Psychological studies show that our motivation is strongest when three needs are met: autonomy, competence, and connection. Group fitness, by nature, fulfills those needs in addition to providing you tangible results and benefits. Surrounded by peers, encouragement, and a sense of accountability, participants tap into the psychology of belonging. Suddenly, the effort isn’t just about burning calories; it’s about being part of something bigger.

While training solo builds discipline, training in a group taps into something deeper: the innate human drive to rise to the level of those around us. Group fitness classes harness social psychology, through energy, accountability, and collective intensity, to unlock performance you might not reach alone.

Your energy to hit the gym is flatlining, your routine is getting more stale by the day, and most importantly, your results have plateaued, so you have officially decided to succumb to all of the hype, and attend a local group fitness class at one of the big boutique gyms in your area. Here comes the most difficult part: how do I know which classes are for me?

Finding the group fitness class experience that works for you is truly the hardest part because you want to find the perfect fit that works for your schedule, your budget, and your goals. Like Cinderella and the glass slipper, but for athletes.

Although I have not covered them all, I wanted to give you a general overview of some of the heavy hitters in the group fitness industry right now, so you have somewhere to start.

Barry’s:

Website: Barrys.com

Founded in 1998 in West Hollywood, California by Barry Jay, John Mumford, and Rachel Mumford

Summary: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes in a “Red Room” setting — dark studio, red lights, loud music. Classes mix treadmill/cardio intervals + strength training. Fast-paced with minimal rest periods.

Class Length: 50 minutes

Ideal for: Athletes and fitness enthusiasts seeking intense cardio and strength workouts.

Difficulty: 5/5

Cost: Membership plans vary by market and location, but there are monthly memberships in addition to class packs of 10 and 20 classes. Drop-in/ single class rate is about $30, depending on the studio.

Location: Over 90 studios globally, across 15 countries, with new U.S. cities planned and growing throughout the year.

Solidcore:

Website: solidcore.co

Founded in November 2013 by Anne Mahlum. First studio in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

Summary: Full-body strength training classes using a custom reformer-style resistance machine; time-under-tension with focus on muscle fatigue.

Class Length: 50 mins

Ideal for: Those desiring a challenging, low-impact strength workout targeting muscle endurance.

Difficulty: 4/5

Cost: Class packs available in addition to monthly memberships that allow unlimited access. Drop-in rate is between $35-$45 per class.

Location: There are over 150 studios in the U.S.

F45:

Website: f45training.com 

Founded in Australia

Summary: Branded as a “functional 45” minute workout, it focuses on group training combining cardio, resistance, and hybrid days. Designed to accommodate different fitness levels, with trainers in class to guide, modify, and correct form.

Class length: 45 mins.

Ideal for: Those looking for varied, team-based workouts with a focus on functional movements.

Difficulty: 4/5

Cost: Typical range for unlimited membership is somewhere between $140–$300/month in many U.S. locations. There are class packs available and drop-in or single class cost tends to be under $30, depending on the studio.

Location: Over 800 studios in the U.S. and present in over 60 countries.

OrangeTheory Fitness:

Website: orangetheory.com

Founded in 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida by Ellen Latham, Jerome Kern, and David Long.

Summary: Workouts mix cardio (treadmill, rowing) and strength training, usually in intervals. Classes use heart-rate monitoring and data tracking to help participants stay in target zones (especially the “orange” zone).

Class Length: 60 mins.

Ideal for: Individuals aiming to learn basic technique, improve endurance, strength, and power with personalized intensity levels.

Difficulty: 3/5

Cost: Membership plans at OTF work in tiers (basic, elite, or premier) with drop-in classes hovering around $35, depending on the location and market.

Location: Over 1400 studios in the United States, in addition to global locations in over 20 countries.

SoulCycle:

Website: soul-cycle.com 

Founded in 2006 by Elizabeth Cutler, Julie Rice, and Ruth Zukerman in New York City. The first studio opened on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Summary: Primarily indoor cycling (“spin”) classes with high energy, heavy music, dim lighting, motivational coaching. Bikes are stationary; riders often use hand weights and do core work, stretching.

Class Length: Standard ride length is about 45 minutes. There are 30-minute classes (“Soul30”) in many locations. Special/longer rides (60-90 min) occasionally offered.

Ideal for: Individuals seeking a full-body cardio workout with a motivational environment.

Difficulty: 3/5

Cost: Class packs available in addition to subscription style memberships that give riders unlimited access. Drop-in rate varies from $35-$45 per class.

Location: There are about 60 studios in the U.S. and have expanded to Canada and the UK.

Rumble:

Website: rumbleboxinggym.com 

Founded in 2017 in New York City.

