I Tried the HYROX P’F”T: This Gruelling Fitness Test Gives You an Indication of Your HYROX Readiness

So, I Tried the HYROX Physical Fitness Test (P’F”T) for the first time… 32 minutes later I hobbled across the gym floor and promptly fell over. This is what happened in between.

I’ve done some wild things to get the scoop as a journalist. I’ve stared death in the face walking alongside wild cheetahs in the bush; dangled off a bridge 216 metres above the Bloukrans River; and soared like an eagle on a 320-metre zipline across the rugged Hottentots Holland mountains; all in the name of journalistic duty. But I’ve never felt my soul leave my body quite like the day I attempted the HYROX P’F”T.

The fitness test is designed to get you working hard against the clock. While it isn’t a HYROX simulation in the traditional sense, I’ve been told the sensation of exhaustion after completing the test is very comparable to how you feel during a HYROX event. I’m gearing up for my first HYROX race in September and I was hell-bent on attempting the P’F”T at least once before race day.

The test involves 6 basic stations with the aim of working through them as fast as you can. The P’F”T can be used as a benchmark for your HYROX readiness, or if you are brand new to HYROX, to work out which division of the event you might want to try first.

Ready, set, HYROX

I joined the F45 Woodstock crew for the internal HYROX P’F”T on a Sunday morning. I signed up for the second wave of athletes so I had plenty of time to watch a lot of really fit people ‘fitnessing’ very quickly. I resolved to start slowly and pick up speed in the second half of the test.

Seconds after congratulating my fellow gym members on completing the test it was my turn to step up. I shot out of the parking lot for the 1,2km run around the block, running slowly, holding a 5:30 pace. But, by the time I reach the first station, which is 50 burpee broad jumps, I am already questioning my life choices.

Burpees done, and already worryingly exhausted, I am concerned now about gassing out too quickly. So I stare at my feet and hope for the best while tackling the 100 forward lunges. With my legs now thoroughly punished, I stumble over to the row erg machine on jelly legs for the 1000m row. In my head, I’m coaching myself to maintain good form on a machine that is primarily a leg exercise, but my exhausted legs are refusing to do what they are told.

I’m certain my soul has already left my body at this stage of the test, with me, a sleeping passenger, perched atop increasingly numb lower limbs. But, I persist all the same, moving on to the 30 hand-release push-ups. It is at this point I realise how tired my arms are, turns out I couldn’t hear my arm muscles moaning over the deafening screams from my quads. I squeeze out 30 of the most mediocre push-ups I’ve ever performed to move on to the 100 wall balls using a 4.5kg ball.

Perhaps the most notorious HYROX movement of them all; wall balls have been known to crush racers when they are tantalisingly close to the reprieve of the HYROX finish line. Right now I’m feeling like a too-tightly-wound jack-in-a-box but with 100 wall balls standing between me and sitting down, the adrenalin kicks in and I chip away at them 10 reps at a time.

Then, with 5 reps to go, I could swear I hear “Eye of the Tiger” begin to play in my head. 100th rep completed, I let the ball drop to the ground with a deafening thud, before attempting to hobble over to my water bottle for much-needed sustenance. In truth, all I could do was collapse onto my back, like a bug that’s just had an entire can of Doom emptied onto its defenceless body.

Should you attempt the HYROX PFT?

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, this test was tough. It’s an excellent test of endurance, with your overall time serving as a guide of where you are in terms of entering a HYROX race and which category to aim for. But, if you go into it with the mindset that you’re going to give it your all, this test will kick your ass.

If you’re a bit of a sucker for punishment who thrives on doing difficult things, then you’re going to love the HYROX P’F”T. It hurts, a lot, but the feeling of accomplishment you enjoy after going full-send station after station is pretty darn addictive. I’m already itching for another opportunity to try the P’F”T and the experience has me even more excited for race day on the 21st of September.
If you’re a bit of a sucker for punishment who thrives on doing difficult things, then you’re going to love the HYROX P’F”T. It hurts, a lot, but the feeling of accomplishment you enjoy after going full-send station after station is pretty darn addictive. I’m already itching for another opportunity to try the P’F”T and the experience has me even more excited for race day on the 21st of September.

If you’re still reading this, and I haven’t scared you off, the good news is, the HYROX P’F”T can be as tough as you make it. There’s no reason you can’t pace yourself and take rests in between sets or reps as you need them. In fact, many of the people who joined us for the P’F”T at F45 Woodstock did it at a more relaxed pace just to get a feel for the movements. No matter how you choose to tackle it, it’s a tough workout but totally doable for any fitness level.

If you’re interested in trying out the HYROX P’F”T, you can visit your nearest HYROX-affiliated gym in South Africa for an internal or official P’F”T event. There are plenty of gyms hosting the P’F”T for their members, just keep an eye out on the HYROX SA Instagram or website for details on upcoming P’F”Ts. If the P’F”T isn’t your cup of tea, then you can also join in on the HYROX fun with HYROX workouts at a HYROX affiliate gym in your area. Find a HYROX gym near you here.

Enter HYROX Cape Town

Entering to participate in HYROX South Africa is easy! Visit the HYROX website for more information on HYROX Cape Town and to register your entry for the event taking place at the CTICC on the 21st of September, 2024.

Entries for HYROX Cape Town start at R550 per person for a Relay entry, R1,100 per person for a Doubles entry, and R1,200 per person for an Individual entry. Don’t forget to USE THE CODE “STUFF-10“ for a 10% discount on your HYROX Cape Town entry! Click here to enter now.

Keep an eye on the HYROX South Africa Instagram page for announcements on introductory classes and upcoming HYROX events in Johannesburg and Durban soon.