Hybrid training—combining endurance work with strength training—has exploded in popularity, especially with events like Hyrox drawing athletes from all backgrounds.
But what does a real hybrid training week actually look like?
Nick Bare, founder of BPN and seasoned endurance athlete, recently shared his complete weekly hybrid training routine as he prepares for an upcoming Hyrox competition.
His approach offers valuable insights for anyone looking to build both strength and endurance simultaneously.
Jump to:
- The Weekly Training Split That Balances Everything
- Running 40 Miles Per Week: The Aerobic Foundation
- Why Hyrox Circuits Made a Comeback
- The “Baseline” Workout: A Brutal Assessment
- Reality Check: When Fitness Humbles You
- The Mental Game Behind Hybrid Training
- Final Results and Key Takeaways
- Building Your Summer Engine
The Weekly Training Split That Balances Everything
Bare’s current program runs six days per week, with Sunday designated as a complete rest day. The structure strategically alternates between different training modalities to prevent overtraining while maximizing adaptation.
His weekly split breaks down as follows:
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
- Monday: Morning run + afternoon push workout (chest, triceps, shoulders)
- Tuesday: Morning run + afternoon Hyrox circuit
- Wednesday: Morning run + afternoon lower body strength
- Thursday: Morning run + afternoon pull workout (back and biceps)
- Friday: Morning run + afternoon Hyrox circuit
- Saturday: Long run (60+ minutes, 8+ miles)
- Sunday: Complete rest
This structure ensures balanced development across all physical qualities—aerobic capacity, muscular strength, and work capacity under fatigue.
Running 40 Miles Per Week: The Aerobic Foundation
Bare currently accumulates roughly 40 miles weekly, primarily through morning runs before his afternoon training sessions. Most weekday runs range from 5-6 miles, with Saturday reserved for longer efforts.
During one filmed morning session, he completed 6 miles in 44 minutes and 41 seconds—averaging a 7:27 per mile pace in hot, humid conditions.
Run, sauna, dip in the pool. And now, let’s go over my new hybrid training routine day by day.
This volume provides the aerobic base necessary for sustained performance in Hyrox events, which combine running with functional exercises. The key is consistency rather than intensity during most runs.
Why Hyrox Circuits Made a Comeback
After nearly two years away from Hyrox-specific training, Bare reintroduced these demanding circuits for two primary reasons.
First, enjoyment matters. As he explained, these workouts can be done with partners or groups, creating a competitive, engaging training environment that delivers results within 60 minutes.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Second, specificity drives adaptation. With a Hyrox competition scheduled for fall, incorporating event-specific training becomes essential.
My training right now is driven and guided by a goal. And a goal requires specificity, and that will be a foundation of strength and then improving cardiovascular conditioning endurance by increasing running volume over time.
The programming includes two Hyrox circuits weekly—one focused on volume, the other on intensity and threshold training. This variation prevents monotony while developing different energy systems.
The “Baseline” Workout: A Brutal Assessment
To measure current fitness and establish benchmarks, Bare tackled a signature workout he created during previous Hyrox preparation called “Baseline.”
The workout structure is punishing in its simplicity:
- 4 × 1K run (60 seconds rest between)
- 50 wall balls
- 4 × 1K row (60 seconds rest between)
- 50 wall balls
- 4 × 1K ski erg (60 seconds rest between)
- 50 wall balls
That totals 12 kilometers of work across running and ergs, plus 150 wall balls. Bare’s previous best was under 60 minutes, though he admitted he was surprised if he’d match that after his training hiatus.
Reality Check: When Fitness Humbles You
Halfway through Baseline at 28 minutes and 50 seconds, the reality of threshold training hit hard.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I forgot how humbling this workout is in this style of training. The last couple months, it’s been running and lifting lower intensity when it comes to threshold with endurance work. But, this is a tough one.
The wall balls proved particularly brutal. Coming off 50 reps with heart rate maxed out, transitioning immediately into rowing intervals buried him during the first set, though he found better rhythm in subsequent rounds.
Despite air conditioning in his facility, sweat poured off him—a testament to the metabolic demands of high-intensity hybrid work.
The Mental Game Behind Hybrid Training
During the workout, Bare shared an interesting perspective on competition and improvement.
Everybody talks about want to be better until they’re in the room with someone who’s better than them.
This mental approach—embracing discomfort and competition—separates casual training from goal-driven preparation. It’s not just about completing workouts; it’s about pushing limits alongside others doing the same.
He also acknowledged the somewhat delusional optimism that comes with summer training ramp-ups, admitting that his decision to increase volume and intensity might be “strategic, maybe intentional, maybe inspired” but definitely “delusional.”
Final Results and Key Takeaways
Bare completed Baseline in 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 36 seconds—just over his previous best, with an average heart rate of 156 BPM and 1,120 calories burned.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Rather than disappointment, he expressed excitement about having a baseline measurement to improve upon through consistent training.
I’m excited to start incorporating circuits in Hyrox training back into my programs on a weekly basis. Two workouts a week. Two HYROX circuits. One is volume focused. One is intensity and threshold focused.
For anyone building hybrid training programs, several principles emerge:
- Structure matters: Alternating training modalities prevents overtraining specific systems
- Consistency trumps intensity: Most runs should be aerobic, not threshold work
- Specificity drives results: Train for your goal with appropriate workout selection
- Assessment informs programming: Benchmark workouts reveal current capacity and progress
- Recovery is non-negotiable: One complete rest day weekly prevents burnout
Building Your Summer Engine
Bare’s approach demonstrates that effective hybrid training requires more than randomly mixing running with lifting. It demands thoughtful programming that balances volume, intensity, and recovery across multiple training modalities.
Whether preparing for Hyrox or simply wanting to improve overall fitness, the principles remain constant: build aerobic capacity through consistent running, maintain strength through regular resistance training, and periodically test yourself with high-intensity circuits that combine both.
As Bare put it simply about his summer goals:
Dial in the diet. Dial in the training. Show up. Go one more.
That straightforward approach—consistency, specificity, and progressive overload—forms the foundation of any successful hybrid training program, regardless of starting fitness level or ultimate goals.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
