Is HYROX a Healthy Way to Train? – Dr. Dan Plews (#8)

Dr. Dan Plews is a world-class coach, scientist, and athlete.

In this episode, Dan breaks down his transition from triathlon to Hyrox, how he balances strength and endurance in training, and why most athletes get intensity wrong.

We talk about:

* Why Hyrox is the perfect mix of endurance and strength

* Common training mistakes and how to avoid them

* Dan’s weekly structure: double thresholds, strength, and compromise runs

* Recovery capacity: what really drives it

* Nutrition and hydration: what matters, what doesn’t

* Specificity and strength endurance for hybrid sports

* The future of Hyrox: can anyone go sub-50?👇

Connect with Dan

https://www.instagram.com/theplews/

https://www.endurox.co/

Episode breakdown:

00:00 – Intro: Meet Dr. Dan Plews, coach, scientist, and athlete

01:16 – From Ironman to Hyrox: Why Dan made the switch

02:34 – Balancing endurance & strength for health and performance

04:21 – Is Hyrox more “endurance” or “strength”?

06:05 – Why Hyrox training is still in its infancy

08:17 – Lessons from working with Elite 15 athlete Pelayo Mendez

11:31 – Recovery capacity: genetics, training age, and mindset

14:21 – Dan’s weekly structure for Hyrox training

17:07 – Double threshold days: why and how they work

20:06 – Strength endurance vs max strength: what matters most

22:53 – Why most Hyrox athletes train too hard

26:25 – Specificity: compromise running and stations

30:26 – Tracking progress: what Dan measures (and what he ignores)

34:35 – Building Endurox: a new hybrid training platform

38:03 – Nutrition for hybrid athletes: protein, carbs, hydration

44:21 – Pre-race fueling and in-race nutrition: does it matter?

47:26 – Can Hyrox ever go Olympic?

50:34 – The future of the sport: sub-50 pro times and growth

52:52 – Dan’s curiosity: ultra-high carb fueling & strength endurance

55:07 – Wrap up: Key takeaways for hybrid athletes

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com