By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach Over the past month, MTI has created and released many new training plans. Below is a summary of these training plans, and the rational behind the programming: 1) Military Athlete Flex: Strength Emphasis 18-session training cycle built for tactical athletes who can’t maintain a 5–6 day/week schedule due to unit […]
Emmett Shaul
Research Review: When More Strength Won’t Make You Faster
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) In trained male soccer players, two tests—isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) peak force relative to bodyweight and standing broad-jump (SBJ) impulse—best predicted 20 m and 40 m sprint times. Speed improved as those metrics rose until about IMTP ≈ 2.0 × bodyweight and SBJ impulse ≈ 0.29 m/s; beyond those levels, added strength or impulse showed little additional benefit for […]
Research Review: Leg Muscle Size and Sprint Timing in D-I Football
By Emmett Shaul BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) In Division I football players, leg muscle size relates to sprint timing—stance time (foot on the ground) and swing time (leg in the air)—and the pattern differs by position group. Across all athletes, larger vastus medialis (inner quad) and soleus (deep calf) were linked to longer stance and swing times. Within each position group (Skills, Mids, Bigs), some […]
Solving the Bomb Suit Problem: Programming for EOD Attrition Events
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach Designing a training plan to prepare soldiers for the Army and USMC EOD Bomb Suit Test has been an interesting programming puzzle: train for the physical demands of a heavy, hot, enclosed bomb suit test when the event itself isn’t publicly posted. What is public is clear: the Army’s Phase 1 begins with a […]
Changes We’re Making to 2025’s Backcountry and Dryland Ski Training, and Why
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach Background Since incorporating T/J/T to Box into our Backcountry and Dryland Ski plans, we’ve progressed it with intervals. We’ve adjusted and tweaked those over the years, but intervals have a hard limit: there’s no assessment setting the work. The biggest issue was that the work per work interval wasn’t dictated or individualized for each athlete. […]
1 Month of Leg Training Cost Me 40 Pounds on My Bench Press
By Emmett Shaul, MTI Coach We’d just finished MTI’s 5-week King of the Upper Body Lifts Density strength training cycle—three bench press sessions per week. I opened that cycle with a 300 pound 1RM and closed it by matching my all time best at 315. That set a clear marker for where my upper body pressing strength was at that […]
Research Review: No Magic Cure For Shin Splints
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) There is no single proven treatment for shin splints (MTSS). Start with rest and reduced running volume, and progress based on soreness. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) and arch-support orthoses show promise in some studies; lasers, braces, and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) do not. Diagnose clinically (diffuse tenderness >5 cm along […]
MTI’s Mountain/Wilderness SAR Fitness Assessment
By Emmett Shaul The fitness demands of Mountain/Wilderness SAR professionals and volunteers include relative strength (strength per bodyweight), chassis integrity (functional core strength), work capacity, and mountain endurance (uphill movement under load) SAR professionals and volunteers must move quickly and efficiently in the mountains under load, while also possessing the strength to handle and evacuate […]
Case-Study: 3 Weeks of MTI’s Working Strength Progression Improves Max Effort Strength
By Emmett Shaul, MTI CoachBLUF We tested MTI’s Working Strength methodology over a short, three-week cycle to see the effects it has on improving max effort strength. Athletes progressed by adding reps in their working sets while keeping the load the same as the previous week or increasing if possible. Both Michael and Emmett improved […]
Research Review: Resort Skiing’s New Reality — Shorter Seasons, Fewer Trips, Expensive Snowmaking
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Climate change is shortening ski seasons and reducing natural snow. Low-elevation resorts are hit hardest, leading to operational problems and closures. Skier satisfaction and loyalty drop; trips and overnight stays decline; regional economies absorb losses. Resorts turn to artificial snowmaking and year-round diversification; skiers substitute destinations, timing, or activities; governments […]