Why Short, Intense CrossFit Workouts Are Powerful Dopamine Recalibrators that help reset your brain
Modern life delivers constant, effortless dopamine via scrolling, snacking, notifications, stimulation on demand. The result for many people is the opposite of happiness: restlessness, low motivation, anxiety, and compulsive habits. Short, intense CrossFit workouts are a great way to correct this.
Acute Discomfort, Real Reset
A hard CrossFit wod creates voluntary, short-term discomfort (heavy breathing, muscle fatigue, mental grit). In the moment, your body releases endorphins, which blunt pain and create that post-workout “high.” On a deeper level, that same discomfort also triggers a dopamine rebound, improving baseline mood, focus, and motivation for hours (and cumulatively, days). Instead of chasing stimulation, the nervous system resets.
Less Compulsion, More Calm
Sustained physical effort reduces the urge for quick dopamine hits afterward (mindless scrolling, snacking, impulsive behaviors). The brain has already done something difficult and meaningful. It doesn’t need instant relief.
The Value of Grueling Work
Not every CrossFit workout is fun, most of them are uncomfortable, repetitive, tedious, and simply hard. That’s what makes them effective but it’s also part of the neurochemical benefit. Choosing effort over ease restores the effort/reward relationship that modern life has eroded.
Endorphins & Dopamine
CrossFit triggers both:
Endorphins for immediate pain relief and post-workout euphoria
Dopamine recalibration for longer lasting emotional balance and reduced craving
One feels good right away, the other changes how you feel afterward. CrossFit isn’t just about improving physical fitness, it’s a perfect nervous system reset in a world that’s made things too easy.
Friday, december 19
A.
6 sets:
2 segmented snatch deadlifts* + 1 snatch
B.
for time:
20 power snatches (95/65)
300/250m row
30 OHS
300/250m row
30 overhead lunges
300/250m row
20 power snatches
thursday, december 18
A.
5 sets:
1 strict press + 4 push press
B.
2 sets, one set every 8 mins, each set for time:
400m run
15 push press (95/65, Rx+ 115/75)
9 bar muscle-ups or 3 rope climbs or 15 CTB pull-ups
15 push press (95/65)
400m run
wednesday, december 17
A.
deadlift
3 sets of 3 reps
3 sets of 2 reps
B.
5 sets:
90s on/90s off:
10 burpees over the DB
16 alternating DB snatches (50/35, Rx+ 65/45)
max cal echo bike (or ski)
score = total cals
ready to start preparing for your next hyrox race? we’ve got some tips!
HYROX sits at a unique intersection of endurance, strength, and mental grit. It’s not just a race, and it’s not just a workout, it’s sustained output under fatigue. That’s exactly why our CrossFit classes are such a strong foundation for HYROX preparation. Here’s why the combination works so well.
1. Strength endurance matters
HYROX isn’t about hitting one-rep maxes. It’s about repeated submaximal efforts under fatigue — sled pushes, sled pulls, wall balls, lunges, carries — all performed after running.
CrossFit’s emphasis on:
moderate loads
high reps
cyclical movement
time-based work
builds strength endurance, which is arguably the most important physical quality in HYROX. You’re training your body to keep producing force even when your heart rate is elevated and your legs are fatigued.
2. You get comfortable working while uncomfortable
One of the biggest limiters in HYROX is lactic acid accumulation, especially in the legs.
CrossFit regularly exposes athletes to:
quad-dominant movements (thrusters, wall balls, lunges)
posterior-chain fatigue (deadlifts, sleds)
high heart rates paired with loaded movement
This teaches you how to:
manage discomfort
keep moving when your legs feel heavy
stay mentally engaged when your body wants to stop
That skill transfers directly to late-race HYROX performance.
3. Running after leg fatigue is a trained skill
HYROX running isn’t fresh running. It’s running when your legs are already flooded after sleds, lunges, and carries.
CrossFit prepares you for this specific challenge by constantly forcing transitions:
lift → run
squat → assault bike
carry → burpee
push → pull
The goal isn’t to become a pure runner, it’s to become a runner who can hold form under fatigue.
4. Functional strength makes stations more efficient
HYROX rewards efficiency.
Athletes with solid CrossFit backgrounds often move through stations faster because:
sleds feel lighter relative to strength capacity
carries are less grip-limited
wall balls break down less technically
lunges remain controlled instead of sloppy
That efficiency preserves energy for the run which is where many races are won or lost.
5. Mental resilience is well trained in CrossFit
HYROX is as much psychological as it is physical.
CrossFit trains:
pacing judgment
discomfort tolerance
mid-workout problem solving
staying present under stress
You learn when to push, when to settle, and how to keep moving when your internal dialogue gets loud. That’s invaluable on race day.
