CrossFit & HYROX: My Honest Take After 16 Years
I’ve been doing CrossFit for about 16 years now which feels crazy to type out.
It’s been a big part of my life. It’s not just how I train, but how I think. It’s taught me how to handle hard things, how to stay consistent, and how to show up even when I don’t feel like it. And one thing that’s always been true about CrossFit… it doesn’t get easier. You just learn how to deal with it better. That’s something I’ve always loved about it.
So when HYROX started gaining popularity, I paid attention. And the more I’ve been around it, the more I’ve coached it, and the more I’ve seen people experience it, the more I’ve landed on a pretty simple opinion:
If it gets people moving, it’s a good thing.
HYROX gives people something very clear to train for. It’s structured. It’s repeatable. You can measure your progress over time without guessing. For a lot of people, that matters. They don’t want randomness. They want to know what they’re working toward and if they’re getting better.
It also removes a lot of the skill barrier.
You don’t have to learn Olympic lifts.
You don’t have to figure out gymnastics movements.
You just have to be willing to work.
The movements are simple: carries, pushing, pulling, lunging, squatting. These are things people can understand right away and because of that, it opens the door to a group of people who might otherwise never walk into a CrossFit gym.
CrossFit is broad. That’s one of its biggest strengths. You’re training everything:
strength
endurance
speed
power
skill
Some days are short and intense. Some are long and grindy. Some require a lot of coordination and practice. It prepares you for a lot but that can also make it intimidating.
In all honesty, not everyone was introduced to CrossFit in a way that made it feel approachable. Sometimes the intensity was too much too soon. Sometimes the complexity pushed people away before they had a chance to build confidence. That’s not what CrossFit is supposed to be but we understand that it happens.
HYROX simplifies things. It gives people a clear path without overwhelming them. You show up, you train, and you get better at something specific. There’s less guesswork, and there’s less fear around “not knowing how to do something.” For a lot of people, that’s exactly what they need. It doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s not. It’s still hard work. But it’s accessible hard work.
Do you cave to choose one vs the other? No. You don’t have to do CrossFit to do HYROX or vice versa but the two work really well together.
HYROX builds a strong aerobic base and consistency with simple, repeatable movements.
CrossFit expands that into more strength, skill, and variety.
HYROX is more specialized. CrossFit is more general.
There’s room for both.
For me, bringing HYROX into Geaux Athletic Club wasn’t about replacing anything.
It was about reaching more people.
There are a lot of people who want to train, want structure, and want to be challenged, but they’re not ready to jump into CrossFit. HYROX gives them a way in. Once they’re in the door, we can do what we do best - coach them, teach them how to move well, and help them build confidence. From there, they can go wherever they want with it.
I love CrossFit. I always will. I love the challenge. I love the constant learning. I love that it never lets you get too comfortable. At the same time, I also think HYROX is a really good thing for the fitness space. It’s getting people involved. It’s giving people a goal. It’s creating opportunities for people to push themselves who might not have otherwise. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most.
Different paths, different starting points, but all leading to the same thing: people showing up, doing the work, and getting better.
That’s what we believe in.
United By Movement.
