QUESTION
Can you tell me what the difference is between the sfas program and the cag program? I’m either going to sfas this summer/fall or the long walk next year so I may just hedge it by doing the cag program if it’s not vastly different.
ANSWER
The programming difference reflects the primary fitness demands of the events. As I understand it, there are few, if any, team events at CAG. The focus is on rucking. SFAS has plenty of team events, work capacity smokers, etc.
– Rob
QUESTION
I just bought the Bodyweight Foundation workout and was hoping to integrate a solid diet with it.
Do you have an example of what a typical day should look like as far as breakfast/lunch/dinner? Always struggle with good breakfast ideas.
I am former military and an active LEO and my days are anything but normal so was looking to see if you had any good ideas.
Also, what are your thoughts on taking a whole food multi and fish oil. (I just hit 40 and heard they could have some benefits). Could they? If so, any recommendations of which brand?
Really appreciate the help and look forward to getting started with this workout.
ANSWER
We don’t offer individualized nutritional plans, and don’t endorse any supplements. In general, I feel supplements are waste of money and good nutrition simply isn’t that complicated. The hard part is sticking to eating clean.
– Rob
QUESTION
I have a question about choosing a program. My fitness is already high and I am not injured.
I am going to be deploying and then immediately going to Ranger School when I return. I am wondering if you have a recommendation for which programs I should run leading up to deployment and then on deployment to be ready for Ranger once I am home.
ANSWER
Deployment?
Ranger?
– Rob
QUESTION
I am looking for the next training phase for me. I came back last week from a week of ski touring in the Selkirks and took a week to offload. I had done the Backcountry prep and then Artemis.
Spring is coming soon here in the Northwest, so that means I need to prep for mountain biking and surf ski paddling.
I am open to suggestions for the next program.
ANSWER
I don’t have a plan which trains for both surf paddling and mountain biking.
Or… you could do one of our training plans designed for tactical athletes with water-based mission sets (SEALs, Dive Teams, etc.) and complete
Captain Morgan. If so – one change would be to change the 6-mile run assessment to a 12-mile bike assessment and do 4-mile threshold intervals.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am starting week 5 of your off season strength for endurance athletes plan. I am feeling stronger each week, thanks for the program. Over the past two weeks my joints have been popping and at week 2 strained my abductor muscles in my right groin area. This has hindered lifting heavy weights especially squats. I am now having less severe pain but with similar motion in my left abductor muscle group in left groin as well. I understand that you are not a medical professional, but wondered if you had any insight on how to adjust the programming. It’s been a few years since I have been very active and several years since I spent much time in a gym consistently. I think it is just my joints, tendons and ligaments adjusting to the increased workload.
I thought about doing the remainder of the 10 workouts (weeks 5 and 6) over 3 weeks and adding in a resting with some low intensity aerobic work and stretching 2-3 times a week.
I’d love to hear your thoughts as I’m sure I’m not the only guy going through this and writing you about it!
ANSWER
Options are (1) skip all squatting, (2) decreasing the loading significantly to avoid pain, (3) Both decreasing loading and decreasing the squat depth to avoid pain.
– Rob
QUESTION
I just completed my first Monday morning workout with the DEA PTT program. My initial score was a -4. I expect to take the physical test assessment at the MAC on April 7th, 2019. Do you feel by following this program religiously I will be able to improve my score enough to pass? Or is there something more I could be doing? Thank you for your time.
ANSWER
1) No idea. In general, we’ll see a 10-25% overall score improvement with our PFT programming. As well, the worst shape athletes are in at the beginning of the cycle, the more they improve.
2) Cut weight. Losing weight will increase everything.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m trying to find a workout plan that will help me build strength but also build stamina and endurance. Any plans you recommend?
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
First some back ground on me and my fitness goals. My age is 51, height 5’-11”, weight 175 pounds. I currently train 6 days per week at my home gym. My goals are to maintain my current weight and increase my mobility and core strength. No major injuries to speak of except the occasional low back pain when my back squat form is bad. I am committed to a healthy lifestyle of outdoor activities and flexible dieting and have been the past 3 years. So knowing this, what program of yours would you recommend? My thoughts were the ones for the “older crowd”.
