I did not a Spartan, but a different OCR. Loved the experienced from "regular" running. Would love to do Hyrox. Next Hyrox event here in Hamburg I'm away on vacation, so I may look for an alternative, combining with a weekend trip.
In theory. I’d favour the OCR, as I love the outdoors, and favoured fell racing over any other form of racing. However at 65 and reasonably fit, the Hyrox should be more practical. Will try one next year with a younger team member, before using that as a springboard for an individual effort. Started boxing sparring again. Body only of course. But that’s suggestive of a return to half decent fitness post stem-cell transplant January 2021.
At about 61 Kilos- wet- and a pretty shanked up left hand after a broken wrist, you've convinced me to stay in my lane. Running! No seriously, it's great to get out of comfort zones and try new things. I'm moving from left-right-left-right on the pavement to left-right-hop-left-right-left-right on the trail. And I'm loving it. Which end of the day is what matters.
I did the Beast down In Utah 2 weeks ago 😂 Always a very fun experience! Thanks for the video! Keep them coming! Insane that you are at 123K a month later after passing the 100k!
Unrelated to the question, but just did the zugspitz ultratrail - would love to see you go out next year and give it a go and see how you stack up. 108km and 5200 meters elevation climb. Really tough but I know you would crush it.
@@MarkLewisfitness I'm not convinced this is a bad idea yet, just throw in a healthy amount of Charlie Sheen smash cuts and let the tiger blood and Adonis DNA do the rest lol
@@MarkLewisfitness guilty, Mark. But I am absolutely crushing it out here and am in the best shape of my life at 33. Never would have stepped into the realm of marathon/ endurance events before finding your channel and getting bit by that bug🤘
I'm a trail runner, never done an Obstacle race and I don't intend to. I just watched this because I enjoy Mark having a rant and a random movie clip 🤣
I'm signed up for Hyrox in Manchester end of January. I have lost 23.3KG over the last few months and wanted something to train for. Your channel has helped me realise it's not Gym bro or fat. I have a pretty unhealthy relationship with exercise due to being in the army for 12 years (left 14 years ago). My brain is all " pain is weakness leaving the body". I am getting better and feel the Hyrox a couple of times a year gives me a great baseline. Keep the content coming. I will keep watching!!
You are the reason me and my wife are preparing for hyrox. I heard about hyrox from you and since my wife is into fitness and I'm into running we decided to combine and do hyrox in December. Now I'm learning to do burpees and she had started to run. It's quite fun! It's also interesting because she complains about her legs and I complain about everything else 😁. But it's great fun together and that's all that matters.
I was forced to do a obstical run 12km by my father in law. Didn't want to do. Did it finished only the running part was hard. End point I am now running 3 times a week to get fit for the next one. And find myself really enjoying running. And can't wait for the next obstical run!
I ran my first Spartan (Super - Utah U.S.A.) this year. It was a ton of fun. I loved the obstacles even though I couldn't complete all of them, and I'm far from any glimmer of winning. But. My goal was to complete it and to have fun doing it. Which is exactly what I accomplished. I love meeting new people and giving/receiving help on those obstacles.
Good evening Mark! One minute in, and you nailed the perfect definition of being fit and fitness - using as many of our physical abilties as possible. Love this vid already! Have a great weekend!
parkrun is awesome! nothing to be ashamed of there. I've gone from parkrun to running most days, to starting swimming again, to combining cycling (which i already did.) now dreaming of triathlons. every fitness journey starts somewhere! Be proud of what you're doing, and think about a next step :)
Hi Mark - It's not really related to this video but I just wanted to leave a comment to say thanks. I'm 28 and always been into my fitness - lifting weights, rock climbing and running sporadically. But I discovered your channel last year and it's what inspired me to really push all three and take them to the next level. I've formed strong training habits in all 3 sports and now I feel stronger and fitter than ever. I'm training for my first half marathon in September and can't wait to see what I can achieve (hoping for a 1:45, and then will start training for a marathon!). Hyrox and other multi-discipline events still scare me, but who knows, maybe I'll get there one day. I honestly don't think I would have done it without your channel inspiring me, so thank you!
