In the third episode of THE HYBRID EXPERIMENT, we speak with Ryan Gibney about how Hyrox athletes can improve their strength. In this interview, Ryan tells us why strength and explosiveness is so important to even a running dominated sport like Hyrox and how to program for the best results on each station.

In this interview, James tells us why he’s such a huge advocate of coaching and the many benefits it can offer many Hyrox athletes over programming.

Perhaps even more importantly, James gives advice to upcoming Hyrox athletes on how to decide whether coaching or programming is right for them and how it could boost their Hyrox performance.

In our first episode of The Hybrid Experiment, we speak with the winner of the HYROX Virtual Championships, Elite Hyrox competitor and hugely popular coach: Markus Frison.

Drawing on his experience not only from Hyrox, but competing as part of the German National Cycling Team and as a top-level powerlifter, Markus joins us to discuss what an off-season is, why it’s vital to improving your Hyrox performance next season, and how exactly to train during it.

To check it out, just hit the play button below!

We were keen to catch up with Hunter the week of the Hyrox season’s main event, the Elite 15 race in Manchester, to find out his thoughts about Hyrox’s growth as a sport and hear how he’s feeling going into the race.

Here’s the interview!

Having followed your career through OCR and CrossFit, it almost seems like Hyrox was made for you: strength, speed, and quality movement. Can you remember your thoughts and feelings when you first heard about Hyrox and eventually completed your first race?

There have been many attempts of events like Hyrox but nothing is as hard as Hyrox. When I first completed one I was rocked by the length and intensity of the race. I have been racing them ever since. It really is an incredible test. I find it gets the most out of me when I am peak form for this race. 

You’ve always trained hard and with plenty of volume, but I heard you say a few days ago that you’re training more volume than you ever have in your life. What specifically is it you’re doing more of and why?

I increased my volume by 300% from last year. Mostly because I had limited time to train for this season. Most of it was done on the bike. A lot more ski erg too. Eventually I reached a point when I broke myself in the process but now I’m back to good place and faster than ever.

I know that you advocate the Norwegian Method of training for Hyrox. Can you tell us a bit about what this is and how it has helped you set records and also helped many of your athletes hit PBs?

It was an style that I read about from the sport of cross country skiing. I think this sport closely replicated our style of sport. I took a formula that they used then applied the multi sport training application of Hyrox. By mixing endurance and intensity properly I was able to increase both at the same time. 

Looking ahead to Friday’s race, what’s your goal? It feels strange to ask, but would winning be enough for you? 

At this point in my career I race to learn more about myself. I have gold medals, I have money. When I push myself to my absolute limits I arrive to a place where absolute chaos meets peace. It is a rare thing that I cherish the opportunity to experience. 

Do you prefer the Championship races where you get to go head-to-head with the best in the world compared to the qualifiers, like Spain where you set the World record? Do you approach them any differently?

I race for world records in the offseason. I take risks on open level courses. In championships I race at a pace that will set me up with the win. Both have different styles and paces.

I think many people believe that top level athletes (such as yourself), find training and competing physically/mentally easier than they do. How much do you suffer in training and in a race to perform the way you do?

I train at a level of pain and performance that no else does. That’s why I’m the one holding the world record. 

What is it that you believe allows you to push yourself so hard so consistently and find success across so many disciplines? 

I haven’t ever stopped learning. I will sit in any and all rooms that push the limits of human performance. I read constantly. I look myself in the mirror all the time, judge my weaknesses and praise my strengths. Then I go back to the drawing board. 

What’s the worst workout you’ve done this training camp?

The hardest workout I did was participating in an 8 hour bike ride with 10000ft of climbing in Cyprus. I didn’t know we were going this far. I didn’t bring enough fuel or water. I did it on my bday. It will be one of the most memorable rides of my life. 

Some friends of mine are involved in HAOS and love it. I know you take great pride in the performances of athletes you’re training. Would you say that being a coach and a leader has impacted the way you train and perform?

I learn so much for seeing the daily feed back of athletes around the world. It helps me rethink my own training. You always have to have an open mind if you want to be a top level performer. Leave no stone left unturned. 

What’s one thing, from your experience, that Hyrox athletes should be doing more of to get their times down?

Cardio is the most underrated aspect of a successful time in Hyrox. More running, biking, skiing and rowing. It will change the game if you level up here.

