From Centaur to Ligerxy: The Evolution of Hybrid Training

Bred for its skills in magic.

If you’ve been training with us for a while, you know we don’t chase trends — we chase results.

We just wrapped up Centaur, our last training cycle, built around the original Hybrid 1.0 structure: full weeks of strength, then full weeks of conditioning. And y’all crushed it. (Seriously — updated results from Centaur will be in the group chat once testing wraps.)

But we also learned a thing or two about practicality. While the 1.0 format worked really well for progress, it was a little less forgiving in real life. If you were sick, traveled, or just had a wild week at work, you could miss an entire type of stimulus — and that’s tough. Especially when you’re trying to follow a structured program.

Enter: Hybrid 2.0 — the evolution. The same workouts. Same volume. But alternating strength and metcon days each week instead of full week blocks. WOD Science ran this model with ~100 participants, and the results? Fire.

So we’re bringing it to PUSH. And we’re calling it...

Introducing: Ligerxy

Half lion. Half tiger. Half sexy. Somehow still 100%.

We said we couldn’t live up to the Liger legacy. Then you went and proved us wrong.

The way you all attacked Centaur — the progress, the consistency, the PRs — made it impossible not to run it back. So here we are.

This next cycle is built on the Hybrid 2.0 model — alternating strength and conditioning days, with a recovery-focused Thursday. It’s still progressive, still challenging, but now more reachable for those juggling work, travel, life, and the occasional bender.

Ligerxy officially kicks off Monday, August 19 and runs for 10 total weeks — bookended by structured testing in Weeks 1 & 2, and again in Weeks 9 & 10.

We’re not slamming you with five max-effort tests all at once. Instead:

• Week 1: Two tests — Wednesday & Friday

• Week 2: Final three tests — Monday through Wednesday

• Weeks 3–8: Focused hybrid training

• Week 9: Retest the first two workouts — same days as Week 1

• Week 10: Retest the final three — same days as Week 2

This mirrored format gives us better data, smoother pacing, and way fewer “why do my quads hate me?” moments. You'll build momentum going in — and see how far you've come going out.

What’s New in This Cycle?

Training Structure:

• Monday: Conditioning

• Tuesday: Strength

• Wednesday: Conditioning

• Thursday: Mixed Modal Flush (not just machines — think sustainable effort and pacing)

• Friday: Strength

You’ll see all key movement patterns and energy systems each week, while still respecting CNS recovery and movement intention.

The Five Tests:

We’re pulling some tests directly from the WOD Science study and adding our own flair. These are our benchmarks for Ligerxy:

• 5RM Back Squat

• 1RM Overhead Squat

• Open 14.4 – rowing, toes-to-bar, wall balls, cleans, ring muscle-ups

• 7-min Max Burpees → 1000m Row – a real dong knocker

• WOD Science Functional Test – an EMOM of thrusters and burpees that increases in weight and pace until you cry (or fail)

The last three are from the study. The first two are our own additions to match similar CNS and strength demands — without repeating CrossFit Total or Clean & Jerk from last cycle.

Strength work will be built off your 5RM Back Squat, using elements of the Texas Method — alternating weekly between 5RM attempts and 5x5 at a calculated percentage. Classic. Effective. Not full-Texas, but spicy enough.

A Quick Recap of the Study: Hybrid 2.0

WOD Science ran two groups for 8 weeks (not including test weeks):

• Traditional: classic CrossFit format (strength + metcon in every session, 1x weekly Zone 2)

• Hybrid 2.0: alternating strength and metcon days (also 1x weekly Zone 2)

Workouts and volume were identical — only the structure changed.

The Results: Same Inputs. Better Outputs.

Conditioning:

Open 14.4 improvement

• Men: +6.3% (Hybrid) vs. +2.6% (Traditional)

• Women: +12.6% (Hybrid) vs. +1.6% (Traditional)

• 63% of Hybrid athletes improved fitness by over 5%, vs. 55% in the traditional group.

