How CrossFit Prepares You for HYROX (Anaheim Recap)

This past weekend, over 20 CrossFit Sweat Shop athletes competed in HYROX Anaheim, putting their fitness to the test in one of the fastest-growing endurance-style fitness events in the world.

Aside from Carmine, Robin, Rikus, and Jen, this was everyone else’s very first HYROX competition. Watching so many members step into something new, intimidating, and physically demanding outside the gym was the highlight of the entire weekend.

This wasn’t about elite athletes.
This was about everyday people training consistently — and proving they were more capable than they realized.

What HYROX Exposes (Very Quickly)

HYROX has a way of making strengths — and weaknesses — obvious.

As the weekend unfolded, one thing became crystal clear:

You could tell who had been consistently strength training… and who hadn’t.

HYROX demands more than just cardio. The sled push and sled pull alone require real lower-body strength, midline stability, and the ability to produce force while already exhausted. Strength stamina matters. Comfort working at high heart rates matters. And CrossFit develops all of that exceptionally well.

Why Sled Work on Turf Matters for HYROX

One of the biggest advantages for our athletes is something simple but extremely specific: we regularly train sled pushes and sled pulls on turf — exactly like you’ll see at a HYROX race.

Practicing sled work frequently matters because:
• The friction and feel of turf is very different from rubber flooring
• Technique, foot pressure, and pacing change under fatigue
• Confidence with heavy sleds removes panic on race day

At HYROX, the sled push and sled pull are often the moments that break people. Being familiar with those movements — on turf — is a massive advantage.

CrossFit + 1 KM Runs = Real HYROX Prep

Helen and I agreed throughout the weekend: CrossFit lays an excellent foundation for HYROX. The only real modification we made to our training was adding more running.

At the Sweat Shop, that’s not complicated — and it’s not random.

Because we’re located directly on the Contra Costa Canal Trail, many of our HYROX-style workouts include:
• 1 km runs on the trail
• Sled pushes and sled pulls on turf
• Burpee broad jumps
• Lunges, carries, and high-heart-rate conditioning

That combination matters. HYROX is built around running segments broken up by demanding strength movements. Training that exact pattern — running, then immediately producing force — is critical for anyone preparing for an actual HYROX event.

That foundation carried Helen and me to a 1:14 finish in the Mixed Doubles division. To be more competitive? More running would absolutely help. But the base was already there.

The Best Part Had Nothing to Do With Finish Times

What stood out most had nothing to do with the clock.

It was seeing members do their first big fitness event.
It was Sweat Shoppers cheering for Sweat Shoppers.
It was being surrounded by community outside the gym.
It was having my kids there, watching and cheering — seeing what consistency and courage look like in real life.

Being inside the Anaheim Convention Center with thousands of people pushing themselves is motivating. You come home energized — sometimes even motivated to get back under the barbell and keep building.

HYROX Las Vegas: February 21–22

Several Sweat Shoppers are already signed up for HYROX Las Vegas (Feb. 21–22). Not because they have to. But because training is more fun when you occasionally put it to the test.

Sometimes it’s about competition.
Sometimes it’s about having something to train for.
Sometimes it’s simply about seeing what you’re capable of.

Final Takeaway

Now that I’ve done a HYROX, I can confidently say this:

In my opinion, CrossFit training is still by far the best training method for overall fitness, long-term health, and yes — sexy, capable bodies.

HYROX is a fun way for anyone who enjoys having an event on the calendar — or who wants to test their CrossFitness — to step onto a bigger stage and see what their training has prepared them to do.

If you train here, you’re more ready than you think.