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If you’ve participated in a fitness competition, you know that a well-designed training plan can be a game-changer for event day. And if you haven’t competed yet but are planning to, knowing you have access to a program intended to help you prepare can go a long way in inspiring confidence as you go after that goal.

In late October 2025, the inaugural LT Games hybrid fitness competition is taking place at Life Time Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. The event is open to athletes nationwide who want to test and prove their hybrid fitness abilities. (Learn more: “Calling Hybrid Athletes: All About the LT Games at Life Time.”)

The LT Games features 17 stations designed to test strength and endurance, and preparing to compete requires time and effort. To help athletes feel equipped to take on the challenge, Life Time developed an eight-week digital training program to set you up for success at the games.

To learn more about the LT Games 8-Week Prep training program, we talked with Tommy Pomatico, CF L-2 coach, senior manager for signature programming at Life Time Westchester in Harrison, N.Y., and creator of the LT Games 8-Week Prep training program.

Life Time | What is the LT Games 8-Week Prep training program?

Tommy Pomatico | LT Games 8-Week Prep is an eight-week program designed with the purpose of preparing someone to participate in the LT Games; it’s available in the Life Time app.

This is a six-day-a-week training program (Monday through Saturday), along with one designated rest day. Each day is designed with intention and has a specific goal we’re trying to accomplish. As you go through it, you’ll progress through volume, intensity, and density.

Saturday workouts simulate competition day and feature all the same movements week-to-week, but with a progression in volume throughout the program. By the time you reach the final week, you’ll be performing the movements at the exact same level as in the actual LT Games competition.

This program familiarizes athletes with the competition movements, how they’re going to feel, what paces they should be holding, and how they’re going to break up movements. The goal is for athletes to be as prepared as possible for the competition by practicing it through the program.

This training program is designed for anyone and everyone looking to compete at the LT Games — it’s for anyone who’s up for the challenge.

LT | Can you walk us through what each day of the week looks like in the program?

TP | The training plan is programmed Monday through Saturday. Athletes can expect each daily workout to last between 60 and 90 minutes. Here is a breakdown of what each day will be focused on:

Monday: Monostructural Conditioning Day
This involves doing aerobic work on the machines used in the LT Games: the rower, the ski erg, and the treadmill. The workout is performed threshold-style, teaching the athlete how to push faster paces on each of those machines.

Tuesday: Strength Day
In the LT Games, there is a lot of weight involved for a lot of repetitions, which this day will help prepare you for. It’s focused on building full-body strength, which is helpful for keeping your ligaments, tendons, and joints healthy.

Wednesday: Motor Work Day
On this day, we’ll mix multiple types of modalities like gymnastics, conditioning, and weightlifting into one session. Athletes will have to do this in the workout at the games.

This day gives athletes an opportunity to work on movements that are performed in the competition at a higher level of intensity — they can expect their heart rate to rise while their muscles feel like they’re screaming. It’s also an opportunity to work on technique for each movement.

Thursday: Rest Day
Your choice of rest is up to you, but we recommended stretching, spending time in the sauna, and applying ice to sore muscles. Light walking is also good for keeping the body loose.

Friday: Aerobic Day
We’ll focus on being in zone 2, with the first goal being to build your aerobic base so you can exercise for long periods of time. The workout itself is longer — think being comfortable exercising for 40, 50, 60, and up to 70 minutes.

The second goal is to not overdo it because Saturday is the hardest workout day of the week.

Saturday: Competition Simulation Day
Athletes will be doing the LT Games workout every single week in an interval-style format to prepare them for the event. We’ll start with less volume and gradually progress to the volume of the LT Games by week eight. This will be the most challenging session of the week.

LT | Is this training program designed to be completed on your own? What type of equipment is required?

TP | This program is designed for athletes to complete individually at the club on their own. The plan is clearly laid out for you in the Life Time app. However, you are always welcome to engage with a Life Time Dynamic Personal Trainer or coach who can help you work on any individualized areas of opportunity in your training and provide a more personalized experience.

Life Time is also a place of community, so if you do better training with others, we encourage you to find another member to train with — and then you can compete together on event day!

This training is best completed inside of a Life Time because of the equipment involved: You’ll use the treadmill, rower, and ski erg, as well as a jump box, barbells, wall balls, and dumbbells.

LT | What advice would you give to someone embarking on the training program?

TP | Listen to your body. If there are days when you’re feeling beat up and tired, take an extra rest day rather than forcing the workout.