Summary: In this high-energy, club-like atmosphere, Rumble is a boxing based HIIT class, utilizing punching bags, dumbbells, and cardio conditioning.

Class Length: 45 mins

Ideal for: Fitness enthusiasts interested in boxing techniques integrated with strength conditioning.

Difficulty: 4/5

Cost: Class packs available in addition to monthly memberships that allow unlimited access. Drop-in rate is between $35-$45 per class.

Location: There are over 100 studios in the U.S, with more than 385 licensed locations across four countries.

7 Steps You Need To Take To Find The Perfect Group Fitness For You

There are many amazing group fitness options, even local options provide some amazing workouts and camaraderie, but these are a few of the names that you’ll hear most often. Although it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the amount of choices and decisions, here is an easy path to success in finding the class that works for you.

Step 1: Identify Your Primary Goal

Decide what you want to achieve: fat loss, strength gain, endurance, muscle toning, stress relief, or community/connection.

• Strength & muscle endurance: Solidcore, Barry’s
• Cardio/endurance: SoulCycle, Orangetheory
• Functional fitness & variety: F45
• Boxing skills + full-body conditioning: Rumble

Step 2: Assess Your Current Fitness Level

Be honest about your experience and capacity. Some classes are high-intensity and fast-paced:

• Beginner-friendly: Orangetheory (customizable intensity), SoulCycle
• Intermediate/Advanced: Barry’s, Solidcore, Rumble, F45
• If you’re new to fitness, look for studios offering beginner or foundation classes.

Step 3: Evaluate Class Format & Environment

Consider what motivates you: music, energy, coaching style, group size.

• Music-driven, high-energy: SoulCycle, Barry’s
• Data-tracking & structured: Orangetheory
• Small group strength-focused: Solidcore
• Boxing-inspired: Rumble
• Variety & team-based HIIT: F45

Step 4: Check Practical Factors

• Location & accessibility: Closest to home/work?
• Schedule: Can you commit to classes regularly?
• Cost: Drop-in vs membership; compare value per month/class.
• Membership flexibility: Packages, unlimited options, or per-class pricing.

Step 5: Try Intro or Trial Classes

• Most studios offer discounted first-class experiences or trial packs.
• Attend multiple styles if possible to see which environment and workout style you enjoy most.

Step 6: Consider Long-Term Motivation

• Ask yourself: Will I enjoy this consistently?
• Social connection often boosts adherence: studios with strong community aspects (SoulCycle, F45, Orangetheory) can improve consistency.

Step 7: Make a Choice and Track Progress

• Pick a studio or style that aligns with your goals, fitness level, and lifestyle.
• Track your progress—both physical results and enjoyment—so you can adjust if needed.

With that said, scope out the scene in your local market, head into the studio and sign up for a trial class (many brands will offer you a free introductory class before signing up) and see the vibe in person. My advice is always, in the gym and in life, start before you’re ready. As adults, we tend to stay in environments where we are constantly comfortable and high-achieving, but sometimes these experiences allow us to stop seeing new things as a “challenge”, and start seeing them as an “opportunity”.

Combining the words “strength” and “easy” sounds like an oxymoron. Whether demonstrating, showing, or practicing strength, the word ‘easy’ doesn’t usually come to mind. Necessary, yes; easy, no. The Easy Strength 40-day program was created by Pavel Tsatsouline and popularized by Dan John, both of whom suggest that strength is easy to achieve.

How can strength be easy? The easy parts of this 40-day program are choosing the exercises and weights you will use. You pick only five exercises: a hinge, a press, a pull, a power move, and a core exercise. Then you select a weight you can lift easily because the goal here is to never miss a rep throughout these 40 days.

But is it really that easy? Here, I’ll delve into the details of the Easy Strength program to determine if it is the right fit for you.

Easy Strength Program Origins

When Dan John first contemplated Easy Strength, it wasn’t a fancy new system; it was a return to the basics. The idea originates from the Russian approach, which views strength as a trainable skill. Instead of maxing out, you repeat the same handful of big lifts often, keep the reps low, and always leave the gym feeling like you could’ve done more.

John teamed up with Pavel Tsatsouline, the kettlebell legend, to put these ideas into the book Easy Strength: How to Get a Lot Stronger Than Your Competition—and Dominate in Your Sport—published in 2011.

This book popularized the “40 workouts” approach: pick five movements, train them almost daily, never grind to failure, and watch your numbers creep up almost effortlessly. The beauty of it? You get stronger without crushing yourself. That’s why the two strength icons designed Easy Strength for athletes who needed more horsepower in the weight room but couldn’t afford to limp into practice. Now it is a go-to for lifters who want a sustainable strength program.

