What Is Hyrox, and Why Is Everyone Suddenly Doing It?

Hyrox classes are popping up everywhere, and there are a few massive Hyrox races planned in various U.S. cities this year. I am (I say with some trepidation) signed up for one of them. So here’s a breakdown of what Hyrox is, why people like it, and what to expect if you decide to give it a try. At the end I’ll go through a couple of common questions people have.

Hyrox’s origins (and what “Hyrox” means)

Hyrox is a young sport, and was started by a company that holds a trademark for the name. In that way it’s a bit like Crossfit, which is also a trademarked name for a specific company, not just a term for a style of working out.

It’s been said that Hyrox is short for “hybrid rockstar,” since “hybrid” is a term that athletes often use when they feel they’re neither endurance athletes nor strength athletes, but something in between. The company hasn’t confirmed this theory. According to reporting from Hybrid Fitness Media, the company’s founders originally wanted the name “CuRox,” from the Latin verb currere, which refers to running. Even in those days they were referring to athletes as “roxstars,” so the theory is at least half true. The company adopted the name Hyrox after a trademark dispute with another company, and held its first race at a trade fair in Leipzig, Germany in 2018. 

Hyrox has structured competitions

You don’t need to compete to enjoy Hyrox classes or training programs, but the centerpiece of Hyrox training is the Hyrox race (much like the centerpiece of marathon training is a marathon).

Unlike Crossfit competitions, which may include just about anything in any format, Hyrox’s competitions always follow the same predictable format. That means, much like running a marathon, you can compare your time in a Hyrox race to what others have done. The race includes eight 1-kilometer runs (adding up to about 5 miles) with stations in between. Here’s the order: 

• 1 km run, then 1000 meters on a ski erg (a machine where you pull two cords downward toward the ground, in a motion slightly reminiscent of using ski poles) 

• 1 km run, then a 50 meter sled push

• 1 km run, then a 50 meter sled pull. You stand at one end of the lane, and pull the sled toward you with a long rope.

• 1 km run, then 80 meters of burpee broad jumps

• 1 km run, then 1000 meters on a rowing machine

• 1 km run, then a 200 meter farmer’s carry (walking while carrying kettlebells in both hands)

• 1 km run, then 100 meters of lunges while carrying a sandbag on your back

• 1 km run, then 100 wall balls (where you squat and then throw a ball upward toward a target on a wall)

Elite Hyrox athletes can do all of that in about an hour. The average experienced competitor takes around 90 minutes, and beginners are obviously a bit slower. The weights of the kettlebells, sandbags, and wall balls depend on which division you’re competing in (men’s or women’s, pro or open, doubles or solo).

There is a doubles format, which is what I’ll be doing (along with my fellow Lifehacker writer Meredith Dietz). In doubles, both members of the team must stay together the whole time. That means we do the runs together, at the same pace. But when we get to the stations, one person works while the other rests. For example, we’ll take turns pushing the sled, and while I’m pushing, Meredith would be walking behind me.

There is also a relay format for a team of four people. The relay has eight legs, each consisting of a run and the following station. Teams can split up the legs among members however they want. You’ll note that in the relay, as in doubles, there’s no way to avoid the running.

Hyrox’s workouts are easy to start doing

Hyrox events are hard work, but they aren’t too difficult skill-wise. You won’t see barbell snatches like in Olympic weightlifting, or handstand walks like in the Crossfit games. For this reason, it’s relatively beginner-friendly. 

The events also give competitors a mix of strength and endurance work, skewed toward endurance. Running is obviously an endurance sport, and while the eight stations use more strength and power, you still have to do a lot of reps in a row, so pacing yourself is important. 

Hyrox classes and communities are popping up everywhere

Part of the fun of Hyrox is training for it alongside others, or so I’ve heard. While you can train for a marathon on your own, training for a Hyrox race means you need access to a rowing machine, a ski erg, and a wall with an appropriate wall ball target—most of which are hard to find outside of a gym oriented toward those events. (That said, most Crossfit gyms and many commercial gyms can provide these things.) 

Hyrox has a locator on its website to find gyms that offer Hyrox-branded classes. Also consider checking with gyms and fitness clubs to see if they classes that cover similar movements as Hyrox, but not under that name. Look for terms like “hybrid fitness” or “fitness racing.”

How is Hyrox different from Crossfit?

Hyrox uses fewer movements and exercises, and focuses on endurance (both aerobic endurance and muscular endurance). There are just eight stations in a Hyrox race, so there are only eight movements to know (nine if you include running). Crossfit, by contrast, uses a large variety of movements. You won’t see any barbells or any gymnastic moves in Hyrox classes, nor will you see handstand walks or air bikes.

Crossfit movements that you will not see in Hyrox include:

• Anything with barbells, including snatches, squats, or deadlifts

• Gymnastic movements like pull-ups and muscle-ups

• Handstand walks and handstand push-ups

• Anything bike-related, like air bike sprints

• Box jumps, or anything using a box

• Anything done for max weight, like a 1RM squat

Movements that are shared between Crossfit and Hyrox include:

• Running

• Rowing machine and ski erg

• Sled pushes and pulls (Hyrox sled pulls are always from a stationary, standing position)

• Farmer’s carries

• Burpees

• Lunges

• Wall balls

I can’t think of any Hyrox movements that wouldn’t be at home in a Crossfit class. Another difference is how long you’re expected to work in a workout (or, to put it in exercise science terms, which energy systems you’re training).

Hyrox emphasizes endurance, since the races are long (90 minutes on average). Crossfit events and classes tend to have shorter challenges, often with a 20 minute time cap or less. Crossfit also emphasizes strength, sometimes asking athletes to find the heaviest weight they can lift, or do several reps of a strength-based exercise like a muscle-up. Hyrox sticks to strength endurance rather than testing your raw strength.

Is Hyrox harder than Crossfit?

In terms of physical effort, both are hard. Hyrox is easier to learn, and thus more accessible to beginners. Crossfitters can spend months or years learning movements like snatches and muscle-ups. But Hyrox movements are all things that a relatively fit beginner can do on their first day. Working on your technique will help, but you don’t need to be perfect at rowing to be able to get on the rower and make the number on the screen go up.

Is Hyrox just rebranded Crossfit?

As we’ve seen above, no. Hyrox and Crossfit are each their own brand, with different types of competitions and different training priorities. That said, a lot of people who used to be into Crossfit have moved on, and many have moved to Hyrox. Hyrox competitions give people something structured and specific to train for, while still valuing “hybrid” qualities like good endurance and strength.

What is in a Hyrox workout?

If you drop in to a Hyrox workout at a gym, be prepared to work hard but to pace yourself. The exercises might not be the exact ones used in Hyrox race stations, but they’ll usually be similar. For example, you might do burpees in place, or devil’s press (a burpee with dumbbells) if there isn’t room for burpee broad jumps. The structure of the class is up to the gym, and may involve timed work and rest intervals, circuits, or partner workouts. You might work with heavier weights than the competition if that workout’s goal is to build strength.

Some gyms may offer a Hyrox “sim” or “half sim.” Sim is short for simulation, meaning the workout is supposed to mimic part of the Hyrox race. You might do a workout that mimics the first half of the race, or the last half of the race; or you might do one that cuts everything a bit short: 500 meters of running, 500 of ski erg, and so on.

Hyrox training programs typically involve hybrid workouts like the ones I described, and some amount of strength training, and a lot of running. Running is half of the race, and running builds cardio fitness that helps your endurance for the whole race.