THE ENDUROX PODCAST

ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 8: Show Notes & Chapters

Title:
HYROX Doubles Training, Sled Push Without a Sled & HYROX and Ironman | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 8

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Resources & Links

- Follow the show: @the_endurox_system on Instagram
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Episode Summary

Dan Plews and Adam Storey answer listener questions on HYROX training. Dan also updates on the ankle rupture he suffered at the Deadly Dozen, and Adam reports on the Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp pre-cooling trial in São Paulo.

Can you train for HYROX and Ironman, ultras or gravel? (20:25)
You can do well in both, but not your best in both. Ultras, Ironman and gravel reward a body size that works against wall balls and sleds, though aerobic blocks still help your HYROX.

Is a half marathon good preparation for HYROX? (21:45)
Dan says it's the ultimate running event to build around, because the duration and running paces are very similar.

How does training for doubles differ from singles? (25:42)
Train much like you would for singles, because your aerobic system is what recovers your anaerobic power. Practise faster burpee and wall ball technique.

GLP-1s, anti-doping and HYROX (30:18)
Adam says a HYROX Medical Advisory Council member who works with WADA told him GLP-1s will most likely be on the prohibited list in 2027.

How do you train the sled push and pull without a sled? (33:58)
For the push: single leg leg press, walking lunges, isometric holds and self-propelled treadmills. For the pull: sissy squats, Spanish squats, rows and cable pulls.

How do you test HYROX athletes in a lab? (41:50)
Combined tests that mix burpees, wall balls and running measure everything and tell you nothing. Isolate threshold, running economy, strength endurance and fatigue resistance, and consider critical speed.

Is Zone 2 on the StairMaster the same as running? (51:17)
Similar, never the same. Adaptations are specific, and long bike hours still need tendon and impact loading before you return to running.

How do you structure an eight hour training week? (58:01)
It depends on your training history. Dan suggests roughly 60 to 70% aerobic, and Adam warns a hard strength session can leave central fatigue for up to 48 hours.

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If this episode helped your training, leave a rating and review wherever you listen. It helps more HYROX athletes find the show.

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Related Episodes

- Pelayo Menéndez: Achilles Comeback, Sled Push Tactics & End of HYROX Super Teams | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 7
- Heat, Peptides & The HYROX World Champs Debrief | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 4
- Force-Velocity Profiling, Strength for HYROX & The Enhanced Games | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 3
- Tempo Running, VO2 Max & Tapering for HYROX World Champs | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 2

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Chapters

00:00 Intro: why it's been a while
00:43 Dan's 2026 so far: Achilles, PRPs and the Deadly Dozen fall
02:48 What the syndesmosis is and what the scans may show
03:37 Why this injury is common in AFL and rugby
05:39 Mentally harder than physical: coaching athletes while injured
07:25 Adam's trip to the Red Bull HYROX Coaches Camp in São Paulo
10:35 Pre-cooling trial: ice towels vs ice slushies vs no cooling
12:15 Dual-task training and the race brain
14:20 Dan's Kona training camp: 80K running and 26 hours
16:47 Would Dan go back to Ironman?
17:54 Going from 45K to 80K in a week
20:25 Listener questions begin: ultras, Ironman and gravel vs HYROX
25:42 Training for doubles vs singles
28:01 Skill of moving fast and Christian Blummenfelt's body type
30:18 GLP-1 microdosing and the 2027 anti-doping outlook
33:04 BPC-157 and where the line sits for injured athletes
33:58 How to train sled push and pull without a sled
39:38 Sled conditioning, farmers carry and Dan's slip
41:50 Building a lab test package for HYROX athletes
46:45 Wall balls and endurance backgrounds
47:48 How to test strength endurance
49:37 Lactate steady state vs critical speed
51:17 Is all Zone 2 the same? StairMaster vs bike
53:47 Why long bike hours still need tendon loading
55:11 Engine Room newsletter and running again after injury
58:01 Structuring an eight hour training week
1:00:48 Hard strength days and the polarised week
1:02:26 HYROX in Crocs and sign-off

Dan Plews and Adam Storey sit down with Elite 15 athlete Pelayo Menéndez, one of the most consistent racers in HYROX with 23 podiums from 28 races, a 55:12 singles PB, and a former doubles world record (48:31, set in Miami 2025) alongside Rich Ryan. Pelayo talks through his comeback from a serious Achilles injury, his current 22 to 25 hour training weeks, and the three things he is prioritising right now: running economy, max strength and aerobic volume on the bike.

