The dust has settled, the lights are dimmer, and the music is back to normal levels. Hyroxis hype. Maybe even a fad. On social media, it can look like it’s all about half-naked, ripped bodies prancing around, thinking they’re God’s gift to theworld.
But after competing in my second event, I’m hooked.
I love the hype. I love the pressure of competing against — and alongside — literally thousands of athletes. I love the journey everyone takes to get there.
Leading up to the event, I spoke to a lot of people who said, “I could never do that. It’s too hard. It’s only for people with six-packs.” This is the story people tell themselves. Anyone can do it. It’s only as hard as you push yourself.
I saw plenty of people with six-packs walking. I also saw many athletes (and yes, they are athletes in my eyes) well north of 100kg and 30% body fat jogging the course, pain in their eyes and smiles on their faces. There were all shapes and sizes there.
What I really enjoyed was the lack of egos. Yes, there were plenty of shirtless guys with 6+ abs and girls wearing little more than their underwear, but when you talked to these people, they didn’t come across as better or more elite than anyone else. Everyone was encouraging. On the course, as I passed people,they’d often offer praise or words of encouragement.
The whole event had a great vibe — like-minded people going through the same experience. We saw many other Northlanders there, from other gyms and different training backgrounds to Activ8, but again: no egos. No feeling of “we’re better than you.” Just support for anyone willing to give it a go.
Talking to those who’ve done it, most are riding a serious high afterward. Hyrox does agreat job of hyping the event. Once you’ve looked at one post or one Hyrox tip,they seem to completely monopolise your social media feed.
I found out late in the piece that Hyrox stands for “Hybrid Rock Star.” That’s a bit much — but credit where it’s due, they run a slick event and genuinely try to make every athlete feel like one.
I’ve heard a few complaints:
Come on —honestly. It’s not a cheap event, and everyone I know at Activ8 who trained for it put in countless hours, huge amounts of sweat, and more than a few tears.You don’t want it to be easy. You want it to push you to your limits. That’s what gives you the sense of achievement when you cross the finish line.
The nature of the sport (is it a sport?) — with relatively short runs and short, intense stations — means your heart rate stays sky-high. You spend most of the race near your max, and it becomes a mental battle: how long can you red line for? I genuinely believe that athletes finishing under an hour find it just as hard as those taking a couple of hours. It’s all relative.
It’s punishing — and that’s exactly what makes it worthwhile.
Those who seem to struggle the most are often the people who are “gym fit,”“class fit,” or “sport fit.” They dominate their local classes,finish every workout first, and assume they’ll smash Hyrox. But you need to train for Hyrox. There are plenty of incredibly fit,high-achieving athletes from other sports who have been humbled by it. Search YouTube — it’ll probably make you feel better about your time.
Which brings me to my next point.
Don’t start training Hyrox-only movements now.
It’s awesome to see how many people are getting involved in Hyrox. It’s been a great addition to gym programming and group sessions. Gyms are cashing in on it — and good on them. The more people move, the healthier we become. At Activ8, we’re doing the same.
But if you’re eyeing your next Hyrox — whether that’s overseas later this year (maybe Melbourne, December ’26… watch this space) or Auckland 2027 — don’t start hammering Hyrox-specific stations now.
There are eight stations and running. Some stations, like the sleds, will require technical skill eventually. But if you want to master them, start with the fundamentals.
Get strong. Lift weights. Build a base with big compound movements: deadlifts, squats, front squats, pull-ups, rows. There’s plenty of time to pull ropes later.
Get good at running — whatever “good” means for you. Start at your level. If you haven’t been running much, don’t jump on YouTube and follow some abs-heavy influencer’s 50–100km-per-week plan. Start small. Let your tendons, ligaments, and muscles adapt to running at manageable distances and comfortable speeds.
Then increase volume.
Then increase intensity.
Add mobility and stretching.
Build the base first. The rest will come closer to the event.
If you are needing a challenge, a reason to train then Hyrox could be the answer.
Need more info? Don’t know where to start? Let us know, Activ8 has plenty of options that will get you started on your Hyrox journey.
Or if you want a more specific individual plan sing out, I would be happy to help.
