By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach Program Description:This intense, 7-week, 6-day/week training plan is specifically designed to prepare athletes for their upcoming Homeland Security Investigations Special Response Team (HSI SRT) Selection. The plan includes dedicated preparation for a selection-specific PFT built from the known HSI SRT events: transition over a 6-foot wall, the 8-minute circuit, max […]
Emmett Shaul
Case Study: How Much Does 7 Weeks of Focused Dryland Ski Training Impact Running Endurance and 3RM Bench Press and Dead Lift Strength?
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach BLUF Two MTI Lab Rats immediately followed a 4-week, multi-modal Base Fitness cycle which included heavy strength and running by 7 weeks of MTI’s Dryland Ski programming. How much did the sport-specific cycle impact their strength and running? One athlete maintained his bench press 3RM and slightly improved his Hinge […]
Mini Study: Deadlift & Dead Hang “Maxmimal Squeeze Grip” Intervals Improve Dynometer-Assessed Max Grip Strength
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Strength & Conditioning Coach BLUF This Mini Study was initiated to support the Relative Hand Grip event in the Canadian Military CANSOFCOM Physical Fitness Screening Evaluation (PFSE) test, which uses a hand dynamometer to assess grip strength. Currently, the CANSOFCOM PFSE is the only tactical fitness assessment we’re aware of that […]
Mini-Study: Touch/Jump/Touch to Box Reps Increase 25% During Dryland Ski Training Cycle
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Strength & Conditioning Coach BLUF A 7-week Dryland Ski Training Cycle using an assessment based Touch-Jump-Touch to Box (TJT) progression increased 2 minute TJT scores for all six lab rats by an average of 26.3% (range 8.0–51.7%). Heart rate data from the hardest TJT session showed athletes repeatedly working at high […]
Different Skiing Intensity, Different Fitness Demands: Improving MTI’s Dryland Ski Programming to Scale to the Individual Skier
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Strength & Conditioning Coach We recently received an email from a 66-year-old athlete who highlighted a potential improvement opportunity in our Pre-Season Skiing Training Plans, and all mountain sport-pre-season plans. This athlete reported that the programming was simply intense for him—specifically the Leg Blasters. Currently, weaker athletes often need to stop, […]
Research Review: Five-Minute Rest Between Sets Increases Force and Total Work Compared to Two Minutes
By Emmett Shaul BLUF A Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study compared 2-minute vs 5-minute rest intervals between sets during heavy isometric knee extension in 8 young, recreationally active adults. With the same exercise, sets, and reps in both conditions: In this lab setting, 5-minute rest intervals produced more and better-quality work with less neuromuscular fatigue, even though the sessions felt just as hard […]
Different by Design: Inside the MTI Daily Operator Stream
By Emmett Shaul Background MTI’s Daily Operator Sessions are year-round, day-to-day base military training for special operations personnel and those aiming for that level of fitness. The goal with the Operator Stream, and all of our “Base Fitness” programming, is to meet 90% of the Mission-direct fitness demands the athlete will face in real life. […]
Research Review: Supersets vs. Traditional Lifting — Same Gains, Less Time
By Emmett Shaul BLUF Across the studies reviewed, superset training—alternate agonist–antagonist pairings (AAPS), reciprocal supersets (RSS), and total-body supersets (TBSS)—produces similar long-term gains in strength, hypertrophy, power, and muscular endurance compared to traditional straight sets (TRAD), while finishing sessions in about half the time. Acutely, supersets raise cardiovascular/metabolic load and perceived effort, and can slightly reduce bar velocity […]
Comprehensive Guide to Ruck Training Techniques
Above: GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany — U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Saber, Joint Multinational Training Group–Ukraine, participate in a 12-mile ruck march during a Spur Ride event, Oct. 8, 2025. The ruck march tested each Spur candidate’s endurance, discipline, and determination as they carried full combat gear across […]
10 Updated Tools for Your Mission: MTI’s Latest Training Plan Refinements
By Emmett Shaul 1) Pirate Training Packet 1: 5× Base Fitness + Fin/Swim Plans 2) Barbossa: Balanced Base Fitness + Swim Intervals 3) Black Beard: Balanced Base Fitness + Fin Intervals 4) Captain Morgan: Balanced Base Fitness + Swim Endurance 5) Madame Cheng: Balanced Base Fitness + Fin/Run 6) BORTAC Selection Training Plan 7) BORSTAR […]