Hyrox - the sports trend for everyone

CrossFit is so yesterday; today, Hyrox is the hottest fitness trend: what sounds like a planet in a galaxy far, far away is breathing new life into the fitness market. The creators, led by Olympic champion Moritz Fürste, promise that the gruelling circuit is suitable for everyone – or rather: “For every body”.

Anyone who finds monotonous running, rowing or cycling too boring should bring a bit of variety and specific goals into their sporting life. That is the vision of two-time Olympic champion, world-class hockey player and three-time world champion Moritz Fürste. Together with Christian Toetzke and Michael Trautmann, the Hamburg native founded the agency “Upsolut Sports”, which invented the Hyrox fitness competition. Behind the futuristic name lies a global battle against the clock and one’s own body. The challenge involves completing a course comprising eight exercises and eight one-kilometre runs. And this is supposed to be for everyone?

From casual athlete to World Championship contender

Indeed – Fürste & Co. mean business. Although the programme includes gruelling sessions on the ski ergometer, two exercises with weighted sledges, ‘Burpee Broad Jumps’, rowing ergometers, ‘kettlebell farmers’ carries’, ‘sandbag lunges’ and ‘wall balls’ are on the programme alongside the running sessions, it is achievable for any ambitious everyday athlete. At least in the ‘standard’ category; in the ‘pro’ variant, experienced athletes and competitive sportspeople compete under more demanding conditions.

Thanks to the competition series, participants can qualify for the World Championships on 4 April 2020 in Berlin under the same conditions at various locations across Germany, Austria and even the USA. The best “Roxstars” will be determined here across ten age groups.

But what’s the best way to approach such a competition and perhaps even fulfil the dream of competing in the World Championships? Just as a marathon runner doesn’t run a full marathon during preparation, Hyrox athletes also practise individual components. In the four-week training plan, a colourful mix of workouts ensures you’re in the right shape. Only three sessions a week are required. If you can’t be bothered with the overcrowded gyms in the spring: thanks to a variety of bodyweight exercises with such illustrious names as “Shaggy”, “Wonder” and “Santana”, you can get in shape even without a gym membership. Video tutorials clearly demonstrate the movements.

The journey is the destination

The exercises also offer a good alternative for the over ten million Germans who are members of gyms. But why take on this gruelling challenge when you’ve always managed quite well with the occasional visit to the gym? Hyrox aims to boost motivation through competition and variety – and thus also the ambition to keep beating your personal best. Participants quickly realise where they need to catch up, can train these areas specifically and thus improve steadily. In other words: the journey is the destination.

In the competition, it’s all or nothing: athletes have exactly one attempt per event to complete the eight exercises and eight running segments in the shortest possible total time – whilst resisting the great temptation to overpace right at the start. Because whilst the first tasks are more about endurance, you still need enough breath left for the strength training that follows. Beginners can also compete as doubles partners and split the exercises between them according to their individual strengths – only the total eight-kilometre running distance must be completed by each participant. Personal total times from the competition can be compared online worldwide.

The Hyrox workout

1. 1000 metres on the ski ergometer
2. Two sets of 25 metres sled push
3. Two sets of 25 metres sled pull
4. 80 metres of burpee broad jumps
5. 1000 metres rowing ergometer
6. 200 metres kettlebell farmer’s carry
7. 100 metres of sandbag lunges
8. 100 wall balls
9. A 1000-metre run is completed before the first exercise and after exercises 1 to 7