I believe that the extremes in the fitness and wellness industries are leaving way too many of us out of the conversation. Through my 10 years of studying exercise science, metabolism, and female physiology, I’m here to bring you the conversations that need to be had in an industry that’s often too focused on extremes. Today, I want to talk about the four most common mistakes I see people making when they start hybrid training.
For those who are new here or haven’t gotten into the hybrid realm yet, let’s first define what hybrid training actually is.
Hybrid training is essentially combining multiple modalities of fitness in one exercise training routine, week, or day. The technical term for this is actually concurrent training – so you’re concurrently doing multiple modes of fitness at once.
When I talk about this specifically, I’m referring to combining resistance training and running or any other endurance modality. Whether that’s triathlon, biking, swimming, or whatever else you do, it’s really about combining endurance and strength concurrently.
This approach has become really popular over the last few years as the fitness industry has finally started to move away from the “bro science” idea that “cardio kills your gains.” We now understand this isn’t as detrimental as we once thought – there’s more context to it, and there are optimal ways to combine these training modalities.
You are allowed to have fitness goals that aren’t only strength OR only endurance – they can be both, and there are more appropriate ways to do that.
Before we dive into the mistakes, it’s important to understand that hybrid training exists on a spectrum. You don’t have to try to be the strongest powerlifter and fastest marathoner at the same time.
You could be:
The approach will look different depending on where you fall on this spectrum, but many of the fundamental principles remain the same.
The first mistake I see when people start hybrid training is not increasing their dietary carbohydrate intake to match the demands of what they’re doing.
Why This Happens
When we start hybrid training, we usually end up adding more volume to our whole training routine. More exercise means you’re probably expending more energy, which means you need more energy to match that demand so you can continue to maintain your training outputs and recover properly.
This is especially true when you’re adding endurance training to your routine. While your body does adapt and become more efficient over time, your dietary carbohydrate needs will generally increase when you’re adding more to your exercise program.
The Carbohydrate Reality
Exercise expends a lot of carbohydrates, and endurance training uses a higher percentage of carbohydrates during exercise than lifting does. So adding endurance training to your lifting routine will deplete your carb stores in your muscles and liver more than lifting alone.
I’m not talking about mixed macro sources like mac and cheese or pizza. I’m talking about increasing your carb intake from carb-specific sources – a mix of whole grains and some more refined options that are easy to digest and provide rapid glucose.
Signs You Need More Carbs
Unless you’re in true ketosis, training in a low-carbohydrate state is going to feel like garbage. If you’re going to go high fat, go all in and get into ketosis, or get on the carb bandwagon.
People really love to over-complicate the perfect training split when it comes to hybrid training. We think that because we’re combining lifting and running, and everyone says it “kills your gains,” we need to find this magical perfect combination.
The Truth About Perfect Splits
Here’s the reality: there is no perfect split for combining running and lifting. There are more optimal ways to do it, but the “perfect” split is completely dependent on:
Start With Consistency, Not Perfection
Instead of obsessing over the perfect split, focus on getting consistent training in within your normal routine. Make sure you’re doing a recoverable amount of volume. Don’t worry about the perfect lifting split first – just try to get it in.
For many people, they’re already missing tons of training sessions and not fitting fitness into their lifestyle in a way that makes sense. You need to start there first and foremost.
The biggest factors for success are:
This brings me to my new favorite saying that I’ve been weaving into my content: “You are not fit enough to worry about that.”
This isn’t meant to bash you for lacking fitness – it applies to many people, including myself. Right now I’m training to deadlift 400 pounds, which means I currently lack the fitness to deadlift 400 pounds.
The Fishbowl Analogy
Imagine you have a fishbowl full of water, and you can only put all of that water into running OR lifting. If you have a beginner level of fitness, you have only a little bit of water – a little bit for running, a little bit for lifting.
As your fitness status increases, you get more water in your bowl to distribute between each modality. Eventually, even if you can handle a lot of training volume, if your demands get too high in one area, you’ll have to steal water from one to give to the other.
You Have to Earn Your Volume
If you’re a beginner or intermediate trainee, or you’ve only been working out in one area for a few years, it’s going to take time for your ability to tolerate volume, frequency, and the combination of both types of training.
You might only be able to do two days of each at first, and that’s okay. You have to earn your ability to do more by building fitness, work capacity, and recovery ability over time.
The Investment Approach
If you can invest in a period of time where you really focus on your strength or your aerobic base – even for 3-4 months – that will pay dividends in the future. It takes less to maintain fitness than it did to gain it.
For runners: invest in a year (or even 6 months) of really intense strength training. For lifters: respect that running adaptations take time and gradually build your aerobic capacity.
The biggest mistake I see when people try to add running to lifting (or vice versa) is thinking the easiest solution is just to skip rest days. “I have a day where I’m not training, so I’ll just add a run to that day.”
Unfortunately, that doesn’t work that way.
Why Rest Days Matter
You still need rest days or periods of lower intensity between your workouts to recover. Recovery is what allows your body to adapt to the stress you put it under and continue to do more.
Instead of skipping rest days, you need to reassess your training schedule. This might mean:
Double Days vs. No Rest Days
I highly recommend double days over skipping rest days for intermediate to advanced trainees. By double days, I mean completely separate sessions – like a 90-minute lift in the morning and a 6-7 mile run at night.
For beginners who are really struggling with this, you can add your run after your lift (or before) in the same session. At your current fitness level, you’re probably going to get better no matter what you do because so much is a stimulus right now.
If you’re struggling with implementing these concepts and want more structured guidance, The Lyss Method provides comprehensive hybrid training programs that balance strength and endurance training with proper recovery and progression built in.
For those wanting to understand the science behind concurrent training and how to implement it effectively, my Hybrid eBook does a deep dive into why running and lifting affect each other, how to reduce negative interference, and how to structure your training for optimal results.
If you’re just getting started with building an aerobic base to support your hybrid goals, check out my free Hybrid Blueprint which outlines the fundamentals of balancing strength and endurance training.
If you’re trying to start hybrid training, remember these key points:
1. Fuel appropriately: Increase your carbohydrate intake to match your increased energy demands.
2. Stop perfectionism: Focus on consistency and getting the work in rather than finding the “perfect” split.
3. Respect your current fitness: Build your capacity gradually and earn your ability to handle more volume.
4. Prioritize recovery: Adjust your training volume rather than skipping rest days.
Remember, you need to be well-fed, well-rested, and realistic about your current capabilities. Sleep, fuel, and recovery are non-negotiables that will make or break your hybrid training success.
The goal isn’t to do it all perfectly from day one. The goal is to find a sustainable approach that allows you to make progress in both areas while enjoying the process and staying healthy.
Keywords: hybrid training, concurrent training, strength and cardio, running and lifting, training mistakes, fitness programming, endurance training, strength training, workout recovery, training volume, fitness goals, exercise programming
I’m Exercise Physiologist, sports nutritionist, weight lifter, and ultra runner. I am here to bring science to your training in a no-nonsense way. I have helped thousands of women crush big lifting goals, cross race finish lines, and even do both. I’m here to help you do the same!
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