The Progress Theory

How To Become An Elite Hyrox Athlete with Greg Williams

Mar 4, 2024

Greg Williams, Hyrox athlete and host of Roxlyfe podcast, shares insights on training for Hyrox, transitioning from sprinting, and what sets elite athletes apart. Topics include mindset, training structure, and future of Hyrox. Key thoughts: mindset, taking risks, overcoming fear in sports.

50:03

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Episode guests

Greg Williams

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Quick takeaways

Elite Hyrox athletes excel in handling pressure and mental challenges.

To achieve success in Hyrox, athletes must challenge themselves by taking risks and pushing their limits.

Deep dives

The Growth and Professionalization of HiRox Events

The podcast episode delves into the rapid growth and professionalization of HiRox events. With an increasing number of events per year, including double-day events, HiRox is strategically expanding its footprint globally. The podcast highlights the sport's accessibility and addictiveness, drawing a parallel to the rising popularity of CrossFit. Moreover, efforts are being made to professionalize the sport, offering significant prize money and encouraging athletes to seek sponsorships.

Intro

2min

Exploring Hyrox Fascination and Elite Athlete Interviews

3min

Exploring the HiRox Functional Fitness Event

4min

Strategies and Training for High Rocks Races

14min

Exploring the Mindset of Elite Hyrox Athletes

4min

Pushing Personal Limits in Athletic Performance

20min

Exciting Talk on Hyrox Events and Podcast Promotion

3min

Hello and welcome to the progress theory, where we discuss scientific principles for optimising human performance.

In this episode, we are joined by Hyrox athlete and the host of the Roxlyfe podcast, Greg Williams. Now, Hyrox is a functional fitness event which is gaining massively in popularity. It involves running and functional fitness stations and seems to be very popular with the hybrid, crossfit and running communities. Greg on his Roxlyfe podcast has interviewed many of the elite athletes, so I wanted to speak to him to find out exactly what it takes to reach the elite level of Hyrox.

In this episode, we discuss:

2:13 - The genesis of the RoxLyfe podcast
4:20 - What is Hyrox?
11:05 - How Greg Trains for Hyrox
13:18 - How much strength do you need?
14:27 - transitioning from being a sprinter to Hyrox
17:30 - What separates the elites from the rest
24:40 - Mindset & pressure is a privilege
31:37 - Importance of structuring your year
37:50 - Where to start training for hyrox
42:58 - The future of Hyrox

Key Thoughts

Elite Athlete Performance: "I think there's some people that just don't deal with that very well. And the elites of the sport do."
Taking Risks in Sport: "You've got to take risks. And like you said, you can convince yourself you're pushing yourself hard, but not going quite as hard as you can."
Overcoming Fear in sports: "I think it can be taught or practised. And I think some of it is just like not tying yourself or your happiness to the outcome or the final time or your position."
Race data analysis: "Often it's the running, because that's essentially 50% of the race. That is a major factor."
Elite Athletes' Season Structure: "I think there's a level of maturity in someone like Hunter and some of the other experienced athletes with how they structure their season."
Elite Racing Strategies: "He knows he can probably run one race and qualify, whereas there's others that are trying to get a time in a regular race to qualify for those majors to then try and qualify for the world championships through those majors."
Quote: "But certainly running is the critical element for most people in the race. Compromise running, I should say. So getting to a point where they're comfortable with that over that sort of time domain as well, is the most important thing."
The Importance of Experience in Endurance Racing: "And there is a huge amount to be said for experience and pacing properly, all that sort of stuff. Most people vastly overestimate their ability in a race."
The Global Expansion of Functional Fitness Events: "From a business perspective, it seemingly is continuing to grow rapidly, and I think that's deliberate. I don't know how they're doing profit wise, but I think they're really trying to make an imprint in as many countries as possible."
Professionalising a Sport: "They want them to become professional, they want them to be able to get their own sponsorship, and they're facilitating that through a doing quite high quality, in theory, like broadcast and live streams of those elite races."

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