I got to taste the new viral workout, Hyrox

I first heard the term in passing at work. A coworker mentioned she wanted to challenge herself by trying a new workout called Hyrox. A few days later, my rowing studio announced on their socials that they were partnering with another local studio to bring Hyrox training to our area.

Naturally, my curiosity was piqued. A viral workout mixing running, strength, and endurance? Count me in.

According to their official website, Hyrox is a global fitness competition for everyone that started in Germany in 2017. It gained popularity around 2022 post-pandemic, which made sense. After years of home workouts and virtual classes, people were ready to test their limits again.

(Side note: You can read about my pandemic fitness experiments, check out the Sesh section for my yoga and indoor rowing workout journey!)

This collab class wasn’t an official competition, but rather an intro to the Hyrox workout format — a fun way to sample the movements and energy behind this fast-growing fitness trend.

After watching a handful of Instagram reels, I knew this was going to be challenging for me, and I’m here for it. It somewhat reminded me of my CrossFit days. However, this seems a little more…forgiving, since I didn’t see any Olympic weightlifting or box jumping. Hallelujah! Still, those strict burpees are very intimidating. 😬

On the day of, a friend/rowmate walked in a little early and saw the setup: wall balls, kettlebells, sandbags, and a machine called the SkiErg. We even got nervous because we thought the contraption for the Hyrox backdrop was another station. 🤣

Our row coach kicked things off with a rowing warm-up. It was a chance for some attendees who may not be familiar with rowing…and to calm my pre-workout jitters.

After a quick warm-up, the Hyrox instructor gave us the deets on the workout assigned in each station. After getting to know our teammates, we all decided to start with lunges…with sandbags on our shoulders…and your knee must touch the ground. 😫 I’ve always had an irrational fear of injuring my knee while doing a lunge. But since I have great teammates who have proper form, I got through my set and added a few extra lunges for good measure. ✅ Station one: done!

Next up: Wall Ball Tosses and the SkiErg.

Since I’ve done wall ball tosses during my younger/CrossFit days, I thought it would be easy, like riding a bike. Of course, I was wrong. Doing 50 squats while tossing a weighted ball, even if the squats were broken up, was not an easy feat. My legs were extra jelly at this point. Once we finished our 100 squats, we had a little bit of time to cheer for our teammates who crushed the SkiErg. ✅ Stations two and three: complete!

The last workout station was a row machine. The team must row 1,000 meters total. I was the third rower, feeling solid until my rowmate started yelling dessert names she knew I craved! 😋 Mind you, I finished my first half-marathon row yelling, “Croissants!” 🥐 Instead of fueling me, I busted out laughing mid-row. However, I made sure I finished slightly over 250 meters, which was what my team needed from me. ✅ Station four: accomplished!

We finished third out of four teams — not bad for a bunch of first-timers.

Emotionally, it felt amazing knowing that I’m still able to do the workouts I used to love when I was younger and injury-free. Physically, though? I needed five days to recover. MY. ENTIRE. BODY. WAS. SORE. But, hey, no pain, no gain, right?

💦 Hydrate before, during, and after. I’m currently obsessed with my Owala Water Bottle.

👟 Wear comfortable cross-training shoes. I opted for my On Cloud X 3 AD sneakers for this occasion.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Try to learn some of the movements before your first session. Not only will you get the upper hand during the training, but you’ll also avoid bad posture that can cause injury.

🛑 Don’t go too fast, too soon. Simply put, don’t overdo it. Those five recovery days were brutal!

For better tips to conquer your first Hyrox training, read here.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it seems intimidating. Although it was uncomfortable for a few days after my first Hyrox sesh, I was proud of myself for doing it. It pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Would I do it again? Yes! With the holidays coming up, I might “preburn my calories” so I can indulge guilt-free. 🤤

Here’s to trying new workouts, surprising yourself, and staying active.

Happy Hyrox sesh, friends! 💪🏼

Hey there! Just a heads up – this post includes some affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products I actually use and love! Thanks for supporting this blog. ❤️ Full disclosure here.