The Hybrid Athlete

By Alex Viada

For a very long time now I’ve fluctuated in-and-out of what I would call a healthy obsession with the gym. I particularly love deadlifting, but I also take part in some bodybuilding work. Now, I say “obsessed” hesitantly because I’m pretty far from an elite athlete, but I do take it seriously, I consume a lot of sport science based youtube videos, and aside from times where my career has forced me to take some time off, I’ve been consistent with my routines for around 6-7 years.

That being said, my track record for cardio and endurance based exercise is atrocious. To be as honest as possible, aside from a few months here and there where I’ve played some casual soccer, my endurance training has been pretty much nonexistent since high school. Feels bad.

Nonetheless, this year, my personal life has offered me more than enough wake up calls to emphasize the importance of all kinds of health and fitness. So, I’ve started started running. Just two days a week right now, but its better than nothing.

The problem is that while I’m determined to become batman - my word for getting fit across more domains than just muscular strength and size - I also don’t want my running to negatively impact my main hobby and focus of weights.

Incoming, The Hybrid Athlete, by Alex Viada - a book designed to teach just that, how to excel at sports with fundamentally different training requirements. The book takes a bold stand on the question: can you train for both strength and endurance at a high level? It argues that not only is it possible, but in fact, athletes don’t need to specialize—they can excel in both domains simultaneously.

It’s an intriguing narrative to argue, but after reading it I found myself torn between appreciating its practicality and questioning its limits. While it doesn’t offer anything particularly groundbreaking in terms of scientific application, it’s a valuable resource for the right kind of athlete—those who want to be fit across the board without chasing elite-level performance in one specific area.

The Core Premise: Strength and Endurance Can Coexist

Viada’s main argument is that the long-standing belief that strength and endurance are mutually exclusive is a misconception. He builds his case around the idea that with proper training structure, athletes can thrive in both areas. It’s a refreshing concept for those of us who want to both lift weights and run, but there are caveats we should consider.

To give it credit, the book does acknowledge the key trade-off: you won’t be elite at two sports at once. Viada never explicitly claims that you can reach your maximum potential in both strength and endurance. What he does claim, is that with a well-structured training plan, you can reach high levels in both areas, even if it means sacrificing peak performance in one.

For many athletes—especially those more interested in general fitness, obstacle course racing, or even tactical work—this approach is great. But if you’re chasing the top of your potential in one sport, The Hybrid Athlete is probably not for you.

The Reality: Opportunity Cost of Training

Now, in the ungodly amount of hours I’ve spent watching fitness content on Youtube, if there’s one thing I’ve learned about sport science, its the principle of specificity.

At the end of the day, specificity reigns supreme in exercise science. If you want to be the best at something, you need to focus on that one thing. Every hour spent running is an hour you could have spent lifting weights, and vice versa. Both types of training place fatigue on the body—strength training primarily taxes your nervous system and muscles, while endurance work taxes your cardiovascular system and energy stores.

The problem is that both systems draw from the same finite pool of recovery resources. While you can improve in both domains, the reality is that by trying to balance them, you’re spreading your energy and recovery too thin to truly maximize either. It’s a classic trade-off, and one that serious athletes have to weigh carefully.

I don’t have direct sources on this, but if you’re interested in learning more about this kind of stuff, Renaissance Periodization is an excellent resource. Especially the educational content like the one linked, which goes into the concept of the Stimulus-to-Fatigue Ratio.

The Merits: Periodization and Smart Training

That said, there are some really practical ideas in The Hybrid Athlete that are worth highlighting. First and foremost, Viada’s concept of periodization is a really important topic for hybrid athletes. He suggests taking a long-term approach to training by focusing on different domains at different times of the year. For example, you might dedicate the first three months of the year to endurance, with your strength work in maintenance mode. Then, in the next block, you flip the focus to strength, letting endurance take a back seat.

This allows for steady improvement across the board, without trying to max out both strength and endurance simultaneously. You won’t see rapid gains in either, but over time, you’ll raise the floor for both. It’s a slow and steady approach, perfect for those who care more about being well-rounded than achieving elite status in one area.

Another key takeaway from the book is weekly periodization. Viada argues that while both types of training create systemic fatigue, they do so in different ways. You can split your week to better manage fatigue and get the most out of your training. For example, placing your most intense sessions, like heavy deadlifts or sprints, earlier in the week allows your body to recover from the intense neural fatigue. Later in the week, you can do less taxing but still effective endurance work, such as long runs or higher-rep strength exercises. This granular approach helps hybrid athletes manage fatigue without compromising performance across the board.

Who Will Benefit?

Ultimately, The Hybrid Athlete is best suited for those who want to be good at multiple things, rather than elite at one. If your goal is to be fit, healthy, and capable across a range of athletic pursuits, then this book offers a solid roadmap. It’s particularly valuable for people in fields like tactical fitness (military, first responders), obstacle course racers, or those who simply want to balance their love for lifting with their passion for endurance sports.

Viada’s approach allows for continual improvement without burnout, while keeping training varied and engaging. But for those who are super focused on being really amazing in one single area, the approach is not for you. The approach will simply just spread your resources too thin to truly optimize performance.

Final Thoughts

While The Hybrid Athlete doesn’t break new ground in exercise science, it’s a good read and solid resource for the right audience. If you’re willing to embrace the trade-offs of hybrid training—knowing that you can’t maximize both strength and endurance at once—it provides a solid framework for balancing both pursuits in a sustainable way. Viada’s emphasis on periodization and smart fatigue management are key takeaways that can help hybrid athletes continually improve without burning out.