Hyrox Coaching Podcast

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HYROX racing and no-nonsense coaching insights. Training breakdowns, race reviews and real talk from the sharp end with Chris Bayens and Aaron Woodman

  1. 2d ago

    STOP WASTING YOUR FITNESS IN HYROX

    This week, Aaron and Chris review a huge weekend of HYROX racing before getting into the main coaching discussion: the difference between fitness, conditioning and pacing, and why being fitter does not automatically mean you will race better. Fitness is the individual physical qualities you possess. Conditioning is your ability to express those qualities across the complete demands of HYROX. Pacing is how you decide to spend them on race day. Get that final part wrong and a station that looks like a weakness may simply be the point where poor decisions earlier in the race finally catch up with you. Each week, Aaron takes one of the main ideas from the podcast, expands on it properly and turns it into something practical you can apply to your own training. Subscribe here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter Make sure you confirm your email after signing up, otherwise the newsletter will not arrive. The major results and talking points from Athens, Washington, Tenerife and Acapulco Why racing conditions have to influence your pacing strategy Why a slower result in difficult conditions does not necessarily mean poorer fitness The difference between fitness and conditioning Why good individual station tests do not guarantee a good HYROX race How running fitness can fail to transfer when the athlete lacks event-specific conditioning Why a station that falls apart late in a race may not actually be your weakness How to identify genuine limiters from training rather than simply looking at race splits Why full HYROX simulations are not always the best way to develop race conditioning Using overload intervals and targeted race-specific work instead Why the first 10–15 minutes of HYROX should feel controlled How going too hard on the SkiErg creates problems that appear much later in the race Why saving a few seconds early can cost minutes later Using the runs to regain control between stations Strategic breaks versus being forced to stop because you are already cooked What the spread of runs 2–7 can tell you about race execution How race experience helps you learn when restraint can finally give way to racing Why pacing is ultimately a decision about how to express the fitness you already possess HYROX performance is not simply a collection of eight station abilities plus a running time. You can possess excellent fitness in isolation and still fail to put it together across the complete race. Training needs to develop those qualities individually, condition you to combine them under fatigue and then teach you how to pace the event so that you can still access them at the back end. A well-paced race should not feel desperate from the opening minutes. The objective is to reach the finish line as quickly as possible, not to prove how hard you can work in the first fifteen minutes. If your wall balls, lunges or row repeatedly collapse late in races despite being strong in training, look further upstream before deciding they need more work. The real limiter may be conditioning, pacing, or both.

  2. Sep 4

    How hard should Hyrox training be?

    In this episode of the HYROX Coaching Podcast, Aaron and Chris look at how much intensity HYROX athletes actually need, and why simply making more of the week hard is rarely the answer. They start with the commonly quoted 80/20 rule and discuss where it came from, why it can be useful as a broad principle, but also why getting obsessed with exact percentages misses the point. HYROX has running, strength work and eight different stations creating different types of stress, so the real question is whether the athlete can recover from the work well enough to adapt to it. The conversation then moves into easy running and whether heart rate, pace or perceived effort should lead. Aaron and Chris discuss why RPE and breathing are often the best guides, why there is no meaningful prize for running the top of Zone 2, and why easy running needs to remain genuinely easy when the rest of the programme contains a lot of quality work. They also look at the role of tempo and sub-threshold running in HYROX, how much threshold work an athlete can realistically absorb each week, and why more total training volume does not automatically mean you can tolerate more high-intensity work. Finally, they discuss when training above threshold can be useful, why a small amount of VO₂-max work can make sense closer to an A race, and where heavier-than-race-load training helps with sleds, lunges and wall balls before it starts changing the movement so much that it loses specificity. Each week, Aaron takes one of the main ideas from the podcast and expands on it with practical coaching advice you can apply to your own training. Subscribe here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter Make sure you confirm the email after signing up or the newsletter will not arrive. GET THE WDM HYROX COACHING NOTES

