This week we’re back on a topic that keeps coming up… because people keep getting it wrong.

We start with a quick recap of the weekend’s racing in Cardiff and Lisbon, including some strong performances despite less-than-ideal course setups, before getting into the main discussion.

Strength in HYROX.

More specifically… how much of it you actually need.

We break down the difference between max strength, strength endurance, and what Chris calls “threshold strength” — the point where you’re strong enough for the sport, and anything beyond that starts to give you less back than it costs.

From there, we get into why chasing bigger numbers in the gym doesn’t necessarily translate to faster race times, how the aerobic system plays a much bigger role in repeated efforts than people realise, and why stations like the sled push aren’t really strength tests in the way most people think.

We also talk about:

• Why HYROX is still an endurance race, not a strength competition
• How fatigue and energy management decide performance more than raw strength
• The recovery cost of max strength work and how it impacts the rest of your training
• Why stronger athletes don’t always perform better on stations
• How poor pacing on one station affects everything that comes after it

On the practical side, we cover how we actually programme strength for HYROX athletes, including:

• Why two full-body strength sessions per week is usually enough
• How to maintain strength without chasing it
• Using sled work, tempo lifting and EMOMs to build strength endurance
• Simple ways to apply progressive overload without overcomplicating things

We finish with a breakdown of one of the most effective ways to improve wall balls using EMOM work, and answer a few listener questions around recovery and how strong you really need to be.

As always, this isn’t about saying there’s only one way to train — it’s about giving you a clearer idea of what actually matters, so you can make better decisions with your own training.

If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to follow and share it with someone who’s still trying to squat their way to a faster HYROX time.