Why You Should AVOID Specialization: A Case for the HYBRID Athlete (CONTROVERSIAL!)
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- #EnkiriEliteFitness #HybridAthlete
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Introduction
0:51 What the heck is a "hybrid athlete?"
2:08 Specialized adaptations are not ideal
4:40 Hybrid athlete summarized
5:22 Hybrid athlete is NOT Crossfit
7:10 Why become a hybrid athlete?
11:00 Conclusion
The idea of specialized fitness runs rampant throughout the fitness industry. This is, in fact the concept marketed and sold by most fitness influencers. They are one trick ponies, and that's fine for them because they make a living doing it - bodybuilders, powerlifters, fitness models, endurance oriented athletes, 'shred' specialists, etc. These "somatotypes" are the quintessential composite of the modern fitness industry. They each perform a relatively to highly specialized function, and they are each experts in their own specific domain.
However, the result of this rampant specialization is the segmentation of fitness amongst the fitness consumer. Most people who become immersed in the consumerism side of this industry end up eventually latching onto a specialist (or group of specialists), either because they have an initial interest in that particular goal or simply because they like the personality of that particular individual. From there they get sucked into that same world of specialization to a much larger extent than they can derive any tangible benefit from, as they do not make a living doing it and the specialized function itself only carries so much intrinsic value.
So today I offer you guys a better way. Today I present the concept of the hybrid athlete according to Enkiri Elite Fitness. This approach is applicable to a much broader population of people than the traditional approach of specialized fitness, and in today's video I explain precisely why. Please remember to smash the like button before you go, be sure to share the video with any budding hybrid athletes you know, and leave some love in the comments as well!
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dude youre just trying to justify your results with your training style, it doesn´t matter what you do in training as long as you try to progress in what you do. if strength is what you want than train for that, the same goes for hypertrophy or endurance training. you can talk all you want about hybrid athlete but all your doing is trying to be a jack of al traits and master of nothing.
congratulations! it appears that you managed to watch this video and pay attention to its contents
👏👏👏
@@JorgeGonzalez-sx7fk I Know ;) its not trying to bash in particular but saying that this is better than the rest is not true. nothing garantees longevity. the rest of the content is good ;) im a fan of the part to not destroy your body. so sorry if it came of as trying to bash his video , that was not my intent just making clear that there is no such thing as better than the rest if you specialize is good also as long as you don't overdo it ;)
Lol bruh u didn't even understand the video ,he's trying the normal Joe should not only focus on hypertrophy but also athleticsm , basically be more well rounded
@@Jxqxj-435 oh than i interpreted it wrongly sorry guys ! ;)
Just hyperspecialize to a bicep athlete like athleanx
Lmao
Man is telling the truth 🤣
You deserve a medal for this comment.
Nothing wrong with that if that is what you like
@@nemanjamilovancevic8396 that is true, however, I don't think it's very right of him promote it as functional/athletic training, in my opinion.
There’s a good reason why it’s recommended that kids play many sports & don’t specialize, as they actually become better athletes & have reduced risk of injury if they play multiple sports & train in different ways.
Exactly
those same recommendations begin to waiver as you get older. With specialization becoming a priority. Of course, that is if your goal is to keep pursuing your sport at a very high level.
@@geraldyusko5499 all true! But most people don't do that. And those that do only do so until late 30's at the very most. At that point they would be far better off transitioning into a more global training style.
Most fathers over here in England just push their sons into football. I fucking despise football (soccer to my American bros). As a father to 2 sons ages 7 and 5, I just encourage my kids to play sports and do activities that makes them happy and feel good about themselves. Funnily enough, my eldest loves playing basketball and my youngest is really into sccotering playing bat and ball so literally the 2 sports that aren't even mainstream in England lol.
Crossfit is an abominaton. Highly technical lifts for max reps? The fuck. Throwers are true hybrid athletes. Jacked and athletic should be what everyone aspires to. And, at 49 years old I still power snatch, jump, jerk, throw etc.
As a military guy, I admire Everyone in special forces...this guys can run fast, swim fast, ruck fast, they are really strong and resilient....not a master of anything, but without a doubt a physical specimen
The Bioneer has been one of the few advocating this for years! I actually improved a ton in my lifts after I started incorporating a diverse range of exercises.
