If you’re looking for the finale of my most popular hybrid strength and endurance training program, then you’ve come to the right place. In part two of this program, we continue to build on the progress of part one, gradually building towards peak strength by week 8. You should expect to see slightly less volume, and even heavier weights. Keep reading for more.
It goes without saying that you should definitely start this program at the beginning. Check out the 8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program (Part 1). This is important because this workout plan is very high volume, and even experienced strength / endurance athletes need to acclimatize to this level of work.
Before we go any further, I’ll provide a quick overview of the second part of this program. Just like last time, I’ll also provided some additional nutritional, and recovery resources after reviewing the programming in depth.
8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program (Part 2) Overview
- 6 Day per week split
- No planned deload in this 8 week program
- Part 2 builds to new 1 rep max attempts after the final week
- 3 Dedicated aerobic and anaerobic conditioning workouts per week
- 1 Session per week of short sprints
- Add additional rest days as needed
If you’ve seen any of my other programs, then you know I like to program in 4 week cycles, where the final week is a deload week. This is one area where I’ve departed from my norm, as there is no planned deload in this program. Most research shows that you can go between 6-8 weeks without a recovery week. That means we area really stretching that here.
If you’re the type of athlete that likes a bit more recovery between cycles, then feel free to take 3-4 days between part 1, and part 2 of this program. Recovery is important, and I expect you to pay attention to your body. If you’re dragging ass all week, then you should take a day or two of rest, before you get back at it. Don’t forget to join the email list below for more awesome programs.
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Key Changes in Part 2 of the Strength and Endurance Training Program
At first glance this program follows the same general pattern as part 1. There are 6 resistance training sessions per week. You can also expect to use the same upper body and lower body muscle groups on the same days. At second glance, you’ll likely notice two things, right off the bat.
First, the secondary exercises are slightly different. If you were doing an incline bench press last cycle, you might be doing dumbbell bench press this cycle. It’s important to rotate exercises to avoid overuse injuries, as well as stagnation in your lifts. Even with proper form, you can over use certain movements, which can lead to an increased risk of injury.
The other big change in part two of this program is the aerobic endurance work. In the pervious cycle, we stuck with pure Zone 2 cardio. If you’ve read any of my other articles on concurrent training, then you know that Zone 2 cardio is key for overall fitness.
This is why I’ve included 90 minutes of Zone 2 cardio each week. The difference is I’ve tacked on anaerobic work at the end of each of those sessions. That’s for a very specific reason.
Zone 2 Cardio and Fat Burning
Most people don’t actually have a good understanding of what Zone 2 endurance exercise is. Most often they associate it with a certain heart rate zone, during aerobic exercise. While this is an accurate way of measuring if you’re in Zone 2, your heart rate is not its defining aspect.
Zone 2 cardio is the maximum amount of energy your body can produce aerobically. In other words, it’s the maximum amount of energy that can be produced primarily from fat. If you work above this threshold, your body produces lactate, which is a form of sugar. Lactate or lactic acid is not the reason your muscles burn during strength training workouts. Please stop saying that everyone.
When your body produces lactate for fuel, you are using your anaerobic energy systems on top of your aerobic energy systems. As you work harder and harder, you produce less and less energy with your aerobic system. To be truly fit you need a large aerobic capacity AND the ability to efficiently use lactate for energy. This is why I’ve written the conditioning workouts the way I have.
Your body does not like to switch back and forth between fat and lactate for energy. I’ve written these workouts to start with fat oxidation, and end with lactate fueling. It simply doesn’t work the other way around. These workouts are a great way to build all around conditioning. Be warned, those last 15 minutes are savage!
In the next section we’ll cover the details of each week of programming. After that, I’ll include some info on nutrition and recovery. Lastly, I’ll recommend some great follow on programs to keep building your muscular strength and conditioning.
If you want the full version of this program, with all the workouts, get it below!
8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program: Week 5
Witness ye, week five of the program, and despair. All kidding aside this is a hard week. You can see that most of the primary compound lifts are getting into the mid ninety percent range, which is rather spicy. Gone are the days of easy sets of 7, with moderately heavy weights!
