For Padmini Ambatipudi and Amitha Netla, the biggest takeaway from Hyrox is that human connections can make even the most gruelling journey a lot easier. The much-hyped indoor fitness competition that includes eight km of running and eight functional exercises was indeed a test of endurance and patience for the duo who competed in the 50-54 age category as a team, but they enjoyed every bit of it and even won 3rd prize. “We complemented each other. I’m into running while Padmini is a regular at the gym. When I struggled with some exercises, Padmini, 54, stepped in, and while running, I slowed to match Padmini’s pace,” recalls Amitha, 49, a soft skills trainer in the Judicial Academy, adding the chemistry and camaraderie kept them going, enabling them to cross the finish line in two hours 17 minutes. Amitha and Padmini attended about six simulation sessions, covering roughly 25-40% of the event in coached, technique corrected workouts. “We stayed highly consistent — exercising daily even during travel or family functions — journaling workouts, sharing updates, and setting challenges to build endurance,” says Padmini, a former IT professional.The hardest stations for Padmini and Amitha were burpee broad jumps and squats. Initially, they couldn’t do even five burpees continuously but managed to do around 90 burpee broad jumps during Hyrox. The final station, where they did around 100 squats after eight km of running, was a real killer. “Endurance is as much mental as it is physical,” says Amitha.Hyrox, an international competitive fitness event held at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) recently, brought together a broad mix of participants and spectators around a shared fitness experience. The event saw around 8,000 athletes and over 12,000 spectators Making The impossible PossibleParticipants trained hard for the event with some optimising their performance by joining group classes at fitness centres dedicated to Hyrox training. “Around 120 athletes trained at our studio and all of them crossed the finishing line and that too with good timing,” says Pavan Chavan, the head coach at 6262 Fitness located in HSR Layout. “We helped them with structured sessions: strength workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday that mimicked race movements to build muscle memory, a Tuesday session that used all event stations/equipment to give a race-like feel, and weekend coach-led simulations that included a full race,” says Pavan. These sessions helped participants understand each station and improve their performance. Tanya Arora from Bengaluru sustained a physical injury and managed only one practice session before the event, but she still completed the race, demonstrating remarkable resilience. Vitamin F Four months ago, Ritesh Varma, who weighed 102 kg, had little or no interest in marathons or Hyrox. Looking back, he says joining a fitness community and watching people work out has transformed him inside out and has helped him lose 15 kg. “A community that shows up every day, sweating in real time, makes it impossible for you to stay on the couch. You can’t unsee it. You just lace up,” smiles the 33-year-old, who looks forward to catching up with his newfound friends every day. The Road To Success Eshaan Kattepur, a first-year undergraduate student at Azim Premji University, believes in the power of two. Along with his childhood friend, Abraham Jacob, he won 2nd place in the 16-24 age category. “We trained 4-5 days a week. and did simple exercises. We were consistent and I think that matters a lot,” he says. Eshaan and Abraham completed Hyrox in one hour 11 minutes. The race was not easy. “It required a lot of commitment and discipline. Many athletes participated in the event with their friends and colleagues,’ says Pooja Rajpal, head judge at SkiErg station at the event, adding winners were chosen based on timing. At the end of the day, Hyrox was much more than a fitness event. It proved that being part of a community can make you stronger, physically and mentally. Pavan Chavan of 6262 Fitness in HSR Layout notes that HYROX is unique because it combines functional movements with running WHAT IS HYROX It is a fitness competition that blends endurance running with functional strength workoutsHOW IT WORKS8 x 1 km runsAfter each run, you complete one workout station THE 8 STATIONSSkiErg – Pulling repeatedly through set resistance for 1000m on SkiErg machineSled Push – Push the weighted sled forward for 12.5m x 4 (50m)Sled Pull – Pulling weighted sled using rope for 12.5m x 4 (50m)Burpee Broad Jumps – Burpee & jump forward, repeat for 80mRowing – Working the rowing machine at set resistance for distanceof 1000mFarmer’s Carry – Walk carrying heavy weights in both hands for 200mSandbag Lunges – Walking lunges with weighted sandbagfor 100mWall Balls – 100 Squat & throw ball to target height of – Men | 10 ft (≈ 3.05 m)Women | 9 ft (≈ 2.75 m)
