By Seung Choi BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Four MTI Lab Rats completed a 4-week mini-study designed to examine the potential of a velocity-based approach to improving 1RM back squat performance. The participants were divided into two groups: one followed the RAT 6 intensity scheme using velocity as an auto-regulator, while the other used prescribed […]
Emmett Shaul
Mini-Study Results: 2/1 Interval Strategy Faster and Mentally Easier Than Continuous Ruck Run
By Jackson Mann, MTI Intern BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Over a 4-week mini-study, MTI compared a continuous ruck run versus a 2-minute run / 1-minute walk interval (2/1) strategy over six miles with a 60-lb ruck. All four participants tested both methods in a crossover design. Results showed that the 2/1 interval strategy yielded […]
35 Days on the Carnivore Diet: Performance, Energy, and Health Changes
By Jackson Mann, MTI Intern I spent 35 days on the carnivore diet, a nutritional approach that eliminated all plant-based foods in favor of animal products. Going into it, I didn’t have any specific goals or expected outcomes—I was simply curious to see if I could stick to such a highly restrictive regimen. In the […]
Can You Lift Heavy Without Carbs? A Closer Look at Carnivore Diet and Strength Training
By Seung Choi, MTI Intern Throughout my academic journey—from earning my bachelor’s in exercise science at Temple University to pursuing my master’s at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs—one principle was consistently reinforced: carbohydrates are essential for high-intensity performance. While explosive and strength-based movements primarily draw on phosphocreatine (PCr) for energy, this energy system is […]
Sport as Conditioning: Why Playing Might Be the Best Cardio You’re Not Doing
By Sam Johnson, MTI Intern Last week, a few of us interns hit the local rec center for a pickup soccer game. One of our guys—a powerlifter who doesn’t do much traditional cardio—ran nonstop for nearly two hours. Sprinting, defending, getting beat, recovering, laughing, doing it all over again. He pushed himself harder in that […]
An Important Lesson I Learned on a High School Mountain Search and Rescue Team
By Jackson Mann, MTI Intern In high school, I was part of a year-round mountain search and rescue team made up of local students and run by the fire department. Our coverage area included two counties near the Front Range of the Rockies and southern Denver. Since our area didn’t see many lost-person incidents, […]
Mini Study Results: MTI Finds No Perfect Grip Test for Tactical Athletes
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Four MTI Lab Rats completed a week-long assessment comparing five popular grip strength and endurance tests to evaluate their relevance for tactical performance. The goal: identify which tests best reflect real-world demands for military, law enforcement (LE), and fire/rescue athletes — and whether maximum grip strength correlates with endurance-based performance. […]
Mini Study: Chassis Integrity Assessment Needs Refinement
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Four MTI athletes tested a new Chassis Integrity assessment format over a 5-week cycle. The test included movements targeting flexion (Sandbag Sit-Ups), extension (Good Mornings), rotation (Sandbag Keg Lifts), and isometric tension (Elevated Weighted Bridge Holds). Improvements were made across all domains in the individual movements. However, the assessment’s complexity […]
Research Review: Resistance Training Matches Stretching for Flexibility While Adding Strength
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) This 8-week randomized controlled trial compared resistance training and static stretching for improving flexibility and strength in healthy young adults. Both methods improved flexibility equally. However, only resistance training improved maximal isometric strength at both mid- and end-range joint angles. Static stretching had no effect on strength. When stretch intensity […]
Mini Study: 3 Hours of Weekly Zone 2 Running Improves Aerobic Base
BLUF Over a 4-week period, MTI athletes subscribed to our daily streams completed either 1.5 or 3 hours per week of Zone 2 running. Despite the low training volume and minimal intervention time, most athletes who completed the protocol demonstrated improvements in aerobic base, assessed by total distance covered during a fixed-time Zone 2 effort. These results […]