KUDOS ON GRATITUDE
“As a follow up, I completed the long biathlon and used Gratitude as my training base. A few deviations to tailor it more towards this event and my weaknesses: 1) All runs were done with 27 # (plate carrier and hydration pack) 2) My Long runs were longer than prescribed, longest being 14 miles (I’m accustomed to running with weight so wasn’t concerned about the extra stress) 3) During the last 2-3 weeks I integrated rifle/pistol dry practice into the grinds since that mimicks shooting done in a biathlon.
Loved the program, less physically intense than Humility but perhaps mentally harder, i.e., knowing you have to do 45 minutes of KB swings and 75m shuttles can wear on your mind.
Little scared going into this event because I won it last year but trained heavily on running. This time I didn’t run near as much. No problem on race day, felt strong throughout and shot very consistent, 1 of only a few competitors that cleared all 14 stages. Did a negative split on the 2nd ½ and outran the 2nd place competitor by 21 minutes and took 1st place again.
Next up is a Kentucky 10k biathlon, I’ve chosen SWAT H&K to prepare for it. Will keep you posted.
Thanks for all you do.”
QUESTION
I’m doing your APFT improvement plan and fat loss plan. I have very high relative strength (I did your test) but need to drop some fat. I’m 248lbs 24% BF . I want to get lean but still have strength to through push and carry.
Will these plans and your diet get me there? What about supplements?
ANSWER
The APFT Training plan isn’t designed to cut weight – it’s designed to improve your APFT score. To specifically cut weight, complete the
Fat Loss Training Plan.– Rob
QUESTION
Currently planning on training up for selections this fall. I’ve been working through the spirit series since last fall with a little additional running and light rucking to slowly build mileage on feet and knees. I’m planning on doing the MTI 9-week workup and finishing up the spirit series (just finished week 4 of vodka with tequila and bourbon to go). I’m looking for something to bridge the gap between the spirit series and train up (about 10-12 weeks). Anything you have that you recommend for that time frame?
ANSWER
I’d recommend the plans/progression in the “
Gun Maker” series for full-time SWAT/SRT.
– Rob
QUESTION
First of all I would like to say how impressed I am with you and MTI. I bought the SF45alpha program last year and absolutely loved it. Since I am 41 and in the Ak Army National Guard as an infantryman, it was just what I was looking for. Years of heavy squats were taking a toll on my knees. Lunges are a love/hate thing for me but I persevere.
The issue I’m struggling with now is that I just broke my hand on Christmas Day and just had surgery with a couple pins put in this past Tuesday. I was wondering what suggestions you would have to work around this injury. Continue on lower body lifts and what can I do for “grinds” workouts. Just really frustrated right now and am not the type of person to just sit and wait to heal. I have a rower at home and elliptical as well.
Any advice is helpful.
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
I am a volunteer for Team Rubicon with Wildland Fire Training in 10 weeks. I have the Wildland fire training plan from you guys, but have not been actively training. I have a few questions on how I could modify the plan in order to meet that deadline.
First, I do not have barbells but I do have an 80# sandbag. Can I use the sandbag in place of barbells? If so how would I use it in place of a bench press?
Second, I work full time as a paramedic, 3 days a week, I have 3-4 days to dedicate to the training. How, would you recommend I conduct the training in the time I have available?
Thank you for your help in this matter.
ANSWER
1) Skip the bench press and do 10 rounds of the following bodyweight circuit (up from 4 rounds).
2) Follow the training sessions as scheduled – don’t skip ahead. Get in as many as possible before you depart.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am wanting to start the Mountain Heroines series and wondering if they go in any particular order to find which I should start at.
Thank you in advance for any help as always,
ANSWER
Follow this order:
QUESTION
I am 45yo, 24 years LEO looking for some new programming. Done the crossfit thing and not feeling that anymore. I am not sure what route to take as I have to work around some injuries most recently a small labral tear in the right shoulder.
I would certainly take any suggestions you have on what may be a good program for me to start with.
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
I am a full-time structural Firefighter/EMT and I have been using your various Fire and LE programs the past couple of years with good results.
I am also 33 years old now and have been lifting pretty consistently since my late teenage years, and my body is starting to show signs of mileage.
I am wondering what you recommend for replacing some power movements, namely any sort of clean movement, where the bar lands on my upper chest and my wrists are folded back in a stretched and vulnerable position.
My body has never “agreed” with these kind of movements, my wrists have never been that flexible in that position, even with consistent yoga, stretching, and years of working on my form, I have never truly felt comfortable with these lifts. Throwing and catching heavy weight and working up to one-rep maxes over the years has also impacted my knees.