  3. Aug 28

    How to Run Faster Without Breaking Down

    This week, Aaron and Chris are back with a race recap from Perth before getting into a set of questions around running development for HYROX athletes. The main discussion looks at how to improve running when time, running volume or impact tolerance is limited, why simply adding more speed work is often the wrong answer, and how frequency, volume and intensity should be progressed if the goal is to run faster without repeatedly breaking down. They also cover heavier athletes and running durability, using 5K and 10K races inside HYROX preparation, combining football with HYROX training, returning to running with Achilles tendinopathy, and whether true top-end running speed actually matters for HYROX performance. Each week, Aaron takes one of the main ideas from the podcast, expands on it properly and turns it into something practical you can apply to your own training. GET THE WDM HYROX COACHING NOTESSubscribe here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter Perth HYROX Pro Solo and Pro Doubles results How to improve running when impact tolerance is limited Why faster running is not always the best “bang for buck” Building running in the order of frequency, volume and then intensity Why easy running still improves running performance Using strides without turning easy days into hard sessions Moving aerobic work onto the bike, ergs or other low-impact modalities How heavier athletes should approach running progression Why body composition and morphology affect running load differently Returning from shin pain and rebuilding running frequency gradually Where 5K and 10K races can fit into HYROX preparation Why shorter road races may be more useful than full HYROX simulations Why marathons need considerably more respect inside a HYROX season Treating football training and matches as genuine training stress How to organise HYROX quality work around another sport Running with Achilles tendinopathy and other impact limitations Why complete rest is not normally the answer for tendon problems Using bikes and other modalities to maintain aerobic fitness while running is restricted Does true top-end running speed matter for HYROX? Why most athletes have a capacity problem rather than a speed problem The opportunity cost of repeated 400 m and 800 m speed sessions Why raising your sustainable pace matters more than continually raising your maximum speed When faster running can still have a place during the season For most HYROX athletes, the biggest running gains will not come from continually trying to run faster in training. The priority is developing enough running frequency and volume to build tissue tolerance, economy and durability, then layering intensity onto that foundation. Most athletes can already run considerably faster for one kilometre than they ever need to during a HYROX race. The challenge is being able to sustain a much higher proportion of that speed across eight kilometres while repeatedly completing the stations in between. Build the capacity first. Then worry about moving the ceiling.

  4. Aug 21

    How to Build a HYROX Week You Can Actually Recover From

    In this episode of the HYROX Coaching Podcast, Aaron and Chris discuss how to organise a training week that produces adaptation rather than simply accumulating fatigue. They begin with double-training days: whether they are physiologically superior or mainly a practical way to organise greater volume while preserving the quality of each session. The key point is that a double day should be treated as one training unit. The first session cannot be so hard that the second becomes a tired attempt to complete the programme. The conversation then moves into the cost of placing two or three hard sessions on consecutive days. Aaron and Chris explain why later sessions can still feel difficult while producing less useful work, and how repeatedly layering stress can turn the whole week into one grey block of moderate fatigue. They also cover what to do when a session cannot be completed as written. The right adjustment depends on the purpose of the session. Sometimes intensity should be reduced so the intended volume can be preserved. In other situations, the intensity is correct and the volume should be cut before technique, output or movement quality deteriorates. The episode also looks at when complete rest is more useful than another easy aerobic session, and how long working hours, poor sleep, commuting and cognitive stress should alter training load. Six to eight hours per week can still be too much if the athlete does not have the recovery capacity to absorb it. The main principle is simple: the best training week is not the hardest one you can survive. It is the highest-quality workload you can recover from and repeat consistently. Get the WDM HYROX Coaching Notes Each week, I expand on the main ideas from the podcast and turn them into practical coaching notes you can apply to your own training. Sign up here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter

