A gradual increase in workout intensity, weight, and volume — known as progressive overload — is a research-backed technique shown to enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy. (1) While this method is widely recognized and accepted for strength training, is it applicable to HYROX training?
Muscle biologist, physiologist, and senior scientist at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Gommaar D’Hulst, offered his insights on Sept. 2, 2024, regarding the implementation of progressive overload in CrossFit and HYROX for enhanced performance and injury prevention.
[Related: Hybrid Athlete Fergus Crawley’s Advice To Teenagers Starting Their Training Journies]
Importance of Training Load
Before delving into progressive overload, how important is training load? Training load is invariably determined by two critical factors:
- Total Training Volume: How long a training session is.
- Intensity: How hard a training session is.
D’Hulst explains a training regimen designed around progressive overload is characterized by a steadily increasing training load. This phase is succeeded by a deload week, which allows the body to recover, adapt, and prepare for the next cycle.
D’Hulst highlights that this approach to training overload is common in endurance and strength sports.
CrossFit Progressive Overload Strategies
The complexity of progressively overloading in CrossFit is attributable to the program’s core philosophy of constant variation, functional movements, and high intensity. Given CrossFit’s demanding nature, which ranges from brief sprints to long runs, achieving progressive overload presents unique challenges. Below is a tailored training plan for CrossFit athletes aiming for weekly progressive overloads:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| Upper Body Strength Training (Morning) | Lower Body Strength Training (Morning) | Rest | Upper Body Strength Training (Morning) | Conditioning Training (Morning) | Gymnastics (3 x AMRAP) | Rest |
| Gymnastics High-Intensity Typical Crossfit Style (Afternoon) | Weightlifting and BB Cycling (AMRAP) (Afternoon) | 2 x EMOM Skills (Afternoon) | Bodyweight High-Intensity Typical CrossFit Style (Afternoon) |
[Related: How Does the HYROX Racing Structure Work? A Breakdown of the 2024/2025 Season]
Adopting EMOMs (Multiple Exercises)
D’Hulst cites a seven-week training plan as an example, believing this timeframe is an adequate length to practice progressive overload.
- For the initial two weeks, engage in 15-minute Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM) workouts that include 10 burpees in the first minute, 10 pull-ups in the second minute, and a 10-calorie session on either the Concept 2 or Echo bike.
Two times per week for two weeks; four sessions total.
- During weeks three and four, continue with the same 15-minute EMOMs, but elevate the burpees, pull-ups, and bike calories by 12. This strategy boosts the total workload by 10-15 percent within the same time frame.
- Week five is a break for rest and deload.
- In weeks six and seven, stick to the 15-minute EMOMs and increase the burpees, pull-ups, and bike calories by 14.
Adopting EMOMs (Single Exercises)
Similar to the initial approach, this seven-week training plan begins with a focus on the first two weeks, followed by a gradual increase in intensity leading up to the seventh week, with a rest period during the fifth week. D’Hulst illustrates this method with an example from gymnastics, utilizing single modalities.
The plan includes 12-minute EMOMs of eight thrusters at 95/65 pounds in the first and second weeks. The regimen culminates in the seventh week with 12-minute EMOMs of 12 thrusters at the same weight, demonstrating a progressive increase in challenge and intensity throughout the program.
HYROX Progressive Overload Strategies
HYROX races are longer sessions than CrossFit workouts. The former typically lasts approximately 60 to 90 minutes but is typically less technically skilled, making it more approachable for beginners. Gradually intensifying a workout through HYROX training involves the concept of Training Impulse (TRIMP).
TRIMP calculates the workout’s intensity by multiplying its duration by the rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
It is the subjective feeling of how intense the workout or session was.
Here is a sample weekly training plan for HYROX athletes seeking to overload progressively.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
| Topic | Basic Conditioning | Running | Sled | HYROX Simulation | Basic Conditioning |
| Duration | 60 minutes | 70 minutes | 45 minutes | 90 minutes | 60 minutes |
| Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE) | 3 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 3 |
| TRIMP | 180 | 490 | 180 | 540 | 180 |
| Total Weekly TRIMP | 1570 |
*Note: The RPE operates on a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 represents minimal intensity and 10 signifies the maximum. The TRIMP score is calculated by multiplying the duration of the activity by the RPE (for example, 60 minutes at an RPE of 3 results in a TRIMP score of 180).
Wrapping Up
Progressive overload varies across different training modalities. Mastering progressive overload for athletes engaged in CrossFit and HYROX presents a unique challenge due to the high-intensity and constantly changing functional movements.
A practical approach to implementing progressive overload is using EMOM workouts, with an increase of 10 to 15 percent every two to three weeks.
For HYROX specifically, an effective strategy for progressive overload involves using TRIMP, which calculates training load as the product of training time and the RPE. Additionally, athletes can blend and alternate between these training strategies based on personal preference, ensuring a tailored approach to improvement.
Reference
- Peterson, M. D., Pistilli, E., Haff, G. G., Hoffman, E. P., & Gordon, P. M. (2011). Progression of volume load and muscular adaptation during resistance exercise. European journal of applied physiology, 111(6), 1063–1071. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1735-9
Featured image via Shutterstock/PeopleImages.com – Yuri A
