For an episode of the Rox Lyfe podcast, we sat down with Chris Bayens, a strength and conditioning coach with nearly two decades of experience who has become one of the more respected coaching voices in HYROX.
Chris coaches athletes across all levels of the sport, including Elite 15 athletes like Cole Learn, and in this conversation we covered everything from the evolution of HYROX training, to why he believes the sport is fundamentally an endurance race.
One of the biggest talking points was the idea of a sub-50 Men’s Pro race. After recent fast performances in London and Warsaw, the conversation around what is physically possible in HYROX has become louder than ever. Chris gave a detailed breakdown of why he still believes sub-50 remains unlikely on a standard course – at least for now.
HYROX Is Primarily an Endurance Sport
A major theme throughout the episode was how much the sport has evolved over the past few years.
Chris explained that early HYROX training often leaned too heavily towards traditional “hybrid athlete” thinking – becoming extremely strong while also trying to build decent endurance. He believes the sport has now shifted significantly toward aerobic development and threshold work.
He pointed to athletes like Luke Greer as examples of this shift. Luke’s running ability gave him a huge advantage early on, and over time his station performances have improved rapidly without necessarily needing huge increases in maximum strength.
Chris summed it up clearly during the episode:
“People have fundamentally understood that it’s an endurance race.”
That change in understanding has helped drive the rapid rise in standards across the Elite 15 field.
Is Sub-50 in Men’s Pro HYROX Actually Possible?
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation focused on whether a man can eventually break 50 minutes in a standard HYROX Pro race.
Chris still believes it is unlikely under current race conditions, despite recent performances from athletes like Alexander Roncevic, Tim Wenisch and Hidde Weersma.
He explained that while run courses and sled conditions can dramatically affect race times, there are still physical limits on how quickly certain stations can realistically be completed.
Chris referenced relay station data to estimate the theoretical fastest possible station times, particularly on movements like the sled push, SkiErg and farmer’s carry. His argument was that even if athletes continue improving, the margins available are becoming extremely small.
He also highlighted how much course design matters. Faster layouts with fewer turns, smoother sled surfaces and colder temperatures all contribute heavily to quicker times.
Warsaw, in his opinion, was almost the “perfect” fast HYROX course.
Why Strength Endurance Matters More Than Max Strength
Another major topic was strength training for HYROX.
Chris believes many athletes still overvalue maximum strength numbers like heavy squats or deadlifts. Instead, he feels HYROX rewards the ability to produce submaximal force repeatedly over long durations.
That’s why he places such a strong emphasis on:
- Tempo lifting
- Short-rest strength work
- Sled-specific sessions
- Aerobic development
- Threshold conditioning
He repeatedly returned to the idea that specificity matters:
“To get better at something, you should train that thing.”
Chris also explained that concentric-only movements like sled pushes can often be trained more frequently than people expect, provided overall load is managed correctly.
HRV, Heart Rate Training and Recovery
Chris is a strong believer in monitoring training load and recovery using heart rate and HRV data.
He uses the Morpheus system with many of his athletes and explained how HRV trends can help guide training decisions, particularly around recovery and nervous system fatigue.
Importantly, he stressed that HRV should not completely override common sense or athlete feedback, but it can provide valuable information that athletes cannot necessarily “feel.”
He also discussed one of the biggest mistakes he sees in HYROX training:
- Easy days being too hard
- Hard days becoming compromised because of accumulated fatigue
Chris believes many athletes spend too much time stuck in the “grey zone” rather than properly separating easier aerobic work from quality threshold sessions.
HYROX Running Volume – Are Athletes Running Less?
Towards the end of the episode, we discussed the running volumes currently being used by Elite 15 athletes.
Interestingly, both of us felt that elite HYROX running mileage may actually be trending downward compared to a couple of years ago, when athletes were pushing extremely high weekly volumes.
Chris explained that he programs running primarily by time rather than distance and typically prefers five running days per week for most athletes.
He believes the key is balancing durability and aerobic development without accumulating excessive impact fatigue.
Long-Term Development Matters in HYROX
One of the most valuable points Chris made was around patience and long-term progression.
He spoke about athletes taking a broader view of development rather than chasing immediate success every season.
As he put it:
“If this isn’t your season, that’s fine – you can still be great in four years.”
That long-term mindset applies especially strongly to athletes returning from injury or trying to break into the Elite 15 structure under the new qualification system.
Listen to the Full Chris Bayens Interview
This episode covers:
- Whether sub-50 is possible in Men’s Pro HYROX
- Why HYROX is fundamentally an endurance race
- Strength vs strength endurance
- Sled-specific training
- Running volume and threshold work
- HRV and heart rate training
- Elite race strategy
- Doubles vs singles training
- Long-term athlete development
To check out the full interview, watch below or listen on the Rox Lyfe podcast.
