HYROX coaching runs through the HYROX Academy on hyrox365.com, which offers three levels of online courses, each building on the last. To officially use the HYROX Performance Coach title and be listed in the Performance Coach Finder, coaches must hold a nationally accredited personal training qualification, complete the Foundation and Level 1 courses, and become affiliated with HYROX.
This article covers the full pathway: what each course involves, what it costs, what you are qualified to do at each stage, and how the affiliation works.
The HYROX Academy offers three levels of certification, all delivered as self-paced online courses through the HYROX365 portal. Each level builds on the previous one.
The Foundation Course is the entry point into the HYROX coaching pathway. For coaches, it covers the HYROX fundamentals needed before progressing to Level 1, including an introduction to the HYROX365 training concept, divisional formats, the official rulebook, and a 12-week training plan framework. It is also available directly to athletes as a race-preparation resource, making it useful to recommend to clients as part of their preparation.
It includes over 4 hours of content, 10 or more video tutorials covering individual, doubles, and relay racing, exclusive interviews with HYROX experts, and guidance on group class training including periodization from HYROX expert David Magida.
The Level 1 Course is the core coaching course of the HYROX Academy, covering performance training across eight modules taught by specialists in each area. Together with the Foundation Course, it is a prerequisite for the HYROX Performance Coach title, which also requires affiliation. It is self-paced and delivered entirely online. Full details and current pricing are available at hyrox365.com/academy/level1-course.
Module 1: Shaping your coaching philosophy. Covers what great coaching looks like in practice, combining strategy, psychology, and leadership. Focuses on how a coach's philosophy shapes the way they motivate, instruct, and connect with athletes. Taught by Ralf Iwan.
Module 2: Functional anatomy and biomechanics. Covers body structure, movement mechanics, and the kinetic principles that drive athletic performance.Relevant to understanding how each HYROX station loads the body and how movement quality may help reduce injury risk. Taught by Coen Luiken, Dr Phil Graham-Smith, Sean Light, and Ralph Wentz.
Module 3: HYROX performance pillars. Covers strength, power, speed, endurance, flexibility, and coordination, and how to structure training sessions that integrate these effectively for HYROX performance. Taught by Hidde Weersma, current Men's Pro world record holder.
Module 4: HYROX engine (aerobic capacity). Covers cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular stamina, energy system balance, muscle fiber dynamics, lactate training protocols, and designing individualized workouts for HYROX. Taught by Chris Hinshaw, renowned endurance coach.
Module 5: Nutrition. Covers fuel utilization, training diets, nutrient timing, hydration, supplements, and practical race-day fueling strategies. Taught by Eike Zywitz.
Module 6.1: Running technique. Covers how to assess and improve an athlete’s running form, with the aim of improving running economy across the 8 km of race running, which may in turn help athletes reach the stations less fatigued. Taught by Fredrik Zillen, accredited running technique specialist.
Module 6.2: HYROX race workouts. Covers practical training strategies from experienced athletes, including how to optimize workout routines and avoid common preparation mistakes. Taught by Dena and Tom Hogan.
Module 7: Planning and organizing training. Covers periodization principles, including macro, meso, and microcycles, and how to build personalized training plans that peak at the right time. Taught by Ralf Iwan.
Module 8: Art of coaching. Covers how to build an effective coach-athlete relationship, set and break down goals, maintain athlete motivation, and improve overall coaching effectiveness. Taught by Leon Hörberger.
The Level 2 Course, titled "Mastering Performance," is the highest coaching qualification in the HYROX Academy. It is built for personal trainers who want to operate at an elite coaching standard, developed in collaboration with leading experts across sport science, sports medicine, and high-performance coaching. It is a digital-only course delivered online.
The course covers ten modules:
Module 1: The coaching mindset. Self-reflection, growth mindset, personal development, and the psychological dimensions of effective coaching. Taught by Piers Plowman.
Module 2: Sports medicine: optimizing health, recovery and performance. Advanced functional anatomy, sports injury prevention, rehabilitation strategies, anti-doping protocols, and ethical sports performance standards. Taught by Coen Luiken, Sean Light, and Dr. Tate Cowley.
Module 3: Biomechanics. Impact of biomechanics on strength and conditioning and injury prevention. Individualized workout analysis including running mechanics. Taught by Dr. Phil Graham-Smith.
Module 4: HYROX performance pillars. Advanced expansion of Level 1 fundamentals, covering HYROX-specific strength training methodologies and exercise physiology. Taught by Anthony Peressini and Hidde Weersma.
Module 5: Exercise physiology. Motor unit function, hormonal response, physiological adaptation, and lab and field-based assessment methods to measure and optimize performance. Taught by Dr. Adam Storey and Dr. Dan Plews.
