Our ‘Ask Rob’ series is a direct line to MTI’s Founder, Rob Shaul. We’ll provide in-depth answers on training, coaching, gear, and mountain/tactical topics of any kind (within reason).
If you sent a question this week and don’t see a response, don’t fret. We’ll publish the answer to your question in the following week.
Question for Rob? Click the button below to submit. See below for this week’s responses from Rob.
What do you think about the ATR approach of training? what’s the difference between ATR and MTI model?
So were talking apples to apples, here is the ChatGPT definition of ATR training:
“The ATR approach to strength training stands for Accumulation, Transformation, and Realization. It’s a periodized approach used in strength and athletic training to develop different qualities over phases, allowing athletes to peak at specific times. Here’s a breakdown of each phase:
1. Accumulation Phase
– Focus: Building a base of strength, muscle endurance, and work capacity.
– This phase often includes higher volume and moderate intensity, aiming to improve fundamental strength and muscular endurance. Exercises might include more sets, higher reps, and compound movements. – Goals: Increase foundational strength, muscle mass, and improve conditioning to prepare the body for more intense training phases.
2. Transformation Phase
– Focus: Developing power, speed, and maximum strength.
– The training intensity increases while volume decreases, often incorporating lower reps with heavier weights and sometimes explosive or dynamic movements. The exercises become more sport-specific, targeting the needs of the athlete’s discipline.
– Goals: Enhance power, strength, and movement efficiency, moving toward performance-focused adaptations.
3. Realization Phase
– Focus: Peaking and converting gains into optimal performance.
– This phase includes low volume and high intensity. It typically involves highly specific exercises and low reps with maximal or near-maximal loads. The goal is to taper and sharpen skills for competition.
– Goals: Allow the athlete to reach peak strength, power, and readiness for performance.
The ATR approach is especially effective for athletes preparing for competitions or peak performance periods. It builds up a foundation, focuses on sport-specific strength, and tapers for peak performance, ensuring athletes are at their strongest and fastest at the right time.
The MTI Approach, for the bulk of our programming, is significantly different. MTI has two general types of programming: (1) Base Fitness – which is day to day mission-direct fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes, and; (2) Event-Specific Fitness – Focused fitness programming to prepare an athlete for a specific event such as a military selection, tactical pft, mountaineering climb or sport season.
The ATR approach won’t work for MTI’s athletes for two reasons. First, it’s designed around a specific competition date or season start. This isn’t applicable for the majority of MTI’s tactical athletes – especially Law Enforcement, Fire Rescue who are deployed constantly, and SOF, who can be deployed at any time. Unlike a college football player who can afford to let his sprint-based work capacity fitness decline while he’s bulking up in in the Spring, tactical athletes cannot afford to ignore any element of their mission-direct fitness. This means all of their mission-direct fitness demands most be trained always, and concurrently. MTI’s base fitness programming does this.
But even my programming approach to mountain sport seasons, and tactical athlete schools, selections and PFTs doesn’t follow the ATR linear method. Rather, base fitness is trained until the weeks directly before the event, and has a laser focus on the specific fitness demands of the event. MTI’s event-specific programming is very intense – too intense and focused to repeat again and again over and over.
Hey Rob, long-time reader, first time asking a question. Your wisdom has helped me through many a tough time. Thanks.
Context: I transitioned out of the military not too long ago, moved to a new city for a new job, and I and am struggling with the lack of connection. I have noticed that I took the built-in community surrounding the military for granted and can now understand why so many mention that they miss the camaraderie. I am trying to lean into spending time with family, hobbies that I never had time for before, and just generally working on myself, but I do miss being with driven, service-minded, and motivated people.
Question: What are some good avenues for building solid relationships post-service?
Sir – I don’t have a good answer for you. Most of the tactical occupatons are male-dominated, physical, and with that comes simply-put, a lot of fun at work.
I worked with some National Guard USAF CCTs years ago – they were full time, but because they were National Guard, they didn’t relocate, and I can’t remember laughing so much over a two-day period. These guys worked super hard, were super competent, and still joked and played and pranked each other constantly. One said, “I work with a group of 8-year olds each day.” It was awesome!
I’ve heard the same from firefighters at firestations, LE officers in small units, SWAT/SRT teams, fighter pilots, Coast Guardsmen, wildland firefighers, etc.
I’m not sure you’ll ever be able to find this again at work … so it’s outside work where you’ll need to look. I will say that some of my best relationships – post service – have been with training partners. We all had different jobs, but came together each early morning to suffer together in the gym – and bonds were formed that extended outside for sure into recreation, hard times, etc.
I wish I could offer more.
How should one look at training for a SF selection when you are getting older. Looking at longevity but still being able to preform at a high level.
There’s no special SF selection for older guys, so you’ll need to complete the same programming we use for all SF candidates. Being older means you may need more recovery, so I’d recommend starting the plan earlier so you can build in extra rest days if needed.