Easy Strength Program Guidelines

You do five movements in straight set fashion for five workouts per week over eight weeks. The exercise choice is as follows.

• The Hinge: You choose from a Conventional deadlift, Romanian deadlift, Trap bar deadlift, or Suitcase deadlift.
• The Press: Your choices are from these barbell bench press variation, dumbbell floor press, overhead press, or push press.
• The Pull: The following choices are available—pull-up or chin-up, inverted row, face pull, cable row, and lat pulldown.
• Power movements: Include the kettlebell swing, kb snatch, jump squat, jump lunges, and med-ball slams.
• Core: Ab rollouts, Russian twists, dead bugs, and hanging knee raises.

The exercise order is as follows:

1. Hinge
2. Press
3. Pull
4. Power
5. Core

You do two sets of five reps for the first three exercises, resting at least two minutes between sets. The point is to choose your weight conservatively and not work as hard as possible, because you’ll repeat it again and again. Yes, you want to lift with effort, but there are no missing reps or lifting to failure.

For the power movements, you’ll perform 20 to 50 reps, breaking it up as you see fit. For example, if you do kettlebell swings, you’ll perform either two sets of 10,15, 20, or 25 reps. The core movement consists of one set of five repetitions.

Who is Easy Strength Program For?

If your primary goal is building muscle, or if you love chasing PRs, Easy Strength is not for you. It’s about steady, almost boring progress, not big pumps or ego-lifting.

Here’s who benefits most from this program:

Lifters Who Need a Break From The Grind

If you’ve already built a strength base but feel burned out by high-volume training, Easy Strength is a breath of fresh air. The low reps and submaximal loading allow you to rebuild your strength groove without frying your nervous system.

Athletes With Competing Demands

The program helps athletes build strength while staying fresh for practice. Football players, grapplers, or anyone involved in sport-specific training will find the daily, low-fatigue routine keeps them sharp in the weight room and prepared for game day.

Busy Adults Who Want Strength

Not everyone has time or recovery capacity for hour-long workouts. Easy Strength is well-suited for lifters with demanding jobs, families, or unpredictable schedules, as it delivers consistent progress with workouts that rarely exceed 40 minutes.

Older Lifters Looking for Longevity

Because the program avoids grinding sets, failure, and unnecessary fatigue, it’s joint-friendly and sustainable. Lifters in their 40s and 50s, often excel in this style, achieving steady strength gains without overexertion.

Pros & Cons of Easy Strength

There is no such thing as the perfect program; just a better time to do the program, depending on where you are on your lifting journey. Here’s a pro and con list so you can enter this program with eyes wide open.

Pros of Easy Strength

• Conservative Loading: You only increase weight when it feels easy. There’s no grind, no missed reps, and no ego lifting. This no-grind approach keeps recovery smooth while still stacking steady progress.
• Decision-Free Training: Once you lock in your five movements, there’s no mental energy wasted on “what should I do today?” You walk in, get it done, and move on with your day.
• Grooves Good Technique: Repeating the same movements for 40 sessions sharpens form. If something feels off, you’ll notice—and fix it, because you know exactly what good reps feel like.
• Short, Manageable Sessions: Most workouts clock in around 35–40 minutes. Compared to long hypertrophy or powerlifting sessions, that’s a time win.

Cons of Easy Strength

• Frequency Barrier: Training five days per week for eight weeks isn’t realistic for everyone. Even if sessions are short, that’s still a significant time commitment.
• Beginners May Struggle with Load Selection: Knowing how much weight to start with and when to increase it is a skill that requires practice and experience. Advanced lifters usually nail this. Beginners? Not so much.
• Lack of Variety: Performing the same five lifts for 40 workouts can lock in technique, but it can also become stale. If you thrive on variety, the monotony may turn training into a grind.
• Risk of Overuse: While the loads are conservative, repeating the same movement patterns often carries a small risk of overuse irritation—especially if your recovery isn’t on point.

40 Day East Strength Workout Example

Having completed this program last year, choosing your starting weight on day one can be tricky. My advice is to set aside your ego and not think about what you usually lift for five reps. If there’s the slightest struggle with your first set of five, take some weight off the bar. There is plenty of time to put it back on again.

Ensure you keep track of the loads you lift and how they feel, so you know when to increase the weight. Happy lifting.

1. Trap-Bar Deadlift
2. Barbell Bench Press
3. Weighted Chin Ups
4. KB Swings Or Med Ball Slams
5. Ab Rollout

That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Overrated lifts are always a heated topic. One person’s overrated exercise could be someone else’s favorite—different strokes for different folks.

