Fitness Training
Ida Mathilde Steensgaard shares her HYROX fitness wisdom
Want to get into HYROX ? Fitness racing trailblazer Ida Mathilde Steensgaard shares her top tips and expert advice for crushing it on race day.
When it comes to obstacle course racing, Ida Mathilde Steensgaard is one of the most distinguished athletes around. This year, the adventurous 33-year-old athlete from Denmark has her eyes set on a different sport: HYROX.
It’s a standardized fitness race where you run one kilometre eight times, covering eight different workout stations in between. Ida’s goal is to qualify for the Elite 15 pro category at the World Championships in Nice, France, which take place at the beginning of June. Having a background in obstacle racing does give Ida a competitive advantage, you’d think – but the mental and physical fitness required for HYROX is different.
The starting line at Hyrox
© Jesper Gronnemark/Red Bull Content Pool
“I was quite surprised how hard it was – the entire competition is super long,” says Ida, reflecting back on her very first HYROX event in 2022 in Hamburg, Germany, where she finished in 65 minutes. “Compared to obstacle course racing, it is double the time - so you have to push twice as long.” At HYROX, you go straight into the fitness exercise station after each run and then back to your next run. It takes around an hour for the elite to complete the race – and up to two hours for the general public.
You have to push hard all the time
“It is not as easy to recover from station to station in HYROX,” says Ida. “There is really not a break in HYROX. You have to push hard all the time. It’s very grindy all the way through!” So, how does one prepare for this gnarly challenge?
Don’t let these beginner mistakes slow you down at HYROX
To avoid common pitfalls, Ida emphasizes the importance of smart pacing, thorough warm-up, and strategic refuelling during the race. Like any other race, HYROX requires smart pacing. Pushing too hard at the beginning can come at a high cost, as you might run out of energy further down the road. “I have learned that it is a quite long competition,” says Ida. “The first time I raced the HYROX European Championship, I started out too hard. I had a super hard time breathing properly. I wanted to quit and ended up crying through the last two stations, but still wanted to finish. A tough experience and I learned a lot.”
Fuelling up
© Jesper Gronnemark/Red Bull Content Pool
Other than not going out too fast, getting a good warm-up is vital. Ida likes to start off with a two-to-three-kilometre run and then do some running-specific drills. After that, she would go through some of the fitness stations, do one or two minutes on the rowing machine and ski erg, and push and pull the sled for a lane.
You must remember the good shoes, the chalk, a good warm-up, and have a little bit of Red Bull Energy Drink at the right time
“You must remember the good shoes, the chalk, a good warm-up, and have a little bit of Red Bull Energy Drink at the right time,” Ida explains. She usually has a Red Bull mixed with water 30 minutes before her start. “Then I feel like it kicks in for the start and lasts for the first part of the race. It’s a good idea to take some fast carbs like a banana or some dates too – an hour plus of racing is tough.”
During the race, Ida likes to refuel right before she hits the rowing machine station, midway through the competition after the burpee broad jumps and the fifth kilometre. “There, I would have a Red Bull Energy Drink with water again,” says Ida. “As I am trying to chill at the rowing station a little bit.” Her racing strategy has proven successful: Ida finished first in her age group at the HYROX Copenhagen event – putting her closer to her goal of making the top 15 in the world.
HYROX training is straightforward, yet challenging – here is what you need to do
HYROX races always have the same set-up; competitors must run for a kilometre eight times and do strength or endurance exercises in between the runs. “The standardized component makes it easy to train for HYROX,” says Ida. “You can train for it in any gym. It is very accessible. Additionally, you have these different stations and times for each, so you can really track your performance and work on improving where necessary.” For HYROX, you have to work on your running as well as your strength. Ida explains, “It’s 50/50. You have that duality – it is a hard competition”.
It’s 50/50 running and strength; you have to be a strong athlete and also a good runner to have that duality. She admits that it is a hard competition.
HYROX requires endurance and strength
© Esben Zøllner Olesen/Red Bull Content Pool
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How does a week of HYROX training look like?
Ida’s background is obstacle course racing which is her main training focus during the week - and she is also a very good runner, which gives her good base fitness. “HYROX is still a little bit new for me,” she says. But to be one of the best in the world, Ida is complementing her overall fitness training with HYROX-specific sessions every week. “I do two HYROX-focused sessions per week, where I make sure to implement the main movements required for the race,” says Ida. These can be just light rowing or bodyweight squats – the focus is to get used to the technique and get into a flow.
I do two HYROX-focused sessions per week, where I make sure to implement the main movements required for the race
Overall fitness is key
© Esben Zøllner Olesen/Red Bull Content Pool
Additionally, Ida schedules a 35 to 50-minute harder session, where she tries to simulate the specific demands of the race in training: “I try to hit zone 2 or 3 on the stations in that one – to prepare for race day.” On race week, training looks different. “I like to keep the intensity high but the volume low,” says Ida. She would do an easy run two days ahead of the competition – to give her body some rest before the big day. She doesn’t do many heavy training sessions in the week leading up to the race and doesn’t like to “push too much weight around” in the gym. Instead, her tip is to focus on technique and recovery for race day.