MONITOR HRV

MAR 23, 2026John Paton - @johngetstrong

Athletes Showing ‘Overtraining’ Symptoms Often Perform Better—When to Push Through Fatigue (and When to Pull Back) (Dan Plews #31)

•
Distinguish functional from non-functional overreaching - functional overreaching is a temporary dip in performance that leads to gains, while non-functional overreaching indicates a systemic failure to recover properly
•
Monitor holistic red flags beyond just physical fatigue - athletes must track shifts in motivation, sleep quality, and heart rate variability (HRV) to accurately identify when they are crossing the line into true overtraining
•
Implement strategic carbohydrate periodization - fuel intake should be specifically scaled to the intensity of the work required to maintain long-term energy balance and training consistency

MAR 16, 2026John Paton - @johngetstrong

•
Aerobic capacity is the primary driver of HYROX performance - Despite the heavy functional stations, the 60-90 minute race duration means cardiovascular efficiency and stroke volume dictate the pace far more than absolute power.
“Economy is everything in HYROX.”
— Joel Jamieson
•
Maximal strength has diminishing returns - Beyond a baseline level of strength, adding more weight to your 1RM doesn't transfer to HYROX efficiency; athletes should prioritize strength-endurance and movement economy instead.
•
Use dynamic heart rate zones for recovery - Recovery and HRV data should dictate training intensity on a daily basis because fixed zones ignore the physiological fluctuations caused by lifestyle stress and sleep quality.
“Economy is everything in HYROX.”
— Joel Jamieson