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Dan Plews and Adam Storey sit down with Elite 15 athlete Pelayo Menéndez, one of the most consistent racers in HYROX with 23 podiums from 28 races, a 55:12 singles PB, and a former doubles world record (48:31, set in Miami 2025) alongside Rich Ryan. Pelayo talks through his comeback from a serious Achilles injury, his current 22 to 25 hour training weeks, and the three things he is prioritising right now: running economy, max strength and aerobic volume on the bike. The conversation moves through Pelayo's unlikely path into the sport, from age-group triathlon in Spain to a PhD in coastal engineering published in Nature, to a chance discovery of HYROX in Chicago after missing out on a marathon lottery spot. He breaks down why he treats HYROX as an endurance sport first, how he reads and adapts to inconsistent sled turf, and why every tactical decision in his race ends at the sled push. They close on the shifting singles versus doubles landscape now that country pairings are required, Pelayo's own singles qualification push for 2027, dealing with imposter syndrome on elite start lines, and a brutal dumbbell complex his wife Elena Rouco set him this week that the hosts throw out as a challenge for listeners.   Chapters 00:00 Intro: Adam's São Paulo trip and Dan's Kona training camp 00:59 Introducing guest Pelayo Menéndez: 23 podiums from 28 races, 55:12 singles PB, 48:31 doubles world record with Rich Ryan 02:53 Pelayo's coffee machine and staying with Dan in Chicago 04:43 Current training block: adapting to 22-25 hour weeks 06:20 Why he stepped up from 15-17 hours to higher volume 07:08 Three training priorities: running economy, max strength, aerobic volume 08:08 Key lifts and rep ranges for building strength reserve 09:40 Plyometrics in warm-ups after the Achilles injury 10:58 Power clean technique and load 12:19 Sending the power clean video for Adam to critique 12:57 Reflecting on the Achilles injury and the athlete's journey 14:09 Starting triathlon in 2011 and racing every weekend 17:53 Ironman debut in 2022 and why the marathon didn't work 19:16 The random path from Ironman to discovering HYROX in Chicago 20:41 Academic background: PhD in coastal engineering and a Nature paper 23:24 Leaving a 12-year science career to go pro in HYROX 25:06 How an analytical mindset shapes his coaching and racing 28:14 Race strategy and how much triathlon tactics carry over 31:37 Common mistakes triathletes make moving into HYROX 35:19 Race-day tactics: from the warm-up to flow state after the sled push 37:57 Recovering mentally and physically from a bad sled push 40:48 Training on centre turf and lane-to-lane inconsistency 41:14 The physics of sled friction, humidity and finding a "wall" 44:25 Why he always pushes the sled low, no matter the load 45:12 Unplugging from HYROX at home with Elena 47:31 Kids as the ultimate humbling factor 48:24 Green card, US racing rules and why the 48:31 doubles world record with Rich Ryan won't be defended 50:25 Why singles and doubles training won't diverge much 53:25 The end of super teams and what happens to the world records 54:49 What's next for Pelayo in singles, and dealing with imposter syndrome 58:34 Why understanding your own programme beats copying sessions online 59:19 Advice to his younger self starting out in HYROX 1:01:53 The cruise major, and prepping for Hamburg instead 1:02:44 Countdown to Hamburg and swapping Shanghai for Singapore 1:03:29 Racing burpees against Elena 1:04:45 Elena's new doubles partner search 1:05:50 This week's brutal dumbbell complex challenge 1:08:41 Sign-off

Want to know what actually drives your HYROX time? Is it your aerobic engine, your anaerobic power, or your strength that's setting your ceiling? Researchers at La Trobe University are running a study to find out which physical qualities best predict HYROX race performance — and they're looking for athletes to put through a full lab work-up most people never get access to. If you take part, you'll complete two testing sessions at La Trobe University (Bundoora), roughly 2–2.5 hours each (~4–5 hours total). Across the two visits you'll do: VO₂max and lactate threshold on a graded treadmill test Body composition via DEXA scan (muscle, fat, and bone) Anaerobic power on a 30-second Wingate *Jump and force testing — force-plate jumps plus an isometric mid-thigh pull Maximal strength (1RM back squat) and muscular endurance / work-capacity testing, including a sport-specific wall-ball effort at competition weight What you get out of it: A detailed, personalised report of your results — aerobic capacity, thresholds, personalised training zones, power, strength, muscular endurance, and body composition — to benchmark where you stand and sharpen your training.  