Don’t miss Hunter in action at the Hyrox World Championships this Friday evening from 5:20pm. Hyrox have teamed up with Spontent to deliver a top quality live stream of the event with full commentary through Twitch. More here: The Fitness Competition for Every Body | HYROX

Going sub-60 in the USA is a very difficult thing to do and puts him in a very small, elite club.

We speak to Rich about his recent training, what he’s figuring out the more races he has, what advice he’d give to athletes looking to get more competitive, and more besides…

Hit play on the video below!

We were keen to speak with the two Pro Women winners from each race, Rebecca Mason who took Barcelona and Vivian Tafuto who took Dallas, to see how they felt after such impressive performances at a pivotal point in the season.

Side note: both are fan favourites and we are delighted to see them bumping themselves up in the Elite rankings

Rebecca Mason – Barcelona Winner

Rebecca Mason is the reigning Hyrox World Champion in the 35-39 division. She is hugely popular within our community due to her bubbly personality, willingness to share workouts and advice, and inspirational performances, made all the more impressive considering she balances her Elite athlete status with being a mother to two young children.

This will be seen by many as Rebecca’s most impressive performance to-date with a time that almost certainly secures her place in the Elite 15 in Manchester.

Here’s our interview with Rebecca shortly after her win in Barcelona:

How was your training going into this event? Anything you changed recently that you feel helped perform so well?

I’m constantly working on being a better runner, unlike many other Hyrox athletes I don’t have a running background nor do I particularly enjoy it! So I’ve really had to work hard over the past year to improve my pace, endurance & speed. Unfortunately this doesn’t happen quickly so it’s the consistency of effort over time that’s now paying off. A more recent change this season is self belief, competing in the elite 15 at Europeans in January was a huge step up & fuelled my fire to be a better athlete, racing next to those amazing ladies is just something else- the bar was raised!

How does it feel to win this event in Barcelona and secure a big PB?

I knew I had to go all in! It was today or never to get a fast time to put me back into the Elite 15 ready for Worlds in May. A win is great but the time/PB was the goal.

Was the Elite 15 the goal for this race? How does it feel to make it in and, very likely, secure a place in the Elite race in Manchester?

It was the ultimate goal, I was definitely racing against the clock & knew I had to go hard to get that position in the elite 15, fingers crossed that it will stick & I will make the elite race in Manchester
(If you told me that in Vegas last year I definitely would not have believed you!) I’m SUPER happy!

Any other observations about the race? Your strategy, the course or your competitors?

My strategy is to build pace throughout the race & not to get too hyped up early on. I knew Felicity & Jezebel are very good runners so I had to keep them in my sights for the first few laps knowing I could push faster in the third part of the race. It was also great to see Sam Bilbie & Kate Davey make the step up to Pro both doing incredibly well, the U.K. are really producing some great Hyrox athletes.
The layout was very good today, super easy course to follow, 2 laps is always a favourite, but the roxzone did feel vast, especially the second half of the race. The sleds were rough & after speaking to some of the other athletes they felt the same. The carpet was very tough & I had to take a lot more breaks than I usually do, but you just have to grind on!

What’s the plan for you now?

My next race is in Malaga, I’m doing mixed doubles with Stuart Tilley which will be a fun one! I’m volunteering in London so I’m excited to see the event from the other side. Training continues as usual, 10 weeks until the WC, then some time off over the summer.

Anything else you’d like to say?

A big thank you to all the support I have received before & after the race, I absolutely love the community Hyrox has built & it’s the people & friendships that really make it. Thank you to the volunteers as well, without them these events can’t happen, they do an awesome job

Vivian Tafuto – Dallas Winner

Vivian isn’t on social media as much as some other athletes, but she’s well-known in the Hyrox community for her increasingly impressive performances. If ever you want proof that hard work and intelligent training gets you results, check out Vivian’s early Hyrox scores and compare them to today’s. You’ll see that she has consistently improved from an athlete logging a 1 hour, 26 minutes and 12 seconds time to an Elite Hyrox athlete fighting for a podium spot in the Elite 15 Championship races. Her time this weekend was 1 hour, 5 minutes and 18 seconds. It’s a crazy improvement and it’s exciting to witness her on the competition floor today.

Here’s our interview with Vivian shortly after her win in Dallas:

How was your training going into this event? Anything you changed recently that you feel helped your performance?

So after thanksgiving I got a coach and have really been working on my running! I think it’s helped a lot because all these girls are super fast lol and the last month I’ve been focusing on the wall balls a lot because that’s an area that I’m really behind the top girls so I think that helped today especially with Kris so close!

