MUSCLEBLAZE

Hyrox has a way of being brutally honest.

It does not care how good you look on day one. It does not care how motivated you feel or how badly you want it. The moment the race begins, everything comes down to one simple question. Did you actually put in the work?

Because when you are deep into it and your body is giving up, there is nothing to rely on except what you have built over time.

That is where being Ziddi makes the difference.

When It all Shows Up

Zidd is not exciting. It is not loud. It is just the ability to keep going, even when it would be easier to stop.

And when that mindset shows up at scale, it looks like this.

39 MuscleBlaze athletes stepped onto the Hyrox floor in Bengaluru
Different age groups. Different categories. Different journeys.

13 of them finished on the podium.

That is not a coincidence.
That is not one good day.

That is what happens when preparation is consistent across the board. When discipline is not occasional, but built into the system. When athletes are not just training for an event, but for performance as a standard.

This is what Zidd looks like when it is repeated over and over again.

Where Zidd Turns into Results

Harsh Khaneja’s journey feels familiar in many ways. He was always into sports growing up, but like a lot of athletes, he had to step away when life demanded something more stable. That could have been the end of it.

Instead, he came back.

Not with a big announcement, not with perfect conditions, just by starting again and staying consistent. Training alongside a full-time job, slowly building his way back, and sticking with it long enough to see results. That process eventually took him to international Hyrox races and even the World Championships. Nothing about it was overnight. It was just steady, stubborn effort.

Sameer Mhatre’s story is quieter, but it hits just as hard. No clear plan, no structured beginning, just years of staying active and challenging himself in different ways. Over time, that consistency turned into real endurance.

So when Hyrox came into the picture, he was ready without even realising it.

Winning races was not a sudden moment. It was the outcome of years of simply not stopping.

That is what Hyrox shows you.

It is not about who starts strong or who looks the part. It is about who stays with it long enough.

And right now, that mindset is turning into something bigger.

39 athletes. 13 podium finishes.
This is not participation. This is us, showing up as a system that produces results.

Because at the end of the day, natural ability might give you a head start.
But being Ziddi is what gets you through.

Hi Ziddis! We all have been there, when we have stayed up all night during the week and decided to sleep in until noon on the weekends. It appears to be balanced, but the thing is that our bodies do not self-renew on a weekly frequency. The implications of sleep debt are silent and cumulative and cannot be remedied by sleeping in on Saturdays.

Sleep Debt

Sleep debt is essentially the difference between the amount of sleep that your body requires and the amount of sleep that your body gets. When your body needs 7-8 hours of sleep a night, but you only get 5-6, the difference will accumulate, just like a financial debt.

Short-term sleep debt has the following effects:

• Daytime fatigue.
• Poor concentration and cognitive functioning
• Irritability
• Food cravings (especially sugar and carb cravings)

Regular sleep is essential to your body to balance hormones, heal tissues, and maintain brain activity. Not having a healthy sleep pattern can disrupt the rhythm, and everything from mood to metabolism takes a hit.

Accumulated Sleep Debt

It builds up fast. The lack of one or two hours of sleep per night can result in a cumulative loss that will become evident at the end of the week. 

This debt:

• Slows reflexes and reduces performance.
• Interfere with hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin)
• Causes insulin resistance
• Weakens the immune system.

Although you feel like you have adjusted well, your organism doesn’t really get used to it. As a matter of fact, its functions keep deteriorating even after your feeling of exhaustion stops.

Sleep Debt Compensation

So would it be possible to compensate for this deficit on the weekend by getting more sleep? Yes, but not totally.

Catching up on sleep on weekends:

• Helps you be more alert.
• Decreases your immediate feeling of exhaustion
• Helps to deal with short-term loss of sleep

Unfortunately, it won’t help to cope with all the negative consequences caused by prolonged lack of rest.

Moreover, such irregularities can confuse your circadian rhythm and cause something called social jet lag, which causes sluggishness and drowsiness every morning.

Long Term Sleep Debt

Sleep debt is particularly problematic when it is chronic.

Weeks and months of poor sleep can lead to:

• Gaining weight and not losing fat.
• High levels of stress and cortisol.
• Ineffective exercise and recovery.
• Increased risk of diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes

And psychological health as well, adding to the risk of anxiety, depression, and burnout. In short, sleep is not just about rest; it’s a fundamental pillar of optimal health.

How to Fix Sleep Debt

Rather than spending the weekend as a time to rest, work on establishing a routine. The way to deal with sleep debt is to do the following:

1. Have a realistic sleep schedule: Go to sleep and wake up at the same time daily (including on weekends).

2. Gradually decrease sleep debt: When you are experiencing sleep debt, lengthen your nightly sleep by 30-60 minutes.

3. Make winding down a priority: Turn down the light in your bedroom, limit screen time, and establish a pre-bedtime routine (reading, stretching, journaling).

