Lifting heavy slows you down. Running endlessly burns through muscle. Most people only train in one modality and ATHX will punish whichever you neglect. This is your guide to balancing cardio and strength work to come out on top.
ATHX is the fastest growing mixed modality fitness competition coming out of the UK. Components are split across Strength, Endurance and Metcon. A 30-minute Strength block is designed to demonstrate an athlete's all out power through overhead press, Barbell squat and deadlifts. On the flip side, the second phase pushes endurance in the form of a run to row AMRAP, taking the strength athlete way out of their comfort zone. Finally, the METCON X zone delivers a combination of strength and endurance and as the final event it can make or break your whole race. This compounds both your strength and endurance fatigue with an all-out push featuring bodyweight movements such as box overs, burpees and heavy Exercise Sandbag carries.
With each consecutive exercise your fatigue stacks and efforts become more difficult. Your training leading up to the event highlights this for better or for worse.
Most people assume every ATHX training session has to include some cardiovascular work, some strength work and some HIIT, but in reality, every element should be trained in isolation. Conditioning should not compromise strength and strength should not compromise running. By batching fatigue you can hit intensities repeatedly, recover properly and see progression week on week. An early morning strength session with an evening zone 2 either running, on the Rowing Machine or on the ski machine is the perfect way to work your lower body. Doing your overhead work in the same session as a metcon means only one bout of recovery.
There is a commonly used saying in hybrid training that goes as such; if you train at 100% you need to recover at 150%. Prioritising getting between 6 and 8 hours of sleep per night and hitting 1.5-2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is a great place to start. Your progress is only built between the sessions, so the time spent away from training is as important as the time under the barbell.
Example ATHX Weekly Programme
3 Running sessions, mixing a variety of intensities from easy to intervals; 2 Full Body strength sessions that hit all of the strength components required of ATHX; and, 1 Mixed modality session working on the METCON X components of carries and bodyweight exercises.
This will give you a balanced training week, with a variety of intensities and enough time to recover between efforts. If you can arrange your training week to minimise crossover then you’re on the right track. To master ATHX you just need a few essentials and a structured plan.
Balancing isn’t about compromising half of your training for a sport. It is about your reward being the win at your next competition. By understanding your work capacity, your rhythm and your routine you will come out on top. By having the correct programme and kit, success is guaranteed!
Written by guest author Patrick Matthews from Summit Training Club.
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Tags: Exercise Type > Conditioning ; Exercise Type > Strength