Because these sets are getting rather heavy, make sure you’re resting enough between sets. I am a fan of 3-5 minute rest periods between your heaviest sets. Remember, you’re trying to express your muscle strength, not accumulate fatigue.
Just like part 1, I expect you to make your own scheduling decisions. If you’re the type of athlete that likes to do two workouts a day, you’ll probably find that you can bring a little more intensity to the WODs, and conditioning. I highly recommend splitting the cardio (aerobic workout) away from the weights.
Most research shows that you can still gain a lot of strength and muscle size, provided that you have a 3-4 hour break between lifting and cardio. If you absolutely can’t swing two a days, it’s alright. I’ve programmed the cardio as the last part of the daily work, which creates a smaller interference effect with your lifting.
8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program: Week 6
In week 6 you should expect that the weight will continue to increase, as does the difficulty of the conditioning. I also want to highlight the importance of the secondary lifts. While we all know biceps curls do in fact get the girls, they’re there for a reason.
They are designed to increase the muscle mass of key supporting muscle groups. Quite often athletes stop gaining strength because they have a deficiency in a certain muscle group. With some dedicated work on those weaknesses, they continue to push their overall strength numbers up.
Similarly, I want to highlight an important change to the last session of each week. This is a dedicated day to work on your personal weakness. You should pick one of the blocks that you need the most work on. I’ll give you a quick example.
I’m primarily a muscular endurance training athlete. I have pretty good strength, and olympic lifting numbers, but my 5k, rowing, and cycling numbers are fairly low, compared to my lifts. While I have used my favorite conditioning tool Zwift for cycling, to bump my numbers up in the last 6 months, I still have work to do. This means I would choose to do the aerobic work, over the lifts.
If you have great cardiovascular endurance, and comparatively lower strength numbers, you should pick one of the lifts. Again you should go with the lift that you need the most work on. There’s no need to overcomplicate this. You’ll find that you should pick the work that you least want to do. No one said getting jacked and tan was easy!
8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program: Week 7
This is the second to last week of the program, and it’s time for some tears. You’ll see that you are working within a few percent of your maximum strength. Make sure that you stay true to the percentages, and don’t go for a small PR. Trust me the PRs will be coming later.
You’ll also notice that many of the secondary lifts don’t have a programed increase. Instead I’ve given you instructions like RIR, TM, or AHAP. Make sure you follow those instruction, and don’t be afraid to push the weights heavier than you might otherwise feel comfortable. You can’t make strength gains lifting lighter weight afterall!
If you go this whole 8 week program without failing a lift, you left gains on the table. Don’t take that to mean you’re allowed to go crazy and max out on every set. You’re not, and that’s crazy. Now on to the final week.
If you want an extremely challenging hybrid muscle building program, then this is for you.
8 Week Hybrid Strength and Endurance Training Program: Week 8
This is the last week, and in many cases you’ll be working at the bleeding edge of your strength capacity, with low reps. In some sets I expect that you’ll be over your previous rep maxes. That’s fine. Moreover, I will reiterate my advice. Don’t go for a PR this week. That’s what next week is for.
Most strength athletes will find that they’re feeling tired, and a little beat up. That’s ok. Spend a little more time on your warm up, and work up sets. You’ll probably find that you can perform quite well even if you feel a little ground down.
After this week you should take 2-3 days away from the gym, and serious cardio. At this point you can take your attempts at setting new PRs in your lifts. If you’re doing the squat, bench and deadlift, you can probably get away with doing those 1 RM attempts in one gym session.
If you want to establish PRs in other lifts like: weighted pull ups, or strict press, then take another day or two to add those in. Now let’s cover some great nutrition and recovery resources. We’ll finish up with some recommendations for your next program.
Nutrition and Recovery Resources
Nutrition doesn’t have to be complicated. In this section I’m going to share a few tips that can really help your performance. First, you don’t need to focus on eating a lot of protein. I know I’ve probably blown your mind, but stick with me.
