New competition format
A new 10-event, two-day global competition is entering the fitness world, and it might be the clearest test yet for the modern hybrid athlete. Here's what XENOM is, why it matters, and how CrossFit BC athletes can start preparing now.
The bigger picture
CrossFit changed what functional fitness meant. HYROX standardized hybrid racing and proved millions of people would line up to suffer if you measured it. Now XENOM is entering with a decathlon-style format designed to test total fitness across strength, endurance, gymnastics, power, engine, skill and grit.
What makes it interesting is the question it asks. CrossFit asks, "are you ready for anything?" HYROX asks, "how fast can you do this exact race?" XENOM asks something different.
XENOM is not just asking, "are you good at one thing?" It is asking, "how complete are you?"
Section 01
XENOM bills itself as the Decathlon of Fitness. It is a stadium-scale, 10-event competition contested over two days, designed to create a standardized global benchmark for total athleticism.
Athletes are scored event by event, and every score adds up to a single number called the Elite Performance Index. That number is your global ranking. Win one event and tank another, and the math will catch you. The athlete who finishes on top is the one who is good at everything.
Source of truth for divisions, weights and event standards: xenom.global. Always check the official site before signing up; standards can shift. For HYROX, see our official HYROX race standards page (Open, Pro, Doubles, Relay).
Section 02
The hybrid athlete went mainstream. People who lift, run, ride, swim and train gymnastics in the same week are no longer the niche, they are the norm. The market wants something to chase.
CrossFit gave that crowd community and the Open. HYROX gave them a race they could actually train for, with a clock that does not lie. XENOM is positioning itself as the next layer: a fixed, broad, points-based test that combines the skill demand of CrossFit with the repeatability of HYROX.
The buzz also comes from the production side. Stadium-scale venues (The Star in Frisco, Olympia in London), equipment and nutrition partnerships with brands like Rogue and Momentous, and a growing competition calendar give it the look of something built to last.
Healthy skepticism is fair. Plenty of competitions have launched and faded. But the format itself, ten standardized events scored together, fills a real gap. That alone makes it worth watching closely.
Section 03
Three formats, three philosophies. They overlap more than they compete. Here's the honest side-by-side.
| CrossFit | HYROX | XENOM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Constantly varied workouts + Open / Games season | Standardized indoor race: 8 × 1 km run + 8 functional stations | 10-event decathlon-style competition over 2 days |
| Tests | Unknown and unknowable broad fitness | Aerobic engine + functional grunt work, repeatable | Strength, gymnastics, engine, power, skill, in one score |
| Scoring | Workout-by-workout placings, Open ranking | Total race time | Elite Performance Index (points across 10 events) |
| Skill ceiling | Very high (Olympic lifting, gymnastics, mixed modal) | Moderate (running, sled, burpees, wall balls, lunges, rowing, ski, carries) | High (Olympic lifts + gymnastics + engine + barbell cycling) |
| Predictability | Low by design | High, identical race every time | Medium-high, fixed events with rotating standards |
| Best for | Athletes who love variety and community | Hybrid athletes who love a measurable race | Complete athletes who want one global benchmark |
The honest take: XENOM does not need to replace CrossFit or HYROX. It may end up as another expression of the same bigger movement: people want fitness that means something outside the mirror.
Ten events, one athlete
XENOM tests every drawer in the toolbox in one weekend. No hiding, no specialising, just show up complete.
Section 04
A complete athlete on display. Strength, skill, gymnastics, engine and grit, scored together across two days.
Tests: Olympic lifting skill, power, mobility, confidence under the bar.
A clean snatch under pressure is one of the truest tests of athleticism in the sport. You can't fake it.
How CFBC trains it: Our Olympic weightlifting work and CrossFit barbell cycles drill snatch positions, timing, and confidence at heavy loads.
Official standardOfficial: Ascending Ladder – Wall Walk, Rope Climb AMRAP
Tests: Gymnastics strength, upper-body endurance, coordination, midline control.
An ascending AMRAP of inverted strength and rope work exposes anyone who skipped the boring fundamentals.
How CFBC trains it: CrossFit classes program wall walks, rope progressions and midline work weekly. Skill sessions clean up the technique.
Official standardOfficial: 60 seconds Max Cal Echo Bike
Tests: Raw power, pain tolerance, anaerobic capacity.
One minute of honest output. Pacing is a luxury you don't have.
How CFBC trains it: Echo Bike intervals show up in CrossFit and HYROX programming. We coach effort distribution and breathing under redline.
Official standardTests: Stamina, movement efficiency, grip, pacing, barbell fluency.
Cycling a loaded bar without breaking technique is what separates strong from skilled.
How CFBC trains it: Our coaches drill hook grip, hip drive and rebound timing so the bar feels lighter every round.
Official standardOfficial: 2K Echo Ski + 3K Run (also raced standalone as the XENOM 005K)
Tests: Aerobic engine, pacing, posterior chain endurance, transition discipline.
Two pieces of cardio back to back punish anyone who only trains one modality. The standalone XENOM 005K debuted in London on August 30, 2026 (entry was GBP 39). It is also offered at Miami: 2K Echo Ski plus 3K run on the same arena floor, one event and one leaderboard.
How CFBC trains it: HYROX classes blend SkiErg and run intervals every week. We program the transitions, not just the pieces.
Official standardOfficial: T2B, DB Hang Snatch, MU
Tests: Gymnastics capacity, grip, skill under fatigue, pulling strength.
Three skill-heavy movements in one piece. Where most athletes leak time and points.
How CFBC trains it: Skill sessions and CrossFit classes cover muscle-up progressions, kipping efficiency and grip endurance directly.
