The Next Move

Dena and Tom Hogan are two of the most experienced athletes and coaches in HYROX, with over 40 races and five World Championships between them. As founders of Team Hogan, they coach athletes across all levels while continuing to compete at the sharp end of the sport.
In this episode, Dena and Tom break down how HYROX training has evolved since 2020, why endurance and efficiency matter more than max strength, and how athletes should think about race weight, cross-training, and longevity.
We also explore individualized coaching, smarter ways to train sleds and wall balls, the role of community in long-term motivation, and why enjoyment—not constant PB chasing—is key to staying in the sport.
Episode breakdown:
00:00 — How has HYROX training changed from 2020 to 2026, and what were people getting wrong early on?
01:50 — Why did elite athletes start dialing in an “ideal race weight,” and how do you find the sweet spot between muscle and run pace?
03:44 — Should most athletes try to gain/maintain weight for HYROX, and how do you test where your tipping point is?
04:40 — Why might HYROX be more sustainable long-term than Ironman/ultras, and what does that change about training priorities?
05:39 — Is HYROX “mostly endurance,” and why do long hill efforts often beat gym max-strength for real station performance?
07:26 — Do newcomers need an aerobic “base sport” first, or is the right plan entirely dependent on their current background?
10:36 — What questions do you ask a new client to personalize training, and why do “circumstances” matter as much as fitness?
13:58 — What is a “test week,” and how do you use it to set paces, strength targets, and training intent?
15:57 — How do you keep performance high while running very little due to injuries, and where do you “get the stimulus” instead?
18:16 — Will elite training keep shifting toward high-volume, low-impact work (ergs/bikes), and why does it beat more running?
21:06 — How should strength training look for HYROX if max strength isn’t the main limiter?
22:42 — What’s a practical playbook to improve sleds, and why do hills + varied sled loading matter more than “race weight only”?
25:17 — Why do wall balls break people (mobility + technique), and how should you train them under fatigue instead of fresh?
28:15 — How do you define “efficiency” on stations, and why might being slightly slower but fresher be the winning tactic?
30:27 — What are the best ways to teach efficiency (video, timing, stroke rate, settings), and why is it all trial-and-error?
35:44 — What keeps you motivated to keep competing for years, and how does community (and family) shape that?
41:35 — How do you enjoy the sport more—especially if you’re always chasing PBs or comparing yourself to others?
48:34 — What advice would you give to someone who wants to build a coaching career in HYROX without becoming “generic”?
53:11 — What training trends are you watching in early 2026 (volume pullbacks, coach changes), and will more elite runners enter HYROX?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

Dr. Richard MacKenzie is an associate professor specializing in human metabolism and a clinician working at the intersection of exercise physiology, metabolic health, and stress. He is the author of Stress Tested: How The New Science of Stress Hormones Can Transform Your Health.
In this episode, Richard unpacks what stress actually is from a physiological perspective, how acute and chronic stress differ, and why chronic stress can quietly undermine insulin sensitivity, recovery, sleep, and training adaptations.
We also explore how stress shows up in metrics like heart rate variability, glucose variability, and fuel metabolism, why mindset and perception dramatically alter stress responses, and how exercise, nutrition, caffeine, sleep, and even cold exposure can either buffer or amplify stress.
Episode breakdown:
00:00 – Who is Dr. Richard MacKenzie?
00:16 – Why write Stress Tested now?
02:23 – What is stress?
04:28 – When does stress turn from helpful to harmful?
04:52 – How does chronic stress show up day to day?
06:15 – Can stress actually be measured?
07:41 – What does a personal “stress dashboard” look like?
09:59 – How changeable is stress with mindset?
13:59 – Does exercise reduce stress—or add to it?
15:29 – Is stress one of our biggest health threats?
19:56 – What hidden stressors are we missing?
26:06 – Can diet increase—or reduce—stress?
36:04 – What has stress research changed for Richard?
41:05 – What’s next: protein, metabolism, and future research?


