
The Progress Theory
Welcome to The Progress Theory.
Our purpose is to teach and discuss scientific principles to show how we can enhance and optimise human performance.
We will deliver you interviews with world-class experts (or legends as we prefer to call them), exciting real-world application of Sport Science and will explore some of the common myths and misconceptions in Health & Wellbeing.
We want all of our listeners to develop the skills to implement the knowledge they obtain from the show into their everyday lives.
These skills can be applied towards improving sporting performance and conquering physical challenges, or it can be in developing a better quality of life.
Latest episodes

Feb 8, 2024 • 10min
Progress Theory Updates & Series 6 Preview
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory! I'm thrilled to announce that we're back with season six, and we have some incredible new episodes lined up for you. Our first episode will be released on February 12, 2024, and I can't wait for you to hear it. It's been an eventful year for me, becoming a father and experiencing lots of changes at my work at St. Mary's University. But now we're back and ready to bring you the best podcast episodes yet, featuring amazing guests, coaches, scientists, and athletes.In season five, we focused on the theme of hybrid training, delving into some fascinating discussions and insights from our guests. This led to some fantastic opportunities, including speaking engagements and collaborations with Omnia Performance. I've also written a book, which is soon to be released, so keep an eye on our social media for updates.One of the most rewarding moments from season five was meeting a listener at Hyrox, who expressed how much the podcast had helped with their training. Knowing that our discussions are making a positive impact is truly fulfilling.Now, as we move into season six, we're exploring the concept of elite performance. What sets the top 1% of athletes and professionals apart from the rest? How do they push the boundaries of human performance? These are the questions we'll be exploring this season as we speak to elite individuals from various fields.We already have ten amazing episodes recorded, covering topics such as elite CrossFit conditioning, extreme triathlons, ultramarathons, and hybrid training challenges. I'm incredibly excited to share these insightful conversations with you.I also want to express my gratitude to our sponsors, HMN24, for their fantastic range of supplements that have personally helped me improve my sleep-wake cycle. And a big thank you to our production partner, Kult Media, for their support in making this season possible.I can't wait for you to join us on this exciting journey of exploration and discovery. Make sure to subscribe to The Progress Theory wherever you get your podcasts, including YouTube. See you in the first episode!For all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Aug 15, 2022 • 1h 4min
Testing & Physiological Profiling For CrossFit Athletes - Sean Seale
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have S&C coach Sean Seale.Sean is the host of Upside Strength, an amazing resource which includes a podcast, educational seminars and an awesome youtube channel. Through his podcast, he has investigated different physiological concepts and their application to endurance training and CrossFit, and it has been awesome to hear his journey of learning new ideas, putting them into practice and formulating his own approach to training, testing and monitoring. In this episode, we discuss his physiological approach to testing CrossFit athletes and determining training intensity zones and the importance of low-intensity training for aerobic adaptations.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:09 - Introduction02:45 - Upside Strength & introduction to Sean Seale12:08 - The change to a physiological focus15:04 - Physiological testing protocols22:36 - Physiological changes from training25:07 - Determining intensity zones using critical power and lactate threshold31:03 - Testing with minimal equipment37:28 - Maintaining power output during tests40:10 - How best to find critical power46:14 - The importance of low-intensity training for Crossfit50:45 - Any differences between hybrid athletes and Crossfit athletes?55:26 - Lactate and fat oxidation in Crossfitters58:29 - RecommendationsFOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@upside_strengthExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Upside StrengthUpside strength academyUpside Strength YoutubeCrossfitMoxy MonitorVO2 masterExphyslab.comConcept2WattbikeEvan PeikonTraining think tankEndureFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Aug 8, 2022 • 60min
Coaching & Programming For The Crossfit Games - Michele Letendre
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Crossfit coach and head of DekaComp, Michele Letendre.On paper, Crossfit should be a challenging sport to programme for. You need to be efficient in so many movements across a spectrum ranging from maximal strength to long-distance endurance. Add to this the fact that you don’t know what might come up in competition, which makes programming decision-making a challenge, but also can allow you to be creative in your approach. In this episode, Michele and I discuss her coaching company Dekacomp, her Crossfit programming ideas, and her different coaching approaches for different athletes.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:06 - Introduction5:42 - Dekacomp12:06 - Taking lessons from being an athlete into your coaching13:57 - Varying coaching approaches to different athletes17:18 - Training for the stress of competition21:49 - Dekacomp crossfit programming25:26 - The problem with too much intensity, too often27:36 - How much do competition tactics influence programming?37:30 - The importance of adaptability in Crossfit53:00 - Athlete mindsetAs always, follow and subscribe to The Progress Theory on Instagram and Youtube, and check out all of our other episodes.FOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@dekacomp@mich_letendreExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Crossfit gamesDekacomp@dekacompAthletes Michele has worked with@pvellner@freyamoosbrugger@jamesnewburyFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jul 18, 2022 • 48min