For the more experienced athlete who has been training hard for, say, a year or two and is comfortable with this type of intensity, I recommend following this program exactly and not adding anything extra to it.

LT | What excites you most about this training program and the LT Games?

TP | I believe the LT Games is a very good middle ground between the fitness competitions currently offered to the public: It’s not too easy, but it’s also not too hard. I truly believe anyone can do it. However, it is tough enough that you have to practice and prepare for it to be successful and feel like you can accomplish it, which is why I’m excited we have this program to help empower people to do just that.

LT | I’m interested! How do I access the LT Games 8-Week Prep program?

TP | You can enroll in the LT Games 8-Week Prep training program in the Life Time app. If you’re interested in training to compete in the LT Games, you can register for the LT Games here.

Even if you’re not planning to compete in the LT Games but are interested in hybrid training, this program can help any participant increase their strength and aerobic endurance.

Keep an eye out for more LT Games events to come in 2026. This training program is here to help you prepare for those, too!

The post All About the LT Games 8-Week Prep Training Program appeared first on Experience Life.

While exercising and training with the goal of staying fit and healthy is a worthy priority, it may not be enough to fuel consistent effort or measurable progress for some. For these people, training with the goal of competing has the unique ability to unlock untapped potential.

“Whether it’s a physical or mental test or at a recreational or elite level, competing challenges us to grow our skills and abilities, go beyond perceived limitations, and discover what’s possible,” writes Bahram Akradi, founder, chairman, and CEO at Life Time. “This universal truth is at the heart of LT Games, a hybrid fitness competition launched at Life Time in 2025. Designed to reframe how we approach training and, more importantly, how we see ourselves, this competition will offer something truly transformative.”

The inaugural LT Games is taking place in late October 2025 at Life Time Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. “The competition is open to athletes nationwide who want to test and prove their hybrid fitness abilities, and it will be particularly appealing to those who thrive off competitive challenge,” says Wes Robertson, senior classes operations manager for Life Time and one of the designers of this new competition. “Hybrid training is trending right now, and those interested in the modality won’t want to miss the experience we’re creating for LT Games.”

We asked Robertson to share more about what to expect from LT Games.

Life Time | Can you give an overview of LT Games? What is it and who is it for?

Wes Robertson | LT Games is a hybrid fitness competition that combines Life Time’s state-of-the-art facilities, coaching expertise, and personalized athletic experiences to create a whole new competition platform.

An LT Games event features 17 stations where athletes perform various exercises. The goal is to complete every station in the fastest time possible. Each participant is assigned a certified judge who guides them throughout the competition and makes sure they complete each station correctly. The event features prize packages for first, second, and third place athletes in both male and female categories.

The 17 stations are broken up to be about 50 percent strength and 50 percent cardio, and they are designed to be challenging for some of the fittest athletes. They’re also intended, however, to highlight areas of strength and opportunity for any athlete, so anyone can participate, whether you’re looking to achieve the best time or are simply wanting to compete with yourself and level up your own training.

LT Games is an organic extension of Life Time’s signature training classes: Alpha, GTX, Ultra Fit, and MB360. Each of these offerings centers on functional movements — think squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, and running — and they’re all aimed at equipping participants with tools for living their best lives beyond their regular 60-minute workouts.

LT | How do you define “hybrid fitness” or “hybrid athletes”? Tell us about this approach to training.

WR | A “hybrid athlete” is an athlete who trains across multiple disciplines and is well-rounded in all aspects of fitness, including endurance, strength, power, speed, agility, and mindset. This involves cross-training in a variety of fitness modalities, which is reflected in the 17 different stations featured in the LT Games.

LT | What are the 17 stations and how do athletes go about completing them during the challenge?

WR | During the competition, athletes move through 17 stations, beginning with the longest run and volume of work. Then the load gets a bit lighter as the competition unfolds. That means the first few stations take longer, and the final ones require shorter, sprint-like efforts.

In a “choose-your-own-adventure” style, athletes decide how they make it through each of these stations, meaning they choose the weights they use at each station. The higher load they select, the less reps they must do to complete the weight requirement. For box jumps and stepovers, athletes have the option to choose from three different box heights.

LT | How is LT Games different from other hybrid fitness competitions?

WR | LT Games is for hybrid athletes seeking a luxury experience. With a transparent workout plan consisting of functional movements, there’s also a lower barrier to entry and lower risk of injury than other existing fitness competitions. LT Games also features a balance of strength and cardio exercises to entice well-rounded, balanced athletes.