How does it feel to win this event with such a good level of competition?

Really good, this is actually my first win ever! I’m just really excited about all the time I’ve been dropping and having good girls around me pushes me to be my best and if there weren’t so many legit athletes this wouldn’t be worth doing.

You already have a time in the Elite 15. Did you run this race for fun or training or were you trying to improve your time?

I thought I would be on the border with that time and thank god I raced today or I would be out!

It was a very, very close race. I saw around the rower you began closing in. How do you feel close races like this impact your performance? Is it easier to push yourself or does it pull you from your strategy?

I like to key off of people so I’m always up for a close race. I think depending on how I’m feeling it can be motivating or draining but today I had enough that it was a great push.

Any other observations about the race? Your strategy, the course or your competitors?

I was out a little aggressive lol. I came in and was like hopefully there’s a rookie who will go out fast and I can pace off of them, but nope it was me. I’m really happy I pulled it together towards the back half though I think I raced that perfectly. My only other observation was that sled felt TOUGH

What’s the plan for you now?

I have The GORUCK Games in April but I really just want to train all I can and try to make more improvement before May!

It’s interesting though that, having interviewed a good number of winning athletes these past few months, few of them are really trying to set new PBs or even bump themselves up the Elite rankings necessarily at this point in the season. Instead, they are seeing where their training is at (with a little less pressure and outside factors when compared to the Championship races) and generally taking the opportunity to get more race experience under their belt.

This weekend, in Karlsruhe, we saw Tobias Lautwein take the win in the Men’s Pro race, an athlete almost certain to be in that Elite 15 race, and Jacqueline Lippenmeyer, another Elite 15 Athlete, secure a dominant win in the Women’s Pro race.

Tobias Lautwein

Tobias Lautwein is a great example of an athlete who makes no excuses. He is also an inspiration to many people out there with busy working and family lives. Tobias has four children and a full-time job, yet not only is he a staple in the Elite-15 rankings, but he was the Hyrox 2021 World Champion and Hyrox 2022 European Champion. Currently he has the 6th fastest time of the season with the 58:06 in Karlsruhe.

Here’s our interview with Tobias shortly after his win in Karlsruhe:

How was your training going into this event? Anything you changed recently that you feel helped perform so well?

Training went very well in February. Except for the last four days before the race I got very little sleep as my twins got sick.

My training focus was on running, sled push and wallballs.

How does it feel to win this event in your home country with such a strong field?

That was my third win this season. Winning always feels good. I am very proud to deliver such an achievement with a job and four children. That’s a dream.

Did you feel you needed to run a good time for this race to keep a place in the Elite 15 or was this race more for training?

It was a race to see how my performance is in preparation for the World Championships in Manchester.

Any observations about the race? Your strategy, the course or your competitors?

Very impressive performance by Beau Wills. I felt the running track was slow.

What’s the plan for you now?

My first plan is to reconcile family, training and work. Continue to focus on training to be in good shape in Manchester. After the world championship title in 2021 and the European championship title in 2022, this is all an encore.

Jacqueline Lippenmeyer

It’s clear from Jacqueline’s social media that she loves sports… of any kind. Triathlons, CrossFit, OCR, and now Hyrox. She’s training and/or competing in all of them.

In terms of the Hyrox season, Jacqueline put in a solid performance at the European Championships in Maastricht a few months ago, setting a time that currently places her 11th in the Elite 15 rankings.

Despite struggling with a slight injury, Jacqueline managed to win in Karlsruhe with a buffer of over 5 minutes compared to second place, a pretty amazing feat in the Pro Division!

Here’s our interview with Jacqueline shortly after her win in Karlsruhe:

How was your training going into this event?

I had a little bit less time for Training the Last few weeks, which showed up in my performance last Saturday. Especially in my Running Performance.

I had a lot to do at work and I also have a little issue with a runners knee Right now. Because of that I also had and have to reduce the Running in my Training.

Despite these circumstances I am still happy with my Performance and to pull out a win.

What was your goal going into Karlsruhe? Any observations about the race?

Because of the circumstances the last few weeks I took the Race for a good Training and didn’t put too much pressure on it.

I knew I couldn’t go for a new PB and as I realized I had a big gap to the second Place I didn’t push myself too hard.

It was a great Event like always.