ANSWER
Look at the plans/progression in our
SF45 Packet I. These plans are designed for tactical athletes ages 45-55 – and have modifications accordingly. However, they are still intense.
I’m 50 and this is the programming I generally do.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am still highly interested in the Spirit Series for LE.
I started with the first week of Whiskey. After the first training days I ask myself if there is enough volume for strength-gains and upper body hypertrophy. Coming from ‚Tactical Barbell‘ I used to squat and bench several times per week and had a pretty high volume and high frequency in those big compound exercises. This week, there are only one time heavy squats and once bench. Is there a reason for this low volume and low frequency approach? I am a little bit afraid to lose some muscle mass and some max strength, following this template.
By the way: I love those TAC SEPA sprint protocols. I had so much fun in training yesterday (until burpees were thrown in!!).
ANSWER
You’re one week in. Complete the plan then judge. I just updated Whiskey.
QUESTION
Your passion for theory and approach for fitness has been something I’ve identified with since I’ve found you guys. You’ve never let me down and I’ve always known which direction to go under your guidance. So props.
My question is this. I’m a light infantryman in the Colorado National Guard. We are just about 7 weeks our from a JRTC rotation lasting about a month. My squad, weapons squad more specifically are some pretty fit dudes all having a solid base built up. That being said, even though JRTC is flat, we still decided to start the Afghanistan pre deployment plan to over prepare for our rotation.
My dilemma stems from the fact that immediately returning from the 4 weeks at JRTC, myself and one other soldier will be starting our summer positions as wildland firefighters. Both of us as members on busy hand crews as well. Obviously we have sport specific demands we need to account for there in order to perform such work all summer and into the fall fighting fires out west.
Question:
Do We need to drop/sub anything from the plan? Does the Afghanistan pre deployment plan have the carryover necessary that we’ll work ourselves into specific condition during fire season?
Or do we forgo that Afghanistan plan, and complete the wild land pre season plan and hope for enough carryover to perform our light infantry duties during a long month simulated combat at JRTC.
Being that the jobs are similar, I trust your ability to take what I perceive as a complex dilemma and help me work backwards to find a simple solution.
Thanks and keep up the solid work!
ANSWER
The
Afghanistan Pre-Deployment Training Plan is likely the best, limited equipment training plan I’ve got to train for both of your mission sets. I would recommend you and the other soldier heading into the wildfire season add in a long trail (preferred) or road run on Saturdays Start at 7 miles and work up to 12.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m working through Virtual Packet toward my goal of a Run N Gun event in Sept. I’m ½ way through Humility and am loving the improvements that I’m seeing in my endurance and work capacity.
I have a new goal in June where I’ll be climbing obstacles, running with a rucksack, and carrying heavy things. I worried that my strength is not be where it can be since I haven’t hit the barbell in a while.
Can you recommend a plan that continues the endurance program of Humility and focuses on rapid strength improvement?
ANSWER
– Rob
QUESTION
I’m interested in your hypertrophy routine but I’m not a skinny guy. I’m actually a little bulky. Will this routine work well for me as well as a skinny person or should intry something else?
ANSWER
The plan is designed to add muscle mass, no matter the athlete. So, Yes.
– Rob
QUESTION
I’ve been reading about hybrid training between hypertrophy, strength, and endurance.
If you had to narrow down your programming to one program that will benefit Hypertrophy, Strength and endurance…what would It be?
I know a book could be written on each one a mile long, but if you wanted growth, strength, and endurance/agility without sacrificing “too much” of one individually.
Which program would you recommend?
ANSWER
None of the athletes we work with have both a fitness demand for both hypertrophy and endurance.
We program upper body hypertrophy for both Law Enforcement Patrol/Detective and Correctional Officers, but neither athlete population has a mission-direct fitness demand for endurance.
And the athlete populations we work with which do need endurance, (mountain, military, etc.) don’t have a need for hypertrophy.