Strength:

CrossFit Total

• Men: +3.5% (Hybrid) vs. +3.0% (Traditional)

• Women: +5.8% (Hybrid) vs. +4.7% (Traditional)

Strength improved in both groups — and while it wasn’t as sensitive to structure as conditioning (as seen in Hybrid 1.0), the Hybrid group still saw slightly more progress across the board, likely due to fewer mixed-modal fatigue factors getting in the way.

The Experience Factor

One trend held steady from Hybrid 1.0: the more experienced the athlete, the smaller the improvement. WOD Science found a moderate negative correlation (r = -0.4) between training hours and performance gains. Translation: “r” is a math-y way to measure relationships between two things. It ranges from +1 to -1 — with negative numbers meaning as one thing goes up (like training volume), the other goes down (like how much progress you make).

That’s not a bad thing. It’s just how adaptation works. When you’re new, progress comes fast. But once those early gains taper off, structure, recovery, and intentional programming matter even more to keep the needle moving.

Which Hybrid Is Better?

Let’s lay it out:

Test	Hybrid 1.0 (Week-to-week split)	Hybrid 2.0 (Every-other-day split)
CrossFit Total	+0.8%	+3.5% (men), +5.8% (women)
Clean & Jerk	+3.0%	+3.5% (men), +5.8% (women)
Fran	+2.8%	Not tested
2k Row	+1.8%	Not isolated, but rowing included in 14.4 and burpee→row
Functional Test	Not tested	Thruster + Burpee EMOM to failure
Fitness Gains Overall (Hybrid vs. Traditional)	~3.0% avg improvement (vs. 1.5%)	~6.2% avg improvement (vs. 3.0%)
% Improving >5%	55%	63%
Duration	8 weeks	8 weeks
Participants	38	~100
Structure	Week 1 Strength / Week 2 Conditioning	Alternating Strength & METCON Days
Practicality	Harder to follow if life happens	Highly usable in real-world settings

Note: While “2x faster” from Hybrid 1.0 sounds impressive, it was 3% vs. 1.5%. Hybrid 2.0 averaged ~6% improvements, with higher participation and accessibility.

Combo Training Is Fine. But It’s Not the Goal.

Let’s be clear: combining strength and conditioning in a single class has never been wrong. But don’t look at training through the lens of right vs. wrong — look at it through efficient vs. inefficient.

Combo-style days were born out of practicality. Coaches crammed as much into 60 minutes as possible so you’d leave feeling like you hit everything. And for general fitness? That works.

But if you’re always trying to do everything, you rarely get the chance to do anything really well.

CrossFit is about being a generalist — not a specialist — but that doesn’t mean you should settle for “good enough” across the board. If your workouts always feel like a sampler platter, don’t be surprised when progress stalls.

Structure gives your body a chance to adapt. It creates space to build strength, develop skills, and push your engine — without competing for the same energy systems at once.

So no, combo training isn’t the villain. But if you feel plateaued — like you’re just touching things instead of improving them — it might be time to shift your strategy.

Think of it like hot sauce: incredible in the right context. But dump it on every meal and you’re just numbing your face…

and putting your b-hole on red alert.

What We Recommend (Still)

• Separate by purpose, not just muscle group. Alternate strength and conditioning to get the most out of each.

• Give each day a focus. Don’t stack five priorities into one workout.

• Use RPE to manage intensity. Not every day should feel like an Open announcement.

• Zone 2 matters. Low intensity, high reward.

• Test less often, track more carefully. When 85% feels like 70%, that’s real progress.

• Experienced athletes need more structure. Quality over quantity.

• Mash-up sessions are a tool. Use them when it makes sense — not as your guiding light.

Final Word

This new Ligerxy cycle is built on research, real-world practicality, and the relentless drive we’ve seen from you all. It still feels like classic CrossFit — strength, conditioning, and a midweek flush — but now with a smarter spine and clearer intention.

Show up consistently, and you’ll hit all the right lifts, energy systems, and adaptations every week — even when life throws curveballs. Miss too many days, though? You’re not really following a program — you’re just working out randomly. Still better than the couch, but don’t expect the same results.

The good news? You already proved you can crush this format.

So commit. Follow the flow. Track your lifts. Retest. And let’s find out if your hybrid training has skills — you know, like nunchuck skills… bowhunting skills… thruster + burpee EMOM skills.

Stay Dope.