Designing your Hybrid Training Plan

You’ve been lifting for a while, building muscle and strength, but something’s missing—you don’t feel as athletic as you’d like, and your conditioning isn’t where it should be. You want to reshape your physique into something leaner and more athletic.

So you decide to improve your condition and running seems like the perfect solution. It’s accessible, requires minimal gear. The idea of bucking down a marathon of your bucket lists gives excites you even more.

You start adding running to your routine, but quickly hit a wall. You realize that fitting in both lifting and running is harder than you thought. You’re afraid of cutting out a gym session, worried it might lead to muscle loss. The time commitment is overwhelming, and the risk of overtraining looms large.

The challenge you face is balancing both running and lifting without overtraining, especially since cardio is new territory for you.

The sheer volume of conflicting advice online makes it hard to know where to start. That’s exactly how I felt when I began my hybrid training journey. My goal now is to guide you through adding running to your strength routine, helping you balance both without sacrificing your hard-earned gains.

Few Principles, Many methods

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to training, and everyone’s needs are different. My aim is to share key principles of how and why the body responds to exercise. Understanding these basics will empower you to create or adapt a training program that fits you, giving you the confidence to reach your goals without second-guessing your approach.

Homeostasis

The human body constantly works to maintain a stable internal environment, regardless of changing external conditions. This is the principle of homeostasis, and it’s what allows us to survive and adapt.

When I mention changing external conditions, I’m talking about exercise or training load. When we train, we introduce stress to the body, disrupting homeostasis. The body’s reaction to this stress is crucial for making progress.

This brings me to the next key principle:

SAID: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand

Not every stressor is the same, in fact, each one places a unique demand on the body, requiring different types of adaptation. For example, running at a slow pace for an hour challenges your body in a way that’s entirely different from lifting weights for an hour. Your body adapts specifically to the type of stress you impose on it

These adaptations can target 9 various aspects of your fitness, including:

1. Skill/ Technique
2. Speed
3. Strength (force)
4. Power (speed x force)
5. Muscular hypertrophy
6. Muscular endurance
7. Anaerobic capacity
8. Aerobic Capacity
9. Long duration

This specific demand leads to a specific adaptation: your body reacts to maintain homeostasis, adapting so that it’s better prepared the next time you face the same challenge. This adaptation process leads us to perhaps the most crucial principle of all…

Supercompensation

Our body is incredibly complex and intelligent. Rather than simply returning to its pre-stress baseline, it “overcompensates” and brings us to a new level of homeostasis. This means when faced with the same demand again, our body is better adapted and responds more efficiently and strongly. This process is called adaptation.

We can visualize the relationship between stress, the body’s reaction to restore homeostasis (adapting to a stimulus), and fatigue. This relationship is crucial and explains various training outcomes: why some people continue to progress, others plateau, and some even experience a decline in performance.

The key to effective training lies in introducing a new stimulus when your body’s adaptation curve is at its peak.

When you allow your body to recover and reach the point of supercompensation, and then introduce a new demand at just the right moment, you’ll experience a “positive effect of training,” leading to improved performance..
However, if you mistime your training or overtrain, you’ll experience a “negative effect of training,” which results in decreased performance. This happens because you didn’t give your body enough time to fully adapt to the previous stressor.
On the other hand, if you wait too long between sessions, your body will return to its previous state of homeostasis. In this case, you miss the opportunity for continued improvement because the stimulus wasn’t applied frequently enough.

In addition to timing, the volume and intensity of your training are crucial. If you always apply the same stressor with the same intensity and volume, your body will adapt and stop supercompensating. This is why progressive overload is essential for continued improvement. However, if you increase volume and intensity too quickly, you risk entering a negative state of training, where performance declines instead of improving.

Now, let’s move to the last principle linked to this.

Balance between Load and Load capacity

Every body has its limits, with only so much stress it can handle—this is known as your load capacity. We’ve already discussed the consequences of applying a stressor that’s too intense or too soon without allowing enough time for recovery.

I like to make this idea simple by placing the two variables on a scale:

Designing Your Hybrid Training Plan

Why having a Plan matters

A well-structured workout plan is essential for achieving your fitness goals efficiently and effectively:

- Enhanced Results: A structured plan consistently delivers better outcomes. Research shows that following a specific training program leads to superior results, regardless of the program’s style or strategy.

- Improved Adherence: A workout plan boosts consistency. Knowing exactly what to do makes workouts more manageable and efficient, increasing your likelihood of sticking to your routine and seeing real progress.

- Progressive Overload: Tracking your workouts ensures progressive overload, the key to continuous improvement. Without a plan, it’s nearly impossible to consistently increase your training load and achieve your goals.

- Time Efficiency: A solid plan eliminates the guesswork, making your workouts more efficient. You’ll spend less time in the gym while still reaching your fitness goals.

My goal is to guide you step-by-step in crafting a plan that is to work for you personally. Every step is science based and a lot of credit goes to Dr. Andy Galpin for guiding us in the right direction.

