After a couple of full workdays on Thursday and Friday that kept me out of the gym, and only a short session on Saturday, I was feeling energized and eager to hit a really hard, long workout today, Sunday, June 1st, 2025. My fellow coach at Crossfit Birch Bender, Jordan, was on the same page, so we intentionally set out for a grueling session, aiming to push our endurance boundaries and work for as long, or even longer, than a full Hyrox race. This type of extended workout is incredibly valuable for Hyrox preparation. When you get comfortable operating at this duration and intensity, a Hyrox race itself starts to feel like just another challenging, but manageable, day at the office. It builds immense mental fortitude and physical resilience.
A Quick Note on Volume & Intensity
Before we dive into the details, I want to share a quick thought: The volume and intensity described in some of my training logs, including today’s extended session, are specific to my current training cycle, experience, and personal goals of testing my limits and building fortitude for long, grinding events. This isn’t a blanket recommendation for everyone to follow verbatim. Always listen to your body, prioritize good form, ensure adequate recovery, and scale workouts appropriately to your current fitness level and goals. Consistent, smart training will always yield the best long-term results. Where applicable, I’ll offer some scaled options for the workouts I share.
This Hyrox Workout Blueprint: Extended Endurance & Full Body Burn
The workout was structured with multiple couplets and blocks, hitting various muscle groups and energy systems, with a significant emphasis on maintaining effort over a long period – a true test of will and conditioning for Hyrox.
The Workout:
- Block 1 (3 Rounds):
- 20 DB Incline Press
- 500m Ski Erg
- Followed by: 20 Burpees
- Block 2 (3 Rounds):
- 20 EZ Bar Curls @ 35lbs
- 600m Row Erg
- Followed by: 20 Pull Ups
- Block 3 (3 Rounds):
- 20 Push Ups
- 500m Run
- Followed by: 40 Box Jumps @24”
- Block 4 (3 Rounds):
- 20 EZ Bar Preacher Curls @ 35lbs
- 1km Echo Bike
- Followed by: 100 KB Goblet Squats
- Block 5 (3 Rounds):
- 20 Ring Pushups
- 1000m BikeERG
- Followed by: 1km Run
Movement Breakdown & Rationale:
Let’s explore some of these pairings for Hyrox-style endurance:
DB Incline Press & Ski Erg: This combines an upper chest and shoulder strength-endurance movement with a full-body, high-output cardio machine that heavily taxes the upper body and core. Great for building resilience for pushing movements after a lung burner, simulating the compromised strength work after a tough cardio effort common in Hyrox.
Burpees: The classic full-body test of fitness and mental grit, used here to spike the heart rate and test work capacity between blocks.
EZ Bar Curls / Preacher Curls & Ergs (Row Erg / Echo Bike): While direct arm work isn’t a primary Hyrox station, maintaining grip and arm strength/endurance is vital for obstacles like the Farmer’s Carry, Sled Pull, and Wall Balls. Pairing these with ergs keeps the overall intensity up and builds accessory muscle endurance while maintaining cardiovascular output.
Pull Ups & Push Ups with Running: Fundamental bodyweight movements testing upper body pulling and pushing strength endurance, broken up by running to mimic Hyrox race flow and build capacity in core bodyweight movements under running fatigue.
Box Jumps: A key plyometric exercise for developing explosive power in the legs and hips, crucial for improving running economy and dynamic movements in Hyrox like burpee broad jumps or clearing obstacles.
100 KB Goblet Squats: A high-volume leg and core crusher, demanding mental toughness and muscular endurance. This really tests lower body endurance and mental fortitude deep into the workout, similar to facing a tough station like Wall Balls or Lunges when already very fatigued in Hyrox.
Ring Pushups & BikeERG: Ring Pushups are a challenging variation that demands greater stability and control from the shoulders, chest, and core due to the instability of the rings. Paired with sustained BikeERG efforts, this creates a high-intensity finisher to build chest, shoulder, and core stability under fatigue and push the conditioning envelope.
My Experience & Key Takeaways:
This was a long one – 1 hour, 22 minutes, and 27 seconds to be exact – and the goal was to really push that endurance barrier with Jordan. We kept a steady pace throughout. Overall, the workout felt pretty well put together, though my personal takeaway is that we definitely went too light on all the bicep curls (both EZ bar @35lbs and preacher curls @35lbs). For the next similar session, those weights need to go up to get the desired stimulus.
