Can You Build Strength and Endurance for HYROX Without Burning Out?
If you’ve ever tried to get stronger and faster at the same time, you’ve probably felt it—the interference effect. It’s that frustrating moment when your squat PR drops while your run splits slow down, and you wonder if doing both is even possible.
Welcome to the balancing act of hybrid training.
In this episode of the RMR Training Podcast, I sat down with Ryan Kent and Meg Jacoby to unpack the interference effect—what it really means, when it matters, and how to train around it without sabotaging your progress.
What Is the Interference Effect?
The concept comes from a classic 1980s study by R.C. Hicks, which showed that training strength and endurance together can blunt your strength gains. In short: too much running can hurt your lifting, and too much lifting can hurt your running.
But HYROX athletes don’t have the luxury of choosing one or the other. The sport demands both. You can’t just lift heavy or run long—you need the strength to push a sled and the aerobic engine to recover fast enough to run hard again.
The Reality for Hybrid Athletes
Here’s what we’ve learned through years of trial, error, and racing:
Endurance usually fades first. Heavy lifting sessions can crush your running quality if placed too close together.
Strength losses are slower. Once you’ve built a solid strength base, you can maintain it with fewer sessions per week.
Timing is everything. Doing your lifting after your key running days—or separating the two sessions by six hours—can minimize interference.
Efficiency beats raw strength. The strongest athletes aren’t always the fastest. The ones who move efficiently and manage their pacing dominate.
How to Train Smarter
If you’re balancing both goals, structure your training in phases:
Base Phase: Focus on aerobic endurance and high-volume strength work (3–4 days/week).
Build Phase: Maintain your strength base while increasing run intensity.
Race Phase: Reduce total strength volume, sharpen your running, and emphasize efficiency under fatigue.
💡 Pro Tip: You can build strength and Zone 2 endurance simultaneously—but once you introduce high-intensity running, things get tricky. Keep strength maintenance simple and strategic.
The Nutrition Factor: Eat to Adapt
Concurrent training demands fuel. You can’t build or maintain muscle if you’re underfed.
That means:
Prioritize carbs for recovery and energy.
Eat protein consistently to protect muscle mass.
Don’t fear eating more when you’re in a strength-building block—it’s necessary, not indulgent.
What About Body Composition?
If you come from a bodybuilding or CrossFit background, you might worry about losing your “look.” Don’t. HYROX movements—rows, sleds, carries, wall balls—provide full-body stimulus. You’ll likely maintain muscle, just with a more athletic, functional edge.
Key Takeaways
The interference effect is real, but manageable.
Phase your training, fuel properly, and recover hard.
Strength supports performance—but endurance wins races.
Efficiency and pacing matter more than absolute numbers.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode
Want to hear how elite HYROX athletes like Ryan Kent and Meg Jacoby actually manage it week to week?
👉 Listen to the full episode on Spotify or YouTube and learn how to balance strength and endurance like a pro.
Ready to train smarter for your next HYROX?
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