I found you because of your Spartan content. Stayed for the Saharan humour. I’ve taken plenty of good advice from this channel over the last year or so. One thing I very much miss is Nixon’s appearances. More doggo content please Mark!
“The Clecter”. That made me chuckle. Let’s hope Primark get those tight muscle fit t shirts back in soon. My green and purple ones are looking washed out !!!
6'4 over 300 here did my first spartan did open and it was very casual, people were encouraging/helping looking out for each other and i missed several obstacles, like a dummy hit my shin early on finished then got stitches after the race- despite the downfalls i finished and loved it. Going to do at least 1 or 2 more this year. May try Hyrox thanks. love the videos
I’ve done both mark and I truly have more fun at OCR. HYROX was an awesome challenge and a great way for me to stay in shape during the colder months but I definitely have more fun swinging and climbing and jumping. I’m better at that stuff which probably has a lot to do with it. Had a chance to do HYROX NYC again in October but decided to go for the Spartan Ultra in New Jersey instead. Great video man! I just love a good physical challenge and strive to do my best at everything I compete in
I get what you mean about medals, i used to be so excited to get one when i first started running. Theres so many events to choose from where i live that id even base my decision on which event to do on which had the coolest looking medal/T-shirt, now i just put them i the bin. Even when ive been lucky to get an age group trophy, i'll keep it in my room for a couple of months but eventually bin it. On to the next one.
Great video as usual. I’m competing in my first OCR tomorrow because you’ve motivated me with your videos, advice and better than average attitude! Thanks again mate!
Update : terrain race was a lot of fun! Much more difficult than I anticipated! Very humbling indeed. But, I took note of my weaknesses, and will plan and train smarter and harder for the next one! Thanks again for the push, Mark! Appreciate you
Lol great video, my wife watched and laughed too and she normally throws her eyes to heaven when I watch youtube. Its your humourous self depricating approach despite being uber competitive! That data and those pictures are totally enough for HYROX. First one in London, flights and hotel booked.. lots of training to do but the variety is super fun
Hi Mark, I've recently subscribed to your channel and wanted to comment to simply say you're making fantastic and inspiring content. Watching your progress makes me want to get out and get fit again. As a complete non-runner I've been back on the treadmill recently trying to get up to 5k, then who knows what next. Perhaps I'll book myself onto a Hyrox! Keep up the good work!
Just did my 1st Parkrun here in College Park, Maryland US. I didn't know we had them here in the States-Thanks. I'm 52 and looking to try the Hyrox (I've done Spartan before and had fun)
This was excellent - thank u. My wife and I are planning our first HM in July and then entering the Tough Mudder in October. I'm 52 and she's 46. Wanted to do something different this year and beyond... All the best from Australia.
Just booked Hyrox Manchester 2023 thanks to your channel , got 5 months to get in shape for this event, Burpee and lunges are going to be difficult for me so need to get some serious practice in.
Fab video as always. Just FYI I didn't get a notification for this even though the notifications are on. Only because I searched as hadn't seen a video for a while! Hope Jens training is going well!
Great coverage of these two marvellous activities. Also worth watching if not only for Mark’s near miss with the spear, and his reaction to that. We’ve more in common than I first realised lol. I think it’s great that Jen has started following in Marks tracks. I do hope Jen goes on to race an ultra alongside Mark. I genuinely feel that anything 50k and above will cater to her true potential. Another excellent video! Thank you..
Given that I orienteer, which is kinda like Spartan but without the monkey bars and the arrows telling you which way you need to run, I'd take Hyrox over Spartan any day. I love the idea that you're basically doing sets round gym equipment to a plan and they're all stuff you can do with very little ability but which you can do really well if you work hard. Great video Mark, you and Jen are helping me keep motivated.
Your channel came up in my feed a few days back and I have to say I really like what you have to say and the way you deliver it. It's also refreshing that, like me, you're in the UK and of a similar age. As it seems most of my "fitness RU-vidrs are from the USA or Cananda . As someone that has been a bit fat (94kgs @ 177cm) most of their adult life until I was 40 and decided enough was enough. I started with 5/2 fasting to loose weigh, after seeing the documentary on the BBC. After that it was jogging and more calorie resrticting to get to 71 kgs. Then I started weight training in the gym and generally hover around the 74-75kg mark. The only cardio I did was walking (9min kgs), but after seeing your content I jumped on the stationary bike at the gym the other day and mananged 24km in an hour at around 105 watts. No idea what it means, but it's a start. You've definitely sparked something that I hope I continue with regarding get fitter and including some other forms of cardio than walking into my weekly routine. Who knows? I may even see you at a Spartan or Hyrox event at some point in the future.
