HOW TO SMASH YOUR FIRST HYROX DOUBLES

Published: 22/10/2025, By: Kate Hutchinson

If you’ve recently heard about HYROX and are wondering what it’s all about – or even considering signing up for your first event – then Doubles is a great place to start! While it makes the experience more accessible, it’s still not something you want to walk into unprepared. In this piece, our training ambassador Kate Hutchinson breaks down the secrets to smashing your first HYROX Doubles.

My own introduction to HYROX came after a long career in competitive sport. I was an elite swimmer for many years, competing in the Commonwealth Games and the World University Games, before transitioning into CrossFit and later age-group triathlon, where I won a World Championships bronze. Despite my broad fitness background, there were still many unknowns when I lined up for my first HYROX event in 2022. That’s part of what makes it exciting, but also why preparation matters.

Since then, I’ve raced across most formats – Mixed Doubles, Female Pro Doubles, Solo Pro – and am currently training for the World Championships in Chicago. I’m also a full-time teacher, so I understand what it means to balance training with the demands of work and everyday life. In this post, I’ll share some of the key lessons I’ve learned that can help you complete (and enjoy) your first Doubles race.

WHY DOUBLES?

HYROX Doubles is a great place to start. You split the workload, support each other when things get tough, and cross the finish line together. It’s a shared experience that makes training and racing more manageable, and often more enjoyable. Whether you’re entering with a friend, a gym partner, or someone close to you, the teamwork required adds a valuable dimension. It also allows you to experience the structure of a HYROX race without taking on the full solo workload right away.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST HYROX DOUBLES:

1. Choose the Right Partner

In Doubles, your pace is effectively dictated by the slower runner. It might seem strategic to pair up with someone who complements your weaknesses, but in practice, it’s better to team up with someone who matches your fitness level. That way, neither of you is stretching too far beyond your capacity or holding back unnecessarily. Trust and communication matter, especially when fatigue sets in. I’ve raced with a childhood friend, a gym training partner, and my husband, and each experience taught me something different. Ideally, you want someone who knows when to push you and when you need that extra bit of support.

2. Prioritise Running

HYROX is fundamentally a running event. There’s 8.7k of running, broken up into 1k intervals between each workout station. Only the first kilometre is on fresh leg, the rest are all under fatigue. Make sure you’re running regularly during the week.

A simple but effective structure that works for me is this:

1. One threshold run at your intended race pace
2. One or two short, easy runs (30 mins)
3. One longer aerobic run

3. Learn the Movements

Every station in a race has a movement standard: wall balls, sleds, burpees, and so on. These may seem straightforward, but under fatigue, they can become technically challenging. Get familiar with the correct form early on, and if possible, train with the equipment you’ll use on race day. It makes a real difference and helps to prevent no reps on race day.

4. Train for Fatigue

Most of your running will be compromised, performed under muscular and cardiovascular fatigue. Structure some of your workouts to replicate this. For example, follow a sled push with a run, or do wall balls before heading out on a short interval. The goal is to get used to how your body feels when tired, so it’s not a shock on race day.

5. Build in Recovery

Recovery isn’t just about rest days – it’s about training smart. Pay attention to sleep, manage stress, and listen to your body. I personally rely on a combination of ice and heat therapy, regular mobility work, and consistent rehab exercises to stay injury-free.

6. Practice Transitions and Communication

Decide in advance how you’ll split each station and how you’ll communicate during the race. Who takes the lead? How will you switch? These small details help avoid confusion, especially when you’re tired. Smooth transitions save time and preserve energy.

7. Understand the Layout and Rules

Hyrox events are well organised, but when you’re under pressure, it’s easy to miss a sign or run the wrong direction. I’ve made every mistake you can think of: running to the wrong station, exiting the RoxZone incorrectly, getting a time penalty for not making the movement standard. Take a few minutes to study the course map and rules ahead of time. It’s worth it.

8. Wear the Right Kit

Race venues get hot quickly. Choose breathable, lightweight clothing and shoes that are broken in but supportive. Avoid anything that might chafe over 60 minutes of running and lifting. And, if it helps, wear something that makes you feel confident – it’s your race, after all.

9. Remember Why You Signed Up

It’s easy to get caught up in performance, but don’t lose sight of why you’re doing this. Whether it’s for fun, fitness, or proving something to yourself, keep that reason in mind and enjoy the experience!

10. Create Some Structure

Aim for some consistency in your training week. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but random sessions won’t prepare you as effectively. Below is a sample week that covers the key elements you’ll need for your first race.

