Nobody Cares That You're A Hybrid Athlete

Misinformation, mislabeling, and disappointment

The spread of misinformation nowadays is…disappointing, to say the least. A trend catches wind, and suddenly, there’s a new definition of a term no one knew about on the Urban Dictionary. Yeah, I’m sure you understand how disappointing that is. It also makes you feel powerless because you aren’t famous or don’t have a PhD to explain to people what it really means. You might be a guy with less than 25 followers on Instagram (and no, I’m not referring to myself, I actually have 26).

I am disappointed, and it doesn’t matter much, because to most of you, I'm just a guy behind a keyboard. But there’s a trendy new term in the fitness and sports community that’s been mislabeled, and it doesn’t sit right with me.

Let me explain.

If I asked you what you think of when you hear the term “hybrid athlete” what would you say? You likely wouldn’t give me a formal definition; instead, you would probably say one of two things:

1. “Ohhh, I know what that is. It’s those people online who run marathons and are jacked. But I heard most of them are on PEDs. Like that one guy…what's his name? Nick Bare? ”

2. “I have no clue what that means.”

Sub-note: I do not believe Nick is on steroids. It’s just that for some reason, most people do.

Some of you may not be interested in fitness or may not understand why I’m disappointed. However, let me explain why you should care. Because many people are trying to exploit a genuine pursuit for the sake of gaining followers among respectable individuals. It’s a trend that most believe to be a harmless Instagram bio tag, but it’s actually destroying something real.

It’s a sad reality. However, it’s a result of influencer marketing and the increasing popularity of fitness. Through all of this, why do we let a real term become a self-defining concept that oversaturates the community of fitness and sports, and ultimately halts the progression of something trying to be modern?

The truth

Honestly, nobody cares that you’re a hybrid athlete. It frustrates me every time I see someone create a video titled “How to be a Hybrid Athlete” or include “Hybrid Athlete” in their Instagram bio. The influencer market has been so oversaturated with this term that nobody truly takes it seriously anymore.

Hybrid athletes do and will always exist, though. It’s just not that guy who thinks he is one. It’s well established that people who have been training hard for years, long before it became a trend. It's Fergus Crawley and Adam Clink who both ran a 5-minute mile and squatted 500 pounds the same day. It’s Alex Viada, the trailblazer who wrote a whole book about his pursuits, “The Hybrid Athlete”. It’s my Uncle, a MARSOC Raider, who has told me many stories of his hybrid athleticism that were beyond impressive and made me believe in my own hybrid pursuits.

How long will the fitness community allow real athletes to be treated as a fad? How long will we continue to lump dual-athletes and casual gym-goers into the same category? How long will we allow for the misconception of a term that has a real definition?

We need education and we need respect, something real athletes shouldn't have to ask for. A majority do it because it’s what they are passionate about, not a title, not followers, or marketing, or clout.

Perhaps it’s my immense respect for real athletes that is the root of all my disappointment and frustration, or my understanding of the legendary history and the real-life heroes whose knowledge and conceptualization of this style of training were essentially founded on. This is why I’m voicing out.

Some will say it’s not that deep. But it is, because it’s my passion too. It’s my passion to revolutionize this style of training, to break the barriers of its potential and pave a way for a real sport.

A real definition

So, let me provide you with the formal definition that Alex Viada originally put together in his book, “The Hybrid Athlete.”

Hybrid Athlete - An individual who pursues high performance in two fitness variables that don’t ‘directly’ support one another

There it is. Take it as you want, but you can’t really misinterpret that definition. That is the definition I wish more people knew about. The definition itself counters many of the online arguments that people love to make regarding the training style in general. “All athletes are hybrid athletes,” or “Hybrid athletes aren’t real”. Both are false by definition.

To pursue hybrid athleticism, you are forcing your body to adapt in ways that each training pursuit doesn’t support. For example, the most well-known style of hybrid training, combining running and lifting, forces your body to adapt to both running and lifting simultaneously. This itself is more impressive than people realize when you pursue excellence in two sports that require different adaptations.

We could dive into the science of it all, but I’ll save that for another day.

The specific qualities that separate a casual gym-goer from a hybrid athlete are simply that a hybrid athlete pursues excellence in both fitness variables. A casual gym goer may run a few miles and lift weights, but nothing about that is in the pursuit of excellence. Strong goals are required to be considered a real hybrid athlete.

I emphasize that ignorance has been at the forefront of hybrid training since its popularity gained momentum. I’m sure many other hybrid athletes are sick of it, too. But a definition does exist, and I’m sure the more I advocate for the respect of hybrid training, the less overall disappointment will linger.

It’s not my responsibility to educate, but what harm does it do? I’m not an established hybrid athlete, but I’d like to believe I’m on my way to becoming one.

Until then, I’ll be on here. Letting the world know how truly badass hybrid training can be.