How To Maximise Hybrid Athlete Programming - Alec Blenis
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Hybrid coach and athlete Alec Blenis.It’s easier to understand programming for strength and endurance sports individually, but hybrid programming is more complex and that’s what makes it so exciting. But what are the best hybrid programming recommendations? In this episode, Alec discusses his journey into Hybrid training, his current goals and what he has learnt along the way. We also discuss key themes such as how to dissect your hybrid goals so you know what to programme and how to balance your strength and endurance trainingBut before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:00 - Introduction2:36 - Training for Murph9:18 - Partitioned vs unpartitioned Murph15:03 - Getting into hybrid training21:00 - How far can Hybrid performance go24:58 - Common mistakes in hybrid training28:30 - Long-term Hybrid programming31:38 - Progressing slowly in a hybrid programme33:29 - Use of RPE or RIR for both strength and endurance training35:15 - Using objective and subjective data to monitor training36:24 - Training goals after Murph38:34 - The Crucible39:16 - The effect of mass on running performance44:00 - Advice for those new to Hybrid TrainingAs always, follow and subscribe to The Progress Theory on Instagram and Youtube, and check out our other episodes. FOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@alecblenisExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowComplete human performanceThe crucible - Enter hereSpartan RaceCrossfitFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jul 11, 2022 • 51min
The Importance Of Protein For Hybrid Training - Dr Tyler Churchward-Venne
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Dr Tyler Churchward-Venne, Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and physical education at McGill UniversityThere is a lot of training involved in a hybrid programme, so in order to make sure we are recovering between sessions to reduce the negative effects of residual fatigue or reduced protein synthesis, we need to make sure our nutrition is optimised. In this episode, Dr Churchward-Venne and I discuss why protein is so important for a hybrid athlete, what the difference is between myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis, and what the best protein sources are for improving recovery and aiding athletic performance.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:02 - Introduction2:00 - Insects as a protein source4:38 - Insect protein in the market and in our culture9:45 - An introduction to Dr Tyler Chruchward-Venne12:21 - Going into the field of protein metabolism and hybrid training16:33 - What are high-quality proteins?21:10 - What is a low-quality course of protein?24:26 - The importance of leucine27:34 - Can more protein reduce the molecular interference effect?32:09 - The differences between myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis?34:35 - Carbohydrates for hybrid athletes37:37 - Acute studies measuring protein synthesis46:27 - Protein Recommendations for hybrid trainingAs always, follow and subscribe to The Progress Theory on Instagram and Youtube, and check out all of our other episodes. FOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@ChurchwardVenneExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowHMN24 plant protein - Discount at checkoutDr Tyler Churchward-Venne researchOther researchers mentioned in the episodeProfessor Luke Van LoonProfessor Stuart PhillipsProfessor Keith BaarDr Will AproFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jul 4, 2022 • 1h 10min
The Physiology Of Hybrid Performance & Crossfit Athletes - Evan Peikon
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Sports Physiologist & Bioscientist, Evan Peikon.What does the physiology of a hybrid athlete look like? We can understand the physiology of individual strength and endurance sports, and through this series of the Progress Theory, we also know how strength training can have a positive effect on, for example, running performance through improved running economy. But physiologically, can the two co-exist? In this episode, Evan and I discuss the role of the cardiovascular system for hybrid training, the effect of muscle size on endurance performance, and have a go at predicting how far hybrid performance can go.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:11 - Introduction3:52 - Working at Crossfit Think Tank5:20 - The Crossfit athlete, mitochondrial density and the dilation of blood vessels9:21 - Arterial blood pressure and cardiac output13:10 - The influence of genetics15:30 - The difference between Crossfit athletes and Hybrid athletes18:32 - Physiological ceilings20:56 - VO2max in elite CrossFit athletes23:28 - Critical metabolic rate, muscle relations and respiratory endurance29:11 - The use of NIRS32:57 - Body position, skeletal muscle pump and gene expression.40:07 - The development of exercise science43:16 - Hybrid training advice for coaches46:28 - Understanding recovery/aerobic base training52:49 - What’s the future potential for the hybrid athlete?1:00:25 - Can being elite in one sport affect being a good hybrid athlete?Follow and subscribe to The Progress Theory on Instagram and Youtube, and check out all of our other episodes. FOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@evan_peikon Explore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Evan Peikon - MediumConsultation with Evan - Crossfit think tankEmergence performance substackFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jun 27, 2022 • 1h 1min
