How to Create a Hybrid Workout

It’s Day 98 of Morning Meltdown 100 and you couldn’t be more excited. You feel amazing, you look amazing, and you’re starting to think, “What’s next?!”

Should you do a round of 6 Weeks of THE WORK with Amoila Cesar, or move on to Barre Blend with Elise Joan?

Or maybe you don’t have to choose — welcome to the Beachbody hybrid workout.

These combination programs take two or more workout regimens and schedule them together to create a whole new fitness challenge. Sounds amazing, right?

If done correctly, it can be. Believe it or not, there is a method to our madness here at Beachbody.

We take great care to design our programs in a way that maximizes results while minimizing the risk of overtraining and injury.

And if you follow the tips below, you can create your own unique hybrid workout schedule without jeopardizing those goals. Indeed, you can potentially reach a whole new level of fitness. Ready to get started? Read on.

How to Pick the Right Beachbody Programs for Hybridization

Creating an effective hybrid starts with smart program selection. That means not simply choosing a couple that “look good” at first glance.

A little research and some careful consideration go a long way here.

1. Get Familiar with the programs

Would you ever wake up one morning and decide to train with the Los Angeles Kings, knowing full well that you have no idea how to ice skate?

Of course not!

The same caution should extend to the creation of a hybrid workout schedule. In short, know what you’re getting yourself into.

We suggest you complete at least one round of one of your chosen programs before combining them to ensure that you are physically and mentally prepared for the added challenge that a hybrid workout schedule presents.

At the very least, preview (i.e., fast-forward through) the workouts in both programs to familiarize yourself with their content and structure.

2. Choose programs that are similar in difficulty

As fun as a Tai Cheng/6 Weeks of THE WORK hybrid sounds, the two programs were created for two very different fitness levels. If you’re a beginner, combining them might leave you frustrated — or worse, injured.

Alternatively, if you’re in stellar shape, you might not find the combo challenging enough to achieve the results you want.

The lesson here is to try to combine programs that are designed for the same fitness level.

3. Choose programs that offer compatible goals

If you want 17-inch biceps and legs like oaks, combining a muscle-building program like LIIFT4 with an extreme fat-loss program like INSANITY might set you up for failure.

Instead, select programs that have complementary goals.

The old adage of “Don’t try to sand and paint at the same time” was never truer than with hybrids.

Figure out what you want to accomplish, and then find two programs designed to help you achieve that objective.

4. Focus on intensity, not duration of programs and workouts

Deciding how long you want your new hybrid program to last is completely up to you.

Finding two or more programs that run for the same number of days (e.g., 21, 30, 60, or 90) makes scheduling easier, but it’s not necessary.

The same goes for the length of the workouts.

If you’re used to the 30- to 60-minute workouts of 80 Day Obsession, the shorter workouts in 22 Minute Hard Corps might seem like cheating — until you actually do one and find yourself sucking wind.

The key is to give every workout your all, regardless of how long it lasts.

How to Create Your Beachbody Hybrid Workout Schedule

Once you’ve identified the programs you want to combine, it’s time to hybridize them.

As you’ll see below, there are a few different ways to do that, but regardless of which one you choose, follow these three basic guidelines:

1. Schedule at least one day of recovery each week.

2. Do not target the same primary muscle group in back-to-back workouts. In other words, if you do P90X Chest & Back on Tuesday, Wednesday should not be Body Beast Build: Back.

3. Avoid scheduling a lower-body day next to a plyometric style workout. Your legs will thank you.

Option 1: The flip-flop method

The “flip-flop” method goes back to Beachbody’s roots and the original Power 90. The premise for that program was to alternate between cardio and full-body resistance workouts for 90 days to torch fat and build lean mass (a.k.a. muscle).

Not only is such a strategy effective for increasing both strength and cardiovascular fitness, but it’s also simple to schedule and helps minimize your risk of overtraining and injury.

So if you were going to create a hybrid program using 21 Day Fix Real-Time and SHAUN WEEK: INSANE FOCUS, your first week might look something like this one:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Pure Cardio (SW)	Upper Fix (21 Day Fix)	Speed 4.0 (SW)	Lower Fix (21 Day Fix)	Dig Deep (SW)	Rip Sanity (SW)	Yoga Fix (21 Day Fix)

Option 2: The “trading places” method

Possibly the simplest option, this method entails following one program but swapping in similar workouts from another program.

For example, if you wanted to do a second round of P90X, you could swap its cardio and plyometric workouts for those from another program, like The Master’s Hammer and Chisel:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Chest & Back, Ab Ripper X	Hammer Plyometrics	Shoulders & Arms, Ab Ripper X	Yoga X	Legs & Back, Ab Ripper X	Chisel Cardio	Rest or X Stretch

Which hybridization option is best? That depends entirely on you and your individual preferences. Indeed, a much better question is “Which option appeals to you the most?”

That’s the one you should try first, as it offers the greatest chance of keeping you motivated.

Whatever option you choose, be sure to follow the nutrition plan that comes with one of the programs in your hybrid.

Working out provides the stimulus for change, but to optimize your results, you have to fuel your transformation with smart eating and targeted nutrition.

When it comes to building muscle and burning fat, what you do in the kitchen is just as important as what you do in your home gym.