4. Monitor intake of caffeine: Avoid taking caffeine six to eight hours before sleep as it lasts longer than most individuals think.

5. Sun exposure: The circadian rhythm will be at its best with the natural light.

Read Also: Why Sleep Quality Matters More Than Sleep Hours

Takeaway

Catch-up sleep on weekends can relieve acute fatigue, but not sleep debt. The actual remedy is to get regular and good sleep throughout the week. Consider sleep as an investment rather than a way to make up for what you lacked the day before; it is an energy, mood, metabolism, and long-term health dividend that will pay off. As you wind your way through the fitness scene, begin with sleep, and nutrition. A bit of change in your morning food habits, like incorporating fit foods and multivitamins is a great idea!

Hello Ziddis! Did you know that even though “healthy eating” is important, when taken to an obsessive level, healthy eating is no longer healthy? Orthorexia is the name given to this ‘grey’ area between discipline and obsession, where food is more than just a source of nourishment for the body.

Orthorexia

An “unhealthy obsession with ‘pure,’ ‘clean,’ or ‘perfect’ food” is termed as Orthorexia. Unlike other eating disorders, Orthorexia is based on the quality and control of food instead of the quantity of food.

Although the motivation for Orthorexia is to improve one’s health and possibly even increase one’s level of fitness, Orthorexia is still an “unhealthy obsession with the food one eats.” The signs for someone who is Orthorexic are very obvious, and some of these signs include:

• Being very particular about what is ‘allowed’ and what is ‘forbidden’ to eat
• Feeling nervous or guilty when food is eaten outside of what is termed as ‘clean’ or ‘pure’ food
• Spends too much time thinking about food
• Skipping social events where food is present
• Feeling superior to others due to food choices

Orthorexia Causes

There is no particular reason why a person may develop Orthorexia. It is a combination of various reasons. These may include psychological, cultural, and environmental factors.

1. Fitness and Wellness Culture

• The glorification of “clean eating” and extreme discipline on social media
• The influence of social media on promoting restrictive and fear-based nutrition
• The pressure to look a certain way or follow an “ideal” diet

2. Desire for Control

• Seeking control in a chaotic world through food
• Seeking structure and predictability in food

3. Perfectionism

• Black-and-white thinking: food is either good or bad
• Fear of mistakes when it comes to diet and nutrition

4. Health Anxiety

• Overblown fear of getting sick, exposure to toxins, and “unclean” foods
• Overanalysing nutrition facts and trends

Orthorexia Treatment

The approach to treating and curing Orthorexia is based on the development of a healthy and balanced relationship with food.

1. Professional Help

• Counselling and therapy, especially cognitive behavioural therapy, from a nutrition expert, to overcome inflexibility

2. Learning Flexibility

• Learning to gradually eat foods that have been considered “forbidden”
• Learning that all foods can be part of a healthy diet

3. Overcoming Underlying Causes

• Overcoming the underlying causes of perfectionism and anxiety
• Learning the true meaning of the word “health”

Orthorexia Diet

There is no specific diet that is considered an “orthorexia diet,” but certain patterns have been identified with people suffering from Orthorexia:

• Eliminating certain food groups, such as carbohydrates, fats, and processed foods
• Not wanting to eat out or eat foods prepared by other people
• Obsessing over the ingredient and source of food
• Focusing on the idea of “clean” foods and not the nutritional value of food

Ironically, this leads to:

• Nutrient deficiency
• Lack of energy
• Hormonal imbalance
• Developing an unhealthy relationship with food

A healthy diet is not only about nutrients but also about flexibility, variety, and sustainability.

Healthy Discipline vs. Obsession

1. Balanced Nutrition:

• Offers flexibility
• Covers all food groups
• Is stress- and guilt-free
• Is compatible with lifestyle

2. Orthorexistic Behaviours:

• Is inflexible and structured
• Is stressful and guilt-inducing
• Is inhibiting social life
• Is fueled by fear, not nourishment. By adding fit foods to your diet, you can begin to develop a healthy munching habit, and oats protein are an excellent way to begin your day with.

Read Also: The Blue Zone Diet: What to Eat to Live Longer

Takeaway

As with all things in life, orthorexia reminds us that even healthy things can become unhealthy when taken to an extreme. Balanced nutrition is not about being perfect; it is about being balanced, flexible, and stress-free. If you can live your life with a nutrition pattern and it is not controlling your life, then you know you are on the right track.