From CrossFit to HYROX: The “Unbroken” Badge of Honor Gets a New Test
The word unbroken has been a part of CrossFit since its early days and has long been regarded as a badge of honor, so to speak.
- Back in 2010, athletes aimed to do Fran “unbroken,” and today the idea of completing 30 unbroken muscle-ups at the highest level of the sport isn’t uncommon.
And while it’s often not wise to go unbroken in a workout if it means you’re pushing too hard and risk red-lining, sometimes, when the clock is ticking down and you’re emptying the tank on a movement that won’t result in a failed rep, going unbroken is the best option.
But it requires all kinds of mental fortitude to do so.
Now, the “unbroken” concept at the end of a tough workout has entered the HYROX world through the Red Bull 100 Challenge, which asks HYROX participants to complete 100 unbroken wall balls at the end of the race.
- Any participant who completes the task earns a Red Bull 100 finisher patch, which has become “the ultimate test of strength and grit,” said Jen Squilla from Centr, the official equipment provider of HYROX.
To help athletes develop this grit, Centr, in partnership with Red Bull, has launched a new training program on their app: “The Unbroken Training Program,” designed to help HYROX participants complete 100 unbroken wall balls at the end of the race.
Remind Me
Centr, which sells equipment and is the only HYROX-certified digital training program on the market today, is becoming to HYROX what Rogue Fitness and their equipment are to the CrossFit community: synonymous.
- Furthermore, Centr now offers standardized turf across all races, and they have opened HYROX Performance Centers inside Gold’s Gym and Everest locations in an effort to transform HYROX from being “a niche competition” into a “global, standardized sport,” Squilla explained.
The Program Details
Centr’s new Unbroken Training Program is a 12-week plan led by HYROX World Champion Jake Dearden.
- Training sessions happen two to three days a week, lasting between seven and 15 minutes, and are meant to be a “finisher stacked onto existing training,” Squilla said.
- The program, which costs $29 a month after a free week trial, is organized into three phases and includes weekly benchmarks for athletes to achieve.
The Big Picture
CrossFit athletes have flocked to HYROX in large numbers, including CrossFit Games competitors and even the eight-time Fittest Woman on Earth, Tia-Clair Toomey-Orr, who competed at the HYROX World Championships in June before winning her eighth CrossFit Games title in August.
The Red Bull 100 Challenge highlights the connection between CrossFit and HYROX, not just in training methods but also in the mindset and grit needed to succeed.
