One of the UK’s top Hyrox competitors, Jake Dearden, prepares for the upcoming Hyrox World Championships by showcasing a massive feat of strength. Held in Stockholm, Sweden, this year, the Championships demand extraordinary feats of endurance, strength, and high output under fatigue.

Testing the upper limits of his strength, Dearden managed an awe-inspiring feat: pulling a 3.8-ton North American T-28 aircraft. This, after going through the standard Hyrox lineup of progressively heavier vehicle pulls, is not something to be taken lightly.

“It was so slow and felt like an eternity pulling that thing,” Dearden said, as per Generation Iron on June 19.

The standard lineup included:

• Traditional sled pulls (153 kgs)
• Heavy sled pulls (265 kgs)
• Formula 1 car
• Extra 300 LX aircraft (656 kgs)
• Cessna 337 Skymaster aircraft (1.4 tons)
• Bell 47 helicopter (2 tons)
• North American T-28 aircraft (3.8 tons)

However, unlike traditional strongman-style vehicle pulls, Dearden’s feat was a different kind of challenge. Where traditional strongman truck pulls allow strongmen to use harnesses, anchoring systems, and bodyweight as assistance, Hyrox competitors don’t have the same leverage.

To pull the 3.8-ton aircraft, Dearden relied entirely on his strength and short, powerful strides, as the article on Generation Iron revealed. Successfully doing this requires intensive training and strict discipline.

Behind The HYROX Training Routine of Jake Dearden

As per an interview with Red Bull, Dearden reveals the high-intensity training that he has to endure before each event.

“Training is quite intense! You’ve got high-impact, weight-bearing exercises, including running, and then you've got heavy strength exercises like the sled push and farmer's carries, so you’re putting a lot of pressure and a lot of stress on your body,” he revealed.

Training week typically consists of-

• Lower body strength session (once a week)
• HYROX-specific conditioning session (twice a week)
• Additional running sessions (twice to thrice)

That said, Dearden focuses on smart workouts instead of simply pushing his body to the limits.

“Most Hyrox events are on the weekend, so the week before, use this as a deload week and strip everything back to around 80 per cent effort,” he said. “You’re not realistically going to improve strength in the week before an event, so be smart and focus on technique and transitions on the Monday and the Tuesday – this is where you can really hone your movement and shave some time off your speeds.”

Dearden’s capability to pull a 3.8-ton aircraft exemplifies how HYROX training builds an exceptionally unique blend of functional strength, endurance, and power.

Would you ever consider taking part in a HYROX competition?

Follow Bodybuilding Bros for all things fitness!

Written by

Avantika Das

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi