What’s the Next Program After Finishing Bodyweight Beginner and Starting the MTI Meal Plan?
Athlete:
I’m just starting Week 3 of the Bodyweight Beginner Program and really enjoying the structure and progression. On Monday, I’ll also be starting Week 1 of the MTI’s 4-Week Meal Plan and am looking forward to seeing how it supports my training and recovery.
As I approach the end of the bodyweight beginner program, I wanted to ask what you’d recommend as the next step.
Thanks for any guidance you can provide, and for putting together such solid resources.
Rob:
Age, weight, height?
Any equipment restrictions?
Athlete:
I’m 59 years old, 192 cm tall, and weighed in today (Monday) at 110 kg. Back in Week 2 of the Bodyweight Beginner program, my weight had dropped to 89 kg, which is a major reason I’ve decided to start MTI’s 4-week meat plan. As for gym equipment, I don’t have access to wooden plyo boxes or climbing ropes. I’m also currently without a stopwatch or interval timer, but I’ve ordered a Timex Ironman watch to take care of that.
Rob:
Plans/order in the SF55 Training Packet, beginning with SF55 Alpha.
I’m 57 and cutting fat gets harder and harder as our metabolisms slow. If the diet plan doesn’t work for you, get even more strict on carbs … i.e. no fruit, few vegetables, no sugar.
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How Do I Safely Improve Speed, Agility, and Reduce Fat for My Strong 10-Year-Old Football Player?
Athlete:
I have used a few of your plans and love them. I find your product and knowledge amazing and full of useful info. I was wondering if you might be able to give me advice for my son. He is 9 about to be 10 in October. He is roughly 4’6” and 114 pounds and very strong! However where we struggle is cardio and quickness. Don’t get me wrong he is not slow for his size he finishes about mid pack during practice sprints and stuff with boys half his size. He plays football as a lineman right now but wants to be like a halfback or linebacker and in order to do so we need more speed and agility and I’d like him to shed a little bit of the belly fat. I know fitness from my years in the military and law enforcement but am unsure of how to train my son as I don’t want to overload him or hurt his growth. Was hoping you might be able to give me and some advice on how to move forward. Oh and right now we just started the season if that matters or effects training routine. Thanks Sir!
Rob:
10 is too young, in my opinion, for much lifting, but a great age to do bodyweight training. The best thing you can do for him athletically is make him stronger. And you can do this with bodyweight.
The Bodyweight Foundation Training Plan would be a good place to start – it’s assessment-based, so the progressions will automatically scale to his incoming strength. And, because it’s assessment-based, you can do it alongside him and both of you will be pushed. In this case, with him practicing, I’d recommend just the Monday/Wednesday/Friday strength sessions from the plan.
The only issue is his practice … and there will likely be some interference with his practice …. i.e. he could be sore or fatigued from the bodyweight sessions and this could impact his football performance. Kids have unreal recovery, but I’m not sure it’s worth the risk?
Options:
(1) Let him get through the football season then drop into the Bodyweight Foundation plan with him.
(2) Try the Monday/Wed/Fri sessions from Bodyweight Foundation now … and cut them out if the soreness / fatigue is impacting his football
(3) Do the strength sessions from the Bodyweight Flow plan now – perhaps 1 or 2 days/week and work around his football days to minimize the impact from soreness/fatigue. These sessions aren’t assessment based – and thus accomodate a flexible schedule more easily.
Sorry I don’t have the perfect answer for you.
Happy to hop on a call if needed.
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What’s the Best MTI Plan to Prepare for a Weeklong Backcountry Ski Trip in Hokkaido?
Athlete:
I’ve got a chance to join a 7 day Backcountry trip in Hokkaido this January. Do have a recommendation for the right training program to prepare? The AMGA ski guide course seems like it might be overkill, but I’d appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks for producing such effective programs.
Rob:
Any skiing prior to the trip? Lift assisted or backcountry? Both? How many days/week?
Hokkaido Trip … is this hut to hut or backcountry only? Any idea of the amount of daily vertical expected?
Athlete:
I’ll try to sneak in what I can before the trip, likely some of both, but lift-assisted is more likely as I’ve got a kid I’m trying to help improve, and I’ll sneak in laps if she’s in classes.
Unlikely to be more than 1 day a week unless I need to figure out getting in more skinning for training.
The trip is backcountry only, and we have rural accommodations each night. I haven’t heard back about the daily vertical. I’d be surprised if it’s more than 4k, but the group will be small enough that it could be more if everyone is feeling up for it.
Rob:
You’ll want to do the Backcountry Ski Pre-Season Training Plan beginning the 7 weeks directly before you depart.
This plan might be overkill for your trip … but it doesn’t hurt to go in overprepared.
Happy to hop on a call if needed.