His video "The pillars of fitness" also explains this, almost as eloquently as our boy
@@builtdifferent2029 The modern internet's "pillars of fitness" is just "do bicep curls and take bathroom selfies".
As a judo player, this is a really good message. Combat athletes can benefit a lot from this hybrid style of training because of how many qualities are needed to be a good fighter.
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”
― Robert A. Heinlein
A true Renaissance man!
@@EnkiriElite given we live in the 21st century, we should add lip sync for tiktok
So far I have not planned an invasion (though I have organized multiple festivals and parades, which is oddly similar), conned a ship, set a bone, or died, but I have the rest of the list covered. It definitely makes it easier to cope with unexpected challenges in life if you are well-rounded.
@@republicjim120 dying aside - you’re pretty damn close:). well done
If I need a heart surgery, I will go to a specialized heart surgeon, society needs specialist to solve many problems. My point is we need both generalists and specialists.
100% agree. People shouldn't be specializing unless that's their job and they're getting paid for it.
There are many professional athletes that didn’t even specialize until they got to the pros
we need to become like the Bioneer
I feel like olympic weightlifting training is one of the best ways to become a well rounded athlete. They are crazy strong, fast, flexible, mobile, and explosive. The only thing they are really missing is cardiovascular endurance
Also missing out on horizontal or unilateral strength. Weightlifting is a strictly vertical sport.
It honestly blows my mind how underrated this channel is. Easily one of, if not THE BEST fitness channels out there.
i remember using to not like this guy for some reason he just seemed to annoy me but now, he is my main fitness source and imo one of the best if not the best fitness youtuber and one of my favorite youtubers in general and makes me look forward to his videos and would recommend him to people who is interested in becoming strong and jacked while being able to be functional (I couldn’t find another word to describe it) which is very important for athletes like me who play sports or just your average joe
Might have been the beanie
Yo same now I fucjing love him
Yo same for like the first 3 videos.
I think it's just his way of speaking that has to grow on you
he's smart and makes good points
but his presentation is a bit aggressive
fine by me though, it's grown on me and I'm glad I can enjoy his content now
It's harder for the average person to get enough bang from their buck when attempting to train in a hybrid fashion. You no day jobs and families are a thing. If you have an hour a day to train you kind of have to follow some specialist program for a minimum block of time (6-12 weeks) to get even the smallest measure of progression in training and there lies the issue.... I agree with you 100%. In fact I have been hybrid training for a decade but the way in which I performed this was in long periods of specialisation due to time constraints. For example, the last 3 months has been calithsetics. The 3 months prior was athletics, and before that weightlifting. Overall this isn't optimal but having only an hour a day to train and wanting to measurably track results this is the only method I found that works.
Yes, training should be periodized. I never once in this video said it shouldn't be, and I did, in fact, allude to the opposite.
It doesn't have to be complicated. For example, if your not advanced, just training for basic strength, going jogging and maybe doing some stretching is going to improve all kinds of things simultaneously such as sprinting or agility. You could then slowly make changes such as adding power cleans to your strength work.
I think most lifters who have been in it for a while end up coming to the same conclusion. it's the best way to be strong, healthy, and athletic
There is definitely a common thread there.
i think your point of view is great and ive been trying to incorporate different styles of training in my own programs lately, to be quote on quote more functional.
It's refreshing to see this. In the fitness sphere muscles have become synonymous with fitness. There are not many who promote well rounded fitness and it's importance to longevity and life's challenges. Great video.
This was a fantastic video. I get the message but more videos on the specific details of training to become a hybrid athlete would be great. Things like considering balance between training styles and other topics would be very helpful.
Awesome video man. I agree with this idea 100% because I've been trapped in the false dichotomy almost my entire life where I have to either be strong or be smart and sadly, many people pigeonhole themselves in that same idea. However, why not be strong and smart? I feel for the physical side, this idea is the most ideal. Being very strong is good, but at the expense of speed and power is not as optimal. Then you have quality of life. Training to the point in where quality of life goes down is asinine because the point of training is to improve quality of life. I see too many people around me who are old, but look terrible, are decrepit, and have many ailments to the point in where they have some sort of doctor appointment every single week for the rest of their life is not really living. To me, living is more than just existing, it's living while being able to be as strong and healthy as possible until the day you die.