So why go here and stir the pot? Just because an exercise is popular or it gets someone jacked doesn’t mean it’s always effective — or right for you. Some lifts get their importance overblown, while others pose more risk than reward, particularly when your goal is to improve performance and build muscle and strength.

Here I am, joined by four coaches as we analyze 10 overrated lifts that might be holding you back or even hurting you. We’ll provide swaps that build muscle, protect your joints, and deliver results.

Why Some Lifts Are More Popular Than Others

With the combination of Gym Bro’s and Social Media, hype travels faster than results. Before you add an exercise to your program, consider why some lifts blow up online — and why they don’t consistently deliver the goods.

Social Media’s Obsession

If an exercise looks complicated, explosive, or extreme, it catches attention. But popularity doesn’t mean it’s more effective. Some provide less muscle-building stimulus than their simpler, proven alternatives.

Copying Without Context

Olympic lifters, pro bodybuilders, and CrossFit competitors often train in ways that don’t suit your goals, mobility, or experience. Elite athletes can get away with certain lifts because they have years of technique, coaching, and recovery strategies backing them up.

Function vs. Flex Appeal

Some lifts get overblown because they “look” impressive, not because they’re effective. Kipping Pull-ups anybody? The best exercises aren’t always Instagram-worthy. If a lift doesn’t help you get stronger, build muscle, or enhance your power and movement, you’re wasting valuable workout time.

The 10 Most Overrated Lifts

Overrated means rated or valued too highly. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do these exercises, but consider their importance next time you include them in your workout. I encourage you to keep an open mind because the goal is to continue lifting injury-free for years.

Barbell Good Morning

The barbell good morning is a pure hip hinge movement that trains the lower back, hips, and hamstrings, known as the posterior chain. But according to Gareth Sapstead (MSc CSCS), a renowned physique training specialist, it’s a lower back tweak waiting to happen.

“Most people are not built, coached, or braced well enough to pull them off safely — especially under load, ”explains Sapstead. But Sapstead’s real problem with the Good Morning isn’t with its performance, specifically its biomechanics.

“You’re placing a long lever arm (the torso) out in front of the lower back, causing a huge increase in shear forces on your lumbar spine—that’s the sliding, grinding kind of force your discs hate,” says Sapstead.

If you’re not bracing like a world-class powerlifter and have years of experience under the bar, the risk-to-reward ratio of the barbell good morning becomes questionable. Sapstead recommends doing RDLs and Reverse Hyperextensions, which target the posterior chain, allow for better control of the load, and are more forgiving on the lower back.

Belt Squats

Belt squats are all the rage for those who build up their quads while reducing lower back stress, and it does those things, so what is my issue? While the belt squat is a solid exercise, its execution isn’t always straightforward.

First, the setup isn’t universal. Not every gym has a dedicated belt squat machine, and rigging one with a dip belt and plates is awkward and has many moving parts. Depending on your height and body type, the belt might dig into your hips and lower back, causing discomfort or chafing.

Second, many setups limit your squat depth, especially when the weight stack or plates stop you before you reach full range. Without full depth, you’re not maximizing quad recruitment—and in some cases, you’re better off with an alternative.

A few alternatives include sissy squats, which require no equipment, and the dreaded Bulgarian split squats, which both focus on the quads and are easier on the lower back.

American Kettlebell Swing

The American swing looks badass because you’re taking the kettlebell overhead instead of stopping at chest height. While extending the range of motion might look cool, the overhead finish comes with trade-offs most lifters don’t consider.

If you lack excellent shoulder mobility and a decent level of skill, forcing the bell overhead can compromise your shoulders and lower back, explains Dr. Bo Babenko, DPT.

“Most folks lack the skill and shoulder mobility to do these. I see a lot of lower back and shoulder issues from poor technique with these, “ Babenko explains.

Furthermore, the extended ROM doesn’t always lead to better results—you’re spending more time controlling the bell overhead and bringing it back down without increasing glute and hamstring engagement or power output.

Isn’t that the point of the swing? For most lifters, the obvious alternative would be the Russian kettlebell swing, which stops at chest height and maximizes hip hinge power. You can also try a kettlebell snatch, which offers a smoother, more controlled overhead path.

Build power from the hips, not the hype.

Burpees

Burpees are a go-to move for fat loss, conditioning, and “hardcore” workouts. They have you breathing hard, muscles burning, and yourself suffering. It’s got to work, right?

Wrong.

Most people rush through burpees, turning them into a sloppy mix of a push-up and uncontrolled squat jump.

According to Sapstead, “Burpees deliver very little in return for what they take from your body It’s a stitched-together mess of a half-hearted push-up, a floppy, uncontrolled plank, and a rushed squat jump with bad landing mechanics. It’s just fatigue for the sake of fatigue.”