All testing is free and supervised by qualified exercise scientists. Who they're after: Aged 18–45 males and females Must be completing a solo HYROX race in Melbourne 2026 Free from injury or medical conditions that would rule out high-intensity exercise Interested? Get in touch with the research team to register your interest: Dr Charlie Davids (+61 413 541 974, [email protected])   CHAPTERS       00:00 Intro: matching black T-shirts and the tail end of winter   00:37 Dan's man flu and a rough training week   01:51 What a sick training week looks like for Dan   03:40 How Dan modifies sessions when unwell   04:43 Long runs into wall balls, and a HYROX skill insight   06:34 Why skill development gets overlooked in HYROX   07:58 Building a skill-focused training camp for a women's doubles pair   08:25 The skill of picking up a sandbag   10:02 Chiba, Japan: the weekend's racing   10:11 Chengdu recap and a new female doubles pairing near the world record   11:18 Tough heat, slow conditions and Cole Learn's fast time   12:33 Jake Williamson's comeback and Josh's race   12:55 Josh's race-brain lap mistake and Cole Learn's dominance   14:53 Why busy courses cause athletes to lose count, and lap-counting as a team   15:33 Cole Learn's build and the anthropometrics of a HYROX athlete   16:47 Height, functional body weight and the DQ rule that cost Josh points   18:41 Cole Learn's three-year progression toward the top of the sport   20:49 Preparing for Bangkok: pre-cooling strategy options   21:20 Heat acclimation, ice baths and warm-up modification   23:12 Ice slushies and the science of the enthalpy of fusion   23:45 Ice towels versus ice vests   25:20 Ice and water safety for athletes travelling overseas   26:27 Shout out: Shannon Prophet's results in Chiba   27:36 Shout out: David Barton's pro open solo debut   30:17 HYROX 365 Level 2 course and the Scientific Advisory Council   33:35 Coaching accreditation and what Level 2 and Level 3 will cover   35:09 Introducing HYROX Young Stars   36:58 Building the strength and conditioning framework for kids   40:45 Why early sport specialisation is a mistake   43:06 The research on specialisation age across Olympic sports   45:35 Exceptions to the rule: Tiger Woods, the Williams sisters and artistic gymnastics   47:40 The La Trobe University study on the determinants of HYROX success   50:09 Pilot data: threshold speed as a predictor of finishing time   52:16 VO2max, fractional utilisation and why the sample is still small   54:18 Why running is the priority in Endurox's training programmes   55:19 Threshold speed and station performance   56:46 How to get involved in the study for free   59:03 Sign-off: sub-60 speed talk and the next episode

Dan Plews and Adam Storey sit down with Dexter "Big Dex" Buchanan, the top HYROX athlete in New Zealand and one of the best in Australasia. Fresh off a 10th-place finish at the World Championships in Stockholm, Dex breaks down how a rugby league background shaped him into a station specialist, and what it will take to reach the very top of the sport. The conversation digs into one of the biggest questions in HYROX right now: how much does body weight matter? Dex sits around 90kg while the top runners hover in the low 80s. The guys unpack why chasing a number on the scale is the wrong approach, and why letting training volume drive body composition tends to take care of itself. From there it gets practical. Dex shares his exact cues for the sled push and sled pull, why he switched to holding the rope instead of the drop method, how he built his wall balls to unbroken, and where strength training fits when running is the priority. Dan and Adam also get into the science: anaerobic reconstitution during the runs, lactate profiling, LT1 versus LT2, and why a flat lactate curve might matter more than a high threshold for HYROX. Whether you are new to hybrid racing or chasing the Elite 15, this one is packed with takeaways you can use.