The conversation moves through Pelayo's unlikely path into the sport, from age-group triathlon in Spain to a PhD in coastal engineering published in Nature, to a chance discovery of HYROX in Chicago after missing out on a marathon lottery spot. He breaks down why he treats HYROX as an endurance sport first, how he reads and adapts to inconsistent sled turf, and why every tactical decision in his race ends at the sled push.

They close on the shifting singles versus doubles landscape now that country pairings are required, Pelayo's own singles qualification push for 2027, dealing with imposter syndrome on elite start lines, and a brutal dumbbell complex his wife Elena Rouco set him this week that the hosts throw out as a challenge for listeners.

Chapters

Want to know what actually drives your HYROX time?

Is it your aerobic engine, your anaerobic power, or your strength that's setting your ceiling? Researchers at La Trobe University are running a study to find out which physical qualities best predict HYROX race performance — and they're looking for athletes to put through a full lab work-up most people never get access to.

If you take part, you'll complete two testing sessions at La Trobe University (Bundoora), roughly 2–2.5 hours each (~4–5 hours total).

Across the two visits you'll do:

What you get out of it:

All testing is free and supervised by qualified exercise scientists.

Who they're after:

Interested? Get in touch with the research team to register your interest: Dr Charlie Davids (+61 413 541 974, [email protected])

CHAPTERS      

00:00 Intro: matching black T-shirts and the tail end of winter  

00:37 Dan's man flu and a rough training week  

01:51 What a sick training week looks like for Dan  

03:40 How Dan modifies sessions when unwell  

04:43 Long runs into wall balls, and a HYROX skill insight  

06:34 Why skill development gets overlooked in HYROX  

07:58 Building a skill-focused training camp for a women's doubles pair  

08:25 The skill of picking up a sandbag  

10:02 Chiba, Japan: the weekend's racing  

10:11 Chengdu recap and a new female doubles pairing near the world record  

11:18 Tough heat, slow conditions and Cole Learn's fast time  

12:33 Jake Williamson's comeback and Josh's race  

12:55 Josh's race-brain lap mistake and Cole Learn's dominance  

14:53 Why busy courses cause athletes to lose count, and lap-counting as a team  

15:33 Cole Learn's build and the anthropometrics of a HYROX athlete  

16:47 Height, functional body weight and the DQ rule that cost Josh points  

18:41 Cole Learn's three-year progression toward the top of the sport  

20:49 Preparing for Bangkok: pre-cooling strategy options  

21:20 Heat acclimation, ice baths and warm-up modification  

23:12 Ice slushies and the science of the enthalpy of fusion  

23:45 Ice towels versus ice vests  

25:20 Ice and water safety for athletes travelling overseas  

26:27 Shout out: Shannon Prophet's results in Chiba  

27:36 Shout out: David Barton's pro open solo debut  

30:17 HYROX 365 Level 2 course and the Scientific Advisory Council  

33:35 Coaching accreditation and what Level 2 and Level 3 will cover  

35:09 Introducing HYROX Young Stars  

36:58 Building the strength and conditioning framework for kids  

40:45 Why early sport specialisation is a mistake  

43:06 The research on specialisation age across Olympic sports  

45:35 Exceptions to the rule: Tiger Woods, the Williams sisters and artistic gymnastics  

47:40 The La Trobe University study on the determinants of HYROX success  

50:09 Pilot data: threshold speed as a predictor of finishing time  

52:16 VO2max, fractional utilisation and why the sample is still small  

54:18 Why running is the priority in Endurox's training programmes  

55:19 Threshold speed and station performance  

56:46 How to get involved in the study for free  

59:03 Sign-off: sub-60 speed talk and the next episode

Dan Plews and Adam Storey sit down with Dexter "Big Dex" Buchanan, the top HYROX athlete in New Zealand and one of the best in Australasia. Fresh off a 10th-place finish at the World Championships in Stockholm, Dex breaks down how a rugby league background shaped him into a station specialist, and what it will take to reach the very top of the sport.

