Hybrid athlete training is nothing new, but knowing where to start can be tricky – which is where coach Mike Thurston comes in.
In a recent YouTube video, he shared three week-long training plans to suit all kinds of hybrid athletes.
'When it comes to hybrid training, you need to decide what the goal is,' Thurston explained. 'Do you want to prioritise the endurance side of things, or are you looking to focus more on the strength?'
Because hybrid training creates a direct conflict, called the interference effect, Thurston provides plans for three different goals. The first is designed for people who want to focus on both strength and endurance in equal measure, the second for those prioritising strength, and the third for those who want to build endurance. All three options are designed to grow muscle and boost cardiovascular performance, but to varying degrees.
'There isn't necessarily a right or wrong way to approach hybrid athlete training. It depends on what your goal is and what your focus is,' he says.
Thurston's Hybrid Athlete Training Plans
Strength Focus
If building muscle and getting stronger is your main training objective, then this is the plan for you. It aims to prioritise lifting heavy without sacrificing your endurance.
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Monday
Tuesday
Run, 30+ minutes
Wednesday
Rest
Thursday
Friday
Intervals – running, rowing or cycling
Saturday
Sunday
Rest
Endurance Focus
Thurston's plan is largely aimed at runners, but the focus of the endurance activities can easily be changed depending on what your goals are. This plan flips the emphasis towards endurance, swapping strength workouts for a couple more endurance sessions.
Monday
Intervals, e.g. 6-8 x 800m
Tuesday
Run, 30-45 minutes
Wednesday
Full-body strength and hypertrophy
Thursday
Run, 20-30 minutes
Friday
Full-body strength and hypertrophy
Saturday
Run, 45+ minutes
Sunday
Rest
Mixed Focus
Focusing on both strength and endurance in equal measure, this plan is suited to you if you want to improve both equally.
Monday
Lower-body strength and hypertrophy
Tuesday
Upper-body strength and hypertrophy
Wednesday
Intervals – running, rowing, cycling
Thursday
Full-body strength
Friday
Run, 45+ minutes
Saturday
Full-body strength and cardio
Sunday
Rest
If there’s one thing Kori Sampson knows, it’s how to optimise your body composition for performance. To tap into his knowledge as an elite athlete and coach, we asked him to create a 4-week plan to help you move faster, recover quicker and keep pushing when the fatigue sets in – all while improving your muscle-to-fat ratio.
Ready to build muscle, burn fat and come out the other side looking, feeling and performing better? CLICK HERE to get 14 days of free access to the plan via the Men’s Health app.
Ryan is a Senior Writer at Men’s Health UK with a passion for storytelling, health and fitness. Having graduated from Cardiff University in 2020, and later obtaining his NCTJ qualification, Ryan started his career as a Trainee News Writer for sports titles Golf Monthly, Cycling Weekly and Rugby World before progressing to Staff Writer and subsequently Senior Writer with football magazine FourFourTwo.
During his two-and-a-half years there he wrote news stories for the website and features for the magazine, while he also interviewed names such as Les Ferdinand, Ally McCoist, Jamie Redknapp and Antonio Rudiger, among many others. His standout memory, though, came when getting the opportunity to speak to then-Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher as the club won League One in 2023.
Having grown up a keen footballer and playing for his boyhood side until the age of 16, Ryan got the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland national futsal team eight times, scoring three goals against England, Scotland and Gibraltar. Now past his peak, Ryan prefers to mix weightlifting with running – he achieved a marathon PB of 3:31:49 at Manchester in April 2025, but credits the heat for failing to get below the coveted 3:30 mark…
You can follow Ryan on Instagram @ryan.dabbs or on X @ryandabbs_
