Why Hybrid Performance and Wellness Coincide

There is a significant crossover between hybrid performance and training for wellness. In this article, I will outline both what hybrid training is and how it is similar to physical training for wellness.

What Is Hybrid Performance?

Hybrid performance is any event where an athlete is required to exert both physical strength and cardiovascular capabilities concurrently. Hybrid performance, therefore, requires training both the cardiovascular system and the muscular system, making it very different from traditional events that focus on just one of these two systems, such as running or powerlifting.

What Is Wellness?

Wellness is a broad term and is often related to mental health rather than just physical health. For the sake of this article, I will be linking wellness specifically to physical health, as hybrid training does not directly pertain to mental health. Therefore, wellness in this context refers to overall physical well-being.

Defining Physical Health

VO2 Max + Strength + Movement Capacity = Physical Health

When discussing wellness and physical health, it's important to work from a clear definition, as the wellness space can sometimes be vague or ambiguous. If you have an excellent VO2 max, high levels of strength, and good movement capacity (though this is harder to quantify), you are in very good physical health.

Imagine an individual who can execute a powerful tennis serve, back squat their body weight, and run up a mountain. This individual is in excellent physical health.

Why Hybrid Training Is Perfect for Wellness and Physical Health

If we aim to train for physical health, we strive to improve three key factors, and hybrid training effectively covers two of these aspects. This is why hybrid training is perfect for improving physical health—it is highly effective at developing both the cardiovascular system and strength. Events such as Hyrox and CrossFit require both a well-developed cardiovascular system and a high level of strength.

How Do Hybrid Performance and Wellness Differ?

Performance Can Push Us to Extremes

Training for performance in specific events often requires much higher training intensities and volumes than what is necessary for achieving excellent health. This is because training for competition pushes us to the limits of our physical capacity on a regular basis. However, when training for general health and wellness, we do not need to perform anywhere near the same amount of training required for competitive events.

Performance Often Requires Specificity

Specificity is not required to be healthy. Specificity refers to becoming highly efficient at a particular task. For example, someone training for Hyrox will want to be very efficient at pulling a sled. While this skill is crucial for performing well in that specific sport, it is not necessary for maintaining general health. This highlights a key difference between training for sport and training for health—one requires proficiency in specific tasks, while the other does not.

Wellness Requires Low Doses of Intensity

Wellness or physical health does not require the high doses of intense training that are needed for competition. This is because there is no urgency to achieve adaptations quickly. While training for an event involves preparing for a specific date, building a healthy body can be done gradually over time.

Oscillating Between Performance and Wellness

A great way to find balance between wellness and performance—and what I personally strive to do—is to oscillate between training for performance and training for wellness. This allows me to compete in events that are both fulfilling and fun while also prioritizing my long-term health.

By structuring my year with 4-6 months of high-intensity training followed by 6 months of lower-intensity training, I achieve excellent long-term results. Individuals who only train for performance may risk burnout or overuse injuries, while those who only train for wellness may struggle to reach the intensity needed for progress. By mixing the two, we can achieve a perfect balance for long-term performance and health.