Is hybrid strength training and endurance the next big thing? In this article, I explore that question and the future of hybrid training.

It seems like the word “hybrid” is everywhere in the fitness world right now.

Hybrid strength training. Hybrid athlete. Hybrid performance.

The fitness world is unique in that when a trend gains popularity, it can feel like it explodes overnight. Soon, that trend will be everywhere, and fitness gurus will be asking why you haven’t been doing it all along. 

P90X, CrossFit, Jazzercise, Peloton, Taebo, Zumba, and Pilates are prime examples of this phenomenon. Even a training method within a larger training style can become a popular trend. Blood flow restriction training, 20 rep squats, metabolic conditioning, the list goes on and on. There’s nothing inherently wrong with new trends. Some lead to long-term changes in the fitness world. Others blaze on the scene only to fade into distant memory a few weeks later.

Hybrid training has been building to the current moment for some time now. Though the term is suddenly everywhere, it’s been slowly gaining traction over the last few years, reaching a new peak at the start of 2024.

Let’s dive into what hybrid strength training is, who is at the forefront of this new trend, and whether or not it has the staying power of other successful trends like CrossFit and OCR.

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What is Hybrid?

The terms “hybrid athlete” or “hybrid training” have not found a clear definition yet. In general, “hybrid” encompasses anything that incorporates strength and endurance training. A hybrid athlete is someone who competes in various strength and endurance events. Because there are few “hybrid” events, many proudly sporting the “hybrid athlete” moniker appear to make up their own challenges to test their strength gains and endurance skill level. Or, they compete in completely separate events like a bodybuilding show one week and an ultra marathon another.

Hybrid Athletes

The YouTuber Fergus Crawley is an excellent example of creating your own challenges. Crawley competes in endurance and strength-based events like powerlifting. But he also concocts his own challenges, such as deadlifting 500 lbs immediately followed by running a five minute mile. It makes sense that individuals interested in achieving this level of performance would make up their own tests of skill. Currently, most endurance and strength events are held as separate competitions. 

Nick Bare is another elite athlete who has popularized the hybrid athlete concept. Bare’s supplement company, BPN, has also opted to produce supplements geared toward those who enjoy heavy lifting and participating in endurance sports.

Kris Gethin, editor of bodybuilding.com, was one of the first fitness gurus I remember introducing the concept of hybrid training when he continued to follow a bodybuilding workout program while training for an Ironman.

Hybrid Competitions

Hyrox, Deka, the Tactical Games, and others have sprung up to begin filling the absence of hybrid-type events. Though these events are becoming more widespread, most hybrid athletes continue to participate in separate competitions of strength and endurance.

Nick Bare competed in a local bodybuilding show in 2024, as well as several marathons and ultra-marathons. To date, there isn’t a simultaneous bodybuilding show or powerlifting event immediately followed by an endurance event to crown a king or queen of strength AND endurance. So, for now, hybrid athletes must continue competing in separate competitions. In the next few years, there will likely be an event involving bodybuilding, powerlifting, and endurance sports in the same competition. 

Hybrid training is not just for the fellas. Ladies are loving this style of training as well. Athletes like Lucy Davis and Kristi Eramo O’Connell are documenting their hybrid athlete lifestyles and gaining a ton of popularity on social media for it.

Hybrid Training

Hybrid training encompasses what is known as concurrent training, or training for two separate objectives simultaneously. Historically, this has been a big no-no in the strength and conditioning community. For decades, the prevailing training programs have used block training for athletes who need both strength and endurance/speed/explosiveness/etc. Block training involves training for each objective during different periods throughout the training year. Block training programs usually build upon themselves so that an athlete can peak during the athletic season of their sport.

The programming style known as “undulating training” has existed for some time but recently gained more popularity. Undulating training involves allocating a specific day during the week to a particular training objective. Monday might be focused on strength training, Wednesday on aerobic base building, and Friday on power and plyometrics. As far as this author can tell, hybrid training is a form of undulating training. However, I’ve seen several popular influencers combine endurance and strength training on the same day. The reason this has been shunned in the strength and conditioning world is due to what’s known as the interference effect.

