The holidays don’t have to derail your fitness—you just need a maintenance plan. In this 10-minute quickcast, Chris shows you how to set simple floors so your progress survives December without skipping the fun. You’ll learn the four non-negotiables: a protein floor (25–40 g at two meals), a movement floor (6–8k steps or a 10-minute post-meal walk), a training floor (two 20–30 minute full-body lifts each week), and a sleep floor (consistent bedtime/wake time). Get clear event-day rules—eat protein and veg first, pick dessert or drinks (not both), alternate water, and walk after big meals. We include two fast, full-body workouts you can run in 25 minutes and a no-gym EMOM-15 template for travel. Then use the Monday Reset: shop once, prep six protein portions, and book two lift slots right away. If you miss a day, don’t miss twice; if time is tight, half a workout counts. Hold the floor, enjoy the season, and hit January already moving.

Hybrid Training: Why Being Good at Everything Beats Being Great at One Thing

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

Most of us aren't competitive athletes anymore—and that's actually liberating. In this episode of The Catalyst Quickcast, host Chris Cooper breaks down why hybrid training (being competent at multiple fitness domains) prepares you for real life better than specializing in just one area.

Fresh from the Rogue Invitational in Scotland, Chris shares observations about how everyday fitness tests—from sprinting through airports to shoveling snow—require a well-rounded approach to training. Learn why specialists struggle with daily tasks, what hybrid training actually means, and how Catalyst Fitness has been programming this approach since 2005.

You'll discover the "multi-modal secret" that allows you to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously, why busy professionals thrive with this method, and get a complete breakdown of this week's programming (including the new November strength phase: Deadlifts & Dips).

Whether you're training for a HYROX race or just want to handle whatever life throws at you, this episode will change how you think about fitness.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• Why being "good at everything" beats being "great at one thing" for most adults

• The 90% of fitness tests that life springs on you without warning

• What hybrid training actually means (and why you're probably already doing it)

• A complete week-by-week breakdown of hybrid programming at Catalyst Fitness

• Multi-modal interval training: the key to building muscle while burning fat

• Why busy professionals love this approach to fitness

• The difference between training to ace a test vs. training to be the best human you can be

Ice baths are everywhere—but are they worth it? In this 10-minute quickcast, Chris cuts through the hype. You’ll learn where cold-water immersion (CWI) actually helps—mainly reducing soreness and helping you feel recovered between sessions—and where it falls short. If your goal is muscle size/strength, regular post-lift plunges can blunt hypertrophy, so save them for rest days. For endurance blocks or back-to-back practices, CWI can be a situational recovery tool, not a performance guarantee. We also cover safety: cold shock and heart risks are real for some people, so start conservative, skip head-under dunks, and get medical advice if you have cardiovascular issues. Practical prescription: 1–3×/week, 5–10 minutes at 10–15°C (50–59°F), then re-warm. Don’t rely on cold plunges for fat loss or “longevity”—human metabolism and brown-fat data are mixed. Bottom line: use CWI strategically, keep training, protein, and sleep as your big rocks, and you’ll get more from your efforts.

CTA: Book a No-Sweat Intro at Catalyst for a customized recovery plan.