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

Gommaar D’Hulst is an exercise physiologist at ETH Zurich and the mind behind the WOD Science YouTube channel, with a background rooted in CrossFit and a growing focus on HYROX and hybrid endurance sports. Through his research and applied lab work, Gommaar bridges elite performance, physiology, and real-world training decisions for functional fitness athletes.
In this episode, Gommaar breaks down the key physiological differences between CrossFit and HYROX, why HYROX is best understood as an endurance-dominant sport, and how muscle fiber types, VO2 max, lactate threshold, and anaerobic power shape performance. He shares insights from lab testing with elite athletes—including novel functional ramp tests using burpees and thrusters—explains why fatigue dramatically alters running economy in HYROX, and explores how tools from endurance science (like threshold training, Zone 2 work, and power metrics) can be adapted to functional movements. We also dive into interference effects, fueling strategies, and where sports science is headed as HYROX continues to professionalize.
Episode breakdown:
00:00 — Intro: Gommaar (ETH Zurich) + WOD Science + CrossFit → HYROX
00:24 — CrossFit vs HYROX demands: longer duration, lower intensity, aerobic bias
01:40 — Can you excel at both? Specialization, rising level, and the Tia example
03:13 — Is HYROX endurance or strength? Why it’s primarily endurance (and sled/turf impact)
04:48 — Muscle fibers 101: slow vs fast twitch and what they’re built for
07:50 — Why strong powerlifters can struggle: strength vs strength-endurance
11:01 — HYROX strength training: when (and if) low-rep work fits in the season
12:17 — VO2 max + lactate threshold: what they are and why they matter
15:56 — Elite CrossFit VO2 findings: lower-than-expected on the bike + specificity issue
18:27 — Functional ramp test: burpees + thrusters protocol + what lactate curves show
21:55 — Run → lunges/deadlifts → run: fatigue increases VO2 cost (running economy drop)
26:02 — What predicts HYROX performance beyond VO2: fatigue-resistance across stations
28:22 — Heart rate: good for running, limited for stations + why VO2 can drop in strength work
34:15 — Interference effect: separating strength and endurance (same-day vs split) outcomes
46:53 — Nutrition rapid-fire: carbs (timing + high intakes) and bicarb/creatine practicality


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

George Hearn is a life coach who came into coaching through a high-achieving academic and corporate path—studying Geography at Cambridge, spending years in strategy consulting, and then moving into the startup world—before realizing he was more drawn to helping people design intentional, fulfilling lives
In this episode, George breaks down what coaching actually is (and why it’s often not about giving advice), how he structures sessions using tools like the Wheel of Life, Ikigai, and visualization, and how everyday practices like journaling, distraction-free walks, and even AI chatbots can support self-reflection. He also shares the behind-the-scenes of building his coaching business from scratch—finding clients, learning marketing and sales on the fly, navigating uncertainty, and building the support network needed to go all-in.
Episode breakdown:
00:00 — What a coach actually does
01:01 — Coaching vs therapy, consulting, and mentorship
03:04 — George’s life coaching origin story
10:34 — The Wheel of Life: mapping the key areas and finding gaps
13:27 — Prioritization + Pareto: focusing on what actually moves the needle
14:04 — Ikigai: purpose at the intersection of skills, love, value, and need
16:26 — Visualization: the “80-year-old you” exercise
18:59 — Self-coaching tools: journaling for clarity + momentum
21:34 — Thinking walks: default mode network and the “exam question”
24:11 — Using chatbots for reflection: powerful, but don’t outsource decisions
28:20 — Building the coaching business: learn-by-doing + finding clients
32:28 — Living with uncertainty: risk, confidence, and growth mindset
35:23 — The solo founder problem: building a support network
38:22 — Developing coaching skills: listening, communication, self-work
41:01 — When self-improvement becomes obsessive: staying balanced
44:32 — What George is curious about: why people don’t aim for a 10/10 life
46:44 — Closing reflections


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com

Gabrielle Nicora-Baker is an Elite 15 HYROX athlete who came into the sport from a pure strength and bodybuilding background, with almost no running experience before her first race in 2024. In less than a year, Gabrielle progressed from her first mixed doubles race to competing in elite fields. In this episode, Gabrielle breaks down how her strength base accelerated her rise in HYROX, how she trains and fuels for elite racing, and what she’s learned from racing frequently, hiring a coach, and chasing a Worlds-level performance.
Episode breakdown:
00:00 – Intro
01:48 – Strength background and rapid rise into elite competition
03:57 – Bodybuilding years: training splits, progressive overload, big lifts
06:09 – Early running volume (~20km/week)
08:11 – How strong do HYROX athletes really need to be?
11:11 – Current training structure: thresholds, speed, long runs (~15 hrs/week)
17:28 – Home gym setup: treadmill, ergs, bikes, and winter training
21:43 – Nutrition shift from bodybuilding to endurance fueling (carbs, prep)
26:39 – Race weaknesses: wall balls, burpees, fatigue management, mindset
32:42 – Learning the sport fast: podcasts, racing reps, hiring a coach
36:02 – Worlds relay experience + doubles vs solo racing
39:42 – 2026 goals, testing curiosity, Phoenix prep + where to find Gabrielle


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johngetstrong.substack.com