Fitness technology often forces athletes into narrow categories, ignoring the complexities of those who are multidisciplinary enthusiasts. Whether it’s triathlons, HYROX competitions, or those who enjoy training across several types of fitness, there has been a notably missing way to track each in a compatible way.

I had the privilege of speaking with Ben Katz, who recognized this disconnect from personal experience. As someone who competed in college lacrosse, wrestling, and cross country, he understood the unique needs of athletes who thrive on variety and functional movement patterns. This insight sparked the creation of HYBRD, a platform designed specifically for multi-disciplinary athletes who value performance across diverse training modalities.

The Founders and Genesis

HYBRD was born from the combined expertise of four founders who understood athletic performance and technology innovation. This team includes Ben Katz (former WHOOP growth team lead), Mats Terwiesch (Former WHOOP product manager), Caroline “Shoe” Shoemaker (former WHOOP senior manager of Analytics), and Matt Ruiters (Former senior tech lead AWS). They came together to bridge this gap for cross-sectional athletes. 

This background revealed a critical market gap. While existing platforms excel at tracking specific activities like running or weightlifting, they struggle to serve athletes who incorporate elements from multiple training philosophies, recognizing that hybrid athletes need a solution that understands their comprehensive approach to fitness rather than forcing them into predefined, limiting categories.

Their vision centers on creating technology that adapts to the athlete rather than requiring the athlete to adapt to the technology. This philosophy drives every aspect of HYBRD’s development, from interface design to performance tracking capabilities. The founders built the platform with the understanding that today’s athletes often combine strength training, cardiovascular work, mobility practice, and sport-specific skills within their weekly routines.

Diversity in Training

Modern fitness culture has been embracing new modalities, ways to train, and a crossover like we haven’t seen before. With access to limitless classes through things like ClassPass, and the rise of multi-modality races, HYBRD is more necessary than ever. Athletes regularly incorporate yoga flows between strength sessions, add plyometric work to their running routines, and blend martial arts techniques with traditional gym exercises.

HYROX perfectly exemplifies this trend. The competition combines running with functional fitness movements like sled pushes, burpee broad jumps, and farmer’s carries. Athletes training for HYROX can’t succeed by focusing solely on running or weightlifting. They need programming that simultaneously develops cardiovascular endurance, functional strength, and movement efficiency. Traditional fitness apps struggle to serve these athletes because they were designed for single-sport specialization.

Triathlon presents another example of this multi-disciplinary approach gaining mainstream adoption. Athletes must excel at swimming, cycling, and running while managing the transitions between each discipline. Their training cycles require careful balance between these three sports plus strength work, flexibility, and recovery protocols. The complexity of managing this variety often overwhelms traditional tracking systems.

Adventure racing, obstacle course racing, and functional fitness competitions continue growing in popularity because they celebrate well-rounded athleticism. These sports reward athletes who can adapt to unexpected challenges and perform across diverse movement patterns. HYBRD serves these athletes by providing technology that understands their multifaceted training needs and helps optimize performance across all activities rather than forcing them to choose one primary focus.

Final Thoughts

While traditional single-focus athletics will always maintain their place, the fastest-growing fitness trends celebrate comprehensive athleticism and functional movement. HYBRD positions itself at the forefront of this shift by serving athletes who refuse to be limited by conventional training boundaries.

This platform validates athletes who understand that fitness isn’t limited to one movement, challenge, or adaptation. By supporting these athletes with purpose-built technology, HYBRD helps establish hybrid training as a legitimate and valuable approach to long-term health and performance.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.