What is the Interference Effect?

The interference effect in strength and conditioning refers to how training for both aerobic (endurance) and resistance (strength) exercises can lead to a blunted or reduced adaptation in one or both modalities compared to training each independently. 

Some studies suggest that the molecular signaling pathways that regulate adaptations to endurance and resistance training can interfere with each other, limiting the full expression of adaptations in one or both modalities [1].

Endurance and resistance training can compete for the body’s resources, such as energy substrates (carbs, fat, and protein) and recovery capacity, potentially compromising the effectiveness of both types of training. Some research has shown the interference effect on recovery is stronger when strength and endurance are performed in the same session [2].

Concurrent training may involve conflicting neuromuscular adaptations. For example, endurance training may lead to changes that enhance endurance but interfere with muscle strength and power development. [3]

What is Overreaching?

In the context of strength and conditioning, “overreaching” refers to a training strategy where an athlete intentionally undergoes a temporary increase in training volume and/or intensity beyond what is sustainable. 

There are two main types of overreaching:

Functional Overreaching (FOR): This involves a short-term increase in training volume and intensity, usually lasting for a week or a few weeks. The goal is to induce a state of fatigue that leads to improved performance when followed by adequate recovery.

Non-functional overreaching (NFOR) occurs when the increased training load is not followed by appropriate recovery, leading to a decline in performance. If NFOR continues without sufficient rest, it can progress to overtraining syndrome, which decreases performance and leads to various physiological and psychological symptoms.

It’s plausible that the high total volume of the hybrid approach could lead to non-functional overreaching if not programmed appropriately.

What is Overtraining?

Overtraining syndrome (OTS) can occur when there is an imbalance between training and recovery. It is a state of chronic fatigue and decreased performance resulting from excessive training without adequate recovery. 

Characteristics of overtraining syndrome include:

Decreased Performance: Athletes may experience a significant decline in their physical and/or technical performance despite continued training efforts.

Persistent Fatigue: Individuals may feel physically and mentally tired, even after rest periods.

Increased Injury Risk: Overtraining can lead to an increased risk of injuries due to compromised neuromuscular control, weakened immune function, and other factors.

Mood Disturbances: Athletes may exhibit mood changes, including irritability, anxiety, depression, or apathy.

Disturbed Sleep Patterns: Overtraining can disrupt standard sleep patterns, leading to difficulty falling or staying asleep.

Changes in Appetite: Appetite may decrease or increase, and there may be changes in body weight.

Non-functional overreaching and overtraining are risks with any style of training. Bodybuilders, CrossFitters, and powerlifters all risk experiencing some level of overtraining. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do those things. And it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try hybrid training. It means you should go into it with a plan tailored to your fitness goals. Good hybrid training plans will be individualized, have a system to track progress, and minimize the risk of injury.

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How to Reduce the Risk of Over Training Syndrome

There are a few different ways to minimize potential OTS.

1. Sleep: Getting as much quality sleep as possible can help reduce the risk of overtraining.

2. Mobility and Stretching: One of the first things people neglect with high-intensity programs is mobility and dynamic and static stretching. When you combine high-volume endurance with heavy strength training, your lower back and hips will likely experience tightness caused by repetitive use. Get ahead of this by developing a daily mobility routine.

3. Nutrition: Nutrition is one of the most critical factors in maintaining a hybrid athlete training program. Dialing in your nutrition will take some experimenting. You need enough protein to recover from the workouts and enough carbs to fuel them. Most athletic training focuses on these two macronutrients first, then fills in the remaining calories with fat. Make sure you follow a high protein/high carb diet to recover from the and fuel the workload.

