HYROX
Hyrox classes: what to do between them
Our advice is to pair your Hyrox classes with easy running on the days between them. In a simulated race with 11 recreational athletes, higher VO2max and more endurance training went with faster times, and that link showed up for the runs and was absent for the stations. We think brick sessions, a station and a run back to back, are the best way to train for Hyrox, so pick a class that has them or add one. Complete starts from your long-term goals and counts a class that reaches Apple Health.
What a Hyrox class is and who this page is for
In this guide, a Hyrox class is a coached group session at a gym or studio that uses Hyrox stations and runs in a timed format. Formats differ from gym to gym, so find out what yours covers before you rely on it.
This page is for you if classes make up most of your training. You have no routine of your own and you want to know what to add. A Hyrox race has eight rounds. In each round you run 1 km and then do one workout station, in the same order each time, so you finish with 8 km of running and eight stations.
- HYROX Singles Rulebook 26/27 (official PDF) checked 18 Oct 2026
- HYROX: The Fitness Race (official site) checked 18 Oct 2026
What the research says
Our research set, checked on 18 October 2026, holds no Hyrox training trial, so nobody has tested classes against other ways to train. The studies we found did not change anyone’s training. In 11 recreational athletes in a simulated race, higher VO2max and more endurance training went with faster times. The link held for the run segments and was absent for the station segments. The authors recommend practicing running combined with other Hyrox movements (Brandt and colleagues, 2025).
A second study looked at public results from individual Pro and Elite races, 11,842 from women and 27,854 from men. Running made up about half of total time and had the strongest link to the overall result. The strength stations cost slower athletes more time, so you need enough strength for them, and more maximal strength was not expected to help in proportion. Race times are no lab measure, so treat this as a pattern (Rappelt and colleagues, 2026).
Together these point at the runs. Count how many kilometers you run in a normal class week. If the number is small, running is the first thing to add.
Check your classes against the race
Ask your coach these questions. This is our checklist, and the studies above did not test it.
| The race asks for | Ask about your class | If the answer is no |
|---|---|---|
| Easy running that builds your aerobic base | Do you run at a pace where you could talk in full sentences? | Run easy for 30 to 45 minutes on a day without a class. |
| Eight 1 km runs | How far do you run in a class, and how hard? | Add a steady run in the week, so your running adds up. |
| Stations at the weight your division carries | Do you push, pull and carry the race weight? | The station guides list the weights. Practice the stations your class skips. |
| A run right after a station | Do you run straight after a station? | Do the brick session below. |
| An even pace on race day | Does the class teach you to hold a pace? | Read our guide to pacing a Hyrox race. |
How we order Hyrox training
We train for Hyrox in this order: an aerobic base first, then more running and plyometrics (jumps and bounds), then brick sessions, then your race strategy.
A brick session is a station and a run back to back, in the order the race puts them. We think brick sessions are the best way to train for Hyrox, because in the race you start most parts on legs coming off the part before.
A class can cover several of these steps. Look at which ones yours covers and fill the rest on your own days.
A week with two classes
Two classes leave room for running and one brick session. This is general training advice, so move the days to fit your life. Close to a race, swap an easy run for a second brick session.
| Day | Session | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Your Hyrox class | Stations and hard effort in a group. |
| Tuesday | Easy run, 30 to 45 minutes | Easy running builds your aerobic base with little fatigue. |
| Wednesday | Brick session: the one below | A station and a run back to back, away from the class. |
| Thursday | Rest or a walk | Your legs recover from the brick. |
| Friday | Your Hyrox class | The second class of the week. |
| Saturday | Long easy run or ride, 60 minutes or more | Time at an easy effort adds to your base. |
| Sunday | Rest | Arrive at Monday fresh. |
A brick session from Complete’s workout library
This is Compromised Run, a session in Complete’s library. It is a brick: a sandbag lunge and a run, back to back, three times. It takes about 35 minutes. Use it as the Wednesday session above, or after a class that has no runs.
A sandbag lunge is a walking lunge with a sandbag on your shoulders. Race weight is the weight your division carries in the race, and the sandbag lunge guide lists it. World’s Greatest Stretch is a lunge with a twist that opens your hips. Effort 8 out of 10 means hard, with heavy breathing.
| Block | What you do |
|---|---|
| Warm-up | Run: 800 meters at effort 3 out of 10, an easy build. World’s Greatest Stretch: 1 set of 4 reps per side. It opens the hip flexors for the lunges. |
| Main: 3 rounds, 120 seconds of rest between rounds | Sandbag Lunges: 50 meters at effort 8 out of 10, at race weight. Take quality steps, with your back knee touching the floor and your torso tall. Do not rush the station. Run: 800 meters at effort 8 out of 10. The first 200 meters can feel like someone else’s legs. Run through it. |
| Cool-down | Run: 600 meters at effort 3 out of 10. An easy jog until the legs come back. |
Scaling the session
If you are new to this, learn the feeling before you chase a split. Do 2 rounds with a light bag and run at effort 6 out of 10. That version takes about 25 minutes. If you have trained for a while, do the session as written, 3 rounds. If you want more, hold even 800 meter splits across all three rounds and use a bag above the weight you carry in the race.
How Complete fits
Complete starts from your long-term goals: build muscle, lose fat, improve cardio, get stronger, general health or become an athlete. They steer what Complete recommends every day, and you do not need a plan to use it.
A class counts like any other workout. If your watch records it and it reaches Apple Health, it counts toward your score and the recommendation for each day, from any watch. You can also log it in the app. Name the session HYROX, HIIT, circuit, EMOM or AMRAP and it opens the logging mode for mixed sessions, where you log each exercise with the distance of each run and the weight and reps of each lift.
If you add a Hyrox race in the app, the plan Complete writes trains the stations as well as the runs. If your watch records HRV and resting heart rate, Complete scores your recovery against your own baseline after about a week of data. If your recovery is red, today’s session turns into rest or an easy session. The Coach sees your recovery and can suggest an easier day. You decide.
Start with your goal. Complete is an iPhone app, free to download, and logging and sharing your workouts on it stay free.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Hyrox class?
In this guide, a Hyrox class is a coached group session at a gym or studio that uses Hyrox stations and runs in a timed format. Formats differ from gym to gym, so ask your coach what yours covers.
Are Hyrox classes enough to train for a race?
We cannot say. Our research set holds no Hyrox training trial. In one study of 11 recreational athletes, more endurance training went with faster times, and the link held for the runs. Our advice is to add easy running on the days between classes.
How many Hyrox classes should I do each week?
Two is a sound start, because it leaves days for easy running and one brick session. This is general training advice. No study we found compares class counts.
What should I do on the days between classes?
Run easy for 30 to 45 minutes, at a pace where you could talk in full sentences. Add one brick session, a station and a run back to back, and one long easy session at the weekend.
Does Complete count my Hyrox class?
Yes. If your watch records the class and it reaches Apple Health, it counts toward your score and the recommendation for each day. You can also log it in the app, exercise by exercise.