PERFORMANCE~ Don’t Choose Between Power and Stamina — Build Both
- Kerry Nolan PT, DPT, CWC, CPC
- Nov 6
- 5 min read
Ski & snowboard season is just about here! Time to check in with yourself and ask how ready your body feels. Skiing and boarding require a great balance of strength and endurance, whether you’re hitting the resort, catching some backcountry lines, or taking your dog out for some nordic skiing.
Do you want to start training more endurance/cardio, but are
afraid you’ll lose your strength gains? Or are you looking to add some strength or muscle but worried about getting slower or sacrificing endurance on the mountain? Not to worry! We’re about to walk through an introduction to Hybring Training - how to maintain/improve strength while also increasing or preserving cardiovascular endurance.
What Exactly is Hybrid Training?
“Hybrid training” just means combining two or more fitness modes - this is most commonly strength training and endurance training - with the goal of improving both over time to create a well-rounded athletic base. There’s no single definition; it’s flexible and should fit your goals, training experience, and current fitness level.
Who Can Participate in Hybrid Training?
The simple answer is literally…anyone! If you want to become more resilient on the mountain, on the trails, or just in life, hybrid training is a great approach.
Are you new to training in general and want to develop both strength and cardio endurance? Great!
Are you a strength athlete looking to add endurance training for health or capacity in your sport? Awesome.
Are you a runner or other endurance athlete trying to add strength and improve durability and overall sport performance? Super.
Every athlete falls somewhere on a spectrum between “strength athlete” and “endurance athlete” - and there is always room to train for both!
General Principles
Think long-term and be patient. Progress in hybrid training happens over months and years, not weeks. Don’t look for a quick fix and plan for your season in advance. That being said, it’s never too late to start incorporating hybrid principles - just give yourself some grace when results don’t happen overnight!
Expect temporary fatigue, muscle soreness, or performance dips when adding a new training element—this is normal. Your body needs time to adjust to a new training regimen or to adapt to a different mode of exercise - it will be tough at first!
Build your “fitness bucket” gradually. Your fitness bucket is the amount of overall fitness you can pull from - your “ceiling” and your “floor”. Don’t completely stop lifting to improve your cardio or vice versa - chipping away at it little by little will help grow your preserves so you can handle improvements in both strength and cardio over time.
You may need to pull back one modality at times to make room for the other. Be realistic with how much time and energy you will have and make these changes gradually.
Recommendations by Training Background
If you’re a TOTAL beginner to training, welcome! Glad you’re taking this step in improving your fitness, health, and performance.
For now, focus on building a baseline of “general physical preparedness” (GPP) - this is considered basic skill, strength, and aerobic fitness. If you’re starting from no training, be realistic about the time you can commit. Choose to start with fewer days and make it a habit!
The important thing is consistency overall.
Suggested starting schedule for beginners:
2(–3) days/week of strength training (hit every major muscle group 2x)
2(–4) days/week of Zone 2–3 easy/moderate cardio (20–30 minutes)
“Zone 2-3” is 60-80% of your max heart rate (mHR)
Approximate mHR = (220 - your age)
You can also use the “talk test” - in Zone 2, you should be able to talk but not sing; in Zone 3, short sentences only!
Progress to a 3-day strength + 3-day cardio schedule: this is usually the most common split for hybrid training
Once you are at this point, the cardio days can be split into a shorter, more intense day, a moderate day, and a long slow slow-distance day
If You’re a Strength Athlete Adding Endurance Training
Again, be realistic with your time. Try to dial lifting volume back temporarily (to ~70–80%) so your body can adapt to increased aerobic work.
Main tips for adding endurance work:
Reduce lifting days from 4–6 down to 3–5
Switch to full-body or upper/lower splits: still train close to failure to maintain strength, but reduce the overall volume (volume = sets x reps)
Start with 20–30 min low/moderate cardio, 2–4x/week
Start with focusing on Zone 2 - low intensity to build overall capacity and to allow your body to adjust to a different type of training
Try to use an 80/20 approach, even after training improvements have been made
80% of cardio should be “low” intensity, 20% should be interval work into higher intensity to build overall capacity and allow for your body to adjust over time
If You’re an Endurance Athlete Adding Strength Work
As tough as it will be to do this, try and pull back cardio volume 20–30% the first few weeks/months in order to make room in your schedule for strength training, and to allow your body time to adjust.
Try to start with a schedule like this:
2(/3) days/week of lifting: try and hit 3 sets with 5-8 reps close to failure in each main muscle group
Eventually hitting 3x/week is ideal - each muscle group should be worked 2x/week
Start with a moderate reduction in overall endurance work volume
Focus on maintaining a longer low-intensity workout each week and pepper in 2 shorter but more intense workouts as well
Try to focus on the overall goal and give yourself and your body TIME. Understand it will take several months to get stronger. Strength is harder to build than endurance and easier to maintain later!
Progress Over Time - NO Overnight Fixes!
Hybrid training improvements happen gradually, but it is never too late to start - even if you are “in-season”.
Build baseline capacity in each realm of training
Beginners: start with realistic and achievable goals, increasing intensity and duration of training as you are able
Strength athletes: decrease volume of strength training and start with more low intensity aerobic workouts in the time you have freed from your schedule
Endurance athletes: focus on maintaining two short workouts and one long, slow workout. Start with 2 days of training close to failure in the weight room.
Raise your “floor” of strength and aerobic fitness - changes should be small and achievable at first. One of the biggest mistakes made is starting something to quickly or at too high of volume - this could crush your overall fitness and cause frustration/lack of progress or even injury setbacks.
Look at the long-term goals and periodize your training blocks - different times of year should have different focuses (strength, endurance, hypertrophy, etc). Training cycles can prioritize one thing at a time while maintaining the others at capacity.
DON’T PANIC! It doesn’t have to be extreme and it will TAKE TIME
Don’t freak out - start by making simple changes to your current regimen. Give yourself time to adapt. You don’t need to be “great” at hybrid training right off the bat! Hybrid training should be fun, flexible, and support overall health, strength, endurance, and overall fitness. Programming should be tailored to YOU and YOUR GOALS. Look at the long-term gains and overall athletic improvement. There is no true one-size-fits-all approach!
Need help creating a program that works for you? Have questions about hybrid training or periodization? Reach out to Ascent Tahoe (info@ascenttahoe.com) and we’d be happy to help!
Comments