It’s not only pointless, but Sapstead adds that burprees can at times be dangerous as well.

“You’re compressing your spine when you flop down,” he says. “You’re slamming your knees on every landing. And your shoulders take a beating from unstable, fatigued push-ups.

Sapstead suggests two safer and more effective alternative routines:

Barbell complexes or kettlebell circuits: With circuits, you’re training movements, such as squats, hinges, presses, and rows, with resistance that builds muscle.

Sled pushes or loaded carries: These build work capacity without technical breakdown. Both train the legs, the lungs, and your mental toughness.

Smith Machine Squat

The Smith machine squat’s biggest draw is also its biggest drawback: the fixed vertical bar path. It offers stability and certainty to the squat pattern, allowing you to move more weight, but it forces your joints to move in ways they don’t naturally move, which is why many lifters feel it in their knees or lower back.

You can lift more on a Smith machine, but that doesn’t mean you’re training the squat better—just that stability demands are lower. So, is lifting heavier on the Smith machine really that great? Here’s the answer.

Beyond comfort, it’s also less stimulating: a study found 43% higher average muscle activation in key lower-body muscles during the free-weight back squat versus the Smith machine version. The Smith machine squat is excellent for beginners, rehab phases, or workout finishers, but if you’re serious about building lower-body strength, the free-weight squat reigns.

Alternatives are abundant for the Smith machine squat, but the kettlebell front squat or Goblet Squat stands out, offering a more upright torso and a strong quad stimulus with less lumbar stress.

Kipping Pull-up

The kipping pull-up is often marketed as a way to crank out more reps and boost conditioning. While it has a purpose in some training scenarios, it’s not the best choice for building strength or muscle.

The issue isn’t that kipping is “bad”—some perform this before mastering strict pull-ups. Without good shoulder stability, scapular control, and pulling strength, the aggressive swinging motion can place unnecessary stress on the shoulders and elbows, explains Lee Boyce, an 18-year certified strength and conditioning coach.

“If you want your shoulders to give you the middle finger, then use kipping pull-ups. The ability to use drastic momentum to get your chin over the bar more times than strict sets of pull-ups or chins is outweighed by the disadvantages of the body’s weight cranking on the shoulder and elbow joint,” says Boyce.

When it’s your goal to improve your pulling strength, Boyce recommends the good old-fashioned pull-up and chin-ups, focusing on full ranges of motion, and the TRX Inverted Row as a shoulder-friendly alternative.

Machine Leg Extensions

Leg extensions look simple, burn like crazy, and seem like a no-brainer for adding size to your quads. However, when examining biomechanics and research, leg extensions have a high risk-to-reward ratio.

The main issue here is knee joint stress. Unlike squats, lunges, or step-ups—closed-chain movements where you keep your feet fixed to the ground—leg extensions are an open-chain exercise where the resistance peaks at full knee extension, a vulnerable position for your patellar tendon. Studies have shown that this increases anterior shear forces on the knee, which can aggravate conditions like patellar tendinopathy or existing knee pain. Leg extensions isolate the quads but don’t mimic real-life movement patterns, making them less effective for strength, size, and enhanced performance than compound lifts.

If you still wish to train your quads in a closed-chain environment, the leg press is a good option as it hits your quads hard but spreads the load throughout your lower body. And step-ups train the quads with less knee shear, while also engaging the glutes and hamstrings.

Barbell Upright Row

Many exercises incorporate the vertical pulling movement of the barbell upright row, such as Olympic lifts and their offshoots, like the high pull or clean. But the problem with the barbell upright row is that the mechanics don’t always love your joints, explains Dr. Mike T Nelson.

“They force the shoulder into internal rotation with abduction, which can jam the subacromial space and irritate the rotator cuff—especially when people pull too high or use a narrow grip,” says Nelson.

Many exercises put the shoulder in a vulnerable position, like the barbell bench press, so why single out the barbell upright row?

“The risk-to-benefit ratio is poor since you’re limited by how much weight you can handle in that compromised position, so the actual muscle stimulus isn’t that great,” explains Nelson.

Nelson suggests performing dumbbell lateral raises, which hit the same muscles, or cable upright row with a wider grip, if you need to train the vertical pull movement without aggravating your shoulder.

Behind-The-Back Lat Pulldown

The behind-the-neck lat pulldown is one of those exercises for “better lat isolation” because pulling from behind creates a different angle of tension. But research says otherwise.

Pulling the bar behind your head forces the shoulders into external rotation and abduction under load, which can increase the risk of rotator cuff irritation and shoulder impingement. According to EMG studies, standard front pulldowns activate the lats just as well, and often more so than behind-the-neck variations without the added joint stress.