The conversation digs into one of the biggest questions in HYROX right now: how much does body weight matter? Dex sits around 90kg while the top runners hover in the low 80s. The guys unpack why chasing a number on the scale is the wrong approach, and why letting training volume drive body composition tends to take care of itself.

From there it gets practical. Dex shares his exact cues for the sled push and sled pull, why he switched to holding the rope instead of the drop method, how he built his wall balls to unbroken, and where strength training fits when running is the priority. Dan and Adam also get into the science: anaerobic reconstitution during the runs, lactate profiling, LT1 versus LT2, and why a flat lactate curve might matter more than a high threshold for HYROX.

Whether you are new to hybrid racing or chasing the Elite 15, this one is packed with takeaways you can use.

Dan and Adam reconnect after Adam's trip to the HYROX World Championships in Stockholm, where he was over with the HYROX Sports Science Advisory Council. They get into the NZ Muscle scandal and what it says about trusting your sports nutrition, the growing peptide and TRT conversation in the sport, and why HYROX is almost built for heat exhaustion. From there it turns into a full World Champs debrief: the men's race and the sled push that cooked Hunter, the lane-choice chaos, Alyssa's standout women's win, and Pelayo's comeback to the podium after an Achilles that was hanging on by a thread. They finish on where the sport is heading, why volume wins, HYROX Young Stars for kids, and the new Endurox Intelligence System. 

Timestamps: 

00:00 Jet lag and the trip back from Stockholm

01:40 The NZ Muscle scandal explained

06:52 Why Informed Sport testing matters for everyone

07:26 Peptides, TRT and the drug testing problem in HYROX

11:09 GLP-1: health enhancer or performance enhancer?

13:16 Why Adam was at World Champs with the Sports Science Advisory Council

14:44 The heat wave deaths in Lyon and managing the venue

16:00 The Stockholm stadium setup and the sport leveling up

18:59 Why HYROX is primed for heat exhaustion

21:47 In-race heat strategies and the role of pacing

23:04 Adjusting your warm-up and protecting your heat sink

24:28 Pre-cooling: ice baths, vests and slushies

25:25 Men's race debrief: Dylan Scott takes the win

26:03 The sled push, Hunter, and racing with ego

28:08 The lane-choice debacle that reshuffled the field

30:16 Control the controllables: a London Olympics rowing lesson

32:08 Why volume wins and HYROX will train more like triathlon

34:18 Blummenfelt's twenty-hour "off" week

35:13 The sub-50-minute HYROX paper and why efficiency rules

36:51 Max strength vs strength endurance for running economy

38:34 No generational athletes yet, and where the sport is going

41:25 Women's race debrief: Alyssa's breakout win

44:39 Sinead Bent's standout race

45:20 Pelayo's podium and his Achilles comeback story

48:30 The "failed athlete" theory and talent ID for HYROX

54:06 Women's doubles and the end of mixed pairings

56:36 HYROX Young Stars: building the kids' format

58:25 Launching the new Endurox Intelligence System

1:00:04 Wrap up

Join Dr. Dan Plews, Dr. Adam Storey, and guest Sam Purchase in Episode 3 of The ENDUROX Podcast. In this episode, they break down force-velocity profiling — what it is, how to measure it without a lab, and how to use it to identify and fix the exact qualities holding back your HYROX performance. They also recap the Enhanced Games and why the whole thing was a bit of a flop.

They cover:

Timestamps:

00:13 - Introducing Sam Purchase: coaching background and Chase Health and Performance

04:16 - Chase Health and Performance opens in Grafton, Auckland this July

07:49 - The Enhanced Games: media appearances and first impressions

09:16 - Why the doping didn't work: past their prime, bad products, or already doped fields?

13:30 - The swimsuit problem: a confounding variable on top of a confounding variable

14:43 - Would a longer protocol change things at the 2027 Games?

16:02 - The complacency factor: does being enhanced change how hard you train?