Did the Spartan Super last weekend too. Great event and always find the atmosphere so supportive and fun. That rolling mud followed by the slip wall was... well, slippy!
Hi Mark, as someone who is going through their own fitness journey (aged 51 - ran 12kms on Saturday) I would definitely sign up to your patreon if you decided you could run 100 miles in under 24 hours. Binged watched your channel all weekend, thanks for being you mate.
When you flashed up the map of the Spartan course, I started having twitchy ptsd flashbacks.... thats Martson Lodge, where I did my first Mountain Bike 24hr race........ solo...... on a road bike...... for ------- reasons
Can’t believe at 25:12 when you mentioned getting a medal at your local race that you didn’t put up the one of you at the duck pond….lost gloating moment :)
Did my first ever Spartan this year - as a regular runner, and occasional gym goer, I didn't have any trouble with things like the hoist, atlas stones, inverted wall, when compared to others! I knew I had the fitness base from running, but all those deadlifts, lat pull downs, chins, bent over rows definitely helped.
Never done Spartan, but after a few January ToughGuy events, realised success is being honest, sticking to the course and battling through. Not skipping obstacles and claiming you finished. Accept if you fail something, learn, get up have another go next time....
I First heard about TG when BFBS reported that some Guys from the Bielefeld barracks prepare to run. "If some foolish brits can do it, i can do it." Then forgot about it for some 25 years. My First try was DNF. But in 2017, when they claimed to do the Last TG, i finally finished. Yes, it makes you humble. When I did my first TG, it was freezing. Compared to this all the mud masters, strong man runs etc. were Kindergarten.
I LOVE the hyrox concept. Although I’ve dropped my weekly running from 70ish miles per week to 45/55 to accommodate the added strength work. Hope my strengths don’t suffer too much with this change!!!
I guess I can say this video is great ? Awesome? Fan-bloody-tastic? Well, being from South Africa, nothing says it better than saying, “This video was ‘lekke’!!” Thank Mark, great fun!!
Never thought about doing Spartan but am trying to persuade my 41 yr old female PT client (I am 61 yrs old) to do Hyrox. She is fit enough and strong enought but it's whether she wants to do it or not. The downside for me is that I currently don't do much running but she does run more often than me. Great info.
Uhh, not sure I agree that Hyrox is approachable for beginners. The sled push and pull will be physically impossible for those starting their fitness journey. Spartan sprints are basically a 5k with a muddy splash; much better for beginners.
I’m not sure the sled push is any harder than monkey balls, rope climb, etc that all appear on a Spartan sprint. The only way I sprint is easier if you accept that you will be failing a large chunk of it.
Great video Mark. Hyrox is something I’m looking at doing, I’m a sub 18 park runner, so only have child like strength and weigh less than 70kg. So the sled push and pull I think will be my biggest weaknesses, but I’ll never know unless I sign up.
Just go for it - with that run speed you will make up for any shortcomings elsewhere. You will probably be looking at average laps around four minutes and for many people, even fast people, that is 60 seconds quicker than most.
Gym bro that is doing his first OCR next month thanks to this channel. Looking at hyrox dual with the gf in October. Really bad distance runner so it is going to suck but ok at 5 km. But I can always snap runners trying to get past. Probably not allowed. Not allowed to hurt children or people with child strength. Maybe they make an exception if you do it while yelling "this is Sparta"
You forgot to add as one of your categories: The Crossfitter! Negative of both races: there isnt a requirement to do pull ups - so you cant show off to everyone that your butterfly / kipping pull ups. Hyrox. Advantages: Its like Crossfit anyway, but without the hard bits. The running is in 1k chunks, so manageable. Its full of Crossfit people, so you get to ask other what their 1RM C&J and max effort HSPUs are. Disadvantages: Its full of Crossfit people! =D; all the gear youve bought will be useless here. Spartan: Advantages: Majority of the obstacles will be very doable. Doing a muscle up at the monkey bars will look amazing and people will think you're a god. Disadvantages: Can be a long way to run, and its never flat; No one there will care what your back squat is. In all seriousness though there's two other things worth adding into the mix that favour each event. Spartan: Its outdoors - nothing can beat the feeling of charging through a forest Hyrox: Its cheaper.
