled pace on the stations rather than going hard and then standing still. Save something for the wall balls, which come last and decide more than many people think.
Recovery between sessions
Six sessions a week place demands on sleep and food. Eat carbohydrates around the hard sessions, protein spread across the day, and drink enough. Creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 grams a day supports the repeated, short efforts on the stations, and electrolytes are a simple way to replace what you sweat out on long sessions.
Goes well with
GAAM PWO 300 g before the hard sessions, GAAM Creatine Monohydrate 500 g every day and GAAM Whey 900 g afterwards. See the full range under Performance.
Photo: Arthur Edelmans and Jesper Aggergaard / Unsplash