The Hybrid Mentality

By Cody SmithBusiness Entrepreneurship Health & Fitness Education Self-Improvement

The Hybrid Mentality episodes

October 02Ep. 4 — Hybrid Mentality, Brotherhood, and the Call to Lead at Home with Cody McBroom
Hybrid Mentality, Brotherhood, and the Call to Lead at Home
This conversation between Cody and Cody McBroom explores what it means for men to live with a “hybrid mentality” across fitness, faith, marriage, fatherhood, and leadership. It centers on brotherhood, stewardship, and the responsibility to become a protector, provider, leader, and lover in practical, measurable ways.Cody McBroom shares how his own standards were shaped by not seeing certain examples from his father, and how faith became the deeper source of accountability that replaced empty ambition. The episode also breaks down how men can seek stronger relationships, lead their families well, and build the kind of life their wives and children can actually trust.
Key topics
In this episode: the origin of the friendship between Cody and Cody McBroom, starting with mentorship and slowly turning into a lifetime brotherhood.
Cody McBroom shares why he eventually stopped charging Cody for coaching, realizing the relationship had moved beyond a simple transaction.
In this episode: the idea that strong male friendships are hard to find, and why men need shared values, not just shared interests.
Cody McBroom shares that his pursuit of being a better husband, father, and leader began with not having those examples modeled well for him.
In this episode: the shift from trying to prove oneself through money, status, and external validation to living from faith and stewardship.
Cody McBroom shares that true accountability comes from God, not from applause, clout, or earthly success.
In this episode: practical ways men can pursue brotherhood, including getting uncomfortable, joining group chats, posting in local community groups, and saying yes to the right invitations.
Cody McBroom shares that leadership at home is not domination, but creating an environment where a wife and children can flourish.
In this episode: why consistency matters more than intensity when changing a household culture, especially spiritually.
Cody McBroom shares how he thinks about being a protector and provider through real-life examples, from prayer and devotionals to physical safety and financial stability.
In this episode: why hybrid mentality means not being a liability in any major area of life.
Cody McBroom shares that the goal is to become someone his wife and daughter can confidently rely on in any situation.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Cody and Cody are recording together again
01:18 – The mentor-student relationship starts to become brotherhood
02:56 – Why the coaching relationship stopped feeling transactional
04:23 – Reasons, seasons, and lifetimes in male friendship
06:53 – Where the drive for hybrid mentality really comes from
08:16 – Wanting to become the husband and father you never saw
10:11 – Trading empty success for faith and accountability
10:39 – Stewardship, gratitude, and the danger of complacency
13:16 – What to tell the man who wants better but has no guide
14:01 – Why seeking shared values matters more than waiting to be found
15:20 – Choosing brotherhood over comfort in everyday decisions
16:19 – How one uncomfortable post led to real local friendships
17:15 – Why saying yes to the right person can matter more than convenience
18:40 – Taking off the armor and creating spaces where men can be honest
20:41 – Why a husband must be sturdy enough for his wife to lean on
22:09 – Planting your flag without becoming arrogant or fake
23:23 – Midlife reflection, identity, and refusing to live performatively
24:54 – Why choosing your own path can upset other people
26:10 – Thinking about the long-term impact of current choices
28:16 – Start with why before trying to improve every pillar at once
29:15 – Slow, consistent change in the home takes time
30:13 – Why baby steps beat the shotgun approach of extreme discipline challenges
31:10 – Humble prayer, asking for help, and starting the day with word and movement
32:27 – A story about family transformation over years, not weeks
36:26 – Why faith in the home can grow gradually and naturally
37:53 – Being the one your family comes to with Bible questions and prayer
39:22 – Trust, conviction, and the responsibility of spiritual leadership
40:26 – Why a well-led woman flourishes instead of shrinks
41:51 – Values are proven by years of consistent action
42:20 – The burden of leadership versus the burden of submission
44:11 – Leading is about protecting, providing, and clearing the path
46:22 – What protector, provider, leader, and lover look like in real life
48:14 – Provision means safety, stability, and removing stress from the home
50:35 – Love is not just duty, but visible affection and care
51:18 – Why men should not be excellent in fitness but average in life
53:12 – Two practical examples of being a fit, capable, protective dad
55:45 – Final thoughts on what real protection looks like
56:08 – Where to follow Cody McBroom and hear more from him
Notable quotes
“If you’re listening to this and you don’t have that, you have to go seek it out.”
“Nobody’s coming to save you.”
“A well-loved and led woman is gonna be a Proverbs 31 woman.”
Action items
Audit your current relationships and ask whether they move you closer to brotherhood and fellowship.
Stop waiting for the perfect environment and get uncomfortable enough to seek community.
Identify the one pillar you are weakest in and improve it with consistent daily action.
Start mornings with prayer, Scripture, and movement instead of trying to force growth at the end of the day.
Ask whether your wife and children would describe you as protective, stable, and spiritually grounded.
__________
📲 Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/codysmithwa/
📲 Follow Cody McBroom: https://www.instagram.com/codymcbroom/
📲 Cody McBroom’s Podcast: https://choosehardpodcast.com/
📨 Get in Touch: [email protected]
🎓Mentor with us: https://tailoredcoachingmentorship.com/