Step 1 (a): Identifying your personal goals.

Which of the 9 adaptations are we aiming for as hybrid athletes?

1. Strength/Hypertrophy

1. Cardiovascular Fitness

Our goal is to design a plan that triggers both of these adaptations.

But can our bodies really adapt to both resistance and endurance training simultaneously?

The answer lies in research showing that concurrent aerobic and resistance training doesn’t necessarily interfere with muscle hypertrophy. In fact, when properly timed and managed, it can even enhance it. Key strategies include spacing exercise sessions by 6-24 hours, keeping exercise volume in check, and choosing cycling over running for cardio. For a deeper dive into this, check out my article Clearing the Air About Interference Effect.

Before diving into the specifics of how much and what type of load to apply, it’s crucial to assess what you’re already working with. What’s your current load capacity, and how can you determine it? Think of it as a pie:

When you decide to add endurance workouts, you can’t simply pile more volume on top of your strength training. Doing so will lead to overtraining. Instead, you’ll need to cut back on gym sessions or shorten them to create more ‘capacity’ for your endurance training.

This decision is closely tied to your personal goals. For example, if you’re a competitive powerlifter focused on maximizing strength, your entire pie is dedicated to that goal, leaving little to no room for endurance work.

However, if you’re an intermediate to advanced lifter aiming to improve cardiovascular fitness, some strength workouts will need to be scaled back to make room for endurance training. Instead of hitting the gym 5-6 times a week, you might reduce it to 4 times. This adjustment still allows for gains in muscle hypertrophy or strength while accommodating your new endurance goals.

Important Notes

- Goals Can Change Over Time: It’s okay for your goals to evolve. Personally, I plan in quarters: the first quarter is focused on hypertrophy with maintenance running. The second quarter shifts to leaning out and improving endurance. By the third quarter, I’m at peak form and ready for races like trails and marathons. In the final quarter, as days get shorter, I shift back to strength training and reduce running.

- Stay Committed: Stick with your goals and program for at least 8 weeks before switching gears. This allows enough time for meaningful adaptations and helps maintain consistency. Stick to the plan. Show up. Be patient. Trust the process and have some discipline.

- Stress Load Management: As you progress, managing your overall stress load becomes crucial. Regularly assess your psychological, emotional, environmental, physiological state and training stressors to effectively manage your training volume. This helps optimize performance and prevent overtraining.

- Plan Adjustments: Just because you’ve created your own plan doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. In the beginning, you’ll need to make adjustments to fine-tune it. Unforeseen obstacles will arise and life will get in the way, and being flexible will help you adapt and stay on track.

Step 1 (b): Making your goals SMART

Now that we have a general idea of the goal we want to achieve, it’s time to make it more concrete by using the SMART method, which is scientifically proven to be effective:

- Specific: The clearer your goal, the higher your chances of success. “I want to complete my first half marathon by the end of this quarter in under 2 hours.”

- Measurable: Ensure your goal can be objectively measured. “This challenge is measurable by tracking your progress with intermediate goals, such as improving your VO2max, lowering your resting heart rate, or increasing your 5k performance.”

- Attainable: Set a goal that is within your capability. ”Running a half marathon with 12 weeks of preparations is achievable for almost everyone .”

- Realistic: Make sure it’s achievable without exceeding your load capacity and while being mindful of injury risks.”Preparing 12 weeks for 21 km is realistic and responsible”

- Timebound: Give your goal a clear deadline, such as within 8 weeks, by the end of this quarter, or “this summer.””End of this quarter”

Step 2: Working your way down

Now that you have a scientific based goal, it is time to work top down and split our total time up into two phases: (Credits to Mark Bell and Dan Garner)

1. Phase 1: Foundation

The objective of Phase 1 is to establish a strong foundation in mixed energy system conditioning by implementing a weekly schedule designed to minimize the interference effect and optimize recovery in the areas where it’s most needed. It’s crucial to listen to your body, start gradually with a progression of 3-5% volume increase/ week or stick to a certain volume. with a focus on proper technique, explore various strategies, and progressively increase your training load as your capacity improves each week.

2. Phase 2: Specific

Now that you have a solid grasp of your load capacity and workout routines, it’s time to concentrate on your specific goal. If endurance is your focus, increase your weekly running mileage with around 10% at max/ week while reducing resistance training volume. However, maintain the frequency and intensity needed to preserve your mass and strength during this aerobically focused phase. More than anything, recovery and stress load management will be of importance: mindset tools of patience, pain tolerance, mental toughness, and delayed gratification, all of which are essential for achieving your best performance.

Step 3: Identifying obstacles

“The sooner you can choose programs based on why you’re failing, the sooner you’re going to see results.” Dr. Andy Galpin

Your priority when making your plan is to identify all possible ways the plan would fail. Ask yourself: What might stop me from reaching my goal? Be honest and critical in your assessment. Here are some personal examples:

- On workdays, I know my chances of training are low.

- I’m prone to injuries due to my history, and they are a major risk to sticking with my plan.

