I’m Committing to the hybrid athlete life in 2025
2025, the year of the Supertotal!
The Supertotal combines the five key barbell lifts of Weightlifting + Powerlifting: Snatch, Clean and Jerk, Squat, Bench, and Deadlift. AND to make it more interesting for me, the year I get back into conditioning (AKA cardio).
So Why Do I want to do this..
Because I get to combine all the things I enjoy doing. I’ll get to build strength, continue to master the weight lifts, and challenge my fitness. I get to put my coaching & sport science hat on and play tetris with all the training variables to manage and optimise my training & progress. And I am able to combine all the best things and have a lot of FUN doing so.
𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚’𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙄’𝙢 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 & 𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚, 𝙩𝙤 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙮𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜:
𝟭. 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙇𝙒𝘼𝙔𝙎 𝙖 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨
Training SMART & training HARD is key. I’ve spent enough time working on my lifting technique to know my body is prepared for the incoming volume & intensity. But, with anything new, managing the load whilst you focus on nailing the skill should always be the focus.
Yep - I want to PB all my lifts by the end of my training block - but I also know consistent sub-maximal practice (~70-85% of 1RM), and prioritising quality reps is the key to getting these PB’s. There will be a time for lifting at higher %’s, and maxing out, but 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 doesn’t always mean heavy training or training to failure - training with focus & intent, holding yourself accountable to the best quality reps, managing your rest periods, prioritising ……. managing your mindset, refocusing on ‘off’ days or after missed lifts - are all factors that count towards 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, and it’s important to know the difference.
𝟮. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙚, 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮
Yep - squats, deadlifts, snatches, leg presses, running, lunges, rower, bench, clean & jerks, leg extensions... ALL the things are in the program. So appropriate training day splits, exercise order, volume (i.e. total workload; sets × reps × weight or distance), and intensity (i.e., %1RM, RPE, pace) is key
Alongside this is ensuring I get adequate recovery is non-negotiable. This means planning out my week of sessions ahead of time, so that I can ensure I’m rested enough from session to session, especially on days with double sessions. This also means scheduling at least 1 full rest day, prioritising my sleep, and ensuring I'm eating enough to fuel my sessions and my body.
𝟯. 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙
I know myself well enough to predict that committing to one conditioning session per week will be manageable on my own. However, when it comes to hitting that second session consistently - especially in the early weeks - I know I may not be as motivated or disciplined as I am with my strength training/lifting. So, each week I'll book this in with a friend so that we will both get it done, and have some fun doing it
Having a training buddy brings a layer of accountability that’s hard to replicate on your own. It’s easy to skip a session when no one else is counting on you, but when you’ve scheduled it with someone, it becomes a commitment. Plus, cardio sessions feel a lot more enjoyable when you have someone to push you, and share the grind with. To make this work, I’ll prioritise scheduling these sessions in advance, and be really flexible with the structure of these sessions - sometimes it's a run outdoors, Cool. Sometimes it’s a structured HIIT piece, Nice. Sometimes it’s a quick 30 minute in and out YGIG piece, brilliant. This approach ensures I’m not being too rigid in the programming, but still staying consistent with my conditioning goals and getting fit!
𝟰. 𝘽𝙚 𝙤𝙠𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣
My body is well-conditioned for lifting - squats, snatches, machine work - they are all familiar territory. But I haven't run properly in about 6 years and I'm sitting 20ish Kgs heavier than I was back when I was running consistently. So, I went in expecting to pull up a little sore after my first few runs - my knees, ankles, and achilles were likely to let me know they weren’t used to this kind of impact anymore... But nothing to freak out about, because honestly I was mentally ready for this. I reminded myself that this discomfort is a normal part of the conditioning/adaptation process and went in with the plan to manage the load/intensity of my runs as my body allows.
Being ready for this helped me avoid the panic or discouragement that can sometimes come with those initial aches and pains. And surprisingly 2-3 weeks in and the body seems to have adapted & Im not feeling any joint soreness anymore (this was actually much quicker than I expected) - so I am confident to start increasing my running volume slightly, adding a bit more time or distance to each session. It’s not about avoiding pain altogether; it’s about understanding the difference between productive discomfort and a signal to back off, and trusting the process to carry you through.
𝟱. 𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨
I have big goals, and I want to make progress in EVERYTHING. I am confident I can make that happen - but I'm heading in expecting some things to progress more, and faster than other things. Based on my previous 5-6 years of training, strength vs. conditioning progress rates are going to differ, so I’m being realistic about goals, and the timeframes for testing progress. I'll adjust my training accordingly each block to ensure my expectations are met as best as possible, but am ready to be flexible with this reality.
Stepping into 2025 fully committed to the hybrid athlete life - combining powerlifting, weightlifting, and conditioning - means I’m committing to becoming the ultimate Supertotal athlete. I’m keen to master multiple disciplines—all while getting strong AF, fitter than ever, having fun and enjoying the process.
If this resonates with you and you’re ready to unlock your potential, I’d love to help you get there. Reach out to me for coaching, and let’s map out your hybrid athlete life.
-Coach Brooke
