The Girl Next Door (Why Hyrox and CrossFit can be lovers)

For the last ten years, as a proud CrossFit gym owner, the word Hyrox felt a bit like that sassy, loud, big-personality girl who suddenly moves in next door and shakes up the whole neighbourhood.

Not dangerous… but definitely disruptive.

And to be clear, I’m talking about Hyrox, not the neighbour.

But honestly? It’s fantastic.

Anything that gets more people moving, training, sweating, and caring about their health is a win in my book. That should be our goal as fitness professionals: create environments people actually want to train in, so they stay training to live longer, healthier, happier lives. Simple.

And Hyrox?

It gives people a target.

A reason to train.

A moment to work towards.

A chance to feel proud of themselves.

Last weekend, I did my first Hyrox — Individual Pro on Thursday, and Doubles Pro on Saturday with my mate Andy.

Why I Did It?

I wanted to demonstrate something simple:

CrossFit prepares you for life.

We’re not specialists; we’re generalists who chase mastery across multiple domains.

We should be able to run 5k on any given day.

Carry the shopping.

Go hiking on the weekend.

Lift heavy things.

And yes — jump into a Hyrox when asked.

CrossFit, done right, is a long-term, sustainable way to train.

Hyrox every single week, simulation after simulation, battering your body into the ground?

Not sustainable.

I see too many people smashing themselves with Hyrox sessions non-stop — half Hyrox, full Hyrox, sleds every second day.

It leads to burnout.

It leads to injury.

With CrossFit, the varied structure protects you:

Volume shifts.

Intensity shifts.

Movement patterns change.

Heavy days complement cardio days.

It keeps you in the game for the long run.

I spent last week at the Mayhem Athlete Camp — seeing athletes in their 50s and 60s sprinting, doing strict HSPU, power cleaning big weights — and I was fired up.

That is longevity.

That’s the endgame:

Still moving well into your 90s, kicking football with the grandkids, staying out of the nursing home.

My Goals for Hyrox

Truthfully?

I didn’t have any.

I’m not a natural competitor.

I’m a team-sport lad; the individual side of CrossFit has always been a weird world for me.

I’d rather coach someone to the Games than go myself.

But I do love doing tough things to check that everything “between the ears” still works.

My plan was simple:

Attack the stations. Use the run to lower the heart rate.

I didn’t train specifically for Hyrox — just leaned on my Jungfrau mountain marathon training for the running and trusted my CrossFit background for the stations.

I averaged 5:00/km and was disappointed not to push harder, not helped by running an extra lap…

(Shoutout to my internal sat-nav for letting me down.)

What I Learned

Hyrox is… intense.

Like Coliseum energy.

People are going to battle.

Elbows out.

Shouting at judges.

Arguing at the finish line.

Meanwhile, I’m there in a pink Workshop tee and a Ted Lasso moustache, smiling and waving like a child.

Where were the high fives?

Where were the fist bumps?

CrossFit gives us a sense of community.

Hyrox felt like every man for himself.

An OG CrossFitter once told me:

“A happy competitor is a dangerous competitor.”

And I believe that.

If you choose to suffer through fitness — smile.

No one forced you to sign up.

The technique side of things shocked me too, sled pushes, sled pulls, ergs.

You could instantly tell who learned from YouTube and who learned from coaching.

That’s a huge difference between CrossFit and Hyrox conditioning classes.

CrossFit is founded on teaching mechanics, consistency, then intensity.

Hyrox, at times, feels like:

Timer on. Off you go.

There’s so much low-hanging fruit for people to improve. Take burpees, for example:

• Foot placement

• Breathing mechanics

• Hand placement

• Movement sequencing

• Energy management

Would I Do Another?

If I were to go again, I’d focus on threshold running — controlling HR early and pushing later.

I finished with 1:13 (including the 3-minute penalty for my extra scenic lap, which I clearly have let go of......)

I feel like I could do better, but the body has a lovely way of letting you forget discomfort, so maybe I’m delusional.

But here’s what matters most:

Hyrox is amazing for CrossFit.

The RDS was packed with people choosing to spend their weekend sweating, pushing, striving — not out on the sesh.

A generational shift has happened.

Ten years ago, meeting your mates for fitness was strange.

Now?

It’s normal.

Run clubs are booming.

Gym communities are thriving.

People are choosing health and connection.

Over 33,000 people tried to get a ticket for Hyrox Dublin.

That number hits me right in the feels.

Driving through the RDS car park felt like parking for a gig at Slane.

Thousands of like-minded humans spending their quality time chasing fitness.

Young Coach Gaz in 2013 would have cried with joy.

Final Thoughts

Hyrox is the girl next door who moved in — loud, shiny, exciting, a bit chaotic — but ultimately good for the neighbourhood.

CrossFit and Hyrox aren’t enemies.

They’re two sides of the same coin:

People want to feel better, live better, push themselves, and grow.

Anything that gets more humans moving is worth celebrating.

And if you see me at the next Hyrox, I’ll be smiling :)

Pink Workshop tee on, moustache brushed, waving like an absolute eejit..

Doing fitness because it makes life better.