The New Era of Hybrid Fitness
I am beyond excited to say that we are finally living in the new era of hybrid fitness. It’s something I’ve been passionate about since I started my first fitness blog back in 2007. It’s also a topic that was rarely discussed among fitness pros and only practiced to the extremes by adventure athletes like crossfitters, tough mudder competitors and triathletes.
What Is Hybrid Fitness?
According to google search results “Hybrid fitness combines different exercise styles and methodologies to create a more comprehensive approach to fitness. It allows people to tailor their workouts to their specific needs by blending elements like strength training, cardio, functional fitness, and endurance. Hybrid fitness can also include outdoor activities and home exercises. Hybrid fitness can also lead to the development of hybrid athletes, who combine elements from different sports and disciplines to develop a well-rounded skill set.”
How I Discovered Hybrid Training Through Lifestyle
How I naturally discovered the value of hybrid fitness is simply through the lifestyle that I was living. I was strength training regularly and also hiking, trapeze dancing, teaching pilates, yoga, and dynamic stretching. Later I also added in performing in variety shows, stand up paddle boarding and flow props. A regular old fitness routine of basic cardio, strength and stretch just would not have improved my skill set for all these activities so I pieced together a hybrid plan that became what I called Your Best Female Figure 2.0.
I sold that plan online for several years and my loyal followers loved it so I began using it with clients as a way to get their bodies to transform faster. Many of my clients loved it too so eventually this also became my go to method of teaching fitness classes.
What does a hybrid class or fitness plan look like?
In a fitness class setting hybrid fitness can look like this:
HIIT Strength - squats lunges planks combined with weights, dance cardio, pilates core as well as yoga stretches and more
Barre Tone - ballet, pilates, and yoga stretches combined with athletic drills and functional strength
Aqua Fitness - traditional aqua moves, dance cardio, athletic drills, pilates, ballet and traditional stretches
In a personal training session hybrid workouts can look like what you see in my latest YouTube reels where I combine powerlifting, functional training and reformer Pilates into one workout. It also looks like my Hybrid video here.
The Main Benefits of Hybrid Training:
The benefits of hybrid training are so many that it would be impossible to list them all but some of the top benefits include a major boost in overall fitness, improved personalization, vitality and motivation as well as better crossover to your unique lifestyle. Also as many of my clients often tell me, it keeps the workouts interesting and fun which prevents boredom AND all that is key to staying consistent with fitness for life. Ready to give hybrid fitness a try? Contact me here to get started with your customized training plan.
