top of page

Dark Horse Athlete Training Team: Your Path to Elite General Physical Preparedness.

darkhorseathlete36

Welcome to Dark Horse Athlete


"Ready for Anything." This isn’t just a motto—it’s the foundation of everything we do at Dark Horse Athlete. Whether you’re a tactical athlete, hybrid athlete, strength enthusiast, or just someone who refuses to settle for mediocrity, DHA is designed to build a level of fitness that prepares you for whatever life throws your way.


This blog serves as a look into our training team on TrainHeroic, explaining not only how we train but why we train this way. By the end, you’ll understand the structure, philosophy, and science behind the DHA system—and most importantly, why committing to this program will make you a stronger, more resilient athlete.


Why Train with DHA on TrainHeroic?


TrainHeroic isn’t just a convenient way to access our programming—it’s a powerful tool that makes tracking your training, monitoring your progress, and staying accountable seamless. Here’s why DHA runs on TrainHeroic:


  • Easy-to-Follow Programming: Every workout is clearly laid out with exercise descriptions, set/rep schemes, and prescribed intensity levels.


  • Progress Tracking: Log your lifts, track PRs, and measure progress over time, ensuring you’re constantly improving.


  • Flexibility & Accessibility: Train on your schedule—anytime, anywhere—while still being part of a structured, expertly designed program.


  • Community and Coaching Support: Engage with other athletes on the platform, get insights from the coach, and stay motivated by seeing how others are progressing.


The DHA Training Structure: A Full-Year System for Peak Performance


One of the key aspects that makes DHA different is our structured, periodized approach. Our programming runs on a yearly cycle, broken down into four distinct 13-week training cycles. Each cycle builds on the last, ensuring constant progression and well-rounded development. To get the full benefit of the program, we highly recommend committing to the full year.


Here’s a detailed breakdown of each phase:


Fall Cycle:


Focus: Muscle Mass Enhancement & General Endurance Development


Why? Muscle isn’t just for show—it’s the foundation of strength, power, and injury resilience. We kick off the training year by building size and endurance to establish a strong base for the cycles ahead.


  • Hypertrophy-Focused Strength Training: Higher rep ranges and progressive overload to increase muscle mass and joint integrity.


  • Aerobic Base Development: The highest volume of Zone 1 and Zone 2 conditioning happens here.


  • Metabolic Efficiency & Recovery Capacity: Lower-intensity endurance work improves fat metabolism, cardiovascular efficiency, and long-term work capacity.


  • The Goal: Build a body that can handle high workloads and recover faster.


Winter Cycle:


Focus: Maximal Strength Development & Endurance Maintenance. With the muscle mass and aerobic base built in the Fall, it’s time to get strong.


Strength Goals:


  • Men: Front Squat & Bench Press at 1.5x bodyweight, Deadlift at 2x bodyweight


  • Women: Front Squat & Bench Press at bodyweight, Deadlift at 1.5x bodyweight


  • Intensity Increases: Lifting at 80%+ intensity, working within the 3-5 rep range.


  • Mixed-Modal Conditioning: A wider variety of conditioning methods keeps endurance intact while maximizing strength.


  • The Goal: Build a high level of raw strength while keeping endurance levels sharp.


Spring Cycle:


Focus: Power, Explosiveness & Athleticism. With strength established, we shift gears to developing explosive power—the ability to produce force quickly.


Power Training:


  • Dynamic Effort Method: Lifting submaximal weights at high velocity.


  • Cluster Sets: Short, intense bursts to maximize neuromuscular efficiency.


  • Plyometric Training: The highest volume of jumps, bounds, and explosive movements to increase speed and agility.


  • Conditioning Shifts to Shorter, High-Intensity Bouts: Developing anaerobic power for real-world performance.


  • The Goal: Convert raw strength into explosive athletic ability.


