“ChatGPT Is All You Need.” Even ChatGPT Doesn’t Agree.
Every few days a new version of the same idea pops up in the HYROX world: “I don’t need a coach. I can just ask ChatGPT.”
To be clear, ChatGPT is a powerful tool. I use it. Many great coaches use it. But the idea that AI alone can replace coaching, especially in a hybrid race like HYROX, is flawed. Even ChatGPT would tell you that.
Let’s get something straight early: most people do not need more information. They need better execution, better movement, and accountability over time. That’s where coaching still matters.
HYROX isn’t just a fitness test. It’s a fatigue-induced movement test, a pacing problem disguised as a race, and a discipline problem that stretches over months of training.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth.
You probably need a coach unless:
• You have a long history of completing structured training programs as written
• You move very well under load and fatigue
• You have already had good coaching in the past
Most people overestimate which category they fall into.
Good coaching isn’t about writing workouts
ChatGPT can write workouts all day long. So can spreadsheets, apps, and templates. That’s not the value. The value of coaching is constraint, prioritization, and correction.
A coach decides what not to do.
A coach adjusts when life interferes.
A coach sees movement faults you can’t feel.
A coach calls out pacing errors before they cost you ten minutes on race day.
HYROX punishes small mistakes. Overstriding into wall balls. Poor sled mechanics. Inefficient transitions. Starting the first run, 10 seconds per kilometer too fast. None of those feels catastrophic in training. All of them compound brutally on race day.
ChatGPT can’t watch you move
This is the biggest gap. Hybrid racing is not just physiology; it’s mechanics. Running economy. Hip position. Breathing under load. Transitions under fatigue. A coach sees what breaks down at minute 48 that looked “fine” at minute 12.
If your sled push looks strong but costs you your next two runs, that’s a coaching problem, not a programming one.
If your wall balls turn into an epic failure, that’s a technical, strength, and pacing issue, not an “I didn’t do enough wall balls” issue.
ChatGPT doesn’t stand next to you when things go sideways.
Most successful “self-coached” athletes weren’t actually self-coached
This part gets overlooked constantly. Many athletes who thrive with minimal coaching today received excellent coaching earlier in their training. They learned how to brace, hinge, squat, run, and recover properly years ago. They earned their independence.
That’s like saying, “I don’t need a teacher,” after you already learned how to read.
If you’ve:
• Completed multiple long training cycles
• Had your running form cleaned up
• Learned how to pace mixed-modality efforts
• Built a base of strength without compensations
Then yes—you might use ChatGPT as a tool and do just fine.
But if you’ve never completed a full program?
If you constantly hop plans?
If races always go sideways after halfway?
That’s not a motivation problem. That’s a coaching gap.
The real role of AI in HYROX training
AI is best used as an assistant, not a head coach. It’s great for:
• Education and explanations
• Workout ideas and variations
• Understanding race rules and structure
• Clarifying concepts like Zone 2, threshold, or pacing
It is not great at:
• Individual movement assessment
• Knowing when you’re lying to yourself
• Adjusting training based on subtle fatigue patterns
• Holding you to standards when enthusiasm fades
Coaching is not about intelligence. It’s about judgment.
The bottom line
If you move exceptionally well, have a history of finishing programs, and have already benefited from good coaching, you can use AI as a powerful supplement.
Everyone else?
A coach will save you time, frustration, and usually far more fitness than they cost.
Even ChatGPT would agree with that.
