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By Emilio Martin Romero. Graduate in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences. Master’s Degree in Sports Entity Management. Official instructor of HYROX, col. 69847. 2 times duathlon world champion. @emiduatlon
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HYROX is a new sports modality that combines running with other aerobic and strength exercises. It was born in 2017 in Germany by Christian Toetzke, Möritz Furste (double Olympic champion in field hockey) and Michael Trautman. Its name comes from “HY”: hybrid“R”: running y “OX”: workouts.
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The first competition took place in Leipzig on October 20, 2018, and a total of 384 athletes finished. It was not until April 2019 when the first World Championship took place, also in Germany, specifically in the city of Oberhausen. In it, 420 athletes were able to finish the event. Its growth is being exponential. And, despite the pandemic, its numbers have increased in an incredible way. To give some examples, in the last edition in London, 9,705 athletes crossed the finish line, and in Manchester, where the last World Championship was held, 2,174 hybrid athletes finished.
It arrived in Spain a few years ago, but it was not until December 19, 2021 when the first competition was held. Specifically, it was in Madrid, and in this first edition 1,093 athletes completed the race. Imagine the progression that HYROX is experiencing, which for the edition to be held in October 2024 in the capital has already sold out registrations in the two days of the race, which means that around 10,000 participants will be present.
And why so much success? Well, for several reasons:
The organization of the events, which take place in gigantic spaces and create a spectacular atmosphere. This means that not all cities can host HYROX events, and this fact, which could be a problem, can in the end be an advantage, since the events are always associated with large cities, which gives them a certain prestige. Another key point is accessibility. HYROX is not Crossfit, and it does not want to be. Why? Because to be able to compete in Crossfit, a series of conditions and exercise domains are necessary that not everyone can reach. HYROX was created for all audiences, with workouts easy to execute, suitable for everyone. One more incentive it has is the fact of being able to compare brands, although this is something that creates more controversy every day, since no two circuits are exactly the same and this means that sometimes the comparisons are not completely reliable. Another advantage or point that helps the success of this new modality (we will see if in the future this advantage does not become a problem) is that it is a closed event, in which the distances and workouts They are always repeated in the same way.
The HYROX competition consists of performing 8 stations of 1 kilometer of running on foot preceded by a workout.
We will now go on to explain them in a little more detail.
The HYROX competition consists of performing 8 stations of 1 kilometer of running on foot preceded by a workout:
SKIERG. It is the first of all and in this station we will have to do 1000 meters on a machine that simulates cross-country skiing.
50m SLED PUSH. In this case we will have to push a sled loaded with different weight (depending on category) during this distance. The carpet on which it is performed has a length of 12.5 meters, therefore, it will have to be walked four times.
50m SLED PULL. Now, instead of pushing the sled, you have to pull it using a rope. The weights also vary according to the category and the straight line along which it must move will also measure 12.5 metres, so you have to go over it four times. In this case, there is a 1.80 metre area behind the start and finish line along which you can move without leaving it to make the gesture easier.
80m BURPEES BROAD JUMP. You have to cover these 80 meters as quickly as possible doing burpees plus jumping. Lately there has been a lot of controversy regarding the execution technique, therefore, we must keep in mind that the hands should not be placed more than one foot away from our feet and the jumps must be performed, both in takeoff and landing, with both feet parallel. workout which marks the beginning of the second part of the competition is the REMOOn a rowing ergometer we will have to complete a distance of 1000 meters in the shortest time possible.
200m FARMER CARRY or farmer’s walk. Each participant must pick up two kettlebells and travel this distance. The KB can be dropped as many times as you want as long as they are dropped off and picked up again at the same point. The weight in this test will also depend on the different categories.
100m SANDBAG LUNGES. Using a sandbag, the weight of which will vary depending on the category in which you compete, you will have to cover a distance of 100 metres by doing lunges. In this case, the bag must never be released from the ground, and even if you stop to rest, you must do so with the bag on you.
WALL BALLS. The event ends with 100 launches of a wall ball to a target The weight of the ball and the height of the target will vary once again depending on the category of the participant. It is the only test where there is differentiation in terms of sex, since women competing in the OPEN category will have to perform “only” 75 repetitions. For a throw to be considered valid, the athlete must lower himself to the squat position, breaking the parallel of the femur with the ground, and the ball must touch the center of the target.