Many lifters also compensate by pushing their neck forward, which can cause unnecessary strain on the cervical spine. Unless you have excellent shoulder mobility, there’s no clear benefit to pulling behind your head. You’re better off sticking with the neutral-grip lat pulldown or the regular variation—it keeps the shoulders in a safer position while still maximizing your lats.

Chest Machine Flyes

Machine flyes isolate the pecs and are a go-to move for many lifters looking to finish off the chest after bench pressing. While it can create an intense stretch and pump, the fixed path of motion and locked shoulder position make it less joint-friendly and effective compared to other chest exercises.

With machine flyes, you position your shoulders at 90 degrees of abduction and limit shoulder blade movement. This position puts the shoulder joint, especially the front part,

at increased risk. Over time, this raises the chance of anterior shoulder strain or impingement, especially if you lack sufficient thoracic extension and scapular control. A 2017 EMG study comparing common chest exercises found that machine flyes trained the pectoralis major less than both dumbbell flies and barbell bench presses, while increasing stress on the anterior shoulder.

Instead of doing the machine chest flyes, try adding dumbbell flyes, which provide a more natural range of motion and more shoulder freedom, lowering the risk of impingement. Alternatively, cable flyes maintain constant tension and let you adjust the angle to fit your shoulder mobility better.

As the temperature slowly decreases and the summer sunsets become a memory of the past, this is a great opportunity to give your fitness routine new life, discipline, and consistency. Group fitness classes are an amazing way to break through your typical exercise and strength training plateaus, not only giving you the knowledge to push yourself further in your independent workouts, but the motivation to accomplish those fitness goals before the end of the year.

I know, you’re skeptical. Right now some of you are probably imagining your mom leaving for her weekly step aerobics class at the YMCA in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but group fitness is so much more than it used to be. It now provides training and guidance in every modality from power lifting to cycling to even boxing and long distance running.

Whether you’re stepping into the weight room for the first time or looking to reignite your training, classes deliver the structure, energy, and coaching you need to level up.

Here are five big reasons every adult should consider making group fitness part of their routine:

1. Accountability That Sticks

It’s easy to hit snooze when it’s just you and the treadmill. But in a group, your presence matters. People notice when you show up—and when you don’t. That built-in accountability keeps you consistent, and consistency is where real results live.

When you find that class at your local gym or even that specialty studio that is that perfect blend of comfort and discomfort, it gives you something to work towards and the consistency and stability that assists you in every facet of life. Group fitness is not where the discipline ends, but really, where it begins.

2. You Get Coaching Without Guesswork

As a personal trainer, I witness incorrect form and technique each and every day on the gym floor. I see movements and patterns that sometimes border on dangerous, but unless that person asks for assistance, I cannot offer my expertise.

Classes give you access to professional coaching, expert programming, and real-time corrections—without the cost of personal training. Whether you are a seasoned veteran looking for a new challenge, or entering a new modality for the first time, a great coach will always give you verbal cues and corrections that serve as either a new lesson or a reminder of an old one.

3. You’ll Gain Energy That Elevates Your Performance

Training solo can keep you in your comfort zone. Training with a group pushes you out of it. The collective energy, the music, and the friendly competition all drive you to lift heavier, move faster, and perform at a level you didn’t think was possible. This is really a testament to the competitor and athlete engrained in all of us: as we watch others learn, grow, and evolve, we are also more likely to push ourselves as well.

Being able to find a new PR on your dumbbell snatch or even find a new sprint on the treadmill, consistently forces us to want more, achieve more, and demand more from our fitness.

4. Achieve Maximum Results in Minimum Time

Every class is programmed with purpose. No wandering the gym floor, no wasted minutes. Just efficient, structured workouts that hit strength, conditioning, and mobility in one shot—perfect for busy adults who want results, not excuses. We are a part of a society that values efficiency and effectiveness and group fitness classes are a great way for us to close the rings on our fitness watch or meet our step goals, feel psychologically empowered for the day, and see results in the mirror.

5. You’ll Discover a Community That Helps Fuel Growth

At the end of the day, fitness is bigger than reps and sets—it’s about connection. Group classes create a community that celebrates your wins, supports you through the grind, and reminds you that you’re stronger than you think. And when you train alongside others, that strength multiplies.

What drew me to my first group fitness class was seeing the camaraderie between members, consistently offering good vibes and high fives whether they knew the person next to them or not.

Group fitness really does fulfill a need that few people talk about: the need to feel like someone is proud of you. We spend all day running companies or shuffling the kids around to activities or working to build a life that we always dreamed of, but sometimes it’s nice, just for a moment, to know that the person next to you has made the same commitment you have to sweat, to learn, and to grow.

