Busy Operator III: Balanced Strength, Work Capacity, Endurance

Busy Operator III: Balanced Strength, Work Capacity, Endurance

$49.00

  • 7-week, 5 days/week training program
  • Provides short, intense, 30-50 minute training sessions for tactical athletes who have minimal training time
  • Deploys MTI’s Fluid Periodization methodology to train strength, work capacity, chassis integrity and military endurance (running, rucking, step ups) concurrently.
  • This training plan is one of the 450+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Busy Operator Training Plans were developed after I received multiple emails from deployed military athletes who had completed our venerable Operator Sessions before deployment but downrange simply didn’t have the time to complete the full 60-minute Operator Sessions.
Upon these requests, I developed a stripped down version of the Operator Sessions which could be completed in 30-50 minutes. Out of this our first version of the Busy Operator Training plan was developed, and subsequent to that – Busy Operator 2
Busy Operator 3 is the third plan in our Busy Operator series.

This 7-week, 5 days/week training program provides short, intense, 30-50 minute training sessions for tactical athletes who have minimal training time. This plan was designed in November 2017 and Updated October, 2025.

The program deploys MTI’s Fluid Periodization methodology to train strength, work capacity, chassis integrity and military endurance (running, rucking, step ups) concurrently. Here are some programming specifics for this plan.

Strength
Busy Operator 3 deploys our new “Efficient Strength” programming. Efficient strength combines a total body, lower body, upper body press and upper body pull exercise in the same circuit. The circuit is designed so that just one of the 4 exercises requires a barbell. In terms of intensity, the total body and lower body exercises deploy moderate intensity – 3 reps per set for the total body exercise and 5 reps per set for the lower body exercise. The upper body exercises (push and pull) modulate between moderate (5 reps per set) and light (8 reps per set) intensity. Athletes work through the circuit at a moderate pace … – briskly but not frantically. Loading is prescribed as “work up until 3 reps (or whichever is dictated by that exercise) are “hard but doable.” Ideally, athletes will be at this “hard but doable” loading by round 4 or 5 of the 6 round circuit. This is strength training … so the idea is to get as heavy as possible, as fast as possible and still be able to complete the prescribed reps for each exercise.

Work Capacity
Busy Operator 3 deploys two durations of work capacity events – a 10-minute effort or a 20-30 minute effort. Overall, the plan deploys 5 separate work capacity events.

Chassis Integrity
Two types of chassis integrity circuits are deployed – ART Circuits (Anti-Rotation, Rotation, and Total Body Exercises) and Low Back Circuits (4 low back exercises). ART Circuits are programmed after the10 minute work capacity events. Low Back circuits are designed after the 20-minute work capacity events. Chassis Integrity is MTI’s core/midsection training methodology designed to train the midsection in a manner which is transferable to outside performance for mountain and tactical athletes.

Endurance
Three types of endurance events are deployed – unloaded running, loaded rucking and a combo of running and step ups.

 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE 

Each week of Busy Operator 3 includes two strength sessions, and at least one work capacity and one endurance session. Some weeks have two work capacity and one endurance, and others have two endurance and one work capacity session. Below is the schedule for week 1.

  • Monday: Strength
  • Tuesday: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity
  • Wednesday: Endurance
  • Thursday: Work Capacity
  • Friday: Strength

 

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

This program is specifically designed for military and other tactical athletes. Completion of the program requires a fully-equipped functional gym, complete with barbells, racks, plyo-boxes and sandbags (40# for women, 60# for men). In addition, you will need a ruck and 45# of load. A stopwatch with an interval timer will make working through the session easier. Timex Ironman is best.

 

COMMON QUESTIONS

How long will the sessions last?
These training sessions are specifically designed to be completed in 30-50 minutes. Work briskly, but not frantically, through these training sessions.

What if I miss a day?
If you miss a day, make up the session you missed the next day and follow the programming as prescribed. Don’t skip ahead.

What does “3/6x Pull Ups” mean? What does “95/135#” mean? 
3/6x Pull Ups = 3 pull ups for women, 6 pull ups for men. 95/135# = 95# for women, 135# for men.

What if I miss a day?
Begin where you left off when you return to training. This program is progressed – each session builds upon the prior session – so don’t skip a session or skip around. Follow the training sessions in order, regardless.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Yes. Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming.

How do I access the plan? Pdf? Online?
Plan access is online, via username and password.

