Hyrox is a global fitness competition currently dominating the health and fitness scene. It offers a highly accessible, highly addictive format that drives people to push themselves to physical heights they didn’t know they had. The competition is split into various strength, strength endurance and aerobic fitness events, demanding that athletes be well-rounded, with numerous physical qualities held to a high standard.
As a result, a Hyrox athlete needs to be strong in the weight room, fast in the runs, and able to repeat these efforts numerous times at a high level. Achieving this requires a gruelling training routine. If an athlete doesn’t plan appropriately or recovers poorly, this can lead to negative impacts on both health and performance.
Read our companion piece, Hyrox Recovery Part 1, for the foundational recovery strategies every Hyrox athlete should have in place before layering on the approach below.
To help tailor and optimise recovery day to day, we recommend Hyrox athletes use the S.H.I.T. Recovery Framework. Originally designed by Dr. Peter Tierney, a sports scientist and performance coach who has worked with organisations including Chelsea FC, England Rugby and Leinster Rugby, this framework is a simple, practical tool for deciding which recovery strategy to use for a specific type of concern.
Figure 1.0 — S.H.I.T. Recovery Framework (Dr Peter Tierney)
Keep reading to understand how to select the right recovery practice based on how you feel.
I Feel Stiff
You may feel restricted in your general movement, like you’re unable to move as freely as you normally would.
Feeling stiff is common after a game or a big training session, and can negatively impact subsequent training and performance if not addressed.
To address this, the goal is to get things moving again. To help with stiffness, try the following as much as possible:
- Movement
- Massage
- Massage gun
- Heat
- Warm water
These strategies help increase blood flow to the area, improve joint articulation and muscle extensibility. Combined, they lead to improved movement and reduced stiffness.
Figure 2.0 — Stiff: S.H.I.T. Recovery
I Feel Heavy
You may feel heavy in the legs, like everything feels weaker, less explosive, and just harder with every step. You might find yourself slow to react, with no real spring in your step and a generalised sluggishness and fatigue.
This heaviness, particularly through the lower body, is extremely common for those experiencing a high level of muscle soreness, also known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS can follow a big game, a heavy field session or a heavy gym session. Unlike stiffness, mobility usually isn’t the issue here, it’s more about strength and power.
To address this, the goal is to help accelerate the repair process that follows a high degree of muscle soreness, or micro muscle damage. To help with heaviness, try the following:
- Nutrition: eat plenty of protein and carbohydrates
- Cold water immersion
- Compression therapy
- Blood flow restriction (BFR) training
Figure 3.0 — Heavy: S.H.I.T. Recovery
These strategies help promote muscle repair, reduce the inflammatory processes that come with muscle soreness and damage, and help restore strength and power sooner.
I Feel Irritable
As the name suggests, this sub-type has more to do with mental state than physical. That said, if not properly addressed, the impacts can be both mental and physical.
You may find yourself in a poor mood, easily distracted, and easily frustrated by yourself and others. Your tolerance for mistakes, your own and other people’s, can also take a hit.
To address this, it’s important to apply strategies that improve your mental state, often ones designed to help you relax and calm your mind. To help with irritability, try the following:
- Improve your sleep quality
- Meditation or mindfulness
- Yoga
- Sauna
- Nap
Figure 4.0 — Irritable: S.H.I.T. Recovery
I Feel Tired
This sub-type is fairly clear, and overlaps with feeling irritable. Again, it has more to do with mental state than physical, but can negatively impact both if left unchecked.
You may find yourself sleepy, with poor focus, lacking discipline and lacking motivation for tasks that wouldn’t normally be an issue.
To address this sub-type, consider the factors that may be contributing to your fatigue. Are you well hydrated? Have you had adequate nutritional intake? Did you get good sleep in recent days? Do you need a physical primer before starting your training or competition?
These questions can help guide the right solution. In the short term, also consider:
- Fast-acting carbohydrate intake
- Caffeine intake
Figure 5.0 — Tired: S.H.I.T. Recovery
Finding what works best for your fatigue may take some trial and error, so keep a record of what has helped and what hasn’t.
How BeFit Can Help
Our Sports Physiotherapy team can help you build a personalised recovery approach for Hyrox training and competition, combining the fundamentals from Part 1 with day-to-day strategies tailored to how you’re actually feeling.
Book an appointment at BeFit Training Physiotherapy — no referral needed.
Edgecliff: (02) 9327 7749 | Coogee: (02) 7205 2805 | befittrainingphysio.com/book-now
References
Tierney P. The S.H.I.T. Recovery Framework. Referenced via professional publications and ScienceForSport.com.
Australian Physiotherapy Association. Clinical guidelines. physiotherapy.asn.au.
