You need pockets in training shorts if you carry a phone, keys or gels through sessions, but they must be flat and secure so they do not bounce or snag during running, sleds and lunges. THETA coaches favour flat side pockets and heat-sealed zip pockets over gaping open pockets, because uncontrolled storage is one of the failure points HYROX training exposes fastest.
When do pockets actually help in training?
Start with a simple test: are you carrying anything during the session or not. Pockets earn their place the moment you genuinely need to hold something. On long outdoor runs, carry a phone and a key. On interval work, carry gels. In the gym, keep a locker key on you so you are not stopping mid-session. Whenever retrieving or stashing an item would break the flow of hard work, storage is worth having.
But do not assume any pocket will do, because most training shorts get this wrong. An open, unstructured pocket lets a phone bounce against your leg every stride and can eject a key mid-lunge. That is why THETA built the Tech Short v2 around removing bouncing pockets as a failure point, keeping storage flat and controlled rather than adding roomy pockets that sabotage your movement.
What kind of pocket do coaches actually recommend?
Choose flat and secure, not deep and open. The preferred design is a flat side pocket that holds items close to the body, combined with a secure zip pocket for anything you cannot afford to lose. The Tech Short v2 uses flat side pockets that hold lighter items close to the body, and the v1 short adds interior heat-sealed zip pockets sized for gels plus a large rear heat-sealed zip pocket for a phone. Heat-sealed construction keeps the pocket flat and sweat-resistant rather than bulky, which is the exact answer to the storage-need question this post opens with.
Hold this distinction in mind: secure versus open. Zip a phone or key into a heat-sealed pocket and it stays put through burpees and lunges. Drop the same phone into a deep, open pocket and it bounces and can fly out. So zip what matters, use a flat side pocket for lighter items you reach for often, and steer clear of deep, open, unsecured pockets entirely.
How do you match pocket type to your session?
Different sessions call for different storage. The table below maps common training scenarios to the pocket setup that works.
| Session | What you carry | Pocket type that works |
|---|---|---|
| Long outdoor run | Phone, key, maybe a gel | Rear zip phone pocket + flat side pocket |
| Interval / track work | Gels, key | Interior heat-sealed zip pockets |
| Sled and lunge sessions | Ideally nothing loose | Flat, secure pockets only, empty if possible |
| Race day | Minimal, often nothing | Race short with storage only where it matters |
Do you want pockets on race day?
Strip it back on race day. Most athletes want minimal storage, because a HYROX race gives you almost nothing to carry and every gram and distraction counts. THETA's Race Collection follows the principle of storage only where it matters, keeping the race short stripped back so nothing bounces or catches through the runs and stations. The design goal is kit you forget once the start gun goes.
If you do carry a gel or a small item during a race, use a single secure, flat pocket, not a short full of them. That is the decision to get right: run your loaded training shorts for sessions where you carry things, and switch to stripped race storage for competition. Racing in training shorts full of pockets you do not need only adds weight and flapping fabric.
Test your storage before you trust it
Do not find out a pocket fails when your phone hits the floor at rep eight. Prove it first. Load the short exactly as you will train, then run through the movements that punish storage most and watch what moves.
Run this thirty-second check before any session where losing an item would matter. Load the pocket with what you actually carry. Do ten fast walking lunges and feel whether the contents swing or the pocket gapes. Do five broad jumps or burpees and watch whether anything creeps toward the opening. Then jog twenty metres and notice whether the weight taps your leg on every stride. Pass all three and the storage is fit for the session. Fail any one and move the item to a zipped pocket or leave it in your bag.
Here is the contrast to burn in: zip the phone into a flat rear pocket, do not drop it into a deep open one. The zipped pocket pins the weight against your lower back where your stride barely disturbs it; the open pocket hangs the same weight off your thigh where every step swings it like a pendulum. Same phone, completely different session. This is why the storage on the Tech Short v2 is built flat and close rather than roomy: the design decision is made for you, so the only decision left is whether to zip it or not.
One more mistake to avoid: do not carry things out of habit. Every item you clip in is weight that bounces and fabric that can snag. Before each session, ask what you genuinely need on your body versus what can wait in a locker. Carry less, secure what is left, and the short does its job without you thinking about it.
Common questions
Do training shorts need pockets at all?
They need pockets only if you carry a phone, key or gels during sessions, which many athletes do on runs and intervals. If you always train with a bag or locker nearby you may not need them. When you do want storage, flat and secure pockets are far better than open, bouncing ones.
What is the best pocket for a phone while running?
A secure zip pocket, ideally a flat heat-sealed rear pocket, is best for a phone because it holds it close without bounce and stops it working loose. THETA's Tech Short v1 uses a large rear heat-sealed zip pocket for exactly this. Open side pockets let a phone bounce against your leg every stride.
Why do open pockets bounce so much?
Open pockets sit away from the body and give the contents room to swing, so a phone or key bounces with every stride and can flap out during lunges or burpees. Flat, close-fitting or zipped pockets hold items against the body and control that movement. THETA built the Tech Short v2 around removing bouncing pockets as a failure point.
Should race shorts have pockets?
Race shorts should have minimal storage, only where it genuinely matters, because a HYROX race gives you almost nothing to carry and any bounce or flap is a distraction. THETA's Race Collection is stripped back to kit you forget once the start gun goes. A single flat secure pocket is plenty if you carry a gel.
Are zip pockets better than open pockets for training?
For anything you cannot afford to lose, yes. Zip pockets, especially flat heat-sealed ones, secure a phone or key without bounce and without ejection risk during dynamic movements. Open flat pockets are fine for lighter items you access often. The key is matching pocket security to the value and size of what you carry.
How many pockets should a training short have?
Fewer than most shorts offer. You want one secure zip pocket for a phone or key and one or two flat side pockets for lighter items you reach for often, and nothing more. Extra pockets add weight and give contents room to move without adding real function. Match the count to what you actually carry rather than filling every pocket a short provides.
Sources
- Established apparel design principles: secure versus open storage and load carriage
- HYROX training and race demands across running, sleds and lunges (hyrox.com)
- THETA coaching data and 2+ years of race-team kit testing, 2024-2026