Dan and Adam reconnect after Adam's trip to the HYROX World Championships in Stockholm, where he was over with the HYROX Sports Science Advisory Council. They get into the NZ Muscle scandal and what it says about trusting your sports nutrition, the growing peptide and TRT conversation in the sport, and why HYROX is almost built for heat exhaustion. From there it turns into a full World Champs debrief: the men's race and the sled push that cooked Hunter, the lane-choice chaos, Alyssa's standout women's win, and Pelayo's comeback to the podium after an Achilles that was hanging on by a thread. They finish on where the sport is heading, why volume wins, HYROX Young Stars for kids, and the new Endurox Intelligence System.    Timestamps:  00:00 Jet lag and the trip back from Stockholm 01:40 The NZ Muscle scandal explained 06:52 Why Informed Sport testing matters for everyone 07:26 Peptides, TRT and the drug testing problem in HYROX 11:09 GLP-1: health enhancer or performance enhancer? 13:16 Why Adam was at World Champs with the Sports Science Advisory Council 14:44 The heat wave deaths in Lyon and managing the venue 16:00 The Stockholm stadium setup and the sport leveling up 18:59 Why HYROX is primed for heat exhaustion 21:47 In-race heat strategies and the role of pacing 23:04 Adjusting your warm-up and protecting your heat sink 24:28 Pre-cooling: ice baths, vests and slushies 25:25 Men's race debrief: Dylan Scott takes the win 26:03 The sled push, Hunter, and racing with ego 28:08 The lane-choice debacle that reshuffled the field 30:16 Control the controllables: a London Olympics rowing lesson 32:08 Why volume wins and HYROX will train more like triathlon 34:18 Blummenfelt's twenty-hour "off" week 35:13 The sub-50-minute HYROX paper and why efficiency rules 36:51 Max strength vs strength endurance for running economy 38:34 No generational athletes yet, and where the sport is going 41:25 Women's race debrief: Alyssa's breakout win 44:39 Sinead Bent's standout race 45:20 Pelayo's podium and his Achilles comeback story 48:30 The "failed athlete" theory and talent ID for HYROX 54:06 Women's doubles and the end of mixed pairings 56:36 HYROX Young Stars: building the kids' format 58:25 Launching the new Endurox Intelligence System 1:00:04 Wrap up

Join Dr. Dan Plews, Dr. Adam Storey, and guest Sam Purchase in Episode 3 of The ENDUROX Podcast. In this episode, they break down force-velocity profiling — what it is, how to measure it without a lab, and how to use it to identify and fix the exact qualities holding back your HYROX performance. They also recap the Enhanced Games and why the whole thing was a bit of a flop. They cover: Sam Purchase: S&C coach, PhD researcher at AUT, and founder of Chase Health and Performance The Enhanced Games: why performances underwhelmed, whether the doping protocols actually worked, and the swimsuit confound Force and velocity: what the force-velocity profile actually measures and why it matters for power output The difference between the molecular force-velocity relationship and compound movement profiling Force dominant vs velocity dominant: what it looks like, what it means, and how to identify which you are Applying the profile to HYROX: which stations cluster together and why Sam's master's research with professional rugby players: forwards vs backs and what the data showed How Pierre Samozino's 2008 methodology made FV profiling accessible with a tape measure and a phone Sam's PhD research: three novel movements — bench pull, overhead press, and hip thrust — and why they matter The propulsive phase explained: what it is and how to measure it Training prescription from the profile: how to structure force or velocity blocks for a HYROX athlete Contrast training and post-activation potentiation: the mechanism, the application, and where it fits Why max strength still matters for HYROX, and why the "it doesn't matter" narrative is wrong How to periodise the FV profile into a full race build Sam's PhD data collection: how to get your profile tested at AUT Millennium Timestamps: 00:13 - Introducing Sam Purchase: coaching background and Chase Health and Performance 04:16 - Chase Health and Performance opens in Grafton, Auckland this July 07:49 - The Enhanced Games: media appearances and first impressions 09:16 - Why the doping didn't work: past their prime, bad products, or already doped fields? 13:30 - The swimsuit problem: a confounding variable on top of a confounding variable 14:43 - Would a longer protocol change things at the 2027 Games? 16:02 - The complacency factor: does being enhanced change how hard you train? 17:20 - Why Dan is relieved the Enhanced Games flopped 17:51 - Force-velocity profiling: what it is and why it matters for HYROX 20:34 - The cycling erg analogy: same power, different force-velocity mix 21:02 - Molecular FV relationship vs compound movement profile: an important distinction 25:16 - Applying the FV profile to HYROX stations and triple extension movements 26:40 - What the theoretical HYROX force-velocity curve actually represents 28:27 - Sam's master's research: load spectrum testing with a professional rugby squad 31:22 - Forwards vs backs: what the data showed 31:56 - Endurance vs strength athletes: what you'd expect from their profiles 33:47 - Training prescription: why you train the opposite of your dominant quality 34:13 - Why endurance athletes are often more force dominant than expected 35:24 - Movement specificity: why a jump squat profile doesn't transfer to isolated muscles 36:57 - Dan's experience: why his legs adapted faster than his upper body post-Ironman 38:27 - When does FV profiling become useful vs just getting stronger? 