MADE TO MOVE
🏃 2025 Fitness Journey
Last year, my main fitness goal was simple: run a marathon.
That meant months of prioritizing running, leg strength, lower-body mobility, and recovery. The journey had plenty of highs and lows. Some weeks I felt unstoppable. Other weeks, I could barely get moving. And honestly, there were more weeks than I’d like to admit where my conditioning took a back seat.
But in the end, I ran my marathon my way. And crossing that finish line gave me something more valuable than a medal, it gave me confidence in my body and trust in myself. Proof that even imperfect effort, when sustained long enough, can turn into something meaningful.
That lesson is carrying me straight into this year.
✅ The 2026 Goal: Hyrox
This year, I’m training to compete in a Hyrox race.
For those unfamiliar, Hyrox is an indoor fitness competition made up of 8 workout stations, each preceded by a 1 km run, for a total of 8 km of running, mixed with full-body functional challenges.
Coming off a marathon, I feel solid about the running portion.
The rest? Let’s just say… there’s work to be done. 😅
The plan is to compete by mid-year, giving me roughly 6 months of preparation, the same long-game approach I used for my marathon. I’m also planning to run another marathon this year, ideally an official one that doesn’t get canceled.
(If you haven’t read about my 2025 marathon experience, it’s worth a look.)
🧘♂️ Training with Intention
To prepare for Hyrox, I need to improve full-body strength, endurance, and speed.
I usually train intuitively, but this goal requires more structure. So this year, I’m following a simple but demanding Push / Pull / Legs (PPL) split:
6 training days per week
1 recovery week per month, dropping volume to 3 days
To help with my consistency I’m implementing a protocol that I can fall back on.
💪 2026 Exercise Protocol
Push (Monday / Thursday): Chest • Shoulders • Triceps
Low-incline dumbbell press — 3 × 10–15
Push-up superset:
Incline
Pike
Standard
Handstand (Thursday only)
Dips — 3 × 6-8
Lateral raise superset — 3 × 10–20
Facing forward on bench
Facing backward, reaching slightly behind
Pull (Tuesday / Friday): Back
Pull-ups — 3 × 5–8
Romanian deadlift — 3 × 6–10
Barbell row — 3 × 6–10
Incline Kelso shrugs — 3 × 6-10
Lean forward, arms straight, shrug up and in
Front lever (calisthenics work)
Legs (Wednesday / Saturday): Legs • Core • Accessories
Goblet squat (Wednesday) — 3 × 10–15
Barbell squat (Saturday) — 3 × 6–8
Hanging leg raises — 5 × 10
Neck curls — 3 × 10
Dead hangs (forearms) — 1 min +
Reverse curls (upper forearms focus) — 3 × 6-8
Cardio & Conditioning
15,000 steps per day
10 km run (Saturday or Sunday)
Jump rope (Monday–Friday)
Because Hyrox demands sustained effort and speed, I’ll be emphasizing higher reps, lighter loads, and movement efficiency over max strength.
🎯 Looking Ahead
This protocol isn’t about chasing perfection, it’s about making a system to fall back on and letting momentum do the rest. If I stay consistent, I’m confident this will prepare me for my biggest physical challenge yet.
What about you?
What are your fitness goals this year?
Are you following a protocol or training intuitively?
If you’ve got questions about my plan or want to share your own goals, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s build this year with purpose.
“The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.”
Until next time,