You do not need another reason to delay your goals; you need the right environment to chase them. Whether you are a seasoned athlete or a newcomer, incorporating group fitness is truly a game changer to give you structure, intensity, and community. Do the scary thing. Find a class that really challenges you, and remember, above all: strength grows faster when it’s shared.

This fall, fitness is about building complete athleticism. More lifters are proving you can chase strength in the weight room while building serious endurance on the road, bike, or rower. The hybrid athlete has arrived, and the movement shows no signs of slowing down.

Hybrid training blends strength and endurance into one performance-focused system. Once thought of as conflicting goals, these qualities can be developed side by side with the right structure. The result is a body that looks powerful, performs across multiple domains, and stays resilient year-round.

The appeal goes beyond sport. Hybrid athletes aren’t training for one narrow outcome. They are developing strength, stamina, and adaptability that carry over into everything from competition to everyday life.

To help you master both sides of the performance spectrum, Muscle & Fitness tapped Vincent DiPrimio, B.S. Exercise Science, CSCS, and Hybrid Performance Coach. He breaks down what hybrid training really is, why it’s blowing up right now, and how to structure your workouts this fall for maximum results.

What Is a Hybrid Athlete?

At its core, hybrid training is concurrent training: the practice of combining disciplines that don’t directly support one another. “The technical definition sometimes thrown around is ‘the concurrent training of different athletic disciplines that do not explicitly support one another, and whose disparate components are not essential to success at any one sport,’” says DiPrimio.

In simpler terms, a hybrid athlete trains in two or more disciplines that don’t overlap in their adaptations. “For an easy example, compare powerlifting and ultramarathons. Both require completely different skill sets and physical qualities. The skill set needed to be good at one does not make you better at the other,” DiPrimio explains. “Yet a hybrid athlete who chooses to focus on these disciplines would work on training the qualities necessary to compete at both.”

This is what separates hybrid training from more traditional fitness models. Bodybuilders chase size. Runners chase endurance. Powerlifters chase maximal strength. Hybrid athletes chase all of it; blending strength, stamina, and resilience to build the most versatile version of human performance.

Why Hybrid Training Is Exploding Now

Hybrid training has been around for years, but its growth in recent seasons has been massive. DiPrimio points to four reasons:

Variety with focus: Hybrid training offers more variety than powerlifting or bodybuilding, while still keeping attention on specific skills.

Hyrox momentum: “It’s a quintessential hybrid event, where you combine strength, strength endurance, and multiple endurance modalities (running, ski erg, rower) into one event,” DiPrimio says. Hyrox has exploded globally and now serves as a showcase for hybrid athletes. CrossFit and obstacle course racing were early bridges into the space.

Social media influence: Fitness creators have broadcast hybrid training to a massive audience across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Accessibility and fun: “There are so many combinations of disciplines you could choose from across the endurance and strength worlds,” says DiPrimio. “There’s something for everyone. There’s always something to learn or improve upon, which keeps it fresh.”

Hybrid training has shifted from niche to mainstream. More lifters want performance that carries across strength, speed, and endurance. This season is the perfect time to start.

Core Principles of Hybrid Training

Hybrid athletes face a unique challenge: developing strength and endurance simultaneously without burning out. To do that, DiPrimio outlines five non-negotiable principles that guide every successful program.

1. Consolidate stressors: Pair your hardest efforts together and your easiest efforts together. For example, schedule heavy lifting sessions and sprint intervals earlier in the week, then place accessory lifts and steady-state cardio near the end. This structure allows your body to recover more effectively while still improving multiple qualities.

2. Less is more: Training for two demanding disciplines is taxing. Every exercise, set, and intensity level must earn its place in the program. “If it isn’t directly helping you improve in the disciplines you’re training for, take it out,” says DiPrimio. Focus on quality over quantity.

3. Leverage pre-fatigue: Strategic sequencing can shorten training time and trigger specific adaptations. For example, lifting for hypertrophy before a long run depletes glycogen stores. That run then doubles as a low-energy endurance session, forcing your body to adapt to running on limited fuel.

4. Attack weak links first: Break down the demands of your chosen sports and train your weakest areas with precision. Stronger athletes may need more running economy. Endurance athletes may need to raise their strength base. Identifying and addressing gaps keeps progress balanced.

5. Apply the SAID principle: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands (SAID) means you must train the exact qualities you want to improve. If your goals are a powerlifting meet and a marathon, your program must include heavy squats, benches, and deadlifts along with structured running sessions. Cross-training can help beginners, but the further you progress, the more specific your training needs to be.