🚀 Gyms:
https://www.instagram.com/virtuousgymwa/ – Virtuous Gym HQ
https://www.instagram.com/virtuousfitnesssouth/ – Virtuous South
https://www.instagram.com/virtuousgrappling/ – Virtuous Grappling

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EVERY ARENA. NO EXCUSES.
PROTECT. PROVIDE. LEAD. LOVE.
58 min
September 24Ep. 3 — 13 Years and 3 Gyms Later: What Building Virtuous Actually Taught Me
Thirteen years ago I signed a lease and opened a gym with no idea what I was doing. Still here.
This episode is the honest version of those thirteen years — what building Virtuous actually cost, and the lessons that only come from staying in the seat: the loneliness, the no-answers seasons, and the reason I never put it down.
If you’re building something — a business, a side thing, anything with your name on it — this one’s for you.
In this episode:
What I thought I was building in 2013 vs. what I know now I was actually building
Who you hire is the whole game — the hire that taught me the most, and why culture isn’t what you put on the wall, it’s who you put on the floor
Multiple locations didn’t mean what I thought it would mean — what expansion actually multiplies, and what it exposes
Saying no is a growth strategy — the programs I built, believed in, and killed anyway
Premium is a spine, not a price tag — holding the line when discounting would’ve been easier, and why your price is a promise
Some seasons the business grows. Some seasons you just refuse to die. Both count.
One ask: Building something right now? DM me “BUILDER” on Instagram and tell me what it is and where it’s heavy. I read every one — and the best ones are becoming a future episode.
Connect:
Instagram: @coachcodysmith
Gyms: @virtuousgymwa · @virtuousfitnesssouth · @virtuousgrappling
27 min
September 17Ep. 2 — Hybrid Training at 40: How to Train Strength, Train for Hyrox, and Jiu Jitsu at the same time
“You can’t be strong AND run AND do jiu jitsu — you’ll just be mediocre at everything.” I’ve heard it for years. This episode is my answer. I’m 40, I run a business, I’ve got three boys — and I still train like something’s coming. Here’s exactly how I structure my training week to build strength, engine, and skill on a real man’s schedule, plus what I’ve had to change since my 30s and the mistakes I see guys over 35 make when they go hybrid.
In this episode:
Why “hybrid makes you mediocre” is specialist thinking — and why outside pro sport, the specialist is the fragile one
Who this is actually for: the 30-45 former athlete whose real constraints are recovery and calendar, not motivation
What changed from 30 to 40 — what I dropped, what I kept, and the difference between the ego rep and the smart rep
My actual training week, day by day: how strength days, engine days, and mat days coexist
The collision points: lifting after hard rolls, running without eating your strength, and what gets cut first when life hits
The minimum effective dose.
The top mistakes I see in men over 35 trying hybrid training
The frame: this is the Protector pillar in practice — trained, capable, ready, at an age the culture tells you to coast
One ask: DM me “HYBRID” on Instagram with your biggest scheduling collision — which sessions you can’t figure out how to fit together — and I’ll answer the best ones in a future episode.
Connect:
Instagram: @coachcodysmith
Gyms: @virtuousgymwa · @virtuousfitnesssouth · @virtuousgrappling
20 min
September 12Ep. 1 — The Name That’s Staying: What the Hybrid Mentality Actually Is
I’ve renamed this podcast more times than I want to admit. The science guy, the coach’s coach, the business guy — none of it stuck, because none of it was the whole truth. In this episode I tell you what changed, why this feed is now The Hybrid Mentality Podcast, and the four-pillar framework that finally put words to the thing I’ve been chasing my whole life.
In this episode:
Why every previous version of this brand felt like a costume — and the difference between a topic and an identity
The frame: I train as a hybrid athlete (strength, endurance, jiu jitsu) — and the day I realized I was living hybrid in the gym and one-dimensional everywhere else
The Hybrid Mentality defined: never letting any arena that matters drop below the standard