Keep up the awesome content.
Thanks Joey! Im glad you are continually able to find the content here useful!
I think overall this topic should be tackled for an "opportunity cost" point of view. If you are trying to make a bodybuilder consider putting more athletic endeavors into his regimen, you could ask him "what would you have to give up to get a more healthy heart, be faster, fitter, more agile etc?"
And if you program well, the answer is probably not that much. Im pretty sure you could come up with a good bodybuilding template that also boosts your athleticism up a couple notches.
Its the "dont do cardio you will lose all your gains" mindset that led to this ultra specialization imo, or at least its a big part of it. When really it should be "you can do a lot of other stuff really well too and still keep 95% of your gainz"
It was weightlifting that helped with it the most even before Max Aita it been the case. Weightlifters on peds really don't need to do more than snatch, clean, and press
Also being faster often sacrifices fat that keeps your joints from taking the punishment of 300-500kg squats in the first place. That's a no go and on the other hand a good cardio regime is more than 5 hours a week which however does include lifting. If you do more things like sprints and jumps as a powerlifter you are sacrificing energy and time - Which the first part matters a lot due to that meaning that they have to sacrifice training efficiency and often also their true pr ability. It's kind of the same why some calistenic guys don't train legs, it makes everything that matters either harder, impossible or makes it take more than double the time to get to there. For a competitive athlete it's a hinderance nothing more, which is why many strong man also weren't that keen on proper cardio
@@mikeyvesperlick6982 Like I said you have the lower body and you have no upper body, you got a problem building...wait a minute. You have the upper body, and you have no legs, you got a problem building your legs. You have the upper...you have the lower body and you don't have the upper body, the upper body, it is easier to build. So if you have the lower body and you don't have the upper body, it is easier to build the upper body. You have the upper body and you don't have the legs, you got a problem building the lower body... No, you don't understand. You have the upper body, but you don't have the lower body, you got a problem building downstairs. You got the up- legs on the bottom, it is easier to build on the top, so you don't have much as a problem.
@@Kinta02 wtf did you just write😂
@@usmilitary280 you havent been in this community long enough lol
Here here! This is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. I've definitely have gotten myself or found myself in situations where this kind of training saved me. 💪 Keep telling as it is.
Completely right, that’s why I like to do martial arts and weight training and mix it both up. You get great endurance and gains at the same time. With a good diet you also get a good looking physique.
I think Geoff Capes is a good example of an extremely well rounded athlete. Obviously predisposed to being big and strong, dude had a crazy gas tank, as well as overall athleticism.
I'm really in love with the concept of GPP being this main thing that everyone should build, as much as one can recover from and fit into their daily life. From there, short periods of specialization become easier and more practical, since you're already operating at 70-75% capacity in pretty much any discipline involving human movement and physicality, year round.
Agreed. I'm chasing numbers on the big lifts now, but never at the expense of my conditioning.
As it should be!
That was really inspiring. Do this video again 👌❗
I’m pushing myself towards a similar type of strength as you are, in that the idea is to have a balanced focus on muscularity, cardiovascular health, strength, power, and mobility. It’s a whole lot of work, but I do believe it’s worth it. Specializing in running landed me with imbalances and injuries as a teen, but strength training has helped rectify much of the damage over the past couple years. What I consider the most functional well rounded kind of athlete that’s still generally popular, is pro fighters, obviously only when they’re competing in the weight class they should naturally be in though. In that light I train like a fighter, just without ever doing the actual fighting, but the idea is that I’ll be ready if I ever have to
I'm really focused on strength/size and want to might want to compete in tested middleweight strongman in the future (mainly because I love the idea of being strong, big, but also conditioned enough to use that strength), but I would like to here out your perspective. This should be an interesting watch
Hmm, that's a really interesting point. And it's true that the vast majority of people simply don't have the genetics to specialize in one thing, so for the average person, getting to taste a bit of everything that life has to offer in terms of physical fitness will give them to most enriching training experience and best prepare them for the real world
Conversely, different people find enjoyment in different things, and physicality is a form of self expression. For me, I find that being really strong in terms of exerting influence on the world around me, the kind of strength one would use in ripping a door off its hinges or pressing heavy weight over one's head, is the thing I want to be most capable of doing.
