Written by: Emily Beers

You finally did it. You hit register and are taking the HYROX plunge.

Cue getting bombarded on social media by HYROX experts, all eager to give you their best tips.

You’re equal parts excited and apprehensive, but questions are piling up as you realize you’re not quite sure how to best prepare for the race:

• Should I follow a running program?
• Are functional fitness classes enough to prepare me?
• Should I strength train?
• How do I figure out my pacing strategy?
• How long will it take me to finish the race?

You’re not alone. This year alone, more than one million people are expected to take on a HYROX race worldwide, many of whom will be participating for the first time.

To help cut through the noise and give you a clear roadmap, we reached out to two experts in the growing sport:

John Singleton, founder of The Progrm, a world-renowned programming company offering functional fitness and dedicated HYROX prep courses.

Gommaar D’Hulst, scientist and founder of WOD Science, which conducts research in fitness and nutrition and offers HYROX-specific training programs.

Whether you’re coming from a functional fitness or CrossFit background, a running background, or you’re brand new to structured training, here are some answers to your most pressing questions:

How Much Time Do I Need to Give Myself to Prepare?

Although you might be eager to race, Singleton cautions against rushing the process, especially if you’re inexperienced in the world of functional fitness, you aren’t much of a runner, or you know you need to gain overall fitness and capacity before you feel confident you can get through a HYROX race.

“I realistically think the minimum for an inexperienced athlete would be three months, and for someone who hasn’t been doing much fitness, I think giving yourself six months is important. And then you can really see how your body responds,” Singleton says.

D’Hulst agrees, noting that as a general rule, you should give yourself 12 weeks “minimum” to prepare for your first HYROX race.

“Focus on the ergs initially and then add running once the body adapts. And do not make the mistake of running too much in the beginning. It is very injury-inducing,” he says.

Singleton agrees, saying that one of the biggest mistakes he sees people make is starting out with too much running too soon.

“Do you remember the last time you ran for an hour? If you can’t, then you probably need to start looking at how to introduce the volume in a smart way,” Singleton says.

Singleton suggests starting with a distance or a pace you're comfortable with.

This might be as simple as going out for a 20-minute jog, or even a fast walk, a couple days a week, and then building from there—in both intensity and volume—each week.

Pro Running Tip from D’Hulst

Though each athlete is different, D’Hulst recommends adding just 5% to 10% more volume every three to four weeks leading up to the competition, focusing mostly on lower intensity running at first to build a foundation.

These low-intensity runs are invaluable, he says, adding that overlooking them is one of the most common mistakes new HYROX athletes make.

Then, when the competition is 8 to 10 weeks away, add more speed as well as compromised running, a.k.a. intersperse running with the other movements you will do in a HYROX race, or running in a more compromised physical state.

Pro Running Tip from Singleton

If you’re running three days a week leading up to the race, Singleton suggests including:

• One low-intensity, longer run that is eventually one hour or longer
• One threshold run, which focuses on getting used to the pace you’re planning on holding during your HYROX race
• One compromised run

What if I Come from a Running Background Already?

For those who might be new to hybrid training and HYROX, but who have an endurance running background, then it’s important to make sled work, wall balls, and lunges a priority in your training, Singleton says.

“It’s quite common to see it in a race. You’ve got a good runner, they’re doing very well. They manage to get through the sled, but then they get to the wall ball station, and they start doing singles because they're not used to squatting under fatigue after all the running,” Singleton said.

This brings up the topic of strength training.

Both D’Hulst and Singleton agree that having some element of strength training in a HYROX program is valuable, especially for inexperienced athletes or those coming from an endurance background.

“It’s nowhere near the volume that a CrossFit or power-based athlete would need, but because strength is rewarded on the machines, it's rewarded on the sled, and it's also useful on the wall balls…ultimately strength needs to be trained specifically," Singleton says.

Are Functional Fitness Group Classes Enough to Prepare Me?

D’Hulst and his team recently conducted a study that looked at what happens when people use strictly functional fitness group classes to prepare for HYROX.

The Result: On a relatively short timeline, and when you’re not very experienced in functional fitness, CrossFit-style classes help lead to better HYROX times, D’Hulst says.

That being said, once you’re more experienced and are looking to really push your HYROX time, adding more low-intensity running work and machine work is likely required to take you to the next level.

Singleton has a similar perspective for the inexperienced athlete.

At its foundation, functional fitness is about general physical preparedness, including for events like HYROX.

He points out that there have been HYROX world record holders—including Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Mikaela Norman (who Singleton coached as both a CrossFit athlete and a HYROX athlete)—who moved into HYROX directly from CrossFit.

Ultimately, for the inexperienced gym goer or athlete, joining a functional fitness gym provides a great place to train for the race, Singleton explains.

“You can get used to the stations and the machines, and having a coach to help you through that is very beneficial. The movements might look simple, but there’s quite a lot of technique to them,” he says.

That being said, as D’Hulst pointed out, if you’re more experienced and are looking to put forth a competitive HYROX time, then doing functional fitness group classes alone is probably not enough.

Singleton concludes: “So are group classes enough? Yes. But if you want to optimize your performance, then you need to be preparing specifically for HYROX.”

Worth Noting: Life Time offers top-tier group classes to build up your fitness foundation and get you ready for HYROX. Programs like GTX are great for building high-intensity cardio endurance, and Alpha classes are great for building both endurance and strength.

One Last Thing: Train in Your Race Time Domain

As you’re getting deeper into your training, you’re going to start to get a sense of how long you think it will take you to finish your first HYROX race, so it's important to consider doing some training sessions that are the same length of time that the race will take you.

“You need to know how your body is going to feel, because it's very different doing a 30-minute workout than a 60-minute workout or a 90-minute workout. So you need to be used to going over an hour and seeing how your body responds,” Singleton says.

The NOBULL Bottom Line

So what does it really take to do well at HYROX?

First and foremost, you have to run well. Eight one-kilometer runs usually make up half the race or more, and as Singleton puts it: “The best HYROX athletes have to be able to run extremely well. There’s just no getting around that.”

But running alone isn’t enough.

You need strength for the sleds and wall balls. You need an engine—high VO2 max and strong threshold power—to hold pace under fatigue. You need efficient movement on the ergs and stations. And then you need the mental grit to keep pushing when your legs are heavy and your lungs are burning.

To do so, build gradually. Prioritize low-intensity volume before layering in speed. Practice compromised running. Strength train with purpose. Mimic the time domain of your race. And if you’re using functional fitness classes as your base, understand when it’s time to get more specific.

Most importantly, take the time your body needs to prepare properly. Because regardless of whether you’re arming for a world class time or completion, HYROX always rewards preparation.

Author Bio:

Emily Beers is a fitness writer and journalist who has been working in the industry since 2009. She also spent a decade-and-a-half as a personal trainer and CrossFit coach, and competed at the CrossFit Games twice with a team and once as an individual.