LEMON GYM x HYROX

HYROX athlete Augustė Jociūtė: LEMON GYM is my training place

21 October 2025 4 min read

Last November, HYROX athlete Augustė Jociūtė first heard about the HYROX competition format, and this year she has already competed in two HYROX events – in February in Poland and in May in Riga. In the most recent event, in the Open Single category (age group up to 24), Augustė missed the podium by just a few hundredths of a second. According to her, finding out that she had fallen just short of third place sparked an even greater competitive drive. Hopefully, Augustė will not lack motivation and endurance at the HYROX competition taking place in Poznań on December 13–14, and she will step onto the winners’ podium that narrowly slipped away in spring.

Competition and preparation are not new to A. Jociūtė:

“I started swimming at the age of 7. Training twice a day, competitions, championships – for 11 years this was my everyday life, which over time stopped bringing as much joy as before. After finishing school, I decided I had had enough of professional sport.”

But can a sporty person stay away from sport for long? Of course not. Her desire to stay active led Augustė to the LEMON GYM club at the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, and later to group circuit training with coach Justinas Blažys. He quickly noticed her strong-willed character shaped by swimming and her fighting spirit, and suggested joining a four-person group preparing for HYROX competitions.

“I had already decided I wanted to return to endurance sports, so the offer came at exactly the right time,” Augustė recalls her introduction to HYROX.

“We prepared for HYROX competitions at the LEMON GYM club in the Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas. There were four athletes and a coach – we felt like representatives of a niche sport, often met with curious looks from people in the gym,” recalls A. Jociūtė about the early days of HYROX.

Today, she notices that many gym-goers have started incorporating HYROX-style exercises into their training routines, and rowing machines as well as SkiErg machines that simulate skiing movements are being used more frequently. The opportunities for HYROX training have also expanded:

“I remember that when we first started training, sleds for pushing and pulling were only available at the LEMON GYM in Savanoriai, Kaunas, so we either had to go there specifically or look for alternatives and push boxes instead. I’m very happy that soon both in Vilnius and Kaunas, several LEMON GYM clubs will have dedicated HYROX training zones, meaning preparation for future competitions will be much more convenient and effective.”

What does Augustė’s HYROX training routine look like?

“At the moment, I have high-intensity training sessions 2–3 times a week focused on building strength endurance. I also have separate strength workouts with barbells and additional weights. I didn’t used to run, but HYROX made me start, so now I run twice a week. One run is long, slower, and less intense, aimed at developing aerobic and psychological endurance. The other is shorter and focused on speed and maintaining pace, because in competition it’s not enough just to complete the 8 kilometers – you need to keep a steady and strong pace,” the athlete shares her weekly routine.

During training, she also performs competition simulation segments, such as running one kilometer and then completing several HYROX exercises, or replicating the full race format but running 500 meters instead of 1 km and splitting exercises into sets with short rest breaks. The full competition format requires a lot of strength, endurance, and long recovery, so, according to the athlete, such sessions are relatively rare.

A. Jociūtė is happy that soon LEMON GYM in Vilnius and Kaunas will open new clubs with dedicated HYROX zones, all necessary equipment, and group training sessions:

“I’m glad that HYROX athletes will have a high-quality place to prepare for competitions. I also really hope this will encourage even more people to try HYROX, because it is suitable for everyone. I really like the democratic nature of HYROX competitions – you can take part from the age of 16 until you still have enough strength to complete the course. In the Open category, anyone can compete regardless of fitness level. The important thing is to complete the full format – there is no time limit, you can take breaks, pause, participate in a team of two or four people. Because of this, it can become a fun leisure activity for a group of like-minded friends.”

The HYROX area at Lemon Gym AKROPOLIS Vilnius will be available to try starting October 28. Group HYROX training sessions will begin there.

Augustė encourages everyone to try this training format:

“For me, group training is the best way not only to work out, but also to prepare for competitions. When you’re not alone in the gym, you train with a completely different mood and mindset. Time passes faster, it’s psychologically easier to handle tough challenges, and the support along with the friendly sense of competition pushes you not to stop”.