I looked at half of your title and automatically assumed you lost your marbles however,after watching this video i appreciate this new perspective.Thank you for this vid man.
WOW! Probably the best fitness video made this year! Great take on health and fitness! I couldn’t agree more!
Could not agree more with this, my friend. Very much appreciate this video and the idea behind it. I strongly encourage others to take care of all aspects of their fitness as best as possible
Glad you enjoyed it man!
Giving you some love as usual Alec 💪
Thank you good sir!
Very good video... I have been doing this for most of my life and often people criticised me for it but I guess I do it slightly differently, I am just trying to do it all. I run marathons, lift heavy and do boxing and aikido, a little of yoga and I am not sore long will be able to keep it up 😁 at my age. You did a good job explaining the concept and I absolutely believe in the "hybrid athlete" idea. Really good video.
Aw man. My favorite youtuber changed throughout time. You 100% are at the top of that list. This video just solidified that within the first 2 minutes.
Thanks brother. That means a lot!
I do a bit of everything,it makes it easier mentally too as there is always something to do that I enjoy and different goals I can aim for.
I totally agree with this video! At 54 years old, I no longer care about competing in anything. I just want to be fit and athletic, and ready for whatever life throws at me. I'm not the biggest and strongest guy around, but I can lift a reasonable amount. I'm not an ultra-runner, but I can put on snowshoes and a pack and spend the day hiking in the mountains. I'm not the fastest or the most explosive, but I can run, jump, throw heavy objects, and make my way over, under. or around obstacles as needed. I can push-start my Jeep if the starter fails, I can do physical labor in miserable conditions all day long, etc. Clearly my training will not make me the most jacked guy. the best powerlifter, or a "master" of any particular fitness genre, and that's just fine with me, because it is helping me do the things that are important to me.
I like this. What resources (obviously in addition to your channel) would you recommend to teach writing better-rounded workouts?
I both agree and disagree. Without specialization we wouldn't see the limits of the human body pushed to it's maximal level, specialization and or specificity equals progress and adaptation.
I prefer the term jack of all trades, master of one. I think it's absolutely great to have that one thing you're hyper focused on, but you also shouldn't ignore the other facets of your training either. This is why powerlifters do GPP blocks in their training, and cross country runners lift in the off-season. This is why even the top level strongman competitors do some occasional LISS cardio.
So I say yes you should specialize in one thing or another that you enjoy, but don't ignore your health either.
With me I enjoy training all styles, however everyone has their favourite thing, to me it’s not so much specialising more like just trying to see how far I can go on my favourite lift whilst still doing everything else, now granted if I were to “specialise” I may see better results on that specific lift, however my overall athleticism may go down, idk it’s a interesting argument Alec brings up, I wouldn’t consider myself a specialist but I do focus a specific lift for 4 months at a time then rotate to a new exercise that needs improving, I.E sprinting for me the next coming months, so I guess I utilise specialising to a degree, but I also am a hybrid in some cases, no where near to the degree of Alec, but to a place that I’m happy with my training and enjoying it
@@ScEscapism you could just put everything not needed on maintainance and specialize technique, slow reps, pauses, tempo rep, holds etc for your main lifts like Julius Maddox and Ray Williams(I think he specializes like this) do.
Good video, man. I really like your approach to this game we're all playing
Thanks bro. Glad you enjoyed it!
Hey Alec, I was wondering how you deal with bad weather that messes up your programming considering you do quite a bit outside when sprinting or doing loaded carries. Thanks in advance and keep up the awesome videos.
You are absolutely right man.
I love a channel with some actuall philosophy behind it, not just a mindless quest for clicks.
Thanks man! That means a lot.
Amazing video! This is what the end goal of fitness should be; an overall athletic lifestyle.
Glad you enjoyed it man!
@@EnkiriElite sent this video to my father who’s been a life long athlete. He wants to let you know that he completely agrees, and appreciates that you are trying to send this message to the younger generation (including his son haha)! I’d say you did great work Alec!