The support of the Judges and the other athletes were amazing. I just love the atmosphere.

What’s the plan for you now?

Hopefully I‘ll get rid of my little issue and can get back to more serious Training again soon.

A big thank you to my Husband and Trainer. He is definitely my biggest Supporter.

It’s an interesting time as, at the top of the sport, some athletes have guaranteed their spot in the Elite 15 race in Manchester, others are only just inside or have been pushed outside (and so are having to race to improve their times), and we’ve still got rapidly improving athletes or even those who haven’t raced this season deciding when to make their move and put in a performance that could shakeup that Elite 15.

This weekend, in Munich, we saw Florian Gast take the win in the Male Pro race, an athlete most will expect to see in that Elite 15 race, and Alita Willnow secure a dominant win in the Women’s Pro race, a definite example of a rapidly improving athlete looking to crack that Elite 15 in the near future!

Florian Gast

Florian is one of the most active and consistent athletes racing this season. He went sub-60 in Frankfurt earlier in the season, which currently has him placed inside the Elite 15, and has raced multiple times in the past few months at Maastricht, Chicago and now Munich.

Here’s our interview with Florian shortly after his win in Munich:

How was your training going into this event? Anything you changed recently that helped you?
Training was focused on my last elite race in Maastricht. I didn’t focus on Munich too much in my overall training plan, but was really looking forward to it, as it is my hometown.

How does it feel to win an event like this in Germany?
Winning Hyrox Munich made a dream come true for me. I set this goal 3 years ago. Last year I was on a totally different fitness level after I couldn’t keep up with my training routines during the pandemic. Last year I wasn’t even close to winning an pro event over all. I had my family, lots of friends, supporters and my running crew in Munich. It was so nice getting pushed hard in a tough race.

I feel you’ve raced a lot this season! Do you enjoy racing regularly? Does it help you?
You need to find your sweet spot! Race enough to gain experience but also have longer times with big training blocks. I did both Championships, as I am a newbie in the elite racing… For me it is pretty different to race vs. 14 elites in the arena mode… So I wanted 2 prep races for Manchester – assuming I still have my qualification spot in May

Any observations about the race? Your strategy, the course or your competitors?
The race was fun but felt slow. In some races I find my own stable and fast “race pace”. Just like a running flow with strong workouts and fast runs. This time it was more like a suffer-game… but a fun suffer-game as it was pretty close between Peter Schiller, Eugenio Bianchi and me until lunges.

Peter and Eugenio are amazing athletes. It was an honor to race with them.

Also, Viola Oberlaender and Tim Wenisch, both elites, didn’t race, but where at the track pushing me and all their athletes. That was awesome. Also my brother did a great Open race.

In the end, Munich was a rather slow race for me, but I am pretty happy I could push to first place over all in the end.

What’s the plan for you now?
I will train for Manchester harder than ever before. 3 months is a lot of time. I think I can reach another level of fitness by then. We will see

Alina Willnow

Alina clearly loves Hyrox and has picked up first place podium spots in Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, the Relay and Individual competitions! She has her sights firmly set on breaking into the Elite rankings and her time of 1:10:44 in Munich left her just one minute away from a spot on Hyrox’s Top 30 Elite Rankings.

Here’s our interview with Alina shortly after her win in Munich:

How was your training going into this event? Anything you changed recently that helped you?
I was at the Athletic Camp in Cyprus at the end of February and actually trained very atypically to my normal rhythm. I got a lot of useful tips on my technique, but also took very heavy legs with me from the camp

How does it feel to win an event like this in Germany?
Of course it feels great to win an event and I’m proud that I was able to fight my way back into first place in the second half of the race. Nevertheless, in every race you realise where you still have weaknesses and that a lot of work is still waiting for me

Any observations about the race? Your strategy, the course or your competitors?
Puh, this time I had planned to time every run lap in order to run the ideal pace for me. But I was far too nervous in my head again and forgot it in 7 out of 8 laps . Besides the sled really challenged me. It was incredibly hard, I didn’t expect it to be like that. Otherwise, I always try to get through the workouts at a constant pace. And with the wallballs I always imagine the moment when you do the last rep and are finally released from the burning shoulders. And the less you put it down, the faster that moment arrives

What’s the plan for you now?
Sub-70 is my goal for the next race. And a lot of sled pull work needs to be done!

Head over to Instagram and give Florian and Alina a follow. Thank you to them both for taking time to share their thoughts with us!