HYROX is changing quickly.
The fields are getting bigger. The standard is getting higher. Training is becoming more sophisticated.
And the more I learn about the sport, the more obvious it becomes that there isn't one perfect way to train or race it.
I train. I race. I listen to athletes and coaches. I consume probably far too much HYROX content.
And, like everyone else, I'm constantly figuring things out.
So this isn't "7 things you need to do to get faster at HYROX."
It's simply seven ideas I've come across recently that have made me think differently about my own training and racing.
Some might be useful to you too.
1. Raise The Floor, Not The Ceiling
I heard Aaron Woodman talking about this recently and it really stuck with me.
Imagine you can run a kilometre in 3:00.
But during a HYROX, you're averaging 4:30/km.
Is getting your fastest kilometre even faster really where the biggest opportunity lies?
Maybe not.
You already have speed. The bigger opportunity might be improving the speed you can actually sustain throughout a HYROX.
That's made me think more about the less exciting stuff.
Long easy running. Zone 1 and Zone 2. Bikes. Ergs. Steady aerobic work.
Building a genuinely big aerobic engine doesn't happen in six weeks. It can take years.
So rather than constantly trying to raise my ceiling, I'm increasingly interested in raising my floor.
2. Maybe It's Time To Try Pro
Completing a HYROX Open is a brilliant achievement. And there's absolutely no reason anyone has to move to Pro.
But I've been thinking about athletes who are already fast, strong and very comfortable with the Open weights.
Sometimes I wonder if some of them avoid Pro simply because they're good at Open.
For some it's enjoyable flying through 20kg lunges. Less enjoyable suddenly struggling under 30kg.
Your finishing time will probably get worse initially.
But maybe that's okay.
I'm starting to think that if you've been comfortable at one level for a while, occasionally choosing something you're not particularly good at might be where some of the progress is.
And you might be more capable of racing Pro than you think.
3. You Don't Need To Train Like HYROX Is Your Job If It Isn't.
Elite athletes can organise much of their lives around training, nutrition, sleep, physio and recovery.
Most of us can't.
We have jobs. Families. Businesses. Travel. Stress. Bad nights of sleep. Social lives and commitments.
I've definitely been guilty of seeing what elite athletes are doing and thinking I should somehow be doing the same.
I'm becoming much more relaxed about that.
If I've slept terribly or life has simply got in the way, missing or changing one session probably isn't going to ruin my next HYROX.
The challenge for me is finding the best training I can consistently absorb within the life I actually have.
That's very different from copying somebody else's programme.
4. Don't Let Results Ruin HYROX
This is probably the biggest reminder I need myself.
HYROX has exploded.
The standard is getting higher and the fields are getting deeper.
You could become significantly better at HYROX and finish lower than you did two years ago.
That doesn't necessarily mean you're getting worse.
Everyone else is getting better too.
I sometimes have to remind myself why I loved HYROX in the first place.
I already enjoyed running, circuits, burpees, lunges, farmers carries and sleds.
HYROX simply gave me somewhere to test all of it.
Of course I want PBs. I'd love podiums. I'd love to qualify for World Championships.
But I'm trying to see those as outcomes rather than the entire reason for doing it.
Ultimately, I want to find out how fit I can become.
HYROX gives me somewhere to test that.
5. There Isn't One Correct Way To Train For HYROX
I actually find this reassuring.
Look at some of the best HYROX athletes in the world and their training can be completely different.
Some run huge mileage. Others run less.
Some use double-threshold sessions. Others don't.
Some come from running. Others CrossFit, rowing, swimming or completely different sporting backgrounds.
Yet they can all become exceptional at HYROX.
There are obviously common themes — aerobic fitness, running, some strength, station efficiency and the ability to put it together under fatigue.
But there seem to be plenty of different ways of developing them.
So I'm trying to become less reactive when I see somebody doing something completely different to me on Instagram.
It doesn't automatically mean I should be doing it too.
