Force-Velocity Profiling, Strength for HYROX & The Enhanced Games | ENDUROX Podcast Ep. 3

Join Dr. Dan Plews, Dr. Adam Storey, and guest Sam Purchase in Episode 3 of The ENDUROX Podcast. In this episode, they break down force-velocity profiling — what it is, how to measure it without a lab, and how to use it to identify and fix the exact qualities holding back your HYROX performance. They also recap the Enhanced Games and why the whole thing was a bit of a flop. They cover: Sam Purchase: S&C coach, PhD researcher at AUT, and founder of Chase Health and Performance The Enhanced Games: why performances underwhelmed, whether the doping protocols actually worked, and the swimsuit confound Force and velocity: what the force-velocity profile actually measures and why it matters for power output The difference between the molecular force-velocity relationship and compound movement profiling Force dominant vs velocity dominant: what it looks like, what it means, and how to identify which you are Applying the profile to HYROX: which stations cluster together and why Sam's master's research with professional rugby players: forwards vs backs and what the data showed How Pierre Samozino's 2008 methodology made FV profiling accessible with a tape measure and a phone Sam's PhD research: three novel movements — bench pull, overhead press, and hip thrust — and why they matter The propulsive phase explained: what it is and how to measure it Training prescription from the profile: how to structure force or velocity blocks for a HYROX athlete Contrast training and post-activation potentiation: the mechanism, the application, and where it fits Why max strength still matters for HYROX, and why the "it doesn't matter" narrative is wrong How to periodise the FV profile into a full race build Sam's PhD data collection: how to get your profile tested at AUT Millennium Timestamps: 00:13 - Introducing Sam Purchase: coaching background and Chase Health and Performance 04:16 - Chase Health and Performance opens in Grafton, Auckland this July 07:49 - The Enhanced Games: media appearances and first impressions 09:16 - Why the doping didn't work: past their prime, bad products, or already doped fields? 13:30 - The swimsuit problem: a confounding variable on top of a confounding variable 14:43 - Would a longer protocol change things at the 2027 Games? 16:02 - The complacency factor: does being enhanced change how hard you train? 17:20 - Why Dan is relieved the Enhanced Games flopped 17:51 - Force-velocity profiling: what it is and why it matters for HYROX 20:34 - The cycling erg analogy: same power, different force-velocity mix 21:02 - Molecular FV relationship vs compound movement profile: an important distinction 25:16 - Applying the FV profile to HYROX stations and triple extension movements 26:40 - What the theoretical HYROX force-velocity curve actually represents 28:27 - Sam's master's research: load spectrum testing with a professional rugby squad 31:22 - Forwards vs backs: what the data showed 31:56 - Endurance vs strength athletes: what you'd expect from their profiles 33:47 - Training prescription: why you train the opposite of your dominant quality 34:13 - Why endurance athletes are often more force dominant than expected 35:24 - Movement specificity: why a jump squat profile doesn't transfer to isolated muscles 36:57 - Dan's experience: why his legs adapted faster than his upper body post-Ironman 38:27 - When does FV profiling become useful vs just getting stronger? 40:04 - Samozino 2008: three variables, a tape measure, and no lab required 41:28 - The propulsive phase explained 44:01 - HYROX relevance: how the three PhD movements map to race stations 46:03 - Practical prescription: loading Bulgarians for force vs velocity dominant athletes 48:07 - Contrast training vs French contrast: what the difference actually is 48:18 - Post-activation potentiation: the mechanism behind contrast training 51:51 - Reps in reserve and why contrast work isn't a true strength stimulus 52:28 - Why strength is being sidelined in HYROX coaching and why that's wrong 54:14 - Strength and VO2 max as the two most important qualities for HYROX 54:36 - Dan's pushback: strength endurance and why efficiency is the missing piece 56:11 - Programming the FV profile into a full race build 58:20 - Hunter McIntyre as the "up and to the right" benchmark 59:01 - How often to reassess: why two loads are enough 1:00:02 - Sam's PhD data collection: get tested at AUT Millennium in Auckland 1:02:20 - Closing: individualization is the point