17:20 - Why Dan is relieved the Enhanced Games flopped

17:51 - Force-velocity profiling: what it is and why it matters for HYROX

20:34 - The cycling erg analogy: same power, different force-velocity mix

21:02 - Molecular FV relationship vs compound movement profile: an important distinction

25:16 - Applying the FV profile to HYROX stations and triple extension movements

26:40 - What the theoretical HYROX force-velocity curve actually represents

28:27 - Sam's master's research: load spectrum testing with a professional rugby squad

31:22 - Forwards vs backs: what the data showed

31:56 - Endurance vs strength athletes: what you'd expect from their profiles

33:47 - Training prescription: why you train the opposite of your dominant quality

34:13 - Why endurance athletes are often more force dominant than expected

35:24 - Movement specificity: why a jump squat profile doesn't transfer to isolated muscles

36:57 - Dan's experience: why his legs adapted faster than his upper body post-Ironman

38:27 - When does FV profiling become useful vs just getting stronger?

40:04 - Samozino 2008: three variables, a tape measure, and no lab required

41:28 - The propulsive phase explained

44:01 - HYROX relevance: how the three PhD movements map to race stations

46:03 - Practical prescription: loading Bulgarians for force vs velocity dominant athletes

48:07 - Contrast training vs French contrast: what the difference actually is

48:18 - Post-activation potentiation: the mechanism behind contrast training

51:51 - Reps in reserve and why contrast work isn't a true strength stimulus

52:28 - Why strength is being sidelined in HYROX coaching and why that's wrong

54:14 - Strength and VO2 max as the two most important qualities for HYROX

54:36 - Dan's pushback: strength endurance and why efficiency is the missing piece

56:11 - Programming the FV profile into a full race build

58:20 - Hunter McIntyre as the "up and to the right" benchmark

59:01 - How often to reassess: why two loads are enough

1:00:02 - Sam's PhD data collection: get tested at AUT Millennium in Auckland

1:02:20 - Closing: individualization is the point

Join Dr. Dan Plews and Dr. Adam Storey in Episode 2 of The ENDUROX Podcast. In this episode, they break down the training zones most HYROX athletes ignore, unpack the science of peaking for competition, and share what it actually takes to taper correctly for a race like World Champs.

They cover:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction: Deadly Dozen recap and how it compares to HYROX

04:00 - Dan Hoy's 57:40 at Hong Kong HYROX and coaching background

09:21 - Why tempo running is the missing piece for HYROX athletes

10:34 - How to structure a tempo session: examples and session design

13:16 - The 4-3-2-1 descending treadmill session

14:28 - Training diversity and load considerations around tempo

16:24 - Recovery from tempo vs threshold vs VO2 max: what a study actually found

18:24 - Defining VO2 max and threshold: the physiology explained

21:47 - Polarized training, Seiler, Stöggl, and where threshold fits

23:03 - How training background determines the right intensity prescription

27:22 - Using erg-based threshold sessions for HYROX

29:26 - Six weeks to World Champs: overload blocks and CTL strategy

33:43 - Competition frequency: how much is too much?

36:34 - Using races as training without burning out

37:58 - What makes a good taper: East German vs Bulgarian philosophy

42:00 - Gene expression, sex differences in taper response, and Adam's PhD research

46:40 - The HERITAGE Family Study and individual variation in VO2 max trainability

48:05 - Taper principles: how to reduce volume while maintaining intensity

51:43 - Genetics of recovery and muscle fibre type

53:36 - Closing: Kona camp, Stockholm World Champs, and what's coming next

Join Dr. Dan Plews and Dr. Adam Storey in Episode 1 of The ENDUROX Podcast. A conversational and entertaining discussion that mixes lighthearted banter with science and performance for HYROX athletes. In this episode, they dive into training principles, force-velocity profiling, and the role of technology, nutrition, and recovery in high-performance endurance sports.

They cover:

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction: The significance of context in HYROX training
02:10 - The sub-two-hour marathon: pacing strategies and record skepticism
05:00 - Impact of doping and technology on record legitimacy
07:15 - The physiological basis of force-velocity profiling and muscle fiber types
10:30 - Station-specific profiling and training focus (sleds, running, sled push/pull)
15:10 - The importance of fatigue management in station performance
18:05 - Using biomechanical tools and velocity measurement in strength training
22:00 - Building demand-driven training blocks, focusing on weaknesses
27:00 - The impact of concurrent training and avoiding overtraining
33:00 - Practical session design: sets, reps, and intensity for power and endurance
39:00 - The role of specificity and leveraging crossover benefits in training
45:00 - Future topics: race prep, periodization, tech ethics, and recovery strategies
55:00 - Closing comments and upcoming event plans