Finished HYROX? Here’s exactly what to do next with your training
First, congrats. Finishing HYROX is a big deal—mentally and physically. It’s also totally normal if you’re feeling a bit flat, sore, or “what now?” This guide gives you a clear path for the next 8 weeks so you bounce back well, pick the right focus, and come back stronger for your next start line.
Phase 1: The first 7–10 days (recover like a pro)
- Sleep: 7.5–9 hours/night. Protect it like a session.
- Move easy: 30–40 min low-intensity work 3–5x/week (easy run, bike, row, long walk).
- Mobility/tissue care: 10–15 min daily—hips, calves, quads, T‑spine, lats.
- Food/hydration: Prioritize protein at each meal, add carbs around movement, drink 2–3L water/day.
- Training itch? Keep intensity low. Think Zone 2, nasal breathing, conversational pace.
- Red flags: Sharp pain, swelling, or pain that lasts >10 days—chat to a coach or physio before ramping up.
Decision guide: choose your next focus Use your race day and training build to pick the most valuable block. Choose the one that fixes your biggest limiter:
- Build Strength (sleds, lunges, wall balls)
- You struggled with sled push/pull loads, your legs blew up on lunges, or you broke wall-ball sets early.
- Goal: Raise absolute and repeatable lower-body strength.
- Build Engine (run splits, row/ski economy)
- Your run pace faded, transitions were slow to “catch your breath,” or machines felt grindy.
- Goal: Improve threshold and economy so everything feels submaximal longer.
- Sharpen Skills & Efficiency (pacing, transitions, carries)
- You had the fitness, but bled time in station flow: chalk breaks, sloppy lines, inefficient carries.
- Goal: Technical efficiency, repeatability, and smart pacing.
Not sure? Hybrid Path blends all three with a slight bias to your biggest gap.
Your next 8 weeks Format
- Train 4–5 days/week.
- One long aerobic piece weekly.
- One true rest day (non-negotiable).
- Progress gradually: add volume or load 5–10% week to week; deload in Week 5 if needed.
Path A: Strength bias (sleds, lunge resilience, wall balls) Weekly structure (example)
- Day 1: Lower-body strength + HYROX accessory
- Back or front squat 5x5 (progress load weekly)
- Sled push/pull practice: 6–10 x 15–25 m at race load or slightly heavier; long rest
- Accessory: reverse sled drags, heavy step-ups, Copenhagen planks
- Day 2: Easy aerobic 40–50 min + mobility
- Day 3: Mixed engine + legs
- Intervals: 6–8 x 2 min SkiErg/Row @ hard-sustainable, 1 min easy
- Finish with 4 rounds: 20 walking lunges (add load over weeks), 10–15 controlled wall balls
- Day 4: Upper strength + carry skill
- Strict press 4x6; pull-up or ring row volume
- Farmer carry practice: heavy 30–60 m reps; focus posture and quick turns
- Optional Day 5: Short HYROX piece
- 3–4 rounds: 800 m run + 20 wall balls + 20 burpee broad jumps (cap at quality)
Progress markers
- Sled: Add 5–10 kg every 7–10 days while keeping form clean.
- Lunges: Move from bodyweight to DBs/KBs; aim for unbroken 50–80 m.
- Wall balls: Build to 30–50 unbroken at race height and ball.
Path B: Engine bias (run pacing, threshold, machine economy) Weekly structure (example)
- Day 1: Threshold run
- 3 x 1.5–2 km @ around your 10 km effort; 2–3 min easy between
- Day 2: Strength maintenance + machine strides
- Deadlift 4x5 moderate; split squats 3x8/leg
- Row 6 x 500 m @ target race pace; 90 sec easy between
- Day 3: Long Zone 2
- 60–75 min mixed (bike/row/run). Keep it truly conversational.
- Day 4: Brick session (run + station)
- 5 rounds: 800 m run + 500 m SkiErg; keep transitions sharp, negative split if possible
- Optional Day 5: Skills primer
- 4 rounds easy: 100 m farmer carry + 20–30 m sled push + 20 wall balls (smooth, not smash)
Progress markers
- Hold even or negative splits on intervals.
- Reduce rest slightly over weeks or nudge pace faster by 1–2 sec/100 m on machines.
- Finish long Z2 feeling better than you start.
Path C: Skills & efficiency bias (pacing, transitions, carries) Weekly structure (example)
- Day 1: Station technique circuit (quality focus)
- 5 rounds not for time: 20 m sled push, 20 m sled pull, 100 m farmer carry, 20 controlled wall balls, 20 m sandbag lunges
- Practice exact lines, chalk plan, ball target, foot placement
- Day 2: Run economy
- 10 x 400 m @ steady 5–10 km pace; 60–75 sec easy jog/walk between
- Day 3: Strength maintenance + core
- Front squat 4x4 moderate; heavy sandbag holds; anti-rotation work
- Day 4: Race flow EMOM/For quality
- 24–30 min alternating: short run, quick station burst, quick transition reset; aim for zero wasted steps
- Optional Day 5: Mobility + breathwork
- 30–40 min total; nasal breathing walks; hip/ankle/Thoracic spine focus
Progress markers
- Cut 1–2 seconds off transitions each week.
- Cleaner turns on carries; fewer breaks on stations.
- End sets looking composed, not wrecked.
Hybrid Path: 2 engine + 1 strength + 1 skills each week
- Keep one day long Z2
- Rotate the emphasis every 2–3 weeks based on what feels most behind
When to book your next race
- Sweet spot: 12–16 weeks away. That gives you:
- 1–2 weeks recovery
- 3–4 weeks base rebuilding
- 4–6 weeks focused build (your chosen path)
- 1–2 weeks peak/taper
- If you’re new or had a rough day, lean to 16–20 weeks. If you’re consistent and healthy, 12–14 can work.
Benchmarks to (re)test at Weeks 0, 4, and 8
- Run: 3 x 1 km with 2 min rest; aim for even pacing and lower average
- Row: 4 x 500 m with 90 sec rest; hit target race split or better
- SkiErg: 4 x 500 m with 90 sec rest; aim for smooth, even cadence
- Sled: Standard distance at race load; reduce time or increase load with same time
- Wall balls: Max unbroken set at race height/ball; add 5–10 reps over the block
- Lunges: Max continuous distance with race load; add 20–40 m over the block
- Burpee broad jumps: Set distance for time; tighten transitions and maintain jump quality
How CrossFit fits post‑HYROX
- Strength under fatigue: Class strength blocks + metcons train exactly what HYROX demands—moving well when tired.
- Variety without junk: Programming hits squats, hinges, pushes, pulls, carries, and machines without overuse.
- Coaching: Small tweaks to your sled stance, wall-ball rhythm, or carry posture save minutes on race day.
- Community: Training with a busy, positive crew makes the middle weeks of a build way easier.
Common pitfalls to avoid
- Jumping back too fast: Give your body 7–10 days. You’ll make faster gains with a proper reset.
- Only doing metcons: You need dedicated strength and Zone 2 time. Not every day should feel like race day.
- Ignoring transitions: Time leaks live between stations. Practice your lines, chalk, and breathing resets.
- Random overload: Progress one variable at a time—either load, volume, or pace.
Your next step (gentle nudge)
- If you’re in Perth and want a plan you’ll actually follow, come try a HYROX/CrossFit session with us at CrossFit Access. Book a free trial at https://www.crossfitaccess.com/
- Prefer a simple start? Tell us your race limiter (sleds, run pace, or stations) and we’ll point you to the right path for the next 8 weeks.
