As a soldier and physical trainer for the British Army, Danny Rae thought he’d find the buzzy fitness competition Hyrox a piece of cake.
Part of a growing trend of contests designed to be accessible to average gym-goers and elite athletes alike, competitors work in pairs or individually to do functional exercises, like wall balls, sled pushes, and rowing. These movements are sandwiched between eight one-kilometer runs. You win by finishing first.
In 2023, Rae watched his first Hyrox event, in Manchester, UK, and saw a lot of parallels with military fitness.
“It was probably very naive of me, but I saw people doing it and thought, ‘I could be good at this,’ and then I actually did it and I got humbled straight away,” Rae, 29, told Business Insider.
Still, Rae got hooked on the fitness race. He used his first contest to work out what he needed to improve and changed his training accordingly.
17 months later in February 2025, Rae became the UK men’s open Hyrox champion at an event in Vienna. He holds the record for Hyrox both as an individual and in the men’s doubles, and has competed in over 25 of the events.
“It’s given me something to focus on, it’s measurable,” Rae said. “I know where I can improve, I can periodize training, so I’m focusing on strength for one part and running on the next.”
Rae shared what he’s learned about succeeding at fitness contests like Hyrox, including how to train your body for unfamiliar movements quickly but safely.
1) Build a solid foundation of fitness
Rae is from a military family and was an active kid. When he joined the British Army at age 18 in 2013, he quickly became responsible for keeping the soldiers in his regiment fit. But that doesn’t mean he has an unnecessarily hardcore mindset.
In general, Rae thinks it’s a mistake to train hard every day because you will likely get injured or see progress plateau as your body won’t have time to recover.
He recommends aiming to do low or moderate-intensity movements most days and then upping the intensity once a week to build your fitness while allowing yourself time to recover.
That sets the foundation for building toward competing in events like Hyrox.
2) Familiarize yourself with the movements
“They are functional, holistic movements which incorporate all muscle groups, so if you train regularly, you won’t struggle to do them,” Rae said.
But you need to learn the movement standards so you don’t get penalized for, say, not squatting low enough for a rep to count, he added.
For example, one rep of wall balls involves squatting to 90 degrees as a minimum.
3) Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
Rae said that his time in the military has made him more resilient and able to work through discomfort. That came in handy for running on tired legs during Hyrox or when he needed to work out despite not having the time or motivation.
Rae is deployed worldwide, from the jungles of Brunei to Poland, and his working hours are always changing. That can make it hard to commit to a regular workout schedule, but staying fit is part of his job.
“When we’re busy, you’ve really got to find time,” Rae said. “Whether that means setting your alarm a little bit earlier or getting someone to help you out to get the job done quicker.”
He added: “When it’s 5:30 a.m. and it’s cold and windy outside, regardless, you have to find a way to get it done.”
4) Don’t overthink it
While you need to be familiar with the movements, you don’t need to be an elite athlete to try a Hyrox. Just have a go and then you’ll learn what you need to work on.
“I know some people think they’re not ready to do one yet, but they most likely are,” Rae said.
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