In HYROX, most conditioning still revolves around running.
If you want to get better at race pace, you run more. If you want to build aerobic capacity, you run more. If you want to improve repeatability, you run more.
According to Pierre Spies, that assumption is limiting. Pierre Meintjes Spies is a Sport Scientist, Strength & Conditioning Specialist, and founder of Sport Science and Conditioning (PTY) Ltd. With global experience as Wattbike’s Lead Educator, lecturer, and consultant, he empowers athletes and coaches through evidence-based performance training, education, and innovation. Passionate about advancing sports science, he develops sustainable programs that unlock peak potential.
In a recent HYROX 365 Academy podcast discussion, Spies argues that intelligently programmed off-feet conditioning, particularly on the indoor bike, can enhance aerobic efficiency, anaerobic tolerance, and neuromuscular qualities while reducing mechanical stress on the body.
The Mechanical Cost of Running
Running is essential in HYROX. But it comes with a price.
Each stride involves eccentric loading, ground reaction forces, and repetitive stress through the joints, tendons, and muscle tissue. That stress drives adaptation, but it also accumulates fatigue and increases injury risk when load is poorly managed.
Spies explains that in congested training weeks or long seasons, athletes often reach a point where mechanical load, not aerobic capacity, becomes the limiting factor.
The solution is not to remove conditioning. It is to change how it is delivered.
What Off-Feet Conditioning Actually Targets
Off-feet conditioning does not mean easy training.
On the indoor bike, coaches can still develop:
- Aerobic efficiency and VO2 max
- Anaerobic threshold and lactate tolerance
- Neuromuscular coordination and leg speed
By manipulating cadence, resistance, and interval structure, athletes can maintain high cardiovascular output while removing the eccentric stress associated with running.
Spies highlights the ability to replicate key locomotive qualities, such as stride frequency, by increasing revolutions per minute on the bike. This allows coaches to stimulate neuromuscular response without repeated ground impact.
Where It Fits in HYROX Preparation
Off-feet conditioning becomes particularly valuable in three scenarios.
- Managing High Training Load
Athletes training multiple times per day cannot accumulate unlimited running volume. Swapping selected sessions for bike-based conditioning preserves aerobic stimulus while reducing tissue stress. - Return to Run or Injury Management
When athletes experience tendon, bone, or joint overload, off-feet conditioning allows them to maintain fitness without exacerbating the issue. - Developing Beginners Safely
Athletes with higher body mass or low tissue tolerance may struggle with repetitive impact. Off-feet conditioning provides a way to build aerobic base and improve body composition before increasing running load.
The aim is not to replace running, but to complement it.
Profiling Before Programming
A key point in Spies’ approach is profiling.
Before prescribing sessions, coaches should assess aerobic capacity, anaerobic qualities, and neuromuscular proficiency. That allows targeted interventions rather than generic substitutions.
From there, off-feet sessions can be programmed to:
- Build aerobic capacity without extra eccentric load
- Improve repeatability between high-intensity efforts
- Support technical work on stations by reducing overall fatigue
In long seasons, this becomes a tool for sustainability, not just performance.
Why This Matters Long Term
HYROX is evolving into a sport with year-round competition and increasing training volume. Athletes are pushing higher outputs more frequently.
Without intelligent load management, injury rates will rise.
Spies argues that off-feet conditioning gives coaches an additional lever. It allows athletes to train hard, maintain conditioning, and recover more effectively by balancing on-feet and off-feet work.
The goal is not to train less. It is to train in a way that allows consistent progression over months and years.
Coach Takeaways: Using Off-Feet Conditioning Effectively
- Running stress is cumulative
Aerobic fitness and mechanical load are not the same thing. Monitor both. - Off-feet does not mean low intensity
You can target VO2 max, lactate tolerance, and neuromuscular qualities on the bike. - Use it to manage load, not avoid hard work
Swap selected sessions to preserve stimulus while reducing joint and tendon stress. - Profile before prescribing
Assess aerobic, anaerobic, and neuromuscular qualities before deciding where off-feet fits. - Ideal for return-to-run phases
Maintain conditioning while protecting healing tissue. - Think long season, not single race
Blending on-feet and off-feet work supports resilience and repeatability across the year.
Spies will expand on the above ideas at the HYROX Coaches Summit, diving into evidence-based methods for training and testing off-feet capacity, giving coaches practical tools to build capacity and resilience while managing fatigue and injury risk. The focus will be practical: when to swap sessions, how to use off-feet work in return-to-run phases, and how to balance mechanical load across a long season.