4. Rest and Recovery: Include rest and recovery days in your program. When attempting to combine multiple training objectives in your hybrid program it can be tempting to never take a day off. But a rest day is essential to recovery and performance improvement.

5. Don’t Try to Go It Alone: If you’re serious about starting a hybrid training program, especially to prepare for competition, hire a hybrid strength coach. Even seasoned athletes take advantage of a coach to help with programming, nutrition, and training.

Hybrid Training Goals

Hybrid training means you have multiple goals. From my research, I’ve seen most people who claim to be hybrid athletes pursue three simultaneous goals.

Endurance

The primary focus of the typical hybrid athlete is endurance. Nick Bare, for example, competes in far more endurance events than he does in bodybuilding competitions. At least part of this focus on the endurance aspect of hybrid athletics is that there are way more opportunities for competition.

Most major cities around the world hold an annual marathon or triathlon event, among other endurance competitions. Endurance events are more mainstream than strength or bodybuilding competitions. Whether you’re looking to run your first marathon or conquer an Ironman, the endurance event will likely be the primary aim of hybrid training.

Strength

Strength is the next most important component of hybrid training. The real driver in popularity behind hybrid strength training is how much is being lifted in the weight room. This is where the powerlifting comes in. Popular hybrid athletes like Jack Driscoll post massive squat and deadlift numbers while still training for a sub-three hour marathon. Who doesn’t want to be both fast and strong?

Body Composition

The third goal is developing a Greek god-like physique. Jack Driscoll, Nick Bare, and Kris Gethin are examples of hybrid athletes who competed in endurance events and bodybuilding competitions in the same calendar year.

This is where we get into the background and genetics of the hybrid athlete. Whether you’re on the sauce or not, you still need a decent genetic predisposition for bodybuilding. And these three dudes definitely have that. I’m not saying these guys are using PEDS, though there are plenty of natty or not videos on Bare and Gethin. Even if they are using, very few people with or without the use of PEDs can maintain enough muscle mass to compete in endurance events and bodybuilding competitions in the same year.

Most of these people are not competing in your neighborhood turkey trot either. Bare, in particular, has competed and done well in every major ultra-marathon under the sun. This is all to say that achieving competitive endurance and powerlifting stats while maintaining a bodybuilding physique is the exception, not the rule.

I should also note that Bare and Gethin both competed in bodybuilding prior to taking up endurance sports. So, they were already starting from a point where they had done well as amateur bodybuilding competitors before entering the endurance realm.

A more realistic goal for us mere mortals is better body composition. This is something we can strive for without the added pressure of stepping on the bodybuilding stage.

Things to Consider When Watching Hybrid Influencers

You should keep a few things in mind when watching your favorite hybrid influencers. Keeping these items in mind can be a good reminder when you inevitably reach a point of despair because you can’t deadlift 500 pounds and run a five minute mile.

1. There are very few people who can deadlift 500 pounds. There are also very few people who can run a sub-five-minute-mile. There are even fewer people who can do both. Remember that billions of people log on to various social media apps daily.

So, suppose the algorithmic overlords notice you are watching hybrid athlete videos. In that case, they will show you more hybrid athlete videos. And within a few minutes, it seems like everyone can deadlift 500 pounds and run fast marathons. Everyone but you, that is. Social media does this with every niche and every sub-niche. It may feel like everyone is a successful hybrid athlete, but in reality you’re being shown a few dozen examples out of billions of users.

2. You typically don’t know the backgrounds of your favorite influencers. Who are the most likely people to be good at building strength and endurance simultaneously?

People with athletic backgrounds and good genetics. Consider at least a few people use performance-enhancing drugs, and you get phenomenal bodies doing phenomenal things. This isn’t to detract from any of their accomplishments or hard work.

What these people are achieving, even the known PED users, is downright unreal. These athletic accomplishments should be celebrated, and in no way does having prior athletic experience or fantastic genetics diminish the time and effort it takes to run a sub-three-hour marathon, compete in bodybuilding, or bench press 400 pounds. But if you’re an average person with average genetics and no PEDs to speak of, remember the results of your hybrid training may look different.

