QUESTION
Quick question for you. Currently working through the body weight foundation course because I’ve lost my training routine and I’m a little worse for the wear. Meanwhile I’m interviewing for positions as a wildland firefighter. There’s a 3 mile ruck-march test as part of the hiring process. My question is for a civilian trying to transition into a wildland fire career with a ruck test of unknown date, what program should I drop into after bodyweight foundation. I was thinking it’s between Ruck Improvement, Johnny, or the wildland fire packet.
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
I am about to begin the SFOD-D programme and am curious about the nutrition programme you suggest.
Would you recommend that this be followed rigidly or could there be a waiver to this diet if say after the first two weeks, I feel constantly drained no matter how much I eat from the list you have provided in your nutrition video?
I’m what I’d call your average 70kg guy so I’m just picking your brain as to whether it can be changed at all.
ANSWER
Stick with the plan. Start eating more apples (lots) and sweet potatoes.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m in week 6 of you achilles v2 plan. I recently came off my Platoon leader time and moved onto staff. My BN XO has started “asking” me to run with him and the S3 two to three times a week. Typically we do 800 meter to 1200 meter intervals or a 3 – 5 mile run. Both the XO and s3 are quick and I’m feeling exhausted during the daily operator session at night.
What tips do you have to aid in recovery so I get the most out of my daily session? I already get plenty of sleep.
After achilles I plan on doing resilience and then ruck based selection so I want to be able to handle two a days.
ANSWER
Recovery improves with increasing fitness … there’s no shortcut. You could skip the Operator Sessions at night. Better would be to keep grinding and see your fitness improve.
– Rob
QUESTION
So I am currently on week one of my APFT, and my question is do I do this in conjunction with normal gym routine? I am active duty so we do watered down pt in the morning, but I am just doing this until I transition to your SAPPER training which I attend in May.
Is there any dietary information to help offset the workload that goes with this? Also I m.j qay have overlooked it but what is an average gain in numbers after completion of the Apft program?
ANSWER
Do the program in isolation for the most gains. If you do add training, pull back on the extra if you’re not making the progressions in the plan.
Nutrition?
Here are our guidelines.
Gains? Depends on your incoming fitness – the more fit you are coming in, the less you’ll gain from the plan, the less fit, the more you’ll gain. We see 5-20% improvement depending again on the athlete’s incoming fitness.
– Rob
QUESTION
I was just selected for CA and am looking for a good plan(s) to use in the 8 months I have before Q course. My goals are to build back some strength, maintain metabolic conditioning, and improve 5 mile run time.
I already have the 357 strength training program, big 24, and Rat 6 training program back from the MA days. I’m contemplating re doing then and augmenting with my own run plan. Figured I would ask a professional first.
ANSWER
Plans/order in the
Greek Hero Packet, starting with
Hector. These plans concurrently train strength, endurance (run/ruck), tactical agility, chassis integrity and work capacity.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m a 33 year old male looking to join the National Guard as an Officer Candidate. I have a decent level of fitness from running and CrossFit but I know I need to do goal specific training and lean out. My goal for now to is to be prepared as possible for Basic Training an then OCS. What program(s) would you recommend? APFT followed by OCS, or just go straight into the OCS program?
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
Coach, I’ve noticed you are constantly tweaking and improving upon your plans. I’ve been using several different plans along with the Big Cat series(which are great) and was wondering if you had any changes/improvements in the pipeline for the Fire Rescue plans. Thanks as always for your time.
ANSWER
Those are fairly recent plans and haven’t made the update Q yet … if you’ve run through them and want to continue, look at the Correctional Officer “
Notorious Prison” and/or the
Wildland Fire Packet plans … both would transfer well to urban fire/rescue.
– Rob
QUESTION
Do you have a plan to help me prep for a 10k?
I recently graduated from Ranger school. I used your plan to prepare and it helped a lot! Thanks!
ANSWER
Weeks 11-15 of the MTI
Running Improvement Training Plan are designed around a 6-mile running assessment and progressions. If you’ve been running already – this would work. If you’re not currently running, start with week 6 of the plan and build up to 6 miles.