As I am still somewhat early in my career, my goal is preserve my body as long as I can while maintaining strength and power.
I have no problem deadlifting, squatting with a safety squat bar, or doing pus-presses (when I do these I typically don’t let the bar come all the way down to my clavicles to “catch” it).
Just wondering what you recommend for replacing these lifts given my situation.
Please reply when you have some time.
Thank you!
ANSWER
Loaded squat jumps and/or loaded box jumps. You can do the squat jumps with a barbell across your back – but don’t go heavy – nothing above 135#. You can do loaded box jumps holding dumbbells. You may also want to try a Clean Grip Snatch, and 1-Arm Dumbbell Snatches. And of course, if you can, a hang power snatch, and hang clean snatch are great power moves if you’ know these exercises. Neither causes you to catch the barbell in the rack position.
– Rob
QUESTION
Is there any type of AD military discount? Additionally, wanting to purchase but am still rehabilitating from a knee surgery. Have not started running but will be next week, treadmill work or possible anti gravity machine. Is there a plan for anything like that? I can push weights in the gym, I walk a few miles at night. Looking at your fat loss program, just worried about the endurance run. I can step up but no box jumps or anything like that. Thanks in advance.
ANSWER
No discount. Sorry.
– Rob
QUESTION
I hope all is well up in God’s country. I grew up in Cody, WY (graduated high school in ’85) and spent as much time in the Teton/Jackson Hole area as I could. That is definitely some of the most beautiful country in the world. I actually did a summer internship while in college at Jackson Lake Lodge. Love it up there!
I’m an avid hunter (have hunted AK several times, apply for 50+ tags in 9 western states and Maine each year, etc.). Unfortunately, I am in the IT industry and spend a lot of time at a desk and behind a computer screen. Over the years I have put on weight and am now 60lbs heavier than my college football weight. I have a long-standing goal to get to 192lbs and sheep shape… my physical fitness goal. Ultimately I want to be lean, strong and physically fit enough to complete 1-2 week spring turkey hunts and fall elk/deer/sheep/goat/moose hunts and feel as good at the end as I feel at the start. I”m not getting any younger… turned 51 last week. I want to find a way to make this happen.
Clearly, the weight needs to be the focus, and I’m working on that (paleo type diet). But, I also want/need to establish a year round mountain hunter training program.
I just listened to a couple of your The Hunt Backcountry podcasts. I’m interested in your big game hunter program/other programs or combination of programs but have a few questions…
- Based on a review of the program, I doubt I am in good enough shape for the program at this point. And, it doesn’t appear it is meant to be a repeating year round hunter program (e.g. repeat every 2 months)? Based on relevant sections of the podcast, it appears a year round mountain hunter fitness program approach would be to use multiple programs/combine programs to make up a year round program? What would this look like?
- I need to be able to scale for my weight, age and current conditioning. How can I do that with your programs?
- I invested in a complete crossfit garage gym a few years ago, so want to leverage that investment in my program while still getting outside as much as possible. Your program seems to be focused on minimal equipment, which concerns me a bit. I get it, but also want to continue to improve strength (in a measurable way such as squat weight, etc.), keep some crossfit type wods in my program, etc. So, just wanted to get your thoughts on that.
- Could you help me form a year round program, factor in my weight and condition as I progress toward my 192lbs/sheep shape goals? Are your programs that flexible and configurable?
Just wanted to say “hi” and see if your programs would fit my vision/goals?
ANSWER
2. The fitness demands for a backcountry big game hunt don’t change for your age – so the programming is the same. You may need longer to recover from the training sessions – but the programming is designed around the fitness demands of the hunt, not the individual athlete. All of our programming is designed this way. Your current level of fitness is another matter – and at 60 pounds overweight, you’ve got some work to do. From our stuff, fix your diet and start with the
Bodyweight Foundation Training Plan.
3. The further away from your season, the more general your fitness training can be. The closer to your season, the more sport-specific it needs to be. In general, crossfit programming does not have nearly enough endurance to prepare you for mountain movement. Our Mountain Base programming includes gym-based strength and work capacity work, but also a solid dose of mountain endurance programming (running, uphill hiking under load).
4. We don’t do individual programming … but you don’t need it. See my recommendations above. Prove to yourself that your serious by fixing your diet, shedding weight, and sticking to a training plan. Both will take discipline. At 51, you’ll want to be lighter than your college football weight.