6. Know Your Weapons
Nobody is equally good at everything.
Someone might take 20 seconds out of me on a run and I might take some of it back on a sled or farmers carry.
Someone else might be a brilliant pure runner but struggle to get back to pace after a station.
You don't have to be the best at every individual part of HYROX.
It's the total time that matters.
7. Fast Body. Calm Head.
Before a HYROX, adrenaline is everywhere.
Music. Crowds. Other athletes. The Red Bull tunnel. The countdown.
Then the gun goes.
And suddenly that carefully planned race strategy can disappear remarkably quickly.
I've been experimenting with simple things like box breathing — four seconds in, hold for four, four seconds out, hold for four.
Not because I want to relax so much that I'm half asleep on the start line.
I just want to feel controlled.
Because some of the biggest mistakes I've made in HYROX haven't necessarily been physical.
Going too hard on Run 1.
Getting carried away on the SkiErg.
Rushing.
Not thinking clearly.
I'm increasingly convinced that being able to race aggressively while staying mentally calm is a skill in itself.
Fast body. Calm head.
One Bonus Thought...
This probably matters to about 0.1% of us, but I loved it. I heard it on The Rox Lyfe podcast with Maarten Enthoven.
At the highest level, athletes are even paying attention to which sled lanes appear to be faster or slower across a race weekend.
If they're racing later in the weekend, they're watching earlier heats and gathering information.
If one sled lane, say lane 1, is obvioulsy very slow, they are strategically positioning themselves in the race to avoid that lane. This may mean slowing down a little to let someone else past so they take lane 1 instead, and then you take lane 2 or 3.
I'm certainly not planning my entire race around selecting the fastest lane.
But I love the level of detail.
And it's probably a good example of where HYROX is heading.
People are thinking about everything.
The Bottom Line
The more I learn about HYROX, the less convinced I am that anybody has completely figured it out.
And that's part of what makes the sport so interesting.
There are fundamentals, of course.
But beyond those, I'm increasingly happy to experiment, listen to good coaches and athletes, see what works for me and discard what doesn't.
I'll probably change my mind about some of the things in this article too.
That's the point.
We're all trying to become fitter, faster and stronger versions of ourselves.
HYROX just gives us somewhere to test it.
Ruairi
The Rox Guys
Behind The Rox Guys
The same thinking applies to how we're developing products at The Rox Guys.
We test things. Change them. Test them again. And sometimes realise an idea we thought would work doesn't.
That's currently happening with our next-generation Full Finger Gloves and our Compression & Performance Socks.
We're also working on new colours and the next restock of our Half Finger Gloves for HYROX.
We're taking our time with all of them.
We'd rather release something we're genuinely happy to race in ourselves than release something simply because it's ready to sell.
Continue Your HYROX Journey
If you're preparing for your next race, you might find these useful.
🧤 Shop Our Gloves for HYROX
→ Link: https://www.theroxguys.com
📏 Find Your Perfect Glove Size
→ theroxguys.com/pages/glvz-size-guide
📷 Follow The Rox Guys on Instagram
→ https://www.instagram.com/theroxguys
🎥 Watch our YouTube Channel
→ https://www.youtube.com/@TheRoxGuys
Thanks for reading.
Every week I'll share the biggest ideas, lessons and conversations shaping my thinking around HYROX—so hopefully you can spend less time trying to consume everything yourself and more time training.
If you enjoyed this week's blog, I'd really appreciate it if you shared it with a training partner or someone preparing for their next HYROX race.
See you next week.
- Ruairi
Featured Athletes
Hannah Davies (@hannahdavies_fitness), Kellie Lei Lowry (@kellyleiiii97), Mal Sawm (@malsawm_), Sean Clancy (@seanclancy_ko8), Jessica Brady (@jessicabradyfit), Kalern Thomas (@kalernthomas2)
Photography: Chris Kamau (@chris_k_wanjau)