The 100 KB Goblet Squats were particularly tough, as expected. That’s a lot of reps to grind through when you’re already deep into a workout. It really tests your mental game as much as your legs and core. The 40 Box Jumps also added a good spike in intensity and leg fatigue before moving into the next block.
My running pace continues to be a key focus area for Hyrox. Today’s session included several 500m run segments and a final 1km run. While one 500m piece hit a 4:56/km pace, the others were closer to 5:20/km, and the final 1km was at 5:35/km. My overall goal is to consistently and relatively easily run sub-5:00/km pace to be more competitive in Hyrox. So, there’s work to be done there for sustained speed over distance, especially when embedded within these demanding Hyrox simulation workouts.
Scaled Version for This Endurance Workout:
This is a high-volume, long-duration workout. Here’s a way to scale it while keeping the spirit:
- Reduce Rounds: Instead of 3 rounds for each block, consider 1-2 rounds.
- Reduce Reps/Distance:
- DB Incline Press: 10-15 reps
- Ski/Row Erg/BikeERG: 250-300m for Ski/Row, 500-750m for BikeERG/Echo Bike
- Burpees: 10-15 reps
- Curls: 10-15 reps (with appropriate weight)
- Pull Ups: Assisted, or 5-10 reps (or Ring Rows)
- Push Ups: 10-15 reps (from knees if needed)
- Runs: 200-400m
- Box Jumps: 15-25 reps (to an appropriate height)
- KB Goblet Squats: 30-50 reps
- Ring Pushups: Regular Push-ups (floor or incline), or Knee Push-ups, 10-15 reps
- Reduce Overall Blocks: Pick 2-3 of the main blocks to focus on.
- Lighter Weights: Use appropriate weights for all loaded movements.
The key is to maintain a challenging but sustainable effort for a longer duration than you might typically train, to build that specific Hyrox endurance.
Building That Hyrox Engine!
Long sessions like these are tough but incredibly effective for preparing for the demands of a full Hyrox race. As a certified Hyrox Performance Coach, I can help you structure your training to build the endurance and strength you need for the October Hyrox in Toronto. Let’s get you race-ready!
Get in TouchWhat are your go-to long and grueling workouts for building Hyrox-style endurance? Share your favorites in the comments!
Workout Summary (June 1, 2025)
- Workout Name: HYROX ENDURANCE GRINDER
- TOTAL TIME: 1:22:27
- CALORIES: 1093 C
- AVG HR: 158 bpm
- Date: Sun, Jun 1, 2025 at 01:27 p.m.
- Focus: Full Body Endurance, Hyrox Simulation
Detailed Workout Log
# Exercise Time Pace Ski/Row (/500m) Pace Run (/1000m) Watts (Row/Bike Avg) HR 1 20 DB Incline Press 01:11 121 2 500m Ski Erg 01:58 1:58.0 152 3 20 DB Incline Press 00:44 156 4 500m Ski Erg 02:07 2:07.0 160 5 20 DB Incline Press 01:21 162 6 500m Ski Erg 02:05 2:05.0 161 7 20 Burpee 01:59 167 8 20 Ez Bar Curls @35lbs 01:00 160 9 600m Row Erg 02:11 1:49.2 265 154 10 20 Ez Bar Curls @35lbs 01:18 160 11 600m Row Erg 02:13 1:50.8 253 161 12 20 Ez Bar Curls @35lbs 01:46 164 13 600m Row Erg 02:13 1:50.8 254 162 14 20 Pull Up 03:01 167 15 20 Push Ups 00:39 159 16 500m Run 02:40 05:20 170 17 20 Push Ups 01:33 159 18 500m Run 02:40 05:20 166 19 20 Push Ups 01:36 159 20 500m Run 02:28 04:56 167 21 40 Box Jumps @24” 03:47 170 22 20 Ez Bar Preacher Curl @35lbs 01:26 162 23 1km Echo Bike 01:39 165 24 20 Ez Bar Preacher Curl @35lbs 02:27 158 25 1km Echo Bike 01:41 159 26 20 Ez Bar Preacher Curl @35lbs 01:51 157 27 1km Echo Bike 01:41 157 28 100 KB Goblet Squat 10:11 146 29 20 Ring Pushups 03:13 149 30 1000m BikeERG 02:02 204 149 31 20 Ring Pushups 03:09 150 32 1000m BikeERG 01:50 232 150 33 20 Ring Pushups 02:57 152 34 1000m BikeERG 01:58 221 159 35 1km Run 05:35 05:35 163