Protector — why a man should be strong, capable, and yes, lethal — and the failure mode of dangerous-but-never-gentle
Provider — provision as experiences and presence, not just a paycheck, plus 13 years of lessons from building Virtuous
Leader — why you can’t lead your wife, kids, or team further than you lead yourself
Lover — the pillar men skip: God is love, so it starts with loving Him first — and everything else flows from that
What this show is now: training, HYROX, nutrition, business, faith, and family — two tactical episodes for every conviction episode
The disclaimer that matters: I’m not teaching from the summit. I’m reporting from the climb.
One ask: Which pillar do you need most right now? DM me one word — Protector, Provider, Leader, or Lover — on Instagram: @coachcodysmith. I read every one.
Connect:
Instagram: @coachcodysmith
Gyms: @virtuousgymwa · @virtuousfitnesssouth · @virtuousgrappling
24 min
May 04The #1 Nutritional Mistake I see with My Clients…Are you doing this?
In this episode, I break down one of the most common patterns I see holding people back from changing their body composition.
It’s not overeating.
It’s not lack of effort.
It’s the cycle of chronic under-eating mixed with inconsistency.
A lot of people are stuck in a loop of eating too little, feeling run down, eventually losing control, and then repeating the process. Over time, this leads to stalled progress, frustration, and confusion around why their body isn’t changing.
We dive into what’s actually happening physiologically and why simply eating less stops working.
I also explain the concept of Adaptive Thermogenesis, how your body adapts to prolonged calorie deficits, and why this can slow fat loss over time.
From there, I walk through what doing nutrition correctly actually looks like, and why the answer is often not more restriction, but a smarter, more strategic approach.
We finish by breaking down reverse dieting, what a calorie deficit really is, and how to structure your nutrition so your body can actually respond and progress.
What You’ll Learn
Why eating less doesn’t always lead to more fat loss
The cycle of under-eating and inconsistency that keeps people stuck
How the body adapts to prolonged calorie deficits
What metabolic adaptation actually means in real life
Why pushing harder often makes things worse
What a reverse diet is and when to use it
How to approach fat loss in a sustainable and effective way
Key Takeaways
The goal is not to eat as little as possible
Consistency beats extreme restriction
Your body adapts to long-term dieting
If your body isn’t responding, the strategy needs to change
Sometimes the smartest move is to rebuild before pushing again
If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
31 min
January 26Product First, People Always: Lessons From Our 2026 Brand Vision Meetup
In this episode, I sit down to unpack our 2026 Brand Vision Meetup with the Virtuous team.
This wasn’t just a planning meeting…it was a moment of honest reflection, alignment, and recommitment to who we are, what we stand for, and the standard we’re willing to hold as we move forward.
I walk through:
The real lessons from 2025…what went right, what broke down, and where leadership needed to level up
Why clarity of vision directly impacts product quality
How losing identity, even briefly affects culture, standards, and results
What it actually means to say “Product First” and “Hold the Line” as a leader
The values that define Virtuous: Growth, Trust the Team, Excellence, and Accountability
Why people don’t want more motivation they want to be led
The challenge (and necessity) of changing culture by pulling out old roots
What being a great team member at Virtuous in 2026 truly requires

We also define what Virtuous will look and feel like in 2026:
A tight, premium, client centric model
Exceptionally clean, intentional, branded environments
World-class coaching and transformation-focused programming
A culture with soul, standards, and zero ego
A team that owns the jersey on and off the floor

This episode is for:
Gym owners and leaders building culture
Coaches who want clarity, not chaos
Anyone trying to lead people without losing themselves
Anyone who believes excellence is built by standards, not slogans

