Men’s Health cover star and podcast co-host Ben Shephard has been training for his first Hyrox with Olympian snowboarder Aimee Fuller. After racing at Hyrox London, their finish time is a testament to the work they’ve put in during preparation. Shephard, 51, and Fuller, 34, took part in the eight-station, 8 x 1km race in the mixed doubles category and finished with a time of 01:15:17.
‘We’ve got a big problem in the UK and globally with people getting really sedentary, spending too much time sitting down and not doing enough,’ says Shephard. ‘Come somewhere like this and I’ve seen that a lot of people here are doing their best to look after themselves and their families for generations, and I think we need more of this sort of thing out there, for people to see and get involved with.’
Shephard explained that Hyrox is open to everyone. ‘Doesn’t matter how big you are, how old you are. Your size, your shape, your mobility – just come and give it a go,’ he said.
Fuller, his doubles partner, shared: ‘I think it gives a real sense of place. It’s such a welcoming community. I stepped into today having no idea what I was getting into, myself and Ben together. But it really is special the way in which you work as a team and pull each other through. And it does push you to be better than yesterday.’
Shephard has long trained consistently, and when he prepared for the cover of MH, he focused on progressive strength and conditioning to build muscle. This shifted slightly as he worked towards the race. In an Instagram post from Shephard’s personal trainer Steve Coleman, the pair worked through the following session
The Workout
8 × 1km run between every exercise
Dumbbell Step-Ups x 60 reps (2 x 10kg)Cable Squat Rows x 60 reps (moderate-heavy)Burpee Broad Jumps x 50 repsRow x 1000mRelated Stories
Kate is a fitness writer for Men’s Health UK where she contributes regular workouts, training tips and nutrition guides. She has a post graduate diploma in Sports Performance Nutrition and before joining Men’s Health she was a nutritionist, fitness writer and personal trainer with over 5k hours coaching on the gym floor. Kate has a keen interest in volunteering for animal shelters and when she isn’t lifting weights in her garden, she can be found walking her rescue dog.