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When Should I Start Training for Ranger School in January, and What’s the Recommended Sequence?
Athlete:
I am writing to inquire about your ranger program, as I am scheduled to go in January. I am curious, would it be advisable for me to commence training in preparation for it at this time?
Rob:
You have 21 weeks until the first week of January. Here’s what I recommend:
Weeks Plan
1-7 Humility
7-13 Fortitude (First 6 weeks of this 7 week plan)
14-21 Ranger School Training Plan – complete the 8 weeks directly before reporting.
Questions?
Happy to hop on a call if needed.
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How Should I Train for the Bigfoot 200 Ultra Over the Next Year?
Athlete:
I am seriously considering running the Bigfoot 200 next year. I’ve previously completed a half Ironman and a 50k but admittedly I have not been very active over the past couple of months. I know you don’t currently offer a program for 200 milers but I was hoping for some direction on where to start and how to train for the race given the 12 month training window.
Rob:
Best I’d have is the plans/order in the 52-week, 100-Mile Ultra Training Packet.
The top of the weekly volume for my 100-Mile Ultra plan is 90 miles. I haven’t considered a 200-mile ultra but I’m not sure how much more I’d push the weekly volume. A huge issue is training time …. depending on the weekly mileage and your pace, we’re looking at 25-35 hours/week.
I haven’t researched a 200-mile train up … but perhaps push the top of the weekly mileage volume to 120 miles? Training time and overuse will be concerns.
It could also be that people completing these races top out a 70-90 miles/week, and just suffer through the 200-miler.
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How Do I Add Swimming, Prep for Aconcagua, and Integrate Assessments into the Virtue Packet?
Athlete:
Just want to apologize up front for the long email and jumping around topics for lots of questions.
1) My wife and I just had a successful Kilimanjaro summit on the Northern Circuit route. We used your Mountaineering and Hiking Prep and the Kilimanjaro plan to prepare for the final 2 months before the trip. We both felt strong the whole way up and down. I can’t count how many groups we passed on summit night, and we were both surprised at how easy everything felt. Even when I got sick on the mountain, I was still doing better than others in our group.
2) I plan on starting the Virtue Packet next week with the Military on ramp. I’d like to mix in some swimming a few times a month since I’m not a very good swimmer. I’m thinking of doing the swim improvement plan in order on Saturday once or twice a month, but I’m a little worried about making the progressions since the stimulus will be so far apart from each other. Any advice on how to make the swims work with so little times a month?
3) I’m looking at Aconcagua in the next 2-3 years with maybe a trip out to Oregon/ Washington for some of the volcanoes next summer. Should I swap over to the mountain training, like the Greek Heroine, in the months leading up to the climb or stick with the military training and do a specific plan before the trip?
4) I see you have a prenatal training plan and found an article talking about a postpartum plan. Any update on when the postpartum would be available?
5) I’d like to take a few of the fitness assessments in the rest week between the plans in the Virtue Packet. Any recommendations on which assessment to take after which plan?
Thanks for your help. I know its a random assortment of questions.
Rob:
1) Congrats on Kili! Glad the programming worked for you.
2) Add in a moderate to easy pace, 30-60 minute swim, 1 or 2x/week. If you do 1 day/week, do it on Saturdays. 2 days/week – one as a 2-a day after the virtue session, and one on the weekend. You’re right – making the progressions will be difficult doing the virtue plans – these are too intense.
3) Not if you’re a military athlete. Train for your job first, then as you get closer to your climbs, drop out of the day-to-day tactical programming and do the appropriate mountain-specific train up like you did for Kili. I can help with the specific plan as you get closer.
4) No update on the Postpartum plan … It’s not in the queue currently. The issue is how different women are impacted by pregnancy, and even the same woman with different pregnancies. How to accomodate for all these issues is complicated without individualized programming.
5) As currently designed, there is no rest week between the Virtue plans – week 7 in each plan is a unload/taper week – often with an assessment based on that cycle (for example, a 3 mile ruck run re-assessment). If you do want to take a rest week and do some MTI assessments, on the tactical side, the 3/3/3 Military Athlete Endurance Assessment, Operator Ugly, The MTI Relative Strength Assessment Test, and MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment are what I’d recommend.
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Finished Hector with Big Gains – What’s Next?
Athlete:
Thanks for the excellent program. Improved every lift except bench. The ruck time improvements are truly crazy. Since I’m not in the military anymore I didn’t do the 10lb dumbell during the ruck and just did the 45lb ruck. I feel lean, fit and like I could take on any physical event. I think the lower back circuits very much helped in the ruck time improvements by making my low back steady and strong. When I ruck now my heart and lungs are the limiting factor rather than my muscular endurance. Very excited to do Apollo next and hopefully hit some more strength PR’s.