Summer Cycle:


Focus: Peak Performance & Complete Athletic Development. The final phase of the year brings everything together. Unlike previous cycles, all strength qualities—hypertrophy, strength, and power—are trained simultaneously.


  • Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP): Allows for continuous adaptation without stagnation.


  • Strength & Endurance Blend: Workouts demand strength under fatigue, testing your ability to perform at a high level under challenging conditions.


  • The Goal: Reach your highest level of performance and set new personal bests.


The Science Behind DHA’s Programming


Every part of DHA’s system is backed by proven training principles. Here’s why we train the way we do:


Zone 2 Conditioning:

Enhances aerobic efficiency, fat metabolism, and recovery. The backbone of endurance and work capacity. It improves mitochondrial density, allowing for greater oxygen utilization and efficient energy production, leading to better performance and faster recovery between intense sessions. Additionally, Zone 2 training increases capillary density, improving blood flow and nutrient delivery to working muscles, which accelerates recovery and enhances long-term endurance capacity.


Daily Undulating Periodization (DUP):


Keeps progress consistent by varying intensity and volume weekly. This method prevents plateaus and allows for the simultaneous development of multiple strength qualities, balancing hypertrophy, strength, and power training in a way that optimizes long-term progress. Unlike traditional linear periodization, DUP ensures that athletes maintain high levels of adaptability by exposing their nervous system and musculature to different stimuli on a weekly basis.


Functional Overreaching & Tapering:


  • Overreaching: A strategic, short-term overload phase that forces adaptation. By temporarily increasing training volume and intensity, the body is pushed beyond its normal limits, leading to supercompensation and improved performance post-recovery. This controlled overreaching stimulates adaptations in muscular endurance, metabolic efficiency, and neural drive, making it a powerful tool for breaking through training plateaus.


  • Tapering: Reducing volume before testing or competition to maximize performance. This method allows for full recovery while maintaining strength and power, ensuring peak performance at critical times in the training cycle. By strategically decreasing training volume while maintaining intensity, tapering ensures that athletes feel fresh, explosive, and fully recovered for competition or personal best attempts.


Energy System Development:


DHA incorporates training that enhances all three primary energy systems:


  • Phosphagen System (Immediate Energy): Short, maximal efforts such as heavy lifts and sprints.


  • Glycolytic System (Intermediate Energy): High-intensity, moderate-duration work like interval training.


  • Oxidative System (Sustained Energy): Longer aerobic efforts to develop endurance and recovery capacity.


Movement Quality & Structural Balance:


The programming ensures that athletes develop well-rounded movement proficiency while addressing common weaknesses and imbalances. Rotational work, unilateral movements, and mobility protocols are integrated into training blocks to reduce injury risk and enhance athleticism.


Strength-Speed & Speed-Strength Development:


Training phases specifically address the ability to produce force rapidly by utilizing specialized methodologies such as contrast training, accommodating resistance (bands/chains), Olympic lifting variations, and the Dynamic effort method.


Load Management & Recovery Science:


The training program carefully manipulates training volume and intensity to maximize results while minimizing burnout. Subjective readiness assessments, and autoregulation techniques help fine-tune individual recovery needs.


The Goal: Create resilient, powerful, and well-conditioned athletes who can perform at their peak across multiple domains of fitness.


Final Thoughts: Why DHA Works


DHA Hybrid Athlete is not just another online training program. It’s a structured, progressive, and evidence-based system designed to take your fitness to the next level. Whether your goal is to be a stronger tactical athlete, a better hybrid competitor, or simply more resilient in daily life, this program delivers the tools to make it happen.


But to reap the full benefits, you need to commit to the full training year. Each cycle plays a role in your long-term progress. Skipping one means missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.


If you’re ready to get stronger, faster, more powerful, and more durable, the Dark Horse Athlete Training Team is where you belong. START YOUR 7-DAY FREE TRIAL HERE!


Let’s get to work. #ReadyForAnything


Comments


bottom of page