How to Balance Strength and Endurance

Hybrid training works when you manage fatigue as carefully as you manage the lifts and miles themselves. The body can only recover from so much stress, so programming structure becomes the key to progress.

Prioritize Rest Days: Every hybrid athlete needs recovery built into the week. Advanced athletes can often handle one full rest day with an additional light active recovery day. Intermediates should take one to two full rest days. Beginners benefit from two to three full rest days. Active recovery options include walking, mobility work, yoga, or light cycling.

Use Body-Part Recovery: Recovery doesn’t always mean complete rest. If you hit heavy squats and sprint intervals on Monday, you can train upper body strength on Tuesday while your legs recover. By cycling stress across different muscle groups, you keep training frequency high without overworking the same systems.

Consolidate Stressors: Place your high-intensity, low-volume work, like heavy barbell lifts or intervals, earlier in the week. Then save high-volume, low-intensity sessions, like steady-state cardio or accessory hypertrophy work, for the back half of the week. This sequence maximizes recovery while targeting the right adaptations at the right time.

Match Training to Adaptations: High-intensity work drives strength, power, speed, and VO₂max. Low-intensity work builds aerobic capacity, movement economy, and resilience. Each has its place, but their placement matters. Structure your week so both qualities improve without interfering with one another.

The balance comes from planning. You can’t chase everything every day. Align your most strenuous efforts, give your body time to recover, and then build the base work that keeps your engine running.

A Sample Hybrid Training Program

Here’s how to put the principles into action. This four-day hybrid program blends heavy lifting, conditioning intervals, and long steady-state work into a balanced week. It uses consolidation of stressors (hard work paired with hard work, base work paired with base work) while leaving room for recovery.

Monday – Heavy Lower Body Strength (AM) + Intervals (PM)

Strength (AM)

1. Box Jump: 3 sets, 5 reps

2. Barbell Back Squat: 4 sets, 5 reps (~85% 1RM, 1–2 reps in reserve)

3. Romanian Deadlift: 4 sets, 8 reps 4A. Dumbbell Reverse Lunge: 3 sets, 10 reps (each leg) 4B. Deadbug: 3 sets, 10 reps (each side)

Intervals (PM)

1. Dynamic Warm-Up: 10 minutes (jogging, skips, plyos, technique drills)

2. Build-Up Accelerations: 1×10 yd, 1×20 yd, 1×30 yd (walk back recovery)

3. 800m Repeats: 6 reps at ~5% faster than race pace, 1:1 work-to-rest ratio

Tuesday: Heavy Upper Body Strength

1. Plyo Push-Up: 3 sets, 5 reps

2. Bench Press: 4 sets, 5 reps (~85% 1RM, 1–2 reps in reserve)

3. One-Arm Dumbbell Row: 4 sets, 8 reps (each side)

4A. Weighted Chin-Up: 4 sets, 8 reps

4B. Kettlebell Overhead Reverse Crunch: 4 sets, 8 reps

Wednesday: Rest or Active Recovery

Options: easy walk, light cycling, yoga, or complete rest.

Thursday: Full-Body Strength/Hypertrophy (AM) + Tempo Session (PM)

Strength/Hypertrophy (AM)

1. Broad Jump: 3 sets, 2 reps

2. Deadlift: 4 sets, 3 reps(~90% 1RM, 1 rep in reserve)

3A. Seated Barbell Overhead Press: 3 sets, 12 reps

3B. Dumbbell Walking Lunge: 3 sets, 12 reps (each leg)

4A. Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row: 3 sets, 12 reps

4B. Barbell Hip Thrust: 3 sets, 15 reps

4C. Half-Kneeling Cable Chop: 3 sets, 8 reps

Tempo Session (PM)

1. Dynamic Warm-Up: 10 minutes (jogging, skips, plyos, technique drills)

2. Tempo Run: 30 minutes at race pace

Friday: Rest or Active Recovery

Options: mobility, Zone 1 cycling, or full rest.

Saturday: Long Steady-State (LSD) Run

1. Dynamic Warm-Up: 10 minutes (jogging, skips, plyos, technique drills)

2. Steady-State Run: 60 minutes at Zone 2 pace (conversational effort)

Sunday: Rest

Take a full rest to reset for the upcoming week.

Why This Program Works

Monday/Tuesday pairs heavy lifting with intervals to drive strength and high-intensity adaptations.

Thursday/Saturday balance hypertrophy and long aerobic conditioning for volume and movement economy.

Recovery days ensure your nervous system, muscles, and joints reset.

DiPrimio emphasizes that the key to hybrid training is sustainability. Each workout serves a purpose, every rest day is earned, and the structure allows you to train hard without breaking down.