- I dislike running after dark, so once the sun sets, I’m less likely to go out, especially during short winter days.

Once you’ve identified these obstacles, it’s time to implement systems to overcome them. Anticipate challenges and create solutions before they arise. My favorite and most used is the “If X than Y” system where you pair a specific solution with each potential problem.

Here’s how I tackle my own obstacles:

- If I have to work, then I will wake up an hour earlier to complete my training session before work.

- I spend 10 minutes before each workout on injury prevention exercises, focusing on my vulnerable areas.

- If it’s winter and dark outside, then I will schedule my runs for late morning or early noon, when it’s brightest.

Establishing the right systems is the key to achieving sustainable, long-lasting success.

This is the process you should go through. Preparation is key. Think of all the possible reasons you might fail to execute your plan, especially obstacles you’ve faced in the past—the more you identify, the better.

Once your systems are in place, the only thing left that can stop you is a lack of discipline. A great way to counter this is by gamifying your program. Set intermediate milestones, create personal challenges, and track your progress. Make it enjoyable—something you love doing. Before long, you’ll find that you rely less on discipline and more on the fun and satisfaction of your journey.

Step 4: Weekly schedule: Creating structure creates freedom

I strongly recommend planning your week before it begins. Start by noting down all important dates and deadlines. Then, work your training schedule around these commitments. Choose the days you can exercise and determine the length of each session. It’s better to underestimate than overestimate your available time. Once you know how much time you have, your options become clear. This is what I mean by creating freedom—you’ll know exactly what to do. For example, if you only have 45 minutes for resistance training, you might opt for a HIIT session or a focused lifting routine with a few compound exercises, using lower weights and higher reps.

When organizing your training week, segment the days into one of the following three categories (credit to 8WeeksOut):

1. Development Training

These are your highest volume and intensity days, where you push your limits. Plan these first, as you’ll need adequate recovery afterward. Some basic rules:

- Never schedule two development days back-to-back.

- Limit yourself to a maximum of 3 development days per week.

Examples:

- Interval or VO2 max training

- Long runs

- Lower body resistance training

2. Stimulus Training
These sessions are designed to apply just enough load to disrupt homeostasis without overwhelming your body.

Examples:

- Regular 60-minute resistance training

- Zone 2 cardio training

3. Regeneration Training

Also known as recovery days, these aren’t about being passive but rather engaging in active recovery. This could include activities like long walks, swimming, cycling, thermal stress training (ice baths and saunas), or yoga. I’ve written a full article on effective recovery techniques (Link to article).

Rule: Schedule at least one regeneration training day per week; two is even more beneficial.

Step 5: Determining Concepts and exercises

Concepts are few, methods are many. (Dr Andy Galpin)

This principle emphasizes the importance of grasping core concepts while recognizing the variety of methods available to apply them. Throughout this article, I’ve focused on principles rather than getting bogged down in specific exercises. I’m less concerned with which exercises you choose as long as they make sense and align with these principles. Do the exercises you love and enjoy doing. Here’s what to keep in mind for now :

- Strength:
  - - Warm up properly.
  - - Technique: 3-1-1 (3 seconds lowering, 1-second pause, 1 second contracting).
  - - 3-5 principle: 3-5 times/week, 3-5 exercises, 3-5 sets, 3-5 reps, 3-5 minutes rest.
  - - Use 80-90% of 1RM.

- Hypertrophy:
  - - Technique: 3-1-2 (3 seconds eccentric, 1-second pause, 2 seconds contraction).
  - - Full range of motion, no cheating.
  - - 15-20 sets/week/muscle, 8-30 reps/set (60-80% of 1RM).
  - - 90-second rest between sets.

- General Tips:
  - - Focus on progressive overload.
  - - Prioritize compound exercises.
  - - Always control the movement.

- Endurance:
  - - 80/20 principle: 80% Zone 2, 20% intervals/VO2 max.
  - - Manage fatigue to prevent overtraining.
  - - Increase volume by no more than 10%/week.
  - - Invest in quality running shoes.

This is just the core framework and doesn’t dive deeply into more specific training details. If you’re interested in exploring these topics further, check out the upcoming articles where I’ll cover the essential knowledge for strength, hypertrophy, and endurance training (link).

Outro

I love this system because it’s adaptable to anyone, allowing for your unique twist. It’s flexible, resilient, and designed to account for setbacks. And most importantly has proven to work.

Now that I’ve given you the complete blueprint and explained the reasoning behind it, it’s time for you to take action and create your own training plan.

My last and maybe the most important point of all is that the plan only will work if you will stick to it and put in the work. There is no magical shortcut and you need to work hard for the goals you set out to do. Show up. Do the work and Trust the process. Consistency will beat intensity in the long run. This is a marathon, not a sprint.

— Greetings from your Hybrid Friend,

Andres

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on X and I’ll be happy to help!

If you’re still unsure and don’t know where to start or prefer a pre-made program, I’m currently working on Hybrid Training Plans. Make sure to subscribe to get notified when these will be available.