– Rob
QUESTION
Hope you are doing well. I wanted to connect regarding your eccentric leg blaster routine.
I am a former professional tennis player. Unfortunately, my singles career ended due to knee pain in both my knees in the patella region. I’ve been struggling with this for the last 10+ years and have modified my activities.
I now do some coaching and one of my students introduced me to your workout which I started today. I did a good 10-12 min warmup and got into the mini blaster routine. For the first 3 sets, I barely had any range of motion on the single leg lunges due to the stiffness and pain in my knees. But I did what I could and kept moving forward. Then after I completed the air squats in the 4th set, I suddenly could go all the way down on the single leg lunge and had no pain. This was the case for the remainder of the sets.
I noticed the same when I was competing that I would struggle with the knee stiffness and pain for the early part of a training or match, then things would ease up, and the pain would be back after the session when I cooled down.
– Have you seen what I’m experiencing with other athletes?
– Do you have any recommendations for me such as an extended warm up or any movements I should do in warm up to build the range of motion?
– Might you have any other advice for me?
Thank you and I’m excited to learn about eccentric strength and feel that it will help me overcome my knee issues.
ANSWER
I’m not a doctor, but it sounds to me like you have arthritic knees which loosen up when you warm up, and tighten up when you cool down. My knees are the same.
There’s nothing you can do about it to my knowledge.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m broken between Soflete selection prep and Marsoc A&S. Both programs are particularly fresh so I haven’t heard any success from either. In your professional opinion why is the MTN Tactical method of going “sport specific” and training twice a day, rather than only rucking once a week with training once a day like Soflete? I want to be subscribed, but I also want to train the best way for success.
Thank you for your time.
ANSWER
Our programming is designed to prepare athletes sport specifically for what they’ll face at the respective selection. The programming is designed to prepare you not only for the initial gate events, but also the long days and long weeks you’ll face, – esp. the first 3 weeks. We use 2-a-days and weekend mini-events to these ends.
– Rob
QUESTION
Humility was awesome – from 46 burpees initially to 88 burpees at the end, and that final test was done three hours after my final PT test.
Now I’m on my second week of resilience. Im not timing between the main sets but just recovering decently to where I’m not out of breath.
What’s your recommendation for time between the compound Olympic lifts? Also between bench sets?
Thanks!
ANSWER
Each strength circuit includes a stretch or mobility exercise. This is your “working rest” between strength sets.
See below from Session 1 – the Hip Flexor Stretch is your “working rest” between rounds of craig special + push press and the rope climb.
– Rob
(1) 8 Rounds
2x Craig Special + Push Press- increase load each round until 2x is hard, but doable
Rope Climb or 2/3x Tarzan Pull ups
Hip Flexor Stretch
– Rob
QUESTION
I used the Expedition Ice/Mixed 8 week plan to train for two very demanding climbs in Scotland last week, including a summit of Ben Nevis via Tower Ridge and North Buttress on Buschaille Etiv Mor. Had I not used your plan, I’d have been screwed. But instead I climbed better than ever.
I was wondering what plan you suggested I do now? I plan to continue ice climbing this season, and no doubt some winter climbs are on the horizon.
Thanks so much!
ANSWER
Congrats on your climb and glad our stuff worked for you.
More to the Mountain Base programming in
Helen.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m a Civil Affairs NCO with the Army, in decent shape ( 280s APFT ) looking to push my fitness to the next level this year.
Tomorrow I’m starting your Military On-Ramp Training program, but wasn’t sure where to go afterwards. The Greek Hero series
and Daily Operator sessions both caught my eye, but I wanted your opinion. As a side note I should be getting the opportunity to
go to Air Assault School in August/September so Ill be completing that program the prescribed number of weeks out.
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
I have a few training questions that I am hoping you could help with, I have set a personal goal for myself to hit a 500lbs back squat by May but I also have a APFT in April that I would like to score a 270 on. I have done fortitude and really enjoyed the program, I have adopted that as a foundation for kind of my own version of it which I have opted to do Deadlifts and add in another day for Squats and Bench. I have kept the 2 run days and the Ruck Run as well. Am I wasting my time with trying to do all these movements in a training cycle if so how would I best hit my target by April/May?
I really appreciate you taking the time to read my questions and the work you do.
ANSWER
Best is to train specifically for the APFT directly before the APFT using the
APFT Training Plan.
Fortitude and the rest of our day-to-day programming is designed to train multiple fitness attributes at once – those needed by military athletes. The goal is to improve your “base fitness” – relative strength (strength per bodyweight), work capacity, chassis Integrity, endurance (running, ruck running) and tactical agility.