Can I print out sessions to take to the gym?
Yes – you can print a week of programming at a time

More Questions? Email: coach@mtntactical.com

 

DISCLAIMER
Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that you are in proper health. Physical training contains inherent risks including, but not limited to, muscle strains, tears, physical and bodily injury up to and including death. This training program is not meant to provide medical advice; you should obtain medical advice from your private health care practitioner. If you are unable to assume these risks then you should not engage in this training program. No liability is assumed by Mountain Tactical Institute, Inc, its owners or employees, and you train at your own risk. Mountain Tactical Institute makes no warranty, express or implied, of any kind in connection with this training program.

 

Required Equipment

This program is specifically designed for military and other tactical athletes. Completion of the program requires a fully-equipped functional gym, complete with barbells, racks, plyo boxes and sandbags (40# for women, 60# for men). In addition, you will need a ruck and 45# of load. A stopwatch with an interval timer will make working through the session easier. Timex Ironman is best.

Sample Training

MONDAY

SESSION 1

Obj: Strength

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
Barbell Complex @ 45/65#
Instep Stretch
Lat/Pec Stretch

Training:

(1) 6 Rounds
3x Power Clean – Increase load each round until 3x is hard but doable
5x Kneeling Curl to Press – Increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
5x KB/DB Walking Lunges – Increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
Rope Climb or 2/3x Tarzan Pull Ups

Work through the strength exercises in this circuit at a moderate, not frantic pace — it’s okay to take a brief rest between exercises and get a drink if necessary. Aim to be at your “hard but doable” load for the Power Cleans, Kneeling Curl to Press, and Walking Lunge by round 4. Expect this to take 30–40 minutes.

(2) 1 Round
Foam Roll Complex

TUESDAY

SESSION 2

Obj: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
5x Burpees
10x Squats
10x Sit Ups
Instep Stretch
Lat/Pec Stretch

Training:

(1) 10 Round Interval
20 Sec. Touch/Jump/Touch to Box
40 Sec. Rest

(2) 15 Minute Grind
5x Kneeling Plate Half Moon @ 25/35#
5x Sandbag Keg Lift @ 40/60# (increase to 80# if possible)
2x Sandbag Clean & Run @ 40/60# (increase to 80# if possible)

“Grind” = Work steadily, not frantically, for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don’t stop to rest.

(3) 2 Rounds
Pigeon Stretch
Hip Flexor Stretch

WEDNESDAY

SESSION 3

Obj: Endurance

Warm Up:
–

Training:

(1) Run 4 Miles @ Moderate Pace
“Moderate” = Comfortable but not easy

THURSDAY

SESSION 4

Obj: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
5x Power Clean @ 65/95#
5x Walking Lunge
4x 40-Foot Shuttle Sprint – Start slow and increase speed as you warm up
Instep Stretch
Lat/Pec Stretch

Training:

(1) 20 Minute AMRAP
5x Power Clean @ 75/115#
75m Shuttle – Down 25m, back 25m, down 25m
Walk back to start as rest

“AMRAP” = As Many Rounds As Possible. Complete the 5x Power Cleans, then immediately the 75m Shuttle. At the end of the shuttle you’ll end up 25m from the barbell. Walk back at a moderate pace — this walk is your working “rest” between rounds.

No room for a 25m Shuttle? Complete 5x 40-Foot Shuttles instead.
No room for even 40-Foot Shuttles? Complete 10x Box Jumps @ 20” and rest 30 seconds between rounds.

(2) 10 Minute Grind
15/15 Standing Founder
10x Good Morning @ 45/65#
15/15 Kneeling Founder

“Grind” = Work steadily, not frantically, for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don’t stop to rest.

(3) 2 Rounds
Foam Roll Lower Back
Toe Touch Complex

FRIDAY

SESSION 5

Obj: Strength

Warm Up:
3 Rounds
5x Dumbbell Craig Special @ 10/15#
10x Push Ups
Instep Stretch
Lat/Pec Stretch

Training:

(1) 6 Rounds
3x Craig Special – DB/KB – Increase load each round until 3x is hard but doable
8x Kettlebell Floor Press – Increase load each round until 8x is hard but doable
5x Hinge Lift – Increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
4/8x Chin Ups

Work through the strength exercises in this circuit at a moderate, not frantic pace — it’s okay to take a brief rest between exercises and get a drink if necessary. Aim to be at your “hard but doable” load for the Dumbbell Craig Specials, Kettlebell Floor Press, and Hinge Lift by round 4. Expect this to take 30–40 minutes.

(2) 2 Rounds
5x Shoulder Dislocates
Frog Stretch

1)  Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance. 

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

 

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

 

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

 

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

 

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

 

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

 

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

 

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe. 

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety. 

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

 

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

 

All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete’s Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes’ mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website  or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf’s of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete’s Subscription?

  • Plan – Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
  • Packet – Like purchasing the DVD’s of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
  • Athlete’s Subscription – Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you’ll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the “Required Equipment” tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com

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