3. The key word in progressive overload is progressive. Like any fitness program, if you start doing hybrid workouts with your foot on the gas pedal, you are more likely to encounter the interference effect, overtraining, or injury. There’s no rush. Take your time. You are more likely to be successful with hybrid training if you approach it with a plan. That plan should cover your workouts, proper nutrition, injury prevention, and space for adjustments to ensure you are maintaining the right balance for your fitness level.

This is all to say that influencers are influencers for a reason. They represent the extreme end of a given niche. And though the average fitness enthusiast is unlikely to achieve what some of these individuals have, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try hybrid training if it’s something you’re interested in. You may not win a bodybuilding competition or a top-tier ultra marathon, but you can make massive progress toward your fitness goals. And that’s something worthy of admiration!

The Future of Hybrid Strength Training and Endurance

In 2000, CrossFit took the world by storm. Its success was based on three factors that separated it from its competition. There is an opportunity for hybrid training to take advantage of the things that made CrossFit successful.

1. People get bored. Few enjoy doing the same exercises over and over again at the local commercial gym. So, a training style encompassing multiple aspects of fitness, like CrossFit did, has excellent potential for success.

2. People like working out together. What made CrossFit so successful was the sense of community it fostered at its affiliates. Hybrid events like Hyrox, Deka, and others are doing something similar with hybrid athletics.

3. People like intensity. High-intensity training appeals to a niche in the fitness community that enjoys pushing themselves. Hybrid training is as high intensity as it gets and has tapped into that same group of high achievers.

If someone comes out with a gym-brand like CrossFit with a greater emphasis on endurance, there is a good chance of it taking off. The same goes for competition. Hyrox and Deka are close, but they haven’t quite exploded to full on fitness frenzy yet. There is a ton of opportunity here and it will be interesting to see what new events pop up over the next few years.

One thing that will make hybrid training more popular is an accessible program or competition tailored to the masses. An event that includes novice, intermediate, and advanced competitions will draw larger crows who are interested in hybrid athletics but don’t have the desire to run ultra marathons.

The Army’s combat fitness test is a good example of how an event like that could be organized.

The test involves the following according to Military.com:

“The ACFT is a six-event test measuring a soldier’s maximum deadlift; hand-release push-ups; a plank; a timed two-mile run; an event in which soldiers throw a 10-lb. ball as far as they can; and another event that involves sprints, carrying two 40-lb. kettlebells, and dragging a 90-lb. sled.”

There’s no shortage of civilians that would sign up for that exact event.

There is a lull in the fitness community right now. The next big thing has yet to fully emerge for Gen Z and the younger crowd getting into fitness. Hybrid strength training and endurance could fill that void.

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References

[1] Fyfe JJ, Bishop DJ, Stepto NK. Interference between concurrent resistance and endurance exercise: molecular bases and the role of individual training variables. Sports Med. 2014 Jun;44(6):743-62. doi: 10.1007/s40279-014-0162-1. PMID: 24728927.

[2] Petré H, Hemmingsson E, Rosdahl H, Psilander N. Development of Maximal Dynamic Strength During Concurrent Resistance and Endurance Training in Untrained, Moderately Trained, and Trained Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2021 May;51(5):991-1010. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01426-9. Epub 2021 Mar 22. PMID: 33751469; PMCID: PMC8053170.

[3] Häkkinen, K., Alen, M., Kraemer, W. J., Gorostiaga, E., Izquierdo, M., Rusko, H., Mikkola, J., Häkkinen, A., Valkeinen, H., Kaarakainen, E., Romu, S., Erola, V., Ahtiainen, J., & Paavolainen, L. (2003). Neuromuscular adaptations during concurrent strength and endurance training versus strength training. European journal of applied physiology, 89(1), 42–52.