I also wrote up a full review on reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/weightroom/comments/1mqdkkz/program_review_mti_operator_hector/
Results:
- 3 mile 45lb ruck 34:12 – 29:45
- Front squat 245-265
- Bench 235-235
- Power clean and push press 185-195
- Push press 185-205
- Craig special 205-215
- Deadlift 385-405
- Bodyweight 192 – 197 lbs
- Height 6’4″
Rob:
Thank you for the detailed feedback on the Hector. Really appreciate it. Good luck with Apollo – email any questions that come up.
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How Can I Maintain Fitness on a Small Sailboat Over Winter with Limited Equipment and Space?
Athlete:
Hi Rob and team, I’m looking for programming to help me keep from losing too much fitness while spending the winter on a 38’ sailboat with limited space for equipment. Do you have a plan you could recommend for this type constraint?
Rob:
Bodyweight Foundation and Bodyweight Flow should work.
You’ll need to be resourceful for pull ups and endurance.
Cardio? Jumping Rope will work depending on the tack. But your go too for endurance will be step ups.
Diet? This will be key. You’ll need to be strict if you don’t want to gain fat – no sugar, no bad carbs, no fruit … and just leafy vegetables. Eat mostly protein.
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Does This Self-Built NZSAS Selection Training Progression Look Solid, and How Can I Improve It?
Athlete:
NZSAS Selection contains a mid distance swim and a tread water activity in cams which is my key development area. As such, I have devised an intended training packet once I have a solid fitness foundation as follows: Barbossa, US Navy PST, Humility, Max Strength + 5 Mile Run Improvement, Fortitude, Valor + Swim Improvement, Resilience, Delta Force Build, MTI NZSAS Selection Program (I will alternate weeks with the official NZSAS prescribed programme in order to get swimming in). Do you have any recommendations as to how I could improve this? Thank you.
Rob:
Your plan is solid. Just watch for overtraining and check back in as you get closer. Email questions anytime.
Good luck!
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As a 57-Year-Old Endurance Athlete, Where Should I Start Adding Functional Strength Training?
Athlete:
Trying to pick the right program. My focus is endurance training currently and have a coach for that. But know as a very aging athlete. 57. I need to add in some functional strength. Just not sure the best place to start
Emmett:
We have a Polar GenX Training Plan that focuses on concurrently training Max Effort Strength, chassis integrity, and Aerobic Base Running Endurance – which would fit in perfectly for your endurance training.
My Father developed this plan becaused he designed it for older mountain and tactical athletes ages 44+ years old … which fits well with Generation X (he is 57). The plan doesn’t include any threshold work capacity, and overall takes significant training time. However, any athlete can complete it – just know its focus and limitations (no work capacity, etc.)
You can find the plan HERE:
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What Plan Trains Only The Combat Chassis?
Athlete:
I’m looking for a plan that trains specifically combat chassis and nothing else. I currently do a max strength plan Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have a total rest day on Sundays and mobility / stretching on the others. I am currently an SRT member on a state law enforcement team and active artilleryman in the national guard. I’m looking to increase my cardio and am wanting to work on the combat chassis specifically given my jobs. Any plans you guys have that you can direct me towards?
Emmett:
A plan I would recommend would be Resilience: Combat Chassis Focus.
This plan strongly focuses on the athlete’s “combat chassis” and overall Chassis Integrity.
Resilience strengthens the combat chassis and builds Chassis Integrity in three distinct ways:
(1) Complexed Total Body Barbell Exercises with significant level changes: i.e. taking the barbell from the ground and putting it overhead. Exercises include complexed versions of the power clean, hang squat clean, and snatch.
(2) Extended Chassis Integrity Circuits which build both mid-section strength and endurance by deploying Total, Rotational, Anti-Rotational and Extension mid-section exercises from primarily kneeling or standing positions.
(3) Heavy Ruck Running, out to 5 miles. Ruck Running by definition mission-specifically trains the combat chassis in a mode which directly transfers to the tactical mission set. Ruck running is also mode-specific military endurance training.
As well, Resilience dedicates one day/week to speed, and work capacity deploying unloaded 400m sprints.
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What Mobility or Flexibility Resources Can Help My Soldiers with Joint Stiffness During Fire Season?
Athlete:
Good evening, I work for the California military department in cooperation with Cal Fire. My soldiers often mention issues with restricted range of motion or stiffness in the joints during fire season and in the off season when we are performing the Blackwater program. Do you recommend any resources to look into or programs to utilize as a supplemental mobility/flexibility training?
Emmett:
We have conducted various mobility mini studies that have all came out inconclusive. You can see our testing protocol and results HERE.
As for improving range of motion and joint stiffness, look into Static Stretching (a simple stretch and hold), Dynamic stretching, and PNF Stretching. Literature suggests that stretching twice per week for five weeks has been shown to improve flexibility.
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