If HYROX is your goal:
Keep doing CrossFit 4–5x/week
Add 2–3 runs/week
Practice running after leg fatigue
Focus on movement efficiency, not ego loads
CrossFit gives you the engine, the chassis, and the mindset. Running fine-tunes the wheels. Together, they’re one of the most effective ways to prepare for the demands of HYROX, not just to finish, but to perform well when it hurts most. Drop-in to one of our classes today!
tuesday, december 16
A.
6 sets:
2 back squats (no tempo or pause)
B.
12 min amrap:
12 front rack lunge steps (135/95)
12 TTB
36 DUs
monday, december 15
A.
8 sets:
clean + split jerk (70-75%)
B.
for time:
8-6-4-2 push jerk (155/105, Rx+ 185/125)
16-12-8-4 burpee box jumps
24-18-12-6 CTB pull-ups
cash out: 9 wall walks
friday, december 12
A.
6 sets:
2 segmented snatch deadlifts + 1 hang snatch
B.
10 rounds for time:
3 power snatches (135/95, Rx+ 165/110)
10 WBS (Rx+ 15 WBS)
thursday, december 11
A.
5 sets:
2 strict press + 4 push press
B.
5 rounds for time:
9 CTB pull-ups (Rx+ 5 BMUs)
12 DB bench (50/35, Rx+ 70/45)
18/15 cal row
wednesday, december 10
A.
deadlift
Set 1 – 4 @ 65-75%
Set 2 – 3 @ 75-80%
Set 3 – 2 @ 80-85%
Set 4 – 2 @ 85+%
Set 5 – 2 @ 85+%
B.
2 sets (4 work intervals):
3 mins to complete:
400m run + max DUs or Echo Bike
60s rest
3 mins to complete:
400m run + Max Russian KBS (70/53)
60s rest
tuesday, december 9
A.
6 sets:
1 tempo pause back squat (3211) + 1 rep no tempo
B.
10 rounds for time (18 min cap):
5 front squats
6 front rack lunges (135/95)
7 box jump overs
monday, december 8
A.
6 sets:
clean & jerk (70-75%)
B.
10 min amrap:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10
bar facing burpees
push press (115/75, Rx+ 135/95)
pull-ups (Rx+ CTB)
friday, december 5
A.
1RM hang snatch
B.
for time:
21-15-9
power snatch**
TTB
then,
1000/800m row (cash out)
** snatch reps:
21 at 75/55
15 at 95/65
9 at 135/95
thursday, december 4
A.
5 sets:
2 strict press + 3 push press
B.
for time:
21-15-9 DB bench press (50/35, Rx+ 60-70)
300m run
9-6-3 wall walks (Rx+ 12-9-6)
300m run
wednesday, december 3
A.
Deadlift
Set 1 – 4 @ 60-70%
Set 2 – 3 @ 70-75%
Set 3 – 2 @ 75-80%
Set 4 – 2 @ 80+%
Set 5 – 2 @ 80+%
Set 6 – 2 @ 80+%
B.
2 rounds:
3 min amrap:
500m row + max reps burpees of the erg
Rest 2 minutes
3 min amrap:
500m row max power cleans (135/95, Rx+ 185/125)
Rest 2 minutes
tuesday, december 2
A.
6 sets:
2 tempo pause back squats (3211)
B.
for time:
10 front squats (175/115)
5 CTB pull-ups
25 Russian KBS (70/53)
20 front rack lunges (135/95)
10 CTB pull-ups
25 KBS
30 back squats (115/75)
15 CTB pull-ups
25 KBS
40 front rack lunges (95/65)
20 CTB pull-ups
25 KBS
monday, december 1
A.
6 sets:
clean + jerk (67.5-72.5%)
B.
6 sets, one set every 3 mins, each set for time:
200m run
12 TTB
9 push jerks (135/95)
friday, november 28
A.
3x12/side rear foot elevated split squats
B.
20 min amrap:
20 thrusters (135/95)
20 pull-ups
20 bar facing burpees
wednesday, november 26
A.
deadlift
Set 1 – 5 @ 60-65%
Set 2 – 3-4 @ 65-70%
Set 3 – 3 @ 70-75%
Set 4 – 3 @ 75-80%
Sets 5,6 – 3 @ 80-85%
B.
for time:
1500/1200m row
40 alternating DB snatches (50/35)
1000/750m row
30 alternating DB snatches
750/500m row
20 alternating DB snatches
tuesday, november 25
A.
5 sets:
2 tempo pause back squats (3211) + 1 rep no tempo
B.
8 rounds for time (16 min cap):
8 front rack lunges (135/95)
8 CTB pull-ups
8 front squats
36 DUs