Official standardTests: Posterior-chain and pulling strength, bracing, heavy positions.
A brutal test of raw pulling power. Five heavy reps with nowhere to hide weak hips or a soft brace.
How CFBC trains it: Deadlift and posterior-chain strength cycles, plus coached bracing and setup, build the pull that this event rewards.
Official standardOfficial: AMRAP – Burpees, Echo SKI, Echo Bike
Tests: Engine, mental grit, repeatability, suffering with a smile.
An AMRAP that asks the same simple question on repeat: how honest are you with yourself today?
How CFBC trains it: We program longer mixed-modal AMRAPs regularly so this kind of work is familiar, not foreign.
Official standardTests: Strength, power, technique, composure under fatigue.
Each ascending bar is a new conversation with your nervous system. Most athletes quit mentally before they quit physically.
How CFBC trains it: Olympic lifting cycles and CrossFit strength work build a clean that holds up when the bar gets ugly.
Official standardOfficial: HSPU, C2B, DB Lunge
Tests: Gymnastics pressing, pulling endurance, unilateral stamina, shoulder resilience.
A perfect closer. Pressing, pulling and walking under load when nothing wants to fire.
How CFBC trains it: Mobility, strict gymnastics work and lower-body unilateral training are baked into our weekly programming.
Official standardNote: exact standards, weights, divisions and event details may change. Always verify the current rules on the official XENOM events page before training to a specific standard.
Curious about XENOM?
Want to know if XENOM is realistic for you? Come in, train with us, and we'll help you build a smart path forward, no pressure, no sales pitch.
Section 05
The Elite Performance Index is XENOM's scoring system. Every event awards points, and your total points across all 10 events become your global ranking. One number, all ten tests.
It works the same way decathlon scoring has worked in athletics for over a century. You can be elite at one event and still lose ground if you bleed points elsewhere. Specialists get exposed. Generalists get rewarded.
Instead of asking "did I win?", XENOM asks "where do I stand, and how much better can I become?"
For most athletes, that is the more interesting question. It turns competition into a long-term ladder, not a one-day verdict.
The EPI is also standardised and repeatable, which means it travels with you. Your score in Dallas and your score in London sit on the same scale, so progress is measured against the standard rather than against whoever happened to show up that weekend. XENOM publishes an official EPI calculator so you can see how your current lifts and times score before you ever enter a competition.
Section 06
You do not need to be elite to be curious. You need a plan, good coaching, and the humility to build your capacity step by step.
Section 07
XENOM rewards athletes who can do a lot of things well. Here's the qualities the format calls forward.
Strength without endurance gets exposed. Endurance without skill gets exposed. Skill without engine gets exposed.
Section 08
A practical 5-phase framework. You don't need all five at once. You need them in order.
Section 09
CrossFit BC has been coaching hybrid athletes in Vancouver since 2008. The qualities XENOM is built to test are the exact ones our weekly schedule already trains.
CrossFit BC is excited to support athletes preparing for their first XENOM competition. While we are not officially affiliated with XENOM, our CrossFit, HYROX and hybrid training environment helps build the qualities this competition appears designed to test.
Want a coached, structured plan built around the 10 XENOM events? See our XENOM prep program for the full week-by-week breakdown.
Build the engine
Coached, 8-week prep mapped to all 10 XENOM events. The hub if you want to train for it.
Learn moreStrength, gymnastics, conditioning and skill, the original hybrid format.
Learn moreRun, ski, sled, push, pull, repeat. The engine work XENOM rewards.
Learn moreCleaner snatches and cleans, more confidence under heavier bars.
Learn moreWall walks, rope climbs, muscle-ups and handstand work.
Learn moreHips, ankles, shoulders and t-spine that hold up in competition.
Learn more1:1 coaching to fast-track weak events before your competition date.
Learn moreSection 10
The goal is not to be perfect before you start. The goal is to start preparing intelligently.
Official sources
Always treat the official XENOM channels as the source of truth for dates, divisions and standards.
Format, mission and the full Decathlon of Fitness rationale.
Dallas 2026, London 2026 and additional stops as they're announced.
Divisions, qualification info and the Elite Performance Index.
Launch reels, athlete features, event teasers and live updates.
Further reading: search for XENOM coverage from The Barbell Spin, The Progrm and YouTube interviews with founder Keith Barlow for additional context as the format evolves.
Free download
Weekly notes from our coaches on training for CrossFit, HYROX and emerging hybrid formats like XENOM. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Section 11
The questions athletes ask us most often about XENOM, the format, and how to train for it from Vancouver.
18 questions
XENOM might be new, but the idea behind it is timeless.
Build a body that can lift. Build lungs that can last. Build skills that hold up under pressure. Build a mindset that does not fold when things get spicy.
Because the future of fitness is not about being great at one thing. It belongs to the complete athlete.
And if you're in Vancouver and want to start building that athlete, we'd love to help you prepare.
278 East 1st Avenue, Olympic Village, Vancouver
XENOM at CrossFit BC
CrossFit BC is an independent Vancouver training resource for the XENOM Decathlon of Fitness. Build the strength, gymnastics, and engine the 10 events ask for, alongside our HYROX and Deadly Dozen race prep.
6 min readThe Engine Room: coached HYROX race prep, 5+ sessions a week, join anytime with ongoing intakes.
Dallas, London and Miami compared, with all three printable stop guides.
The training base behind strong HYROX and XENOM performances.
Coached engine work and race simulations that transfer to XENOM.
Another hybrid race we coach: 12 runs and 12 Labours.
Snatch, clean, and jerk strength for the barbell events.
Start your XENOM prep with coaching first, no card needed.