The Effect Of Hybrid Training On Endurance Performance - Dr Kenji Doma
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode, we have Dr Kenji Doma, Senior Sport and Exercise Science Lecturer at James Cook University. Usually, whenever people think of the interference effect during hybrid training they think about how endurance training inhibits the strength and hypertrophy adaptations from strength training. The research support for strength training enhancing endurance performance is quite clear, but are there examples of how strength training can negatively affect endurance performance? In this episode, Dr Doma and Dr Phil Price discuss the mechanisms which can inhibit endurance performance and adaptation during hybrid training, how we can programme to avoid this, and what the common mistakes people make when hybrid training.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.In this episode, we discuss:1:08 - Introduction9:51 - Neurological factors of the interference effect13:01 - The role of DOMS in the interference effect21:30 - A decrease in endurance performance depends on the intensity required for that session26:02 - What resistance training variables to manipulate28:29 - Organising your hybrid training throughout the week42:50 - The use of pre-fatigue48:02 - Is sub-optimal progress not a bad thing?52:50 - Training for weightlifting and an Iron man distance triathlonFOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@kenji_domaExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Dr Kenji Doma research profileOther researchersProfessor Kazunori NosakaProfessor Trevor chenDr Dean BurtFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jun 20, 2022 • 51min
The Molecular Physiology Of Hybrid Training - Professor Keith Baar
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode we have Dr Keith Baar, Professor of Molecular exercise physiology at the University of California.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.One of the mechanisms for the interference effect when hybrid training is molecular signalling theory. When activated by endurance exercise the AMPK pathway may inhibit the mTOR pathway, inhibiting strength and hypertrophy adaptations. But what does this all mean? In this episode, Professor Baar and Dr Phil Price discuss how these molecular pathways get activated, why endurance training might inhibit strength training adaptations, and how we can change our programming to reduce this. In this episode, we discuss:1:14 - Introduction6:03 - What is mTORC1 and AMPK?10:43 - Factors which activate mTORC1 and AMPK14:55 - The importance of leucine18:35 - How long mTORC1 and AMPK stay activated poster exercise21:53 - Molecular breaks25:08 - Difference between rats and human studies on concurrent training31:23 - Untrained vs trained36:48 - Practical recommendations for hybrid athletesFOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@MuscleScienceExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Professor Keith Baar ResearchOther researchersProfessor William Apro Professor Eva Blomstrand Professor Dave Bishop Professor Hickson’s first studyFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jun 13, 2022 • 45min
The Neuromuscular Physiology Of Strength & Power - Dr Matt Buckthorpe
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. On this episode we have S&C and physiology lecturer, Dr Matt Buckthorpe, to discuss the physiological adaptations to muscle from strength and power training.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.To fully understand what training we need to prescribe to achieve our goals we need to understand what happens at the neuromuscular level. How does the body adapt to the stress of resistance training? This is why I’ve asked Matt to come onto the Progress Theory. In this episode we discuss muscle fibre composition, compare the different adaptations caused by strength and power training, and if we all have an adaptive strength ceiling. In this episode, we discuss:1:01 - Introduction4:04 - Adaptations to strength training7:58 - How the muscle respond to a progressive resistance training programme11:14 - Novice lifters, and difficulty of increasing strength over time13:37 - Our genetic ceiling for strength16:50 - The physiology of training hypertrophy before strength19:45 - Strength at different speeds23:43 - Training affecting muscle fibre size and type27:44 - Strength adaptations to tendon31:38 - Strength geneticsFOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@m_buckthorpeExplore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Matt Buckthorpe research gateFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book

Jun 6, 2022 • 1h 6min
Using RPE For Endurance Training - Dr Shaun McLaren
Hello and welcome to The Progress Theory where we discuss how to implement scientific principles to optimise human performance. In this episode we have Dr Shaun McLaren, S&C coach and Sport Scientist for the Newcastle Falcons, and teaching fellow in Sport and Exercise physiology at Durham University.But before we get to the show I want to thank our sponsors, who the show would not be possible without. I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to my production partner, KULT Media. KULT Media has been instrumental in the development & success of the progress theory. They have created brand guides, comprehensive podcast strategies, enhanced the podcast production, developed custom workflows for me and edited & mixed all of the video, audio and social media content. Their simple Coach, Create & Collaborate process has saved me 100’s hours in podcast production, resolved countless technical issues and consistently help me to improve my podcasting game. So if you want to establish and engage your audience, or are ready to launch your own podcast head to www.kult.media to learn more. Thank you to HMN24 – fuelling human potential and optimising everyday human performance and well-being. First of all – HMN24 is not a sports supplement company. I’ve seen sport supplements be used as a method to improve performance in the gym and at a certain sport. However, these supplements, like a pre-workout, are often used on top of a lifestyle which does not provide the foundation needed for optimal performance. There’s no point taking pre-workout supplements if your sleep, hydration, and nutrition is an unstructured mess. I’m convinced that a large percentage of injuries are often caused, not because training was poor, but because a poor lifestyle foundation increased the athlete’s susceptibility to injury. Sports supplements are often used to plaster the cracks in poor lifestyle habits, which only causes more future problems. And this is where HMN24 is different. The product range at HMN24 not only helps improve your foundation; it optimises it. The HMN24 products are designed to fit around your circadian rhythms, from the moment you wake up, to key moments in the day when you need optimal focus, to getting the best sleep at night, there’s a product to optimise each phase of the day.I can’t recommend enough the “live on form’ pack, consisting of the products Rise, flow and pre-sleep. Rise is for the morning and is my absolute favourite. It tastes amazing. Rise contains caffeine for increased morning alertness (though not a huge amount of caffeine, which is sooo much better for avoiding gastro-intestinal distress), electrolytes from coconut and watermelon powder to increase hydration after the previous night’s sleep, and B-vitamins, to ensure you ready to win the morning. I’m not a fan of long-winded morning routines. I wake up, have my Rise with ice, and get straight to writing, and I’ve seen such an improvement in getting into deep work.By the time 2pm comes around the effects of caffeine from Rise has worn off, but I don’t want to take more caffeine because that’s going to interrupt getting to sleep later on. This is where Flow is perfect. It’s a caffeine-free nootropic, perfect for improving alertness and concentration during that mid-afternoon slump. And finally, I take pre-sleep just before bed, which is a comprehensive night-time complex, formulated to help support well-being and fortify the body against the fatigue and stress that come with leading a performance-driven lifestyle. I can’t recommend these products enough they are a game changer for human performance. And also, while you’re at their website hmn24.com check out there plant protein, which is incredible for smoothies post-training, and their website includes articles and an awesome podcast for those wanting to learn more about human performance. You can even check out the episode I did with them, I thoroughly enjoyed that chat I had with Phi Learney, Co-founder of HMN24, and it has led to an awesome collaboration with HMN24 supporting The Progress Theory. If you want a 10% discount on all HMN24 products either head to their website via the links in the Instagram bios of @theProgresstheory or my personal Instagram @drphilprice or use the code PHILPRICE at checkout.We’ve covered the use of RPE in strength training in this series of the Progress Theory, but how can it be used for Endurance training? Do we use RPE as an intensity variable that athletes have to aim for during interval work, or do we use it reflectively post-session? In this episode, Shaun and I discuss how to use RPE, how using RPE can take some time to get used to, and if we could use RPE across both strength and endurance training in a hybrid programmeIn this episode, we discuss:1:15 - Introduction6:13 - How Shaun got into RPE research13:24 - Factors which affect the perception of effort17:00 - Psychological factors23:49 - Outside factors influencing training performance29:10 - Objective vs subjective data39:10 - What is the perception of effort?47:35 - RPE drift and use in tempo runs52:00 - Recommendations for using RPE for endurance1:02:26 - Shaun’s Contact detailsFOLLOW OUR PODCASTFollow our Host / Guest@theprogresstheory@thepricep@Shaun_McLaren1Explore these Resources or Items Mentioned in the ShowIn this episode, we mentioned the following resources:Shaun McLaren research profileNewcastle falconsTeeside universityDurahm universityFor all our other episodes and to get in touch, please visit www.theprogresstheory.com.Thanks for listening! All rights reserved. © The Progress Theory & KULT Media LTD 2025 Mentioned in this episode:The Science of Hybrid TrainingIt was originally thought that you could not effectively train for both strength and endurance at the same time because they required different adaptations which were not compatible with each other. It was claimed that ‘an interference effect’, blunted the adaptations for strength if you simultaneously trained for endurance.
However, recent developments in sports which require both strength and endurance have really challenged this idea, with hybrid athletes producing impressive performances in both strength and endurance sports together. This had led scientists, coaches, and athletes to rethink what is humanly possible and suggests the interference effect is not as influential as originally thought.
But what is a hybrid athlete? What is the ‘interference effect’? And how can we maximize our training to improve at the same time our strength and endurance performance?
In this book, Dr Phil Price provides insight into the misconceptions surrounding strength and endurance training by distilling the past 50 years of research and drawing on the conversations he had with great scientists, coaches, and athletes on The Progress Theory podcast. This book is essential reading for hybrid athletes and coaches who are looking to understand the key training variables and their effect on the simultaneous development of strength and endurance performance.Book
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