One criterion you didn't mention is having unique experiences. One of the best things about trail ultras, for example, is that some of them are in these amazing settings. It seems that by design, every Hyrox event has a sameness to it. What about Spartan? Are any of the events in places with great views or otherwise special elements of the setting?
Love the video Mark 👌Had a quick look at your website and couldn't see where you bought your medal wall display hooks. Where can I pick some up please? Keep up the good work 😉👍🏻
That joke about caring more about your Garmin stats more than your loved ones made me crack up. I wonder if that means it's hitting a bit too close to home 😂
So as someone who has lost 30kg with another 8 or 9 still to go and now resembles a runner with a bit of a pot belly as opposed to a very overweight guy I think I'd take the spartan over hyrox. I've got my first parkrun this Saturday and entered 2 10k's later this year. Also looking to get into some adult swimming lessons soon as well. Bodyweight training wise I still struggle with press ups can do 1 set of 10 and then another of about 6 or 7. Trying to improve slowly on them. Pull ups I need to get a bar soon. Slowly slowly catchee monkey as they say.
Hyrox???? I had never heard about it until I came across this channel. I looks a bit like a crossfit competition with the skill elements and the variability taken out to make it easier. Easier to organise and sell en masse, and easier to participate in injury free no matter skill level and fitness background. Is that a fair characterisation?
Mark - you call it Hyrox....35 yrs ago (or more!!) we used to call it circuit training. 1 lap running whilst you training partner did press ups then rotate. Then switch events which included burpees, squat thrusts, sit ups, star jumps etc. etc. Is it really that different?
Ist's the same with gravel-bikes🚵 and stuff. New fancy names. I am glad that pull-ups are still pull-ups, so i can compare to numbers from the last millienum.
They cancelled my event due to Covid and because I couldn’t make the new date they kept all the money. The way I am and treated people over Covid should have had them in court - in fact they have them in court but the judges in the US ruled in their favour!
I'm doing my first Hyrox in October. Haven't really started training yet but I did try 4 of the events last night. Turns out that I'd misloaded the sled, 50kg shy of the actual weight. I don't consider my self weak but can see how I'll be able to move the full weight. I'm hoping that it's down to the surface at the gym I use - I notice that the sled slides on a little further when Mark stops pushing so I'm hoping it will be easier. I just can see how a lighter, weaker person could move the full weight 🤷♂️. I'm slightly concerned 😟
When you get to the machine it will be zeroed-but don’t worry, the marshals are superb and as soon as it hits 1000 you are good to go. They keep a close eye on everybody and you will not get with him 150 m of finishing before somebody is stood on your shoulder watching.
It's been a couple of years since I did my last Trifecta (2019 was my last one). They don't make you do burpees for the failure of an obstacle anymore?
@@MarkLewisfitness ah cool, as it should be really. No real change. The first ever one I did was in 2016 and was open, people just carried on as a few of us did burpee's which irritated my OCD tendencies immensely. switched to age group after that (which also starts earlier so unless you are in an ultra ) a person will be done by noon and be able to eat (always starving after a spartan).
Ironman moved my event due to covid and when I couldn’t make the new date have no refund. So I lost hundreds. They treated people like crap over the covid issue so I’d never go near them.
i did it! my new alphaflys gave me a blister on my heel just walking to the start line but i did the run and felt surprisingly ok. i can’t imagine a marathon and i’ve entered one oct 2nd
No. Ironman moved my event due to covid and when I couldn’t make the new date have no refund. So I lost hundreds. They treated people like crap over the covid issue so I’d never go near them.
@@MarkLewisfitness that’s good to hear! I really hope Ironman hasn’t put you off triathlons entirely, would be really excited to watch you train & race.