If you’re building something meaningful or trying to protect it as it grows this conversation will hit home.
If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnessboise
58 min
January 19 HYROX Lessons Learned: How to Race Smarter, Train Better, and Chase Sub-60
HYROX is simple on paper……. run, work, repeat.
In reality, it’s one of the easiest races to get wrong.
In this episode, I break down my biggest lessons learned from racing HYROX. What mattered, what didn’t, and what I’d change next time.
This isn’t a highlight reel or a hype talk. It’s a real breakdown of pacing, mistakes, strategy, and how to approach HYROX if you actually want to perform well.
We cover why running speed matters more than most people want to admit, where races are truly won and lost, and how the environment can trick you into pushing too hard too early. I also talk through warm-up strategy, fueling, crowd navigation, and why wall balls are still the great equalizer.
From there, I zoom out and talk strategy and how HYROX should be approached differently depending on whether you’re racing Solo or in Doubles.
Each division demands a different mindset, pacing plan, and execution.
I also go station by station to discuss how to approach the runs and workouts, how to think about time, and where to stay patient versus where to compete.
Finally, I lay out what a sub-60 HYROX actually looks like realistic run splits, station times, and the level of composure required to hold it together for the full race.
If you’re training for HYROX or thinking about it this episode will help you race smarter, train with intention, and avoid the mistakes that cost the most time.
If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnessboise
40 min
December 18, 2025 The Truth About What it Takes to Make a Great Gym: Inside the Mind of Our Gym Manager with Kaua Cole
Welcome back to another Episode of the show.
This Episode we give you a behind the scenes look at how our Site Manager runs and operates Virtuous Gym.
She shares insights from a day in her life, lessons learned, and what we believe Coaching Excellence looks like.
Be sure to sit down pull out a notebook and take notes.
It is a good one!

If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Kaua’s Instagram: @coach_sweetkaua
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnessboise
53 min
December 05, 2025 The Last 2 Months were my Worst Months in Business in the Last 5 Years – Here is what we did to Grow through it
The Last two months of business were some of the worst months I have had in 5 years!
But now we are growing like wildfire!
In today’s Episode I share the 3 things we did to grow our business post government shutdown.
I am excited for you to listen.

If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Follow us on Social:
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnessboise
20 min
November 21, 2025Why Our Gym Trains Differently: Level Up Your Group Workouts
In this episode, I break down the core principles that separate real training from the typical “group class” model found in CrossFit and group fitness gyms.
I explains why my gym doesn’t run classes it runs sessions.
Why the coaching model is built on personalization, not scaling.
And why progression and regression systems create a training environment where every athlete feels seen, challenged, and supported.
If you’re a coach, gym owner, or trainer who wants to elevate your standards and deliver a more professional, intentional training experience, this episode will challenge the way you think about programming, coaching, and session structure.
What we discuss:
1. Sessions Over Classes
How language shapes expectations, standards, and the overall training experience. Why “class” lowers the bar and why “session” elevates it.
2. We Personalize We Don’t Scale
The key difference between scaling (reactive, generic, often diminishing) and personalization (intentional, targeted, stimulus-preserving).
How personalization builds trust, unity, and higher quality coaching.
3. The Power of Progressions & Regressions
Why coaching isn’t improvisation.
How progression/regression systems create structure, consistency, and individualized development inside a group environment.
4. What a Professional Training Environment Actually Looks Like
How clarity, systems, and intentional language turn group training into a unified, purposeful session instead of chaos management.
TAKEAWAYS FOR COACHES & GYM OWNERS:
Language can elevate or erode your perceived professionalism.
Scaling is not the hallmark of good coaching; personalization is.
Systems create consistency, consistency creates trust, and trust creates retention.
Progression and regression frameworks allow coaches to deliver individualized training at scale.
A session should feel like everyone is doing the right version of the workout not the “easy” or “scaled” version.

If you haven’t yet be sure to Subscribe!!!
Follow us on Social:
Personal Instagram: @coachcodysmith
YouTube: The Channel
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnesswa
Gym Instagram: @virtuousgrappling
Gym Instagram: @virtuousfitnessboise
24 min

About The Hybrid Mentality

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The Hybrid Mentality — a podcast for men who refuse to be one-dimensional. I’m Cody Smith — hybrid athlete, gym owner, husband, and father of three boys. For 13 years I’ve built and run Virtuous Gym…

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The Hybrid Mentality

The Hybrid Mentality episodes

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