I started training at SL around July 2023 and entered as part of a doubles team to the Hyrox race in Dubai, September 2023. Although I was humbled by this event, I couldn't help but want more of it.

My training at SL classes continued and I also signed up for personalised online coaching with George. My strength and endurance, and general knowledge of training overall have improved significantly.

I usually attend two classes per week at SL and attend the track session on a Monday morning. Since I started training at the gym, the community has grown massively and its great to meet so many awesome people with such diverse backgrounds.

The selection of classes has expanded and we have the opportunity to learn from great coaches who have amazing experience competing in Hyrox and other competitive sports.

The target for me is to get myself signed up for one of the Hyrox events abroad that the SL team are travelling to!

Matty Devine

Some of my thoughts after Hyrox Sharjah

Recently i put out a poll on my instagram page asking my followers what mental state do they perform best under when racing Hyrox. The poll options where:

I perform when im racing angry

I perform when im racing for fun

I perform when im racing with pressure

The reason i did this poll was to try and figure out what makes people tick and what could be causing problems for people.

For me i seem to underperform when im angry, i can sometimes perform when im under pressure but i tend to have my best performances when the pressure is off and im just out there living my best life having fun. Some of my best race results have come from races where ive put zero pressure on myself, not really cared about the result and then sometimes walked away with the win.

The results back from my poll where very clear (remember this is just based off my instagram following alone)

65% of people who answered said they perform best when having fun

35 % of people said its when they are under pressure

0% said when they are angry.

My question to these results is this. Why do people get so angry when racing? Why do we allow the pressure to creep in when we know we dont perform at our best with it being there. How do we practice just enjoying ourselves when racing? afterall, we are paying actual money to put ourselves through the tough times of a Hyrox race.

In Hyrox its now very easy to search anyones name and look up their results. You can see every detail of the race someone has completed within a few taps on your phone. Hyrox have made the sport so easily trainable by giving everyone their race breakdown, however, does this add to the pressure? The fact that anyone with internet connection can go and see your results and how you performed? It’s interesting to me, should Hyrox make these results private? Should Hyrox give the options for athletes to have this information private? Maybe this would help those who do not perform under pressure feel a bit more relaxed on race day and help them get their best performances.

What do you think?

Cheers, George

The Difference a Coach Who Cares Makes

Just over 15 years ago my wonderful grandmother passed away. We were so close and I absolutely adored her. I was fortunate enough to be with her in some of her last days and her final words to me in her sweet thick Yorkshire accent were, “Take Care of Everyone, won’t you?”

That felt heavy. She - the matriarch of our family was passing that baton to me. But life took me physically away from my extended family and I can’t say I was able to hold everyone together the way I thought she meant at the time.

Today - after 10 years of coaching and the last 3 as a Hyrox coach - I can say with confidence that using my knowledge and applying it with care, to help people live happier lives is MY life’s purpose and I’m here for it.

Training for Hyrox can feel intense, many of us dive in, all guns blazing, filled to the brim with enthusiasm only to reach race day physically or mentally burned out and still unprepared - or worse - injured. If you’re training for a Hyrox it’s usually because you want to prove something to yourself, make yourself feel proud or accomplished and you deserve to be handled with care as you work hard for that.