Module 6: Nutrition. Advanced nutrition covering carbohydrate and protein function, carb-loading, popular diet approaches, nutritional strategies for female athletes, plant-based clients, and those practicing fasting. Covers hydration, nutrient timing, and gut health. Taught by Miriam Krug, Nicola Arjomandkhah, and Laura Wilson.
Module 7.1: HYROX skill development. How to embed skill development into training in a structured, competition-relevant way. Preparing athletes to perform under HYROX-specific pressure and periodizing skill training across a season. Taught by Piers Plowman.
Module 7.2: Running part 2. Building on Level 1 running technique. Deeper coverage of efficient running biomechanics, how form changes with different paces, how power generation evolves with age, and how different running surfaces affect movement patterns. Taught by Fredrik Zillen.
Module 7.3: Off-feet conditioning. How to use bike ergs strategically for cross-training, recovery, and race preparation. Bike-sled and bike-run session combinations to simulate race demands. Taught by Edward Fletcher and Pierre Spies.
Module 7.4: The panel of experts. A 360-degree breakdown of best practices for every HYROX workout station, combining insights from elite coaches, strength and conditioning specialists, biomechanics experts, and physiotherapists. Taught by Jane Erbacher, Coen Luiken, Dr. Adam Storey, Dr. Phil Graham-Smith, and Anthony Peressini.
Module 8: Mastering periodization. Advanced periodization strategies integrating scientific research, performance monitoring, athlete profiling, and sport-specific adaptations. Data-driven and individualized programming models. Taught by Dr. Gommaar D'Hulst and Piers Plowman.
Module 9: Mental performance. Advanced sports psychology covering coaching psychology, psychological assessment methodologies, and group coaching dynamics. Taught by Alex Ehrensberger and Elena Breyer.
Module 10: Personalized performance coaching. Coaching strategies for a wide range of athletes, covering age-appropriate and performance-optimized programming across diverse physiological, psychological, and performance profiles. Taught by Dr. Bryna Chrismas, Dr. Dan Plews, Anthony Peressini, Dr. Tom O'Brien, and Piers Plowman.
For coaches committed to the full HYROX certification pathway, the Complete Coaching Bundle combines the Level 1 and Level 2 courses into a single purchase.
Optimize your performance, accelerate your recovery and prepare your body with personalized mobility training.
Completing the courses is one part of the picture. To officially market yourself using the HYROX Performance Coach title and appear in the coach directory, you need to affiliate through hyrox365.com.
Cost: $1,150 USD / €1,150 EUR / £1,050 GBP per year, on a 12-month contract.
Important: The contract auto-renews unless cancelled at least 60 days before the end of the term. This is a meaningful commitment to factor in before affiliating. Read the terms carefully before signing up.
The affiliation includes both the Foundation Course and Level 1 Course at no additional cost, along with access to the Performance Hub (a library of workouts, programming tools, class tutorials, and marketing materials). This means affiliating and completing the courses is often more cost-effective than purchasing the courses separately and then affiliating afterwards.
After affiliating, coaches have three months to complete both courses. Completion is required to hold the certification and use the Performance Coach title.
One important nuance on titles: the title you are permitted to use depends on your situation.
HYROX Training Clubs and Performance Centers are gyms and facilities that have formally affiliated with HYROX through hyrox365.com. Affiliated facilities are permitted to use the HYROX brand in their marketing and offer official HYROX group training classes. Coaches working at these facilities operate under the facility's affiliation rather than needing to affiliate independently. If you work at a gym and are unsure whether it is an affiliated HYROX facility, the hyrox365.com platform is the place to check.
Before enrolling, you need to hold a nationally recognised personal training qualification in your country. HYROX requires evidence of this as part of the sign-up process. If you are unsure whether your qualification meets the requirement, the hyrox365.com sign-up process will confirm this, or you can contact the HYROX team directly before committing.
Race-specific programming and running mechanics are the core of what a HYROX Performance Coach delivers. One area that sits alongside coaching is individualized mobility work. Athletes preparing for HYROX often have specific movement restrictions that affect their performance at particular stations: limited ankle dorsiflexion showing up in Wall Ball squat depth, restricted thoracic extension affecting the Farmers Carry position, tight hip extension limiting the Sled Push drive.
GOWOD builds personalized mobility routines based on each athlete's individual movement profile, which means the mobility work your athletes do between sessions is targeted at their actual restrictions rather than a generic programme. Mobility exercises target the key HYROX patterns that complement the programming you do with your athletes.
Become a coach: hyrox365.com/affiliation/hyrox-performance-coach
The HYROX Academy course overview: hyrox365.com/academy
Full information on the HYROX365 platform: hyrox365.com
For upcoming events to plan your athletes' preparation around, the HYROX 2026 race calendar covers the full season schedule.
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