Great video brother❤
Loved this! Super inspirational
Nice message... this is something similar to what pillars of fitness guy is promoting and it rly is good message
Amazing Video! You and The Bioneer all promote this concept of training like a HYBRID Athlete, which I couldn't agree more
hyperspecialisation is for athletes
their goal is not health or longevity, but pushing the known limits of human ability
this can only be done because they are genetically BLESSED to do that sort of thing
the average person should be a jack of all trades. athletes are specialised because their entire purpose is different.
I tend to agree with this, unless you are competing or have specific goals. If you train just to train (get stronger, better shape, look better, ect...) I think this is on point.
I'm in the best shape probably ever been in and I weigh 170. Not 200 anymore back in bodybuilding/powerlifting days, however I can mountain bike 10x as far and my relative strength (weighted dips, weighted pullups, ect...) is about as strong as before. My heart is way healthier, much leaner, and I am much more versatile for sports.
Everyone has their own goals, but if you don't need a big bench, track your weight and progress in 20 exercises, not just 3-4. Btw, just got the weight vest, love it man!
+ you can aim to hit a pr almost everyday (Eric buganhagen style) as you rotate through exercises. That in itself gets me amped
I agree if you’re not playing a sport or trying to get good at a specific task ex: mma, boxing, kick boxing, calisthenics and even then I agree with being more well rounded. So if you were not training or wanting to get good at a specific sport or task then I’d separate training and even split 20%speed training, 20% strength training, 20%endurance training% 20 power training, & 20 bodybuilding (the percentages are just an example don’t take them literally lol) but if I was trying to get better at say mma I’d separate the percentages into 10%speed training, 30% strength training, 40%endurance training% 15% power training, & 5% bodybuilding (again these aren’t to scale just to show an example lol) but still striving for well roundedness and balance as much as possible (sports don’t really offer that but that’s the point, it’s a balancing act constantly and should be part of the fun and enjoyment of training)
Arthur Saxon continually cautioned against specialization in his books. He was of the opinion that even if you want to be the best at a particular lift as he was, you should train a wide variety of lifts instead of focusing on a few. Most old timers had similar opinions. I think only PEDs made it possible for powerlifters to successfully specialize to the degree that they do.
In modern day powerlifting the degree of hyperspecializiation is often ludicrous. But I'm talking even further than your point here! Outside of competition, I almost don't see the point of creating a strength specialty or endurance specialty, or anything like that anymore. So, imo, it goes beyond working a wide variety of different strength exercises, and instead moves into the realm of you should be perform strength work, explosive work, max velocity sprinting anaerobic sustained running, low intensity cardio, flexibility and mobility work, etc. All important physical qualities should be improved.upon at some point throughout the training year, where the average person is concerned. Is really what I was getting at here!
That's simply not true since having a good technique and motor pattern alone is worth way over 100kg (you could even argue 300kg+ cuz most can't do over 180 without good bracing) on squat and deadlift. The non-ped using ones are starting to do more assistance since they finally realized that to maintain muscle, muscle needs to be up there in the first place. The ped users don't need to care, just look at female body builders with their huge sartorius muscles
@@EnkiriElite I totally agree on the other points as well. I think everyone should be pursuing well-rounded athleticism. I particularly agree on Mobility it helps with strength so much why would you not try to increase it even if you don't care that much about being flexible. And if Mariusz Pudzianowski was constantly jogging, no one else has an excuse not to.
I was just making the point that even within strength specialization, a lot of lifters are probably actually hurting their performance even towards that limited goal by training like specialists. (Because most lifters today do train like powerlifting specialists to a certain degree.)
@@atlaspowershrugged oh yeah, I agree man. Gen pop lifters Train like powerlifters and powerlifters train like people who's house will have a curse put on it of they do anything other than the comp. style big 3
I think some people will disagree because they think you are addressing everyone with that, but when it comes to the average person who isn't looking to a specific sport as a career, i completely agree with you. take what you want from the specific sport when it suits you, and apply it functionally in your daily life.
I think the take home message from here is: if you don't do a specific sport for a living, you can but you don't need specificity for training, and eventually it's up to you. Solid video, bro. 💪
This is so true !! Not just in fitness, but education/knowledge and life in general :)
I'm 100% with your point.