40:04 - Samozino 2008: three variables, a tape measure, and no lab required 41:28 - The propulsive phase explained 44:01 - HYROX relevance: how the three PhD movements map to race stations 46:03 - Practical prescription: loading Bulgarians for force vs velocity dominant athletes 48:07 - Contrast training vs French contrast: what the difference actually is 48:18 - Post-activation potentiation: the mechanism behind contrast training 51:51 - Reps in reserve and why contrast work isn't a true strength stimulus 52:28 - Why strength is being sidelined in HYROX coaching and why that's wrong 54:14 - Strength and VO2 max as the two most important qualities for HYROX 54:36 - Dan's pushback: strength endurance and why efficiency is the missing piece 56:11 - Programming the FV profile into a full race build 58:20 - Hunter McIntyre as the "up and to the right" benchmark 59:01 - How often to reassess: why two loads are enough 1:00:02 - Sam's PhD data collection: get tested at AUT Millennium in Auckland 1:02:20 - Closing: individualization is the point

Join Dr. Dan Plews and Dr. Adam Storey in Episode 2 of The ENDUROX Podcast. In this episode, they break down the training zones most HYROX athletes ignore, unpack the science of peaking for competition, and share what it actually takes to taper correctly for a race like World Champs. They cover: The Deadly Dozen: what it is and how it compares to HYROX as a training race Dan Hoy's 57:40 at Hong Kong HYROX and why he's only scratching the surface Tempo running: what it is, why HYROX athletes neglect it, and how to structure it Classic tempo sessions including the 4-3-2-1 descending treadmill workout VO2 max vs threshold training: the physiology, the debate, and what the research actually shows Polarized training (Seiler & Stöggl) and where threshold fits in the picture How training background determines when to introduce VO2 max work Erg-based threshold sessions and how to use them as a complement to running Six weeks out from competition: how to manage CTL, overload blocks, and taper timing Competition frequency: how much racing is too much, and how to use races as training Taper principles: volume, intensity, frequency, and individual psychology East German vs Bulgarian taper philosophies applied to HYROX Adam's PhD research on gene expression and sex differences in taper response The HERITAGE Family Study: how genetics shapes your VO2 max response to training Muscle fibre type, epigenetics, and the genetics of recovery   Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Deadly Dozen recap and how it compares to HYROX 04:00 - Dan Hoy's 57:40 at Hong Kong HYROX and coaching background 09:21 - Why tempo running is the missing piece for HYROX athletes 10:34 - How to structure a tempo session: examples and session design 13:16 - The 4-3-2-1 descending treadmill session 14:28 - Training diversity and load considerations around tempo 16:24 - Recovery from tempo vs threshold vs VO2 max: what a study actually found 18:24 - Defining VO2 max and threshold: the physiology explained 21:47 - Polarized training, Seiler, Stöggl, and where threshold fits 23:03 - How training background determines the right intensity prescription 27:22 - Using erg-based threshold sessions for HYROX 29:26 - Six weeks to World Champs: overload blocks and CTL strategy 33:43 - Competition frequency: how much is too much? 36:34 - Using races as training without burning out 37:58 - What makes a good taper: East German vs Bulgarian philosophy 42:00 - Gene expression, sex differences in taper response, and Adam's PhD research 46:40 - The HERITAGE Family Study and individual variation in VO2 max trainability 48:05 - Taper principles: how to reduce volume while maintaining intensity 51:43 - Genetics of recovery and muscle fibre type 53:36 - Closing: Kona camp, Stockholm World Champs, and what's coming next

Join Dr. Dan Plews and Dr. Adam Storey in Episode 1 of The ENDUROX Podcast. A conversational and entertaining discussion that mixes lighthearted banter with science and performance for HYROX athletes. In this episode, they dive into training principles, force-velocity profiling, and the role of technology, nutrition, and recovery in high-performance endurance sports. They cover: The importance of context-specific training in HYROX and endurance sports Force-velocity profiling: what it is and how it informs personalized training The impact of muscle fiber types (fast-twitch vs. slow-twitch) on power endurance How to interpret station weaknesses and develop targeted training strategies The role of high-force, high-velocity exercises like cluster sets for power development The influence of fatigue and prior exertion on station performance Use of technology such as velocity-based training and biomechanical assessments Ethical considerations around doping, shoe technology, and performance enhancement The significance of recovery, periodization, and demand-driven training approaches   Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: The significance of context in HYROX training 02:10 - The sub-two-hour marathon: pacing strategies and record skepticism 05:00 - Impact of doping and technology on record legitimacy 07:15 - The physiological basis of force-velocity profiling and muscle fiber types 10:30 - Station-specific profiling and training focus (sleds, running, sled push/pull) 15:10 - The importance of fatigue management in station performance 18:05 - Using biomechanical tools and velocity measurement in strength training 22:00 - Building demand-driven training blocks, focusing on weaknesses 27:00 - The impact of concurrent training and avoiding overtraining 33:00 - Practical session design: sets, reps, and intensity for power and endurance 39:00 - The role of specificity and leveraging crossover benefits in training 45:00 - Future topics: race prep, periodization, tech ethics, and recovery strategies 55:00 - Closing comments and upcoming event plans