  5. Aug 14

    How to Build a HYROX Programme That Actually Works

    In this episode of the HYROX Coaching Podcast, Aaron and Chris work through the first batch of listener questions on coaching principles, programme design and what actually drives progress in HYROX. The main theme is simple: one hard session does not make you fitter. Progress comes from the whole body of work, with enough aerobic volume, threshold development, strength capacity, movement practice and recovery to keep the programme moving forward. They discuss why so many athletes start with intensity instead of building the foundations, why hard and easy days need to stay clearly separated, and why maximum recoverable volume matters more than copying someone else’s training week. There is also a wider discussion around consistency, movement efficiency, training frequency, four-day training weeks, HYROX classes, repeating sessions and why good programming does not need to reinvent itself every Monday. Each week, Aaron takes one of the main ideas from the podcast, expands on it properly and turns it into something practical you can apply to your own training. Subscribe here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter Make sure you confirm your email after signing up, otherwise the newsletter will not arrive. One click was apparently too uncomplicated.

  6. Aug 7

    How Long Does It Take to Get Fitter? HYROX Adaptations, Fatigue and Race Pacing

    In this episode of the HYROX Coaching Podcast, Aaron and Chris begin with a recap of the racing in Istanbul and Chengdu, including Ronc’s return, the first outing for Jake and Luke as a doubles partnership, the contrasting race conditions across the two venues and some unexpected performances. That leads into a wider discussion about HYROX course lengths and why comparing finishing times across different races rarely tells the full story. Aaron explains how courses are laid out around the dimensions of each venue, what is included within the total measured distance and why athletes should stop trying to race every run to an exact split. The fastest strategy is not to blindly chase a pace calculated before the race. Athletes need to understand how race effort should feel, respond to the conditions and recognise when the body has more or less available on the day. The main coaching discussion then looks at how quickly different training adaptations actually happen. Aaron and Chris cover aerobic development, threshold, strength and movement efficiency, explaining why some improvements appear quickly while the adaptations that matter most are normally built across months and years. They also discuss what should genuinely change as athletes get older, where productive hard training becomes excessive accumulated fatigue, the early signs that an athlete is no longer absorbing training and how HRV should be interpreted alongside sleep, mood, soreness, perceived effort and actual performance. Each week, Aaron expands on the main ideas from the podcast and turns them into practical coaching notes you can apply to your own training. Subscribe here:https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter GET THE WDM HYROX COACHING NOTES

  7. Jul 31

    Hyrox Season 26/27 Preview

    In this episode of the HYROX Coaching Podcast, Aaron and Chris are joined again by Adam Cheang to preview the 2026/27 HYROX season. They discuss the expanding race calendar, qualification changes, Elite 15 points, Challenger races, breakthrough athletes, major predictions and why execution may matter more than ever as the level continues to rise. GET THE WDM HYROX COACHING NOTES Each week, Aaron expands on the main ideas from the podcast and turns them into practical coaching notes you can apply to your own training. Subscribe here: https://www.wdmcoaching.com/newsletter In this episode: • How the expanding calendar could change the way athletes plan their season • Why racing more often does not automatically mean more progress • Elite licences, qualification roll-downs and ticket access • Major points and the advantage held by established Elite 15 athletes • Challenger races and promotion into the Elite 15 • Racing blocks versus spreading races throughout the season • Breakthrough athletes to watch • Men’s and women’s major predictions • Doubles racing and the nationality rules • Burpee standards, judging and penalties • Why pacing, transitions and clean execution will decide more races • Pressure, performance anxiety and racing on the big day • Drug testing and HYROX’s development as a serious global sport

  8. Jul 24

    Mastering Training Intensity: How to Optimize Your Workouts

    In this episode, Aaron and Chris delve into the concept of training intensity, exploring how to measure it accurately and apply it effectively across different training modalities. They discuss common misconceptions, practical programming tips, and the importance of managing fatigue for optimal performance.

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HYROX racing and no-nonsense coaching insights. Training breakdowns, race reviews and real talk from the sharp end with Chris Bayens and Aaron Woodman

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