I’m not sure where you are on your goal for a back squat, but this is an arbitrary strength goal – not important for tactical fitness by itself. Understand that running, work capacity etc. will retard pure strength gains. So, if you want to really focus on your back squat strength, stop running.
What to do now?
Understand that during this time your tactical “base fitness” will decline – esp. endurance.
– Rob
QUESTION
I was recently introduced to your website by someone who used one of your programs to train for a GORUCK Challenge event and was extremely happy with the results. I’ve looked through your available plans and I’m definitely interested in learning more.
The specific event that I am training for is the Blue Ridge Adventure Race, to be held in North Georgia this May. As with most adventure race, this is a multi-discipline, off-road race which will incorporate trekking/running, mountain biking, and paddling (either light whitewater or lake) with navigation throughout. The race timeframe is 24 hours over an unknown distance.
My current training plan is cobbled together from strength training programs, a few run training schedules and HIT workouts. My fitness level is probably a little better than good (knowing there’s a lot of room for improvement) after 20 years in the Marine Corps and training for/participating in several obstacle races over the last few years.
You clearly have a wide variety of fitness plans, but I would like to solicit your opinion on which of the plans would be most suitable for my event.
Thank you for your assistance.
ANSWER
I’ve never designed an adventure race plan – the reason being the events are so similar to a triathlon from a fitness perspective – I defer to that programming. For your race, I’d recommend a significant focus on endurance, and the running and cycling programming from a 1/2 Ironman plan – trail run with your pack for the runs, and mountain bike, if possible for the cycling. If not, road biking/spinning will suffice.
Paddling in these events is a little tricky – and in our own kayak/paddling pre-season plan we recommend intervals on a lake or against the current in a stream/river. Swimming will have a limited transfer. I have seen people in a pool tie their kayaks to the side and just paddle – drudgery, but it works.
Finally – Orienteering – get it dialed. You know this already, but the civilians who compete in these races and orienteering comps are better then the military guys. Learn from them.
I’d plan for 10-12 week train up.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am a leader in an Air Force desk-job office. We plan to do a Teddy Roosevelt / JFK 50 Mile Challenge (walk 50 miles in 20 hours) on Memorial Day. There is no ruck weight requirement, but everyone will have at least Camelbaks and snacks. Some of us will ruck moderate weight (e.g. 30 lbs). I drafted a training plan to correspond with our office Tuesday and Thursday PT sessions. The plan is pasted below.
Is this plan reasonable? Any recommendations?
|
Tues |
Thurs |
Sat/Sun |
| Week 1 |
2 miles |
3 miles |
5 miles |
| Week 2 |
4 miles |
6 miles |
10 miles |
| Week 3 (Deload) |
5 miles |
5 miles |
5 miles |
| Week 4 |
7 miles |
8 miles |
15 miles |
| Week 5 |
9 miles |
11 miles |
20 miles |
| Week 6 (Deload) |
10 miles |
10 miles |
10 miles |
| Week 7 |
12 miles |
13 miles |
25 miles |
| Week 8 |
14 miles |
16 miles |
30 miles |
| Week 9 |
5 miles |
5 miles |
Rest |
ANSWER
Looks okay but you want the Sat/Sun effort to all at once. Don’t split it up.
– Rob
QUESTION
Best strength plan using dumbbell s not barbells?
ANSWER
QUESTION
Hi there. I’m a road cyclists getting ready to start my base training period for cyling in which I’d like to be doing 2-3 workouts a week of 3 x20 minutes at 85-90% of threshold so I can build my FTP.
I want to add that work into a plan that will get me fit for a ski trip to British Columbia that will involve some CAT skiing, slack country and general charging downhill. Any recommendations?
ANSWER
QUESTION
I am testing for the German Arm Forces Proficiency Badge on 24-25 Feb. 2018 (roughly 7 weeks away). I have never taken this fitness test and I was wondering what plan or combination of plans from MTI that you would suggest me to do.
I am a 2LT in the Army National Guard, so I have to get the highest score and get the gold badge.
Thanks in advance.
ANSWER
You’re the second person this week to ask about this badge – but in 12 years …. it’s the first time I can remember being asked!
So I don’t have a plan specifically for this test. From what I do have I’d recommend the
Air Assault School Training Plan and adding the flexed arm hang to the APFT events and progressing it the same way as the push ups. You should also complete the shuttle sprint assessment 4x every wednesday, with a 4 minute rest between efforts.
I’ll look to build a GAFPB-specific event.
– Rob
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