This is my way of thinking about functional training actually. Strenght is functional. Power is functional. Speed and mobily are also functional. And if you train correctly, they tend to overlap. And idunno, but I think that, becoming a fully "functional" human being should be the purpose of fitness in general
Godspeed
I like to combine Olympic lifting, Arm wrestling and Grip training, strength/strongman and some type of cardio e.g. swimming, athletics etc. I don’t see why not.
Very informative, Coach. Hey in the workplace, specialization can be good. I'm a specialist ( software developer). for example :)
No it must be avoided at all costs!!!!
@@EnkiriElite In my opinion, the human race became so successful once there was enough resources for some people to specialize. We can't all be nuclear scientists, heart surgeons, lawyers, electricians at the same time. We have to specialize. I know I'm hyperboling here /s, I absolutely agree with your message in this video.
@@eventhorizon7234 Good luck bro.
I just want to let you know the full saying:
Jack of all trades, master of none. But better than a master of one.
So, technically the proverb supports what you're saying!
Kinda late, but MAN GOTTA LOVE THIS CONTENT!!!
Actually as a Late Novice myself i consider this to be my End Goal ! ..
that's why i feel Strong man stuff is the closest to this .. not really to compete but the idea of it .
i am training for looks only now ! but even tho i am following (Natural Hypertrophy steps) and he focuses on Bodybuilding , but i like his style of Bodybuilding is not just sitting on machines and never move !
it has Giant sets and building work capacity , and hope one day i'll graduate with my own program that has the concepts of his ideas + yours + Strong men like Alan Thrall and Brian Alsruhe and make up something great one day .
I principally concern myself with powerlifting, but lately, I've felt more of a need for variety. Those SBD workouts become quite repetitive after a while, so always fun to add some variety and do non-specific training. Never thought I'd say this, but something as simple as experimenting with sets of 12 reps while squatting and benching has been a breath of fresh air. And, ultimately, I'm just doing all of this for casual fun, because it's personally rewarding to me.
Literally the phrase is "a jack of all trades is a master of none but still better than a master of one". You can't just train for strength, or cardio, or any one thing.
I'm still a powerlifter, and I would consider myself specialised, but I still work in sprints and explosive lifts good amount. LISS cardio every day too. Great video.
I did not know the closing line actually! Haha thanks for commenting, and best of luck with your training!
Thoughts on combat sports? I’m an mma fighter who still trains with weights and sprints and even some runs occasionally
How do I start doing this and learn how to program hybrid training for myself
Couldn't agree more with all of this. Fast, strong, powerful, agile, endurance, flexible. Is this the type of training your programs provide?
That's the idea man!
I think part of the reason that people specialise is so that they can identify with something. It’s about being a group of like minded individuals be it bodybuilders, powerlifters etc.
That said, I agree with your message and am trying to become more of a generalist myself.
I think you may be correct in that assertion. People love being a part of groups!
That toxic oxytocin. Cliques are for high-schoolers.
I think the ultimate is to pick two complementary activities and then commit to both. So the benefits of variety with the conditioning and skill of specialization.
Would be interesting if you make a video on how to train like a hybrid athlete.
Alec I like the message of this video and I largely agree that strength, power, explosiveness, not to mention cardiovascular health, are all important components and shouldn’t be igored by someone who is trying to be healthy. However, don’t you think that some of us are genetically optimized for certain sports? Isn’t it better for someone to exercise in a particular style that they’re good at and optimized for their genetics, and perhaps dabble in other things to be well rounded, rather than force themselves to devote time to activities they don’t enjoy? It seems to me more likely that someone who enjoys a prticular work out modality is more likely to stick to an exercise routine than someone who is prescribed a wide array of different exercises from different sports, especially a beginner. I think overwhelming someone new with too much information can be detrimental and it’s more likely that person will just give up altogether rather than having that person focus on a particular goal at a time
I am not suggesting that someone try to improve everything at once. Thst would be silly. Periodization exists for a reason, and the message in this video does not apply to high level athletes or those striving to become world class athletes.
Alex is 100% on point. Even if you want one of the specializations train it for 4-8 months, then switch it up. Another good channel for this mindset is the bioneer.
