Why Most Athletes Aren’t Overtraining—They’re Under-Recovering

Let’s clear the air: true overtraining is rare. Most HYROX athletes simply don’t rest enough, eat enough, or manage stress enough to recover from what they’re doing.

When fatigue stacks up, performance drops—and motivation follows. If you’re dragging through “easy” runs or dreading your next sled push, it’s not weakness. It’s under-recovery.

Signs you’re under-recovering:

Every workout feels harder than it should
You’re not excited for sessions you normally love
You’re sleeping the same, but energy feels off
You’re mentally foggy or unmotivated
Small aches linger longer than usual

“Junk Miles” and the Myth of Doing Less

Social media loves to call everything “junk miles.” But for most people? There’s no such thing—just poorly structured training.

High-level runners do plenty of “easy” mileage because they balance it with recovery, nutrition, and clear intent. The same principle applies to HYROX.

So what actually counts as junk?

Running too slow to reinforce good form
Running too fast to recover between quality days
Doing miles “just to hit a number” instead of a purpose

If you’re only running 3–4 days a week, you’re nowhere near junk territory. You’re building durability, not wasting effort.

Zone 2: Do It Right, Don’t Overthink It

Zone 2 training builds your aerobic base—the foundation for everything in HYROX. But the internet made it complicated.

For beginners, strict heart-rate tracking can backfire. Your heart rate will be high at first, no matter what. So use effort, not obsession.

Meg’s tip:
Start with walk-jog intervals. Over time, your body adapts—your heart rate drops at the same pace, meaning you’re getting fitter without grinding harder.

Advanced athletes? Focus on holding form and cadence, not just numbers. You’ll preserve efficiency and keep your runs “honest.”

The Gray Zone Trap

HYROX athletes love to work hard—that’s the problem. If every session is kind of hard, you’re never truly recovering or truly improving.

Here’s the fix:

Cap yourself at 2 true intensity days per week
Make easy days actually easy (Zone 1–2)
Spread your intensity: don’t stack runs, ergs, and lifts back-to-back
Track your fatigue, not just your metrics

When you stop living in the gray zone, your quality sessions hit harder—and you actually get faster.

Strength Work That Keeps You Durable

Meg shared how she traded ego lifting for unilateral strength, stability, and jumping—and became more athletic than ever.

If you’re still chasing your one-rep max, try this instead:

Single-leg RDLs
Step-downs and hip thrusts
Jump progressions and static holds

This kind of strength keeps you healthy and powerful, especially for lunges, sleds, and wall balls.

Recovery: The Missing Piece

Training isn’t the problem—recovery is.

You don’t need a full deload every other week, but you do need recovery systems that actually work.

Try this trifecta:

Sleep: Protect your hours. Your hormones and muscles reset here.
Fuel: Eat enough carbs. They’re your body’s favorite training partner.
De-stress: Do something that isn’t fitness. Nails, shopping, football, baking bread—whatever chills you out counts.

Meg nails it: “It’s often better to go 10% less hard than 1% too hard.”

How to Fix the Cycle for Good

If you feel the walls closing in—flat legs, foggy brain, zero motivation—pause. Don’t quit, but step back.

Take 3–5 days of light aerobic movement only.
Sleep, hydrate, and eat like an athlete.
When you come back, adjust the structure, not just the effort.

Train smarter, recover harder, and the gains will compound—week after week, season after season.

Progress Comes from Balance

HYROX rewards consistency, not chaos. Learn to separate “doing more” from “doing better.”

Train with intent, recover with purpose, and remember: the fittest athletes aren’t the ones who train hardest—they’re the ones who adapt best.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on Spotify or YouTube, and grab your free Roxopt performance report to see where you can improve next race.

Roxopt HYROX Analytics Tool — Free custom race analysis
RMR Training Podcast on Spotify — Listen to full episode
Planning your Training after a Race — Related blog post

HYROX Overtraining vs Under-Recovering: Train Smarter