CrossFitters, from everyday gym-goers to the elite (think Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr and Justin Medeiros), have begun to explore HYROX racing. However, until very recently, CrossFit as a brand hasn’t expressed its stance on the fitness race taking over the globe.
The short answer? It’s good for the brand.
At the end of April, CrossFit HQ posted a blog sharing insights on CrossFit and HYROX from the perspective of Stephane Rochet (CF-L3), CrossFit’s senior content writer and flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff. He explains what CrossFit is, how the sport differs from HYROX, and how CrossFit can complement HYROX training.
- “My first thought is that comparing CrossFit and Hyrox is comparing apples to oranges,” Rochet wrote. “CrossFit is a comprehensive strength and conditioning program with a distinct methodology.”
He likens a HYROX race to doing a “chipper” in CrossFit and compares it to longer, more grueling hero workouts like “Murph,” “Clovis,” or “Glen.” Rochet doesn’t claim that HYROX lacks methodology but emphasizes that CrossFit’s methodology and definitions “describe who we are, what we do, and why we do it.”
Respect the Race
Rochet explains what a HYROX race entails, with subtle nods to CrossFit throughout.
- “For CrossFit athletes, this race feels like home. We are no strangers to the SkiErg, rower, sleds, lunges, carries, or burpee broad jumps. And we invented the wall-ball shot,” Rochet wrote.
He continued, noting that the HYROX race environment is “very reminiscent” of a CrossFit event.
- “This is definitely an intriguing option to add to the bucket list for testing the fitness we develop day in and day out in affiliates and garages all over the world,” he added.
Rochet posed the question, “‘Are CrossFit and HYROX the same?’ to which he answers: ‘No… CrossFit prepares people for HYROX incredibly well.’”
Yes, that is true in many ways. However, James Kelly, an elite HYROX athlete and head HYROX coach at PRVN Fitness, says athletes have to focus on the most significant part of the race: running.
- “CrossFit is a methodology and yes it does test all components of fitness, however that does not translate to HYROX due to the fact that the running component and aerobic capacity is the most important thing when it comes to HYROX,” Kelly told Morning Chalk Up in an interview.
Kelly uses himself as an example. He says he trains like a runner and a CrossFitter. But he couldn’t just do CrossFit-style training and be an elite HYROX athlete.
- “If you want to get the most out of a HYROX race you can’t just do CrossFit; you have to make sure you respect the most important part of the HYROX race and that’s aerobic running and frankly I don’t see CrossFit respecting aerobic running as much as I do anaerobic and vo2 max style running,” Kelly added.
“Apples to Oranges”
Rochet acknowledged that specialized training is necessary for athletes who wish to participate in HYROX at an elite level. However, maintaining a regular CrossFit regimen is perfectly acceptable for the everyday athlete who wants to enjoy a HYROX race.
- “Just like we don’t do specific training for ‘Murph’ or ‘Glen,’ we can show up at a Hyrox event as if it were another WOD,” said Rochet.
A notable comment Rochet made at the start of the article is that comparing CrossFit and HYROX is like comparing apples to oranges. Yet, he seems to compare both throughout the article. His main argument is that CrossFit is a lifestyle, a methodology.
- “Hyrox is a race, a single event, and it has never claimed to produce the depth and breadth of adaptation to deliver on health the way CrossFit does,” Rochet wrote.
He concludes on a positive note, saying the two sports can co-exist and are on the “same side.”
“Both bring something great to the party,” he wrote.
The Bottom Line
HYROX is still the new kid on the fitness block, and an endorsement from CrossFit HQ is important as the two continue to build strong ties in the fitness community.
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Featured Image: HYROX