Another reason to be a hybrid athlete is because it’s good to have a back up plan. Easiest example I can give is the pandemic. Now I was fine because I primarily do calisthenics but so many other guys lost all kinds of progress. The reason was because they no longer had access to their methods with weights and were not familiar with other types of training methods that could’ve helped them maintain or even gain progress.
It is one of the reasons why I admire John Grimek, not only was he an Olympic gymnast but also a bodybuilder. Even into his 1970s he could do many calisthenic moves and lift pretty heavy
That's why i love *Brian Alsruhe* style of training *Be more Dangerous* and ready for whatever life throws at u ..
They Alec - do you think a program like 5/3/1 would be good for a pro BJJ athlete training 6x per week?
There’s a minimum amount of strength that you need to completely mog the average guy. Any more than that is just your particular desire for greater strength. Much better to focus on multiple areas of general athletics.
Totally agree my friend. The more experienced I get the more apparent it becomes.
1/2/3/4 plate and you already mog the average guy. I'd like to mog the average gym-goer as well though.
@@muskoks5385 oh yeah by all means I understand. When you bench people’s deadlift it hits different
@@muskoks5385 in which case 2/3/4/5 would mog the average commercial gym goer lol. Ok the 2 plates ohp is way harder than the rest, so maybe just 3/4/5 and 185 ohp or something
@@shades4313 agreed. I think an upper body pull like the weighted chin up should be included as well though.
Awesome video man, love your Arabic tattoo as well
I would like to here you expand on how to achieve this. For example, you want to be well rounded, but at some point would it be wise to take 3 to 4 months to focus on one aspect of fitness and just maintain the others? I am speaking from experience as I strength train, do BJJ, and have a physically active job. So trying to do all 3 at once can be taxing, so I have found that focusing on either BJJ or strength for a few months has generated great results. What are your thoughts Alec?
The simple answer to your question is yes! I don't make this video under the guise that we should eschew proper periodization. In fact, under this concept, a properly periodized program becomes even more important! Emphasizing particular qualities of fitness throughout the training year and then cycling that emphasis periodically is the way to go.
Most of us, even if we entirely dedicate our lives to one particular specialization, will never achieve elite levels in that field. The VAST majority of us should be focusing on health, longevity, and enjoying the journey. Enjoyed this upload.
Obviously, do whatever you want if its helping you progress but yes ideally for the regular person just wanting to be in shape, I think you are correct on being well-rounded in all physical aspects will garner the best health outcomes. I personally just think although people do subscribe to certain training styles and diets(even dogmatic ones) its getting them in gym and more than likely having a better nutrition model than without it. This is all win in its own right so I wouldn’t necessarily attack it or tell them to do something different because most people can’t stand ambiguity, they need black and white, they need the “secret.”
Totally right im all about weight lifting, but im trying to work up to running 3 miles a day as well
My version of this is 5/3/1 or 5x5 3x aweek then 2x a week kettlebell workouts. running or boxing in the side
You might be the single best fitness youtuber bro.
I appreciate you bro. Thanks for sticking around!
The concept of the hybrid athlete reminds me of Jack Lalanne, a bodybuilder who was able to perform feats of skill, endurance, and strength.
Endurance?
How small he was?
@@user-by5cj8sw2m He wasn't a juiced up bloated monster like you see today. Bodybuilders back then were far more healthy in addition to being muscular, strong, and aesthetic. The endurance feats I'm talking about are him doing very high reps of push ups and pull ups, and swimming long distances while towing boats.
Man u got me all inspired and shit. Might have to stop skipping cardio
Great post.
UA-cam... where real content like this isn't as popular as some idiot taking 8 scoops of pre workout with energy drinks, to "see what happens", and nearly dying. Glad I found your channel!
Youre absolutely right. The hybrid way is the way to go for the vast majority of people no doubt
Petition for Alec to do a collab with The Bioneer!
Hope they'll discuss how to implement this method systematically!
I agree with you completely, but what’s an effective way to train? In phases until work capacity improves?
Deffinetly in multi year phases
After watching Bioneer I also started to train multiple types of athletics.
Outstanding points, man. Joint health is the key to maintaining strength, much better being a hybrid for 99.9% of us. Thanks for the vid bro.
