British HYROX pro and coach Jake Dearden won the HYROX World Championship doubles title in Nice, France with partner Mark Dean. Dearden’s win sent a strong message to competitors about his future following his return to solo competition, as he aims to qualify for the Elite 15 field in 2025.
Although his physique is impressive, you don’t need to be a professional athlete like the 25-year-old from Manchester to take part in the HYROX competition. The fitness competition is designed to be accessible to a wide range of people, with a HYROX Master Coach explaining: “The participation level is very low because the movements don’t require as much skill compared to other sports. Anyone can take part, whether you’re a regular gym-goer or a HYROX athlete.”
Anyone can join, whether you’re a regular gym-goer or a HYROX athlete.
25 min
HYROX World Championship Highlights – Nice
Find out why HYROX is an indoor fitness competition that will test your strength, endurance and determination.
HYROX is a fitness race that combines functional training and running, designed to challenge participants’ strength, endurance and overall fitness. The standardized format allows athletes to compare their performance against other athletes across different events and locations. A typical HYROX race looks like this:
running: Participants complete eight 1 kilometer runs (8 kilometers in total). The race always starts with a 1 kilometer run followed by the same functional training stations – this order does not change from competition to competition.
The eight HYROX workouts are:
Participants should complete the exercises in order, with each workout immediately following a running segment.
How do you train for HYROX?
“The training is pretty intense,” says Dearden. “It involves high-intensity weight-bearing exercises like running, as well as high-intensity strength training like sled pushes and farmer carries, so it puts a lot of strain and stress on the body. If I’m programming training for a client or myself, I’ll create a weekly training plan with one session a day and one rest day.” Here’s what Dearden’s ideal week looks like:
Survive a sandbag charge
© Baptiste Fotil/Red Bull Content Pool
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“One lower body strength session Work on your legs through a full range of motion. This includes front and back squats, unilateral movements to strengthen both legs equally, and lateral movements like side lunges to strengthen your adductors and abductors. I would finish off with some heavier sled work and box step-ups than you’ll be doing that day.
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2 Hyrox conditioning sessions, You do exercises like burpees, long jumps, sled push-pull, etc. The goal of these exercises is to regulate your metabolism, get your heart rate up, and then rest – in other words, high-intensity interval training.
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2-3 runs (including 1 long run) – During the training block, gradually increase your distance runs. Ideally, you should run for the time it would take you to complete the HYROX course that day (i.e. around 90 minutes). You should also do one speed work running session, for example running 1 kilometer on a track 8 times with 2-3 minutes rest in between. Then, on your third run per week, you should also incorporate a fatigued run. This could be running hills or combining running with leg work (heavy squats, lunges, etc.) to get your body used to working under stress and dealing with lactic acid.
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about Practice the course itself, Perhaps you’ll do this every two to three weeks to get your body used to switching between exercises and to start building up strength for the event.”
Complete a 3000m row
© Baptiste Fotil/Red Bull Content Pool
HYROX Doubles Workout: Training for Doubles Dominance
Training for the HYROX Double event requires a balance of strength, endurance and teamwork. The event uses the same training stations as the individual HYROX, but is designed for pairs. Both partners must run 1 kilometer 8 times, but can take turns during the training session.
Dearden recently shared a workout on Instagram specifically for HYROX Doubles, which requires you to take turns with your workout partner and perform the exercises as fast as possible.
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3000m Ski Erg
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150m sled push
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150m sled pull
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240m Burpee Long Jump
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3000m rowing
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800m of farmers carry
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300m walking lunge
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300 wall balls
“The sessions are designed to improve efficiency while increasing the work capacity of the HYROX station,” says Dearden. After completing your first workout together, he suggests finishing with another four rounds.
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10 pull-ups
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25 push-ups
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15 GHD Abdominal Exercises
As Dearden acknowledges, HYROX is designed to be accessible to a wide range of fitness levels, including beginners, but it’s important to be well prepared and choose the right division for your current fitness level.
For beginners, HYROX offers a Doubles division where you compete with a partner, sharing the training load while completing running sections side by side – supporting each other through the various challenges, making the event more manageable and fun.
The standard HYROX competition is the Open division, aimed at fitness enthusiasts who exercise regularly but have never competed in a HYROX race. Race organizers say the HYROX Open is a challenging event for recreational athletes.
For competitors who have mastered the HYROX Open division and are looking for a more challenging race, the HYROX Pro is the next level. Participants run one kilometer a total of eight times, training at the same training stations but with heavier weights.
HYROX is a fun challenge for everyone, a race that will push you to your limits and give you a sense of accomplishment. Whether you’re looking to beat your personal best or simply spice up your routine, this is the fitness race for you.