MY GO-TO 7-DAY TRAINING PLAN

This 7-day training plan is designed to prepare you for the demands of a HYROX Race, blending full-body strength, explosive power, and race-specific conditioning.

Before Your Start

Before you start, here are a few things you should know:

1. RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion): A scale from 1-10, where 1 is very easy and 10 is maximal effort.
2. Adaptability: Adjust weights, distances, or reps as needed based on your current fitness level and how you feel each day.
3. Listen to Your Body: If you feel overly fatigued, take an extra rest day or reduce intensity.

Your Plan

Each session will typically be 40-60 minutes and targets the following elements of HYROX performance:

• Muscular endurance for sleds and carries
• Efficient transitions under fatigue
• Aerobic/anaerobic capacity for runs
• Injury-resilient movement mechanics

MONDAY: FULL BODY STRENGTH

This session aims to build HYROX-specific strength and muscular endurance, which is key for developing durability for repeated, full-body efforts required in sled work, carries, and wall balls.

Warm-up – 2 rounds of:

• 2 Minute Ski
• 10 x Bodyweight Squats
• 10 x Inchworms
• 20 x Bodyweight Walking Lunges

Main Set – 4 Rounds for Quality:

• Dumbbell Thrusters x 10 reps
• RDLs (Dumbbell or KB) x 12 reps
• Renegade Rows x 10 reps (5/side)
• Sandbag Walking Lunges x 20 reps (10 per leg)

TUESDAY: FUNCTIONAL HYROX-STYLE WORKOUT

This workout focuses on functional conditioning and movement efficiency by simulating race-day transitions under fatigue, which helps build pacing and resilience.

Warm-up – 2 Rounds:

• 2 Minutes Row
• 10 x World's Greatest Stretch
• 200m Run
• 20 x Plank Shoulder Taps

Main Set – 4 Rounds for Time:

• 400m Run
• 10 x Wall Balls
• 30m KB Farmers Carry
• 10 x Burpee Broad Jumps
• 20 x Walking Lunges (10 per leg)

Optional Finisher:

• 5 min max calories on Ski or Rower
• Every 60 Seconds 100m Run

WEDNESDAY: FULL REST DAY

THURSDAY: INTERVAL RUN (RPE 8-9)

The goal of this interval run is to improve your VO₂ Max and anaerobic capacity, enhancing your ability to handle high-intensity efforts and recover efficiently between stations during a HYROX race.

Warm-up (5–10 min):

• Roll ankles inwards and outwards
• Forward and backward leg swings (dynamic)
• Hip flexion: lift knees towards chest, alternating legs
• Hip rotations: rotate hips in circles to loosen the joints
• Leg swings front to back for hip mobility
• Side leg swings to open up hips
• Ankle stretches to mobilise the joints
• Arm circles to warm up shoulders

Main Set:

• 6 x 2 min hard (RPE 8–9) / 1.5 min walk or jog recovery
• 4 x 1 min hard / 1 min recovery

Cool Down:

• 5 min jog + stretch

FRIDAY: SINGLE-LEG STRENGTH + INTRO TO PLYOMETRICS (RPE 7-8)

This session is designed to strengthen unilateral patterns and develop beginner power, which supports better running, lunging, and sled mechanics, while also building injury resilience. Perform each block, then move to the next.

Block 1:

• 300m Ski
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Block 2:

• 25m Prowler Push (200/150 lbs - adjust as needed)
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Block 3:

• 12.5m Prowler Pull (150/100 lbs - adjust as needed)
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Block 4:

• 40m Burpee Broad Jump
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Block 5:

• 100m Farmers Carry (32/24 kg - adjust as needed)
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Block 6:

• 50m Walking Lunges (30/20 lbs - adjust as needed)
• 400m Run
• 2 Min Rest

Optional Finisher:

• 5 x 30 sec Assault Bike or SkiErg sprints (30 sec rest between sprints)

Cool Down:

• Quad & glute stretches
• 5 min light walk or spin

SATURDAY: EASY RUN OR BIKE (RPE 5–6)

The aim of this session is to enhance your aerobic base and active recovery capacity through a steady, easy effort.

Session:

• 45-60 min steady run at conversation pace

SUNDAY: REST OR WALK

This day is for active recovery or full rest, with low-intensity movement promoting circulation and aiding muscle recovery.

All images featured are taken from @katehutchinson.hy Instagram