I build one of the apps in this comparison, so let me be upfront: this page compares categories, honestly, instead of trashing named competitors. Every option below gets people to finish lines. The question is which one fits how you train, what you race, and what you'll actually stick to.

The four ways people train for HYROX

1. Generic gym-programming apps

The big fitness apps: strength blocks, running plans, sometimes "hybrid" templates.

• Strengths: polished, cheap or free tiers, great exercise libraries, huge communities. If you just want to be fitter, they are excellent.
• Gaps for HYROX: no compromised running (station → run intervals, the single most race-specific stimulus), no station standards at your division's loads, and no concept of a race date — week 6 looks like week 16. And none of them plan for a doubles pair.
• Best for: general fitness athletes doing a HYROX on the side, not building toward one.

2. Spreadsheet and PDF plans

The classic 12-week template from a coach's site or a forum.

• Strengths: cheap or free, fully transparent — you see the whole block on day one — and easy to edit. A well-written spreadsheet from a credible coach is genuinely good programming.
• Gaps: static. It does not know you got sick in week 4, that your sled push is your weakness, or that your race moved. Progress tracking is on you, and adherence dies quietly in cell C47.
• Best for: experienced, self-coached athletes who enjoy managing their own training.

3. Personal coaches

A human who writes your plan, watches your videos, and answers your messages.

• Strengths: the gold standard for feedback and accountability. A good coach sees what no algorithm does — your lunge depth breaking down, your motivation dipping. Nothing else adapts as intelligently.
• Gaps: price, typically 10–30× an app subscription. Quality varies enormously, and doubles coaching for two athletes usually means two fees.
• Best for: competitive athletes chasing podiums, and anyone who pays for accountability because that is what keeps them consistent. If that is you, hire the coach — an app is not a substitute for one.

4. HYROX-specific training apps

Apps built around the race format itself — RoxDuo lives here. The category's shared advantage: sessions mirror the race (compromised running, station work at division loads) and plans point at an actual race day. Within the category, here is RoxDuo's honest positioning:

• Where RoxDuo wins: it is built doubles-first — two synced plans, shared pair sessions, and the Team Sheet, which turns both partners' PBs into a race plan: who takes which station, swap points, projected finish. No other option in any category generates that. Every plan is anchored backwards from your race date, and station PBs feed both your sessions and your projected finish.
• Where RoxDuo doesn't: Android — it is iPhone-only, full stop. Athletes who want human eyes on their technique — an app tracks numbers, it does not watch your wall ball depth. And pure solo racers with no doubles ambitions will find other HYROX-specific apps competitive on the singles side; RoxDuo's edge is the pair.
• Best for: athletes with a booked race — and doubles teams especially.

Side by side

So which should you choose?

• No race booked, just curious? A generic app or free plan is fine. Read the beginner guide, try the stations, book a race when it bites.
• Race booked, training solo, want a human? Coach if the budget is real; otherwise a HYROX-specific app — RoxDuo's individual plans included, though on pure singles the category is competitive.
• Racing doubles? This is the one case with a clear answer, because it is the case RoxDuo exists for: doubles training plans for both partners plus the Team Sheet. On Android, or want video feedback on technique? Pick a coach or another option — honestly.

FAQ