The hybrid approach is great for most people, yet it's nice to see some people reaching the limit of each physical capacity separately
Before anyone tries to miscontrue his arguments (im pretty sure im late though), i recommend u guys to watch his video regarding periodization.
💯% As i write this im on my break at work, looking forward to pulling my sled then doing some Boxing 🥊 sparring to round out my training week, after doing heavy barbell stuff earlier in the week.
For longevity, within reason, this is essential.
Good to see ya over here J, whens u r fight scheduled for?
Agreed man! You really can't beat the sled can ya! One of the most valuable training tools there is
@@EnkiriElite I think it can help add in extra work/Hypertrophy which won't push my recovery over the edge, something unavoidable in the process of age.
@@ThePitPony can be used for hypertrophy, conditioning, strength, and even power. It keeps you moving, it's low risk, the learning curve is non-existent, and it's easy on the body! NOT saying it's a holy grail, and the beat results are seen in conjunction with proper barbell training, but goddammit, everyone should own and use one!
@@robcarter305 Its virtually impossible to find anyone in my age category that'll do it, other than ex pros whos skill (not punch power etc) would be too much at the moment unless I turned it into a 60 second brawl.
Well said 💪🏾
Thank you!
I like the jack of all trades idea because of something I call the 80/20 hypothesis. Essentially saying that you can resource efficiently make 80% progress into any given field and then the 20% progress beyond that will be resource inefficient (i.e. waste time, money, brain capacity) meaning it's not worth learning compared to other newer topics. Therefore making jack of all trades route the most desirable.
That's not true with working out tho as you should always do it anyway due to the hormonal benefit alone. Since you should anyway, might as well get good at something
@@mikeyvesperlick6982 "do it anyway" you'll have to elaborate
@@boxman_ninja0819 the hormonal gain, higher stress tolerance, better mitochondrias and more of them, saturation of satelite cells, higher brain respiration, co2 tolerance, brain plasticity due to motorn patter experience. It's barely not a "must do" realistically and you maintain every aspect but cardio quite easily once you maxed one out. (For hyperthrophy youd only do 7 sets, then pop 3-5 more on for strenght and choose exercises like the pancake good morning and just be in positions passively for flex. Cardio needs at least 3 hours a week tho and we are talking a lot of heart rate zone 4 here and a bit of 3) You really wouldn't need to spend more than 10 hours a week at a highest state by then realistically ever
@@mikeyvesperlick6982 this reads like a random Wikipedia page. You also didn't answer what I asked.
Thanks Alec! I’d like to run a half marathon later this year, any resources you can point me towards for balancing training with lifting? I’d like to put lifting on maintenance for 6-8 weeks while building up my running, I don’t need to build from nothing. Any and all help appreciated!
I'd go completely minimalist on the lifting...full body twice per week,.maintaining as best you can. And then I would put the rest of the resources into improving my running.
@@EnkiriElite thanks mate, that’s what I figured. It’s only for a short time anyway!
I actually subscribed to this channel because of this video.
I hope you enjoy the future content!
Great video. Tons of logic .
Thanks!
at the end of the day, it's about what you want to do. Yeah, for normal people that don't have any interest in becoming top of the world in some category (or unlocking their full personal potential in that category for that matter) then it's a pretty good idea. Depends on people's goals to be honest.
You are absolutely correct. Elite cross fitters get a whole lot right IMO to. I currently play minor league baseball and I have to somewhat be a specialist however I include elements of hybrid training just for overall life quality beyond the sport which in turn ends up helping my sport of choice. If I weren't playing I would absolutely train as a hybrid athlete 100% and likely it would be Crossfit or close to it. Its important to be able to sprint, jump, throw, cut and juke as well as be respectably strong and posses decent power if you are physically capable of doing that.
I've never understood why many people aspire to specialization rather than being well rounded everywhere. I grew up playing every sport (hockey, soccer, figure skating, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, badminton etc..) and even got into rowing for a few years in high school while playing other sports . I couldn't go through with going to Uni on a rowing scholarship to specialize for 4 years, the idea to me sounded awful. I have always felt better about being able to do everything above average compared to others who are only good at one thing. Loved the video and how you structure your arguments. Team hybrid athlete all the way!
ok i start practicing butterfly pull up from now on
Shots fired