So – I don’t have a plan for you. What you could do is
Rikers, from our packet of plans for correctional officers, and add in some endurance – I’d recommend moderate distance runs (4-6 miles) as a PM session on Monday and Wednesday, and a long run (7-12 miles) on Saturday. Rikers already trains strength and upper body hypertrophy.
Understand, however, that endurance works against strength and hypertrophy gains.
– Rob
QUESTION
What’s the difference between the Officer Sessions and the other plans in the LE category like the spirits packet?
Also I noticed you retooled Whiskey, will you be retooling the others in the spirits packet?
ANSWER
When we began programming for LE athletes, we began with the daily officer sessions. Then we had officers who wanted to do the programming, but didn’t want to subscribe – so we built the Spirits Packet of plans – so now we have both.
From a programming perspective, there is no overall difference, but in general, the daily officer sessions are our most up to day LE patrol/detective programming.
Yes, we will be updating the rest of the Spirits plans in the coming weeks/months. I’m actually at work updating the military Greek Hero series, mountain Greek Heroine series and LE Spirits series concurrently.
– Rob
QUESTION
I traditionally have done triathlon exercises (swim, bike, run) in preparation for Ironman races…I’m not planning on racing an Ironman this year and would like to work on building some muscle, but also want to still be able to swim, bike, and run to maintain a base level of fitness in those disciplines. Would the Hypertrophy Program for Skinny Guys still allow for some of that (basically doing a morning strength session and then swim, bike, or run after work) or will it completely wipe me out?
ANSWER
It will wipe you out. Look at the
Pirate Series Plans – these are designed for tactical athletes with water-based mission sets – and include swimming, running and rucking. You could sub biking in for the rucking.
– Rob
QUESTION
Do you think it would be detrimental at all to repeat the APFT 6-week program back to back? Just finishing week 3 and my results are killer so far but I’m not sure if I’ll be allowed to take my APFT in 2 weeks. Just want to make sure I won’t be overdoing it or risking injury by repeating the program.
ANSWER
Eventually, you’ll plateau and burn out – so I don’t recommend it.
QUESTION
I am doing the Navy PST plan but would like to add to it. Could I add one day of a LSD run and/or ruck march on the weekends? How about If i added some dips, shoulder exercises and the 10 minute sand bag get ups to a few of the days throughout the week? Im also thinking of adding the air dyne. What is the best way to add some assistance exercises or corrective exercises without sacrificing the plan?
ANSWER
It’s okay to add extra stuff, but know that it may decrease your gains from the PST plan. As well, if you’re not making your progressions/intervals in the PST plan, cut back on the extra work.
– Rob
QUESTION
I am a combat engineer in the USMC and recently was selected at Assessment and Selection for MARSOC. I will be going to ITC in January of 2020.
Unfortunately I tore my pectoralis major in November of 2018, got surgery to fix it in February and just got my sling off a week ago. I am still going through ROM drills to loosen and assist with the recovery process.
I am hoping to get a personal workout plan from y’all to start in early May that would start me near the end of my rehab process and take me into the beginning of my ITC intensive training. Roughly a 2-4 month training regime would be preferred.
Until then I’m getting back in shape with running and some moderate workouts, staying away from chest strengthening exercises until I am allowed to start by my physical therapist.
Is this something that y’all can/would do? If not, due to medical reasons I understand, if so, what would the cost be? And specifically, how personal could a workout be if you’ve never seen me or know my caps/lims?
ANSWER
We don’t do individualized training, and you don’t need it.
– Rob
QUESTION
I just purchased your apft training plan to try to score a 300 on my next apft. I was wondering if I can run any other programs in conjunction with this one. I was thinking about also doing humility but wasn’t sure if it would take away from the goal and results of the apft program. Thank you.
ANSWER
If you’re focused on the APFT, don’t add extra training. Regardless, Humility is far too intense to double up with any plan.
– Rob
QUESTION
Could you direct me to the most basic plan that you have?
Thanks!
ANSWER
Not sure your incoming fitness level, but we don’t have programming for seriously deconditioned athletes. What I’d recommend is you try the first week of this plan (click the “Sample Training” tab at the link above) – and see how it goes before purchase.
– Rob
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