– Rob
QUESTION
I have the most important APFT of my career on January 12, 2020. I will be taking it to attend a board for Army flight school (required 80% in each event). My last APFT was October 12 where I scored 93% on push up, 88% on sit ups, and 70% on the 2 mile run. I see that you have a 6 week APFT training plan but I am curious if I should start it now and redo a portion of it to make it more of a 9 week training plan. I want to be able to score 80% on a bad day as it will likely be cold/windy here in Oklahoma on January 12th.
Do you recommend or allow me to continue lifting in conjunction with the APFT plan? I would like to maintain strength in at least bench, squat, dead lift, and press.
Thank you in advance for your time and consideration, I have never used your programming but I look forward to jumping into and getting better.
ANSWER
Extra training? It depends on how fit you are. If you are not making the progressions in the plan, stop any extra training.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am prior service Navy and I recently received my 18x contract and still have two months before I ship for BCT. Would it be worthwhile to do the program now even though actual selection won’t be for a long time? Maybe do it now and then again a couple weeks prior to actually going to selection? Just curious about your thoughts. Thank you in advance.
ANSWER
I’ve recommended others with 18x contracts to complete the
Ruck Based Selection Training Plan prior to BCT. You won’t have the opportunity to complete the plan once in the Army – so at least you’ll have a high level of SFAS-specific fitness prior to BCT.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am an Active Duty Soldier and am interested in purchasing the ACFT fitness plan to prepare for the test. I would also like to improve my overall strength and would like to know if there any plans that I could run in conjunction with the ACFT plan to improve both at the same time.
ANSWER
It depends on your fitness. If you’re fit, you can add some additional heavy strength work – though I’d limit it to total body lifts and upper body, as the plan includes focused work for the trap bar dead lift.
However, if you find you are not making the progressions in the plan, pull back from the extra work.
– Rob
QUESTION
I have done a fair share of rucking ever since doing some Goruck events over the past few years. I enjoy it but I have always heard that rucking running is really hard on your body. Now that I have been using your plans for a while I see that some of the military ones prescribe ruck running. With your approach to keeping athletes healthy for the long term, how does that align with the high impact that ruck running puts on your joints? Or am I misunderstanding what is meant by rucking running?
ANSWER
We ruck run and recommend athletes do as well. Haven’t seen or experienced any evidence that ruck running is more impactful on the joints than walking with a ruck, but more important, in a combat/tactical situation, and likely any military course/selection, athletes will need to ruck run. We would be negligent if our programming did not prepare them for this mission-direct likelihood.
In terms of durability, MTI’s equation is simple: Mission-Direct Fitness = Durability.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am taking the initial PJ assessment – PAST – next quarter to earn a slot in the PJ pipeline and therefore, haveN’t undergone any assessments.
Would you recommend I follow this program in preparation for the initial entry PAST *and* Indoc, or should I prepare separately for the PAST and begin the Indoc specific program (USAF CCT/PJ SELECTION) after being chosen to begin the PJ Pipeline?
ANSWER
Focus on the PAST only now, then do the appropriate selection plan once you know you’ve got a slot at the selection.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am looking for help choosing a plan. I am currently finishing up the strength assessment training plan. I decided on this plan as a start into using MTI programs to improve my fitness. I am a 27 year old female who has been inconsistently lifting for a few years and consistently lifting for about 18 months. My main goals are strength and hypertrophy. I do have defecits in endurance and work capacity. This current program has already improved many of those aspects in 4 short weeks. Please advise on a couple programs that may be of benefit. I’m happy to provide any other information you need to assist in this process.
ANSWER
Options:
2)
Loretta – multi-modal plan which has a slight strength emphasis. Also trained are endurance, work capacity and chassis integrity (core).
QUESTION
I’m on week 6 of the Ruck Based Selection program (v5). I just found out that the selection I’m attending got pushed back an entire month. I’ve been making noticeable progress in the program, and I’m feeling good about where I’m at fitness wise. My question is this: Now that I have an extra four weeks to prepare, where should I go with the program? I want to keep pushing until selection and show up in the best shape possible. Thanks!
ANSWER
You can’t extend the RBSTP by 4 weeks – it’s simply too intense and you’ll overtrain.
I’d recommend you drop out for the RBSTP for 3 weeks and complete the first 3 weeks of Fortitude, then the 4 weeks directly before selection, jump back in and complete weeks 5-8 of the RBSTP directly before selection.
– Rob
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