Fitness athletes take on contest

MORE than 40 athletes from group training gym Bunker HQ in Hattam Street are gearing up for one of the most exhausting fitness competitions you could imagine.

To be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 29-30 June, Hyrox is one of the fastest growing fitness sports in the world, combining both running and workout stations, where participants run one kilometre, followed by completing an individual workout station, repeated eight times.

Stations include a 1000-metre ski, 50-metre sled push, 50-metre sled pull, 80 metres of burpee broad jumps, a 1000-metre row, 200-metre farmer’s carry, and 100 metres of sandbag lunges.

Bunker HQ owner Rino Paulch said the race isn’t for the faint hearted, with many competitors teaming up to complete the course.

“You have to be a bit of a hybrid athlete, because if you’re just a runner, the sled might be too hard to push,” he said. “Then if you manage to get through the sled, running after that isn’t easy.

“People do the whole thing by themselves, or there’s teams of two and then there’s also a relay. Most of our guys do the teams of two.”

He said the teamwork element of the competition has the bonus of adding to the gym culture of Bunker HQ, which specialises in strength and conditioning classes.

“[Our athletes] are able to meet like-minded people and train with people that they haven’t trained with before. It gives them a goal and helps with motivation.”