Most research shows that you need about one gram of protein per pound of lean body mass to gain muscle. Notice I said to gain muscle. If you’re trying to lose body fat, then research is clear that eating higher protein is ideal for preserving muscle mass.
Most athletes will probably under eat carbs on this program. For this program, the vast majority of your energy is going to come from carbs. I recommend starting at around 1.7 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight, on the low end. You can go up to around 2.5 or so on the high end.
You probably won’t have to worry about your fat intake. If you’re eating animal protein, and things like butter, or nuts, then you’ll probably eat enough healthy fats. I highly recommend checking out my nutrition calculator, and reading this article on the basics of nutrition if you really want to maximize your performance. Next we’ll cover recovery during, and after the workout.
Recovery: During and After the Workout
I’ve got three solid tips for enhancing your recovery, that should be a regular part of your workout routine. The most valuable is hyperventilation breathing, or HV breathing for short. This is a simple method that can increase the amount of reps you can do up to 30% each set. It works by lowering the pH in your muscle cells prior to each set.
All you have to do is take 25 deep breaths about 30 sec prior to your set. You’ll find that you can work longer and lift heavier weight than you otherwise might. Check this article out for the details on HV breathing.
My next biggest tip is to finish each workout with 10min of easy cool down cardio. You could sit on an assault bike at 60 watts for 10min, or simply go for an easy walk. The important point is to spend 10 minutes moving around. This clears metabolic waste products, and helps you recover much faster. Research shows that it actually helps athletes build more muscle mass as well.
Lastly, if you suffer from a lot of delayed on set muscle soreness, or DOMS, then try wearing compression tights. Research has shown that it actually reduces muscle soreness if worn during, or after the workout. I’ve tried it, and it can really help after a big workout. In the next section I’ll recommend some of my best programs to follow this hybrid strength and endurance program.
Your Next Program
I’ve got a ton of free programs, and workout plans, to continue your gains in the gym. I’ve split this section into three subsections, based on your specific fitness goals. In the first section, I’ve included my best hybrid programs. If you want to be fit and strong, then those are your programs.
After that, I’ve grouped together some of my most popular programs to build muscle mass. Remember, there are only two different ways to get stronger, become more efficient with your current muscle mass, or build more muscle!
In the final section, I’ve included programs that are designed for functional fitness athletes who want some awesome strength training programs. As always, I recommend checking out several programs, so you can see which one fits your needs the best.
Don’t forget, if you want all the details I normally provide in a custom program, then you should check out my premium programs. They have a ton more detail, and will help you gain fitness and strength as quickly as possible.
Hybrid Programs: Strength, Muscle Mass, and Conditioning
- 15 Week Lift Heavy Run Fast Program for Functional Fitness
- 10 Week Functional Powerbuilding Program
- 9 Week Sprint Program for Running
Programs to Build Muscle Mass
- The 8 Week Functional Bodybuilding Hybrid Program
- 6 Weeks of Muscular Growth for Functional Fitness Athletes Program
- 12 Week Free Bodybuilding Program
- The 11 Week High Intensity Bodybuilding Program
Programs to Build Strength
- 9 Week Functional Strength Program (Part 1)
- 9 Week Advanced Strength Program for Functional Fitness
- 7 Week Free Strength Training Program
Final Thoughts
You now have the full 8 weeks of the hybrid strength and endurance training program. This program is very challenging, even for advanced athletes. Don’t be afraid to add in an extra rest day here and there.
You will make way more progress turning this 8 week program into a 9 or 10 week program, than you will following it to the letter, and over training. Just follow the workout order, and be consistent. If you work hard for a prolonged period of time, you are virtually guaranteed to make awesome progress.
If you have any question or comments, put them in the comments section below, and I’ll get you an answer. Now get out there and get training! Don’t forget to join the email list below.
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Ok I feel like a straight up dummy, but I can’t find a purchase/download link for the program. Am I crazy?
This program is free. There’s no download. I recommend screen shotting the week you’re doing. Enjoy!
Hello was just wondering if I took an extra rest day should I pick back up on the workout that I missed