A Guide to the ATHX Games and Workouts

That’s right, there’s another fitness abbreviation. Along with HYROX, CrossFit, WODs and Zone 2 workouts, there’s also another hybrid training format on the scene: ATHX. It’s been around since 2023, but this hybrid fitness competition is taking gyms by storm. It drew close to 6,000 athletes across the 2025 season and landed a global partnership with Adidas that same year.

Maybe you’re a lifter who’s caught the running bug, or a HYROX regular curious about how your strength stacks up in other competitions. With 32 events scheduled so far across the UK, Europe and US for 2027, it’s an ideal chance to mix up your routine and challenge yourself. Here’s what ATHX is and the equipment you need to add it to your training.

How do the ATHX Games work?

An ATHX event runs for 2.5 hours across six zones, which include a warm-up, three scored workouts and recovery breaks between each test. The built-in refuel and recovery zones mean you’re not flat out for the full session, so you can pace yourself and take in the atmosphere. The three workouts also stay the same for a season, so you can train for the exact tests you’ll face on the day.

The six zones run in this order:

1. Warm-up zone (30 mins): A structured warm-up to prepare your muscles and raise your heart rate.
2. Strength zone (20 mins): Your first scored test, a maximal lifting block.
3. Refuel zone (10 mins): A short reset to hydrate and recover.
4. Endurance zone (30 mins): The second scored test, built around your stamina.
5. Recovery zone (30 mins): A second break before the final push.
6. MetCon zone (30 mins): The final scored test, a mixed functional circuit.

Each workout refreshes the following season, so the test stays consistent that year and evolves the next. Nothing like keeping you on your toes.

What is an ATHX workout?

ATHX tests strength, endurance and conditioning by pairing heavy barbell lifting with running, rowing and functional movements across three scored workouts in a 2.5-hour session. It’s essentially built for the athlete who doesn’t want to stay in one lane, and gives lifters who like to run or runners who like to lift an opportunity to try something new.

Each workout is one of the competition’s three scored tests: a maximal-strength lifting block, a running and rowing endurance test, and a MetCon X functional circuit. Each of them is raced against the clock. The three tests break down like this:

• Strength: Build to heavy lifts across a strict press, a back squat and a deadlift. Your score is the total weight lifted.
• Endurance: Alternate between running and rowing for maximum distance inside the time cap.
• MetCon: Move through ski-erg calories, dumbbell ground-to-overhead, a sandbag carry, box jump-overs, dumbbell walking lunges and burpee broad jumps.

Exact loads and reps differ by division and may change each season, so check the ATHX site for the current year before you programme your training.

What are the ATHX divisions?

ATHX runs three difficulty levels, Lite, ATHX and Pro, alongside Individual and Pairs categories for men, women and mixed teams, plus age groups. So, whether you’re an ATHX beginner or someone chasing a podium finish, there’s a level for everyone.

• Lite: This is the entry-level division and perfect if you’re new to the competition. This includes lighter loads and simpler movement choices, such as a step-over in place of the box jump-over.
• ATHX: Is the middle option and setup for athletes who seek a challenge with heavier weights and a higher intensity.
• Pro: This one’s for athletes who seek gold. This top tier of training involves handling the heaviest loads and the most technical movement standards. You’ll be competing with the best of the best in this division.

All three divisions have the same format and principles, so the main difference is the loads you handle on the day. That’s what makes ATHX such an inclusive style of hybrid training.

What equipment do you need to train for ATHX?

Whether you’re training in a commercial gym, a specialist hybrid facility or in your home gym, you’ll need a barbell, a squat rack and bumper plates, a rower and a ski trainer, dumbbells, a sandbag and a plyo box. We fit out hybrid and HYROX floors and home gym setups every week, and we find that the athletes who train on the kit they’ll compete on are the ones who feel ready on the day.

We break ATHX into four different training zones:

• Strength: Where your barbell and bumper plates are stored in a squat rack or rig. This covers the press, squat and deadlift.
• Endurance: An air rower can be paired with running on a treadmill or running outdoors, depending on what you prefer.
• MetCon: Your functional pieces should include a ski trainer, dumbbells, a sandbag and a plyo box to cover the full circuit.
• Conditioning and accessory work: Kettlebells and stretching equipment round out your training for isolated movements and recovery.

We stock HYROX-ready equipment too, so if you’ve trained for one hybrid event, you’re already part-way to the other. Investing in reliable pieces from the get-go is the biggest preparation win you can have.

Ready to start your ATHX journey?

Browse our functional range to build your ATHX setup or add to what you’ve already got. Not sure where it’ll all fit? Plan a full floor with our free 3D Gym Builder.

Looking for a complete fit-out to add this hybrid training to your gym? Speak to the pack today.