Where are the best spots in London to train? 

Wherever you can get to consistently. You don't need to travel miles and miles for sessions. London is saturated with HYROX-style training. It's a real trend. So, there's probably not a corner of London that you won't see delivering functional fitness-style sessions. Our Third Space Canary Wharf has launched a dedicated HYROX Training Space featuring specialist equipment, three new classes, and expert trainers to help members prepare for competitions. - Chris

What can people expect when they turn up to a HYROX training session? 

A HYROX class is intense. You only want to do one or two of these max per week. Treat them as practice for the gameday environment and mentality. - Jake

What's the most common mistake you see in people's training plans? 

Constant simulations of the HYROX event over and over again. You need to be able to develop specific fitness components to then weave them back together. Identifying where your strengths and weaknesses are gives you focus. Also, always training at max is a big mistake. - Chris

Not practising technique. If you move well, it's basically free fitness. You become more efficient and come to the station less tired than someone else with the same fitness because you're smooth with it and you can breathe throughout the movement. A lot of people just think “I need to get stronger” and end up burning themselves out. - Jake

What should first-timers know about the atmosphere and layout of a HYROX event? 

You're going to make loads of mistakes. It's a moving environment. The atmosphere is loud. You can quite easily get wrapped up in the event itself because there's so much complexity. The warmup area is interesting; you're not just going to see people warming up, but almost fighting against their own ego because they want to show you they're really good. So, try not to change how you’re going to approach the day. The layout is difficult, so get there early just to see it. - Chris

It's going to be a good time. There's good music from the Red Bull DJ truck. When you actually get to a HYROX event, you understand the hype. - Jake

Which station is the most underestimated? 

Each HYROX athlete will have a different one. Mine is lunges. There's a brilliant triathlete called Joe Skipper, who came in a couple of years ago to London and was massively humbled by the wall balls. I think it took him 16 minutes. You look at his running ability and it's phenomenal, but when he had to add that real muscular endurance, it became tough. - Chris

I'd say burpees. I've seen people crying on burpees. They just don't think it's that hard before attempting it. Eighty metres of burpee broad jumps – you get to halfway and you're like, “Oh, this is actually tough.” - Jake

How do you prepare for HYROX from a nutritional standpoint?

It's hard for me to really comment on nutrition because it has to be individualised and tested. The night before, I have rice and soy sauce. In the morning I have chicken salad. I look at nutrition and how easily certain things are broken down. But for me, it's also the three or five days before. In line with carb-loading science, I want to just deplete a little bit of carbs and then inject some carbohydrates into the system. I have a tried-and-tested nutritional strategy that doesn't influence my gut. There are certain things that will upset you, like if you suddenly just take loads of pasta the night before. - Chris

I keep everything the same up until about two days before. Then I change my ratios of macronutrients. You want to reduce fats, bring down proteins a little bit as well, and push up carbohydrates. This is going to allow you to carb load without going over the top. You see a lot of people saying, “I need to carb up. I'm going to have pizza. I'm going to have ice cream. I'm going to have pasta.” But you're just overeating and putting on weight. A lot of people aren't used to eating that stuff, so it’s extra stress on your body with something new coming in and you risk an upset stomach or bloating. Beyond that, I just increase the carbohydrates in every meal and reduce the other things. For example, I normally have chicken rice and veg for my lunch, but I would just double the rice portion. - Jake

Thinking about the mix of running and functional fitness, which shoes should you wear?

Shoes are the bit of kit to explore the most. Puma, the sponsor of HYROX, has some options available, while Nike is launching some in October. Traction and grip are important. Look for a solid sole that can take a lot of impact, and you run well in it. - Chris

Adidas just brought out the ADIZERO Dropset Pro Training Shoes. On also has a hybrid fitness shoe worth checking out. - Jake

Finally, what’s your top bit of advice for a first-time competitor? 

The first half is not the race. That’s it. It's a joy to see first timers, but they don't really know what to do with themselves. They just go so hard because they have set ideas of what they're going to achieve, and you see them derail very quickly just after the rower. Get to the rower, and then the second half is the race. - Chris

Just enjoy it. It's not the end of the world if you have a bad race. No one really cares, which is humbling. And no person on this earth does a perfect HYROX the first time. Everyone's standing around after the finish line thinking, “Oh, I could have gone faster there,” and that's what makes them sign up again. That's why people have the HYROX backpacks with a million stickers on the back. It's because they're addicted to trying to get better. - Jake

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DISCLAIMER: Features published by SLMan are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.