LT | How can participants prepare for LT Games?

WR | When preparing for the LT Games, it’s important to lean into your “areas of opportunity.” For example, say an athlete is already comfortable with their cardio efforts — I’d recommend they start to build strength. For athletes who typically focus on strength, adding cardiovascular training is what’s going to best help you prepare.

In the Life Time app, you can find The Official LT Games Training Program, an eight-week digital program designed with the purpose of preparing athletes to participate in the LT Games. This program familiarizes athletes with the competition movements, how they’re going to feel, what paces they should be holding, and how they’re going to break up movements on competition day. The goal is to be as prepared as humanly possible for the competition by practicing through the program. (Learn more: “LT Games 8-Week Prep Training Program.”)

Additionally, all the signature group training formats at Life Time — GTX, Alpha, Ultra Fit, and MB360 — are designed to prepare you for LT Games. These brands are highlighted throughout the course, including the straight-line cardio you experience in GTX; the barbell work you perform in Alpha; the shorter, sprint-like loads of work you do in Ultra Fit; and the mindset challenges you work through in MB360. If you’re consistent with any of — or a mix of — these programs, you can take your training to a whole new level and be competitive in the LT Games.

You can also find a specialized LT Games program on the schedule at Life Time Target Center in Minneapolis. This is a program that systematically progresses throughout the week: strength-focused days (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday), technique refinement days (Tuesday, Friday), and a competition preparation day (Saturday).

This scientific approach to training balances cardio (running, rowing, ski erg) with strength elements (hinge, press, pull, and squat movements) across targeted heart-rate zones. Led by certified coaches, this programming helps you master station transitions while enhancing your performance for competition day.

LT | I want to participate! How do I sign up?

WR | Our first regional LT Games event will take place October 25–26, 2025, at Life Time Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. You can register in the Life Time app. Keep an eye out for more LT Games events to come in 2026.

LT | I’m not ready to participate yet but I don’t want to miss this action. Can I watch the LT Games?

WR | Yes! Anyone is welcome to join the events October 25–26 as a spectator. All you have to do is show up to watch and be inspired!

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Step into most doctors’ offices, and the scale is usually your first stop. Body mass index (BMI) — an estimate of your body-fat percentage based on weight and height — is used by many healthcare providers to gauge your health risks, even though it’s been critiqued as a shortsighted measure of overall health. (See “Beyond BMI: Why True Health Is About More Than What You Weigh” for more.)

A better marker of health is cardio­respiratory fitness, according to a 2024 British Journal of Sports Medicine meta-analysis.

The investigation involved 20 studies conducted since 1980. Combined, they include data on 398,716 people. Compared with previous research, the results came from a greater proportion of women (33 percent) and a more globally diverse sample.

“The takeaway message of our study is that, from a health perspective, the risks of being unfit are far worse than the risks associ­ated with carrying extra weight,” says corresponding author and physiologist Siddhartha Angadi, PhD, a University of Virginia associate professor of kinesiology.

Healthcare’s reliance on BMI is representative of a public health strategy that is largely focused on weight loss, the review authors state.

Cardiorespiratory fitness, on the other hand, is the capacity of the cardio­vascular and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to the muscles during exercise. When you work out, your heart beats faster to deliver the oxygen from your lungs to your muscles, ­explains ­Samantha McKinney, RD, who helps lead nutrition and LTH supplement education at Life Time. Your muscles use that oxygen to generate energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. This energy production is a sign of aerobic fitness and the ability to handle more activity and stress.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is measured by your VO2 max —
the maximum volume of oxygen that your body can use at any one time.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is measured by your VO₂ max — the maximum volume of oxygen that your body can use at any one time. Though there are ways to estimate it, measuring VO₂ max requires a more complex test than simply stepping onto a scale, which Angadi says is a key reason “BMI persists as the primary health indicator.”

Most notably, the meta-analysis found that cardiorespiratory fitness yielded significant benefits for participants’ health regardless of their BMI.

“Unfit individuals, whether they’re considered normal weight, overweight, or obese, had a two- to threefold greater risk of mortality compared to fit individuals across weight categories,” Angadi explains. “Importantly, once fitness status was accounted for, there were no increases in the risk of death in overweight and obese individuals.”

(For more on assessing your cardiorespiratory fitness and VO₂ max, see “How to Increase Your VO2 Score.”)

This article originally appeared as “Rethinking Health Metrics” in the July/August 2025 issue of Experience Life.

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