Figure 1.
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Categories
There are different categories within HYROX. These are divided into 4 groups:
The weights and repetitions of each of these can be seen in table 1.
One more difference between the male and female categories is the height of the target, which is located at 2.75m for women and 3.05m for men.
As we mentioned earlier in the strong points of HYROX, the fact of being able to compare brands is an added incentive. Currently, the world records are held by the Americans Lauren Weeks with 58’03” in the women’s category and Hunter Mcintyre with 53’22” in the men’s category, but at the rate the sport is advancing, these brands’ days are numbered. If you like to analyse results, you can spend hours and hours without getting bored at this link.
Being a modality that combines 9 different exercises, training it can be an advantage when an injury or discomfort appears, since it allows us to continue working almost safely.
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Training
Here we enter into somewhat swampy terrain, since as we have seen, HYROX is a sport that has just been born, and although it may have some similarity with Crossfit in some aspects, or with a sprint duathlon/triathlon or a half marathon in terms of duration, they are different sports. As far as planning is concerned, we are now facing a practically blank canvas and it is up to us, the training professionals, to gradually paint it.
Many leading authors in the world of training insist that it cannot be demonstrated that one plan can be more or less effective than another, and that what may go well for one person does not have to happen to another. I want this not to be misunderstood. This does not mean that anyone can dedicate themselves to training without even minimal knowledge, but it does mean that we cannot think that we have the absolute truth when it comes to scheduling training. In a modality that is being born, this becomes even more relevant, and I am sure that what is done today to improve, in ten or fifteen years, will seem like a real aberration in some cases.
In order not to deviate from the topic, and following a bit in line with one of the leading hybrid sport coaches in Spain today (Daniel Arazola), we can say that we follow an ATR model, which has the following characteristics:
1) ACCUMULATION PERIOD (A): It can last between 4 and 6 weeks.
Strength training through basic exercises such as squats, deadlifts, military press, bench press… Inclusion of specific movements without weights with the aim of preparing the body for the following period in which this type of work will begin to be included, but with weights. High intensity touches should not be forgotten, but with a low density. Aerobic base work combining running with ergometers.
2) TRANSFORMATION PERIOD (T): It can also be extended from 4 to 6 weeks depending on the objective we have and the time we have to prepare it.
Strength work is still present globally with basic exercises, but we began to combine them with specific strength. Interval work. We begin to work on competition rhythms, combining race transitions or ergometers with workouts real or with exercises that can have a real transfer to the competition. Perform exercises such as burpeeslunges, ball throws… just before or after performing a repetition. It is an ideal period to add VO2max and ANA resistance work.
3) PERIOD OF IMPLEMENTATION (R):
The increase in intensity is noticeable. Specific strength covers a much higher percentage and, as its name suggests, is worked with real competition movements and weights, although depending on the training and what we are looking for, we can use weights below or above this. Little by little we will move towards a decrease in the total volume of work, maintaining intensity and decreasing the total number of sessions per week. It is a good time to include real race simulations. Within this there are many varieties. We can focus on our weak points, in the first half of the race…
As it is a modality that combines 9 different exercises, training it can be an advantage when an injury or discomfort appears, since it allows us to continue working almost safely, but it becomes a challenge on a day-to-day basis, since most of those trained are people with their family and their work and with limited time available. This is where skill and knowledge come into play, both of the modality and of the fundamentals of training. We are currently in a time of constant evolution, in a period of trial and error that, although it is inevitable, we can say that it is less risky than years ago since general knowledge is much greater.
What is clear is that HYROX and the rest of the hybrid modalities are a reality and have opened a window of possibilities, both for coaches and organizers. The numbers speak for themselves and time will tell us if they are here to stay or if it is something temporary. Personally, I believe that because of the way in which it can be worked, the benefits it has, both internally and externally, both physically and psychologically, and above all on a social level, is something that has a long way to go. Now it is up to sports professionals to work so that these modalities that seem so beneficial do not become a risk for our users and that those benefits that are assigned a priori can be developed correctly in most of the times.
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👉Pages of interest:
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2024-06-27 17:02:32
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