Military Will Trump’s tariffs lead to an emboldened Beijing in the Taiwan Strait?, S China Morning PostTroops Booted over COVID-19 Vaccine Are Being Offered Back Pay But Not Huge Payouts, DODNavy admiral fired from position as senior NATOplanner, Task & PurposeThe Marine Corps Has Settled the Debate Over the Size of a Rifle Squad, Task & […]
SSD
MTI Internship / Mentorship Opportunity, Ogden, UT
Location: Ogden, UtahDuration: 2–6 months (flexible)Compensation: $1,500/month stipend Mountain Tactical Institute (MTI) is launching a new fitness laboratory and programming workshop along the Wasatch Front in Ogden, Utah. We’re offering a limited number of internship/mentorship opportunities for those interested in being immersed in the development, testing, and refinement of cutting-edge strength and conditioning programming for […]
Mountain Athletes — Do You Meet the Professional Standard?
By Rob Shaul, Founder Outside of alpine ski racing, there’s little tradition of gym-based preparation in mountain sports. In fact, for many climbers, skiers, snowboarders, and freeride athletes, training in a gym is seen as “uncool.” The prevailing belief? Just do the sport. Or do a similar mountain sport—run trails, bike, climb—to get ready for […]
MTI Athlete Derrick Kline’s Alpinist Fitness Training Plan Results
By Derrick Kline, MTI Athlete I just wrapped up the 5-week MTI Alpinist Fitness Assessment Program, completing my post-assessment on March 28. The results speak for themselves—a 66.9% overall improvement, taking my score from “Poor” to “Good.” Here’s the breakdown: Assessment Results Post / Pre – % Change Dips: 36 / 30 → +20% 40-min […]
Arete 4.5.25
Military Military clash ‘almost inevitable’ if Iran nuclear talks fail, France says, Al JazeeraHamas admits 72% of deaths are combat-aged men as it quietly reduces civilian death toll, Jpost.com‘In No Way Incompatible’: Service Academy Alums Sign Letter Supporting Transgender Cadets, Midshipmen, military.comA soldier desperately needed a bone marrow transplant. Thousands volunteered as donors., Task & […]
Choosing Military Service and the Outdoors: A Career Balanced by Mountain Adventure
Everyone serving in the armed forces reaches a point where they ask themselves:
Do I stay in or do I get out?
Work With Fierce Urgency
By Rob Shaul, Founder Get to it. Be impatient. Push. Push. Push. Fierce urgency drives improvement and forces innovation. It doesn’t tolerate dilly-dallying decision-making. Minor problems can’t grow into big ones. You don’t have time for the unimportant. Urgency coerces improvement, streamlines processes, challenges priorities and refines strategies. It compels a proactive mindset to anticipate […]
Case Study: Loaded Sled Drags Demonstrate Transferability to Uphill Movement Under Load
By Rob Shaul, Founder BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Ten 60-minute sessions of sandbag drags at a controlled Zone 2 heart rate resulted in an 11% improvement in a loaded step-up assessment, also conducted at Zone 2. While this is a single-subject case study, it suggests that extended, loaded drags may effectively train uphill movement […]
Field Test vs. Lab Lactate Test: A Practical Lactate Threshold Assessment
By Jonathan Edwards, MTI Athlete Team Lactate threshold (commonly referred to as LT, LT2, or anaerobic threshold) is a key metric in predicting performance in endurance events. It is the intensity at which your body starts accumulating lactate faster than it can clear it, and it’s directly linked to performance over long distances. Athletes commonly […]
Arete 3.29.25
Military Trump’s Team Calls Europe ‘Pathetic’ in Leaked Signal Group Chat Messages, NY TimesWhen rank-and-file troops leak secrets, they often end up in the brig, Task & PurposeRanger School Is Getting a New Fitness Assessment, military.comArmy wants junior officers to fix quality-of-life issues that drive soldiers out, Task & PurposeUSASOC International Best Sniper Competition: 75th Rangers ‘Lead […]