Hi,

Does anyone have a good hybrid athlete strength and conditioning program that they swear by and that incorporates movement/exercise variety?

I've cycled between GZCLP, PHUL and PPL (current program) for the better part of 5 years, but I'm looking for something a bit different. Though I get bored with GZCLP, this is where I've gained the most strength and will likely pick it back up after the first of the year if I don't find anything else.

Current Routine
-Strength Training: M, T, TH, F
-Cardio (Run/Row/Bike): W, Sa.

Going too hard on strength training seems to negatively impact my mobility, especially in the lateral directions. I do run, row or bike at least once a week and 2x most weeks. I try to run at least one half marathon a year to keep me honest with cardio/training. I also participate in the Texas Independence Relay.

At 39, I'm not after the highest strength totals at the gym, but rather "look" like I do.

Look at ATG/Kneesovertoes guy and see if that interests you.

They do a lot of work with sleds and different variations on exercises. Seems like it is a fountain of youth for athleticism.

I have not tried it yet as I'm still focused on lifting, but I plan to explore transitioning to that style of training.

AthleanX has a program that seems maybe what you're after. Have never tried it, but Jeff is always putting out good free content that I have used in the gym.

I know people tend to poo poo it but CrossFit is designed for "functional fitness". Wide variety of movements (run, row, bike, weightlifting, metabolic conditioning, gymnastics, etc.). I don't know where you are located but in Bryan/College Station, CrossFit Obey does a strength portion in the first half of class (bench, deadlift, squats of all varieties, snatches, Clean/Jerk, etc.), last half is usually more traditional CrossFit stuff. Small classes. BoomFit/College Station CrossFit also have relatively small classes and two locations with nice equipment.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll check these out.

@13B - I did Crossfit for several years from 2013-2017. I agree with your assessment and really enjoyed it at the time. The introduction to Oly lifts was great for me and I still incorporate those into my workouts today.

I feel like if you can add in 20-30min of easy cardio after your lifting then switch your two dedicated cardio days to higher intensity tempo/V02Max workouts, you'll see significant cardio improvements over a season.
Easy intensity cardio "cool downs" should help loosen you up but stretching and foam rolling should still be practiced religiously.

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Going too hard on strength training seems to negatively impact my mobility, especially in the lateral directions.

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For this to not happen, it takes one of two (or both) of the following things:

- Freak athlete with a top % genetically gifted
- Drugs

For those of us who are normal humans, like yourself, and who don't use PEDs, like yourself, its really really difficult to have it all.

You sound like someone who's really active. And really athletic. And really gifted to have the ability to do it all. But your body is going to lean into whatever you prioritize. Meaning, if you lean into the gym/eating/training for hypertrophy...you'll lose a step on your running. If you lean into your cardo, your "shirt off in front of the mirror" look is going to be that of a guy who leans into cardio over weights.

The best advice I can offer is to flux back and forth between the two. Spend 8 weeks training and eating like a strength athlete/body builder. Reduce your cardio to 1hr on non lifting days. If you're eating enough and lifting hard enough, you'll put on some muscle and some weight. Don't worry what your cardio numbers look like during this 8-10 week block.

Then flip it. Do a more cardio focused 8-10 week block.

Most likely, if you enjoy doing both weight focused and cardio focused, you'll find some enjoyment in prioritizing one over the other, without totally letting the other one go. Bc you'll always be a few weeks away from getting to flip your priorities.

For someone who's main focus is strength numbers and never letting those go down...this wouldnt work.
For someone who's main focus is cardio output and never letting times drop...this wouldnt work.

But you're talking about the Hybrid athlete. And IMO, you have to block out chunks of time to prioritize one component, without ignoring the other. 80/20. Maybe 70/30. Let your body tell you.

For most people it is too difficult to focus on everything at once. As I get older it is easier to focus on blocks of trainings and this also helps prevent injuries as much. When the weather is nice I prefer to do outdoor workouts where I can focus on HIIT and cardio based stuff, when its cold I focus on strength, and I try to get in one mobility/recovery workout a week (been slacking on this one and can tell).

Also getting older I don't recovery like I used to, for the most part I do 3 weeks on and then a recovery week that consist more on yoga and recovery/mobility

Lots of great feedback and I appreciate everyone who chimed in.

@TikkasShooter - I agree with all of your points. Thanks!

Quit all of it and take up racquetball.

Agree with a lot of this regarding changes in focus throughout the year. I never neglect a category but they will go into maintenance mode. I read Tactical Barbell about 6 years ago and it has served me well in all aspects of my fitness. It's an effective flexible fit for my work, family, location, access, etc.

My year, very loosely:
Winter - Maximum strength focus. (shorter days means I don't mind spending more time with the barbell).
Spring - Body focus. (Lean up after winter, start progressing cardio again).
Summer - Endurance/Aerobic Capacity focus. (Get ready for the mountains)
Fall - Balanced maintenance during hunting season.

Doing this for over 6 years my strength-to-weight ratio stays at or near all-time highs and my cardio is never too far away from my best. As I get older, I try to implement more yoga and "knees-over-toes" to help with mobility and flexibility. This easily fits into my Tactical Barbell implementation. So far, so good. I'm 37.