The Hybrid Build
Why endurance training is so important for overall health and shouldn’t be neglected.
“Hybrid Training”
The hybrid athlete combines strength and endurance to push the limits of their fitness capabilities.
I used to be a sprinter in my early days. 100m/200m was my bread and butter and I competed in track events for my school so athletics has always been a passion of mine.
I also used to be tall and ‘lanky’. This meant I used weight training as a means of building more lean body mass and improving aesthetics (as well as confidence, happiness and everything in-between).
Ever since I started university the one and only goal was to get ‘big’.
For me this meant limiting cardio, eating more and going to the gym.
The gym became my outlet - both mentally and physically, and I was able to successfully bulk up ~20kg and learn to push my body to the limit.
However, as time has passed, I have learnt to appreciate the value of:
Pushing my capabilities from a mental standpoint - developing mental fortitude and resolve.
Developing a better cardiovascular reserve for overall health.
Around 2 years ago, my eyes were opened to the idea of hybrid training from a YouTuber called Nick Bare.
I still follow him to this day and love what he’s done - bodybuilder, (ultra)marathoner, iron-man, CEO and business owner.
(Un)fortunately, this co-incided with covid lockdowns which meant I began to run more as a means of still being active whilst gyms were shut.
At this point, I didnt know (or attempt to learn) much about the fundamentals of running. Each run was a go-all-out run and I would die halfway through - not knowing the importance of building an aerobic base underpinned by easy runs at an aerobic, conversational pace.
From a basic perspective, the more cardio we do each day - the healthier we are.
This has been shown through various meta-analyses including a paper from which I obtained the following graph.
The relationships between step count and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events: A dose–response meta-analysis - M. Sheng et al 2021.
Direct correlation between mortality/cardiovascular events and steps up to ~7000 steps/day.
So if you needed a reason to do more cardio - hopefully this should be enough!
For me, one of the main reasons why I was hesitant to do longer distance running was the following myth:
“Endurance training kills gains”
The classic saying and it actually has an element of truth to it - IF you don't fuel your training adequately.
If you are increasing weekly calorie expenditure but don't match this with an increase in calorie intake - then of course your growth and recovery will stagnate!
BUT provided you have a more comprehensive and proactive approach to recovery encompassing adequate nutrition (overall calories and protein for muscle synthesis), sleep, hydration, stress management etc - endurance training should have NO net negative effect on strength training.
In fact, I have noticed several things since starting endurance training alongside resistance training:
Much better recovery between sets and sessions.
Much better sleep.
Much improved mood and energy levels.
The only realistic problem most people have is the ability to juggle gym PLUS running on top of their weekly schedules which is completely understandable.
I aim to do at least one thing each day which contributes to my health + fitness so my weekly schedule looks something like this:
Monday: Gym
Tuesday: Gym + easy run
Wednesday: Interval/speed session
Thursday: Gym (Legs)
Friday: Gym
Saturday: Gym + easy run
Sunday: Gym + long run
Weekends when I am free are consistently double training days so I can hit adequate weight training and running volume. I try to split running and weights into AM and PM to support recovery here. Post work Tuesday I don’t have much choice really as I find I’m not really able to wake up at 6am to run as I used to (sad face!) so have to hit an easy run post gym session. This has been surprisingly easy to achieve in Summer as the days are longer and the weather is good!
Of course the week doesn’t pan out like this every time due to last minute jobs and social commitments. But even if I miss a day or two I still get a good chunk of training done that week!
That’s why I think having a preset of doing ONE thing a day for your fitness is so good - on days you just can’t, you can relax guilt free knowing your week has still been fruitful.
Plus, actively building up your health and fitness whilst building your physiological reserve should be the goal.
This is why people who only gym when they ‘feel like it’ are losing out - because without consistency you can’t expect to make progress!
Quite often we find the only thing we ‘actively’ put our energy into is our work - which, let’s be honest, most of us would quit in a heartbeat if given the opportunity.
So why not actively put energy and commitment into your health and wellbeing too?
This means showing up when you feel low, prioritising it in your weekly schedules and striving for the end goal of constant self improvement.
Joe Mangianello
“You’re going to have to let it hurt. Let it suck. The harder you work, the better you will look. Your appearance isn’t parallel to how heavy you lift, it’s parallel to how hard you work.”
