Q&A 7.1.21

by Mintra Mattison

QUESTION

I am currently active duty name with 18 months left then going to Border patrol academy with plans after another 24 months to apply for BORTAC or is Customs and Border Protection hires me then SRT selection. Looking for a plan to build me up to that level of fitness. Would like advice on everything. I am currently 6ft1in and 218lbs main equipment I have is a 60lb sandbag, 200lbs in dumbbells, 12 14 16in step box, parachute for sprints, police vest with approximate weight of 20 to 35lbs, resistance bands from 10 to 50lbs agility ladder and cones. Looking to buy a ruck bag or just use my Seabag issued from navy if that works. Will also be going back to a keto-ish diet.

ANSWER

Right now, given your equipment list, I’d recommend you work through the plans order in our Great Plains Limited Equipment Training Packet.
Diet? Here are our recommendations – they differ somewhat from Keto: https://mtntactical.com/knowledge/nutritional-guidelines/
– Rob

QUESTION

I’d like to thank you for the zoom on quiet proffessionalisim, I really enjoyed it.
My question is what is the best way for me to gain weight and strength. I’m a 21 year old male at 5′ 9″ and 155-160 lbs, I’m pretty light for a tactical athlete, I also scored a 5.1 on your relative strength assessment.  I will hopefully be going to the border patrol academy in 6 months to a year, and I would like to be close to 170lbs and be able to score a 6.5 on the assessment by then.  One of the problems I have is that I have a hard time gaining weight regardless of how much I eat, I haven’t had any lasting weight gains since highschool.  What are your reccomendations for me to put on 10-15lbs of muscle? I have just started whisky, should I do a dedicated strenght plan after it, or keep up with the LE plans?

ANSWER

My guess is you’re still growing into your body, and by 25 this won’t be an issue.
But what you can do now is train hypertrophy – complete the Hypertrophy for Skinny Guys Program. 
Super intense and designed to add mass – but it will help with strength too.
– Rob

QUESTION

I have purchased several of your workout plans. I’m currently performing the backpacking pre-season program.
Have you considered changing the 400-900 reps of step up’s to a timed event? My main line of work is as a physical therapist. But, I do also have the TSAC-F and CSCS certifications. All this is just background information so you don’t think I’m a random person pulling ideas out of one’s backside! 😉 When I want a patient or client to perform an exercise for many reps, I’ll give them specific time instead so they are not having to track a high number of reps. I noticed with your step up exercise that I average around 100 reps every 5 minutes. For me, it’s easier to just do 20 minutes of step up’s than to tap each rep on my phone click counter app.
As this is your program, the above is just general feedback. Obviously, you can program your workouts however you see fit!

ANSWER

Couple problems with that approach for this plan:
1) Total distance, in this case vertical gain, is important. So if I prescribe 30 min of step ups and want someone to do 600x reps, but they are slow and only do 300x – this is a problem. In running terms, if I’m training them to run 5 miles, but use time as you describe and because they are slow, never get there, I haven’t done my job.
2) You’re assuming everyone will move at your pace. They won’t.
Several of our programs do include different applications of step ups, including assessments for both time (max step ups in 30 min, for example) and timed events (Time to complete 500x reps) – and then follow on progressions. This plan just doesn’t do that.
– Rob

QUESTION

I followed your recommendations through OSUT and airborne, thank you for sticking with me. I’ve got about 4-6 months in student company before I start SOPC…could be more or less depending on holdover time  What progression of plans would you suggest I follow before completing the RBSTP again prior to SOPC?

Thanks so much!

ANSWER

Valor & Fortitude if you haven’t done those already.
If so, Hector and Apollo from the Greek Hero Packet.
– Rob

QUESTION

I was hoping to get your advice on what program to pick based on my goals.
I’m an endurance athlete in my mid 40s. My focus for this year is long-distance gravel cycling and a couple of running races. I also want to find the right program to help complement my training and also for overall health and be proactive about being strong and healthy the closer I get to my 50s and older.
For the strength training I want to find a program where I don’t need tons of equipment and that I can do at home (I want to build a home gym but that won’t happen overnight.)
I’ve been doing some kettlebell exercises and I’m really liking the approach/idea of trying to follow a program around one tool, in this case the kettlebell.
A few questions
  1. Do you think that the Single Kettlebell/Dumbell program would be a good start?  Or any other one?
  2. What would be the next step, or next program after that one that you would recommend?
  3. How do you know what’s the appropriate kettlebell to use for your training? I currently have a 35lb kettlebell, that I can lift fine but I always wonder if the weight is right for me, because I don’t want to grow muscle (or get buffed for a lack of a better word), I want to get toned, lose fat(of course eating healthy too) and use it to complement my training
  4. Any other advice you may have based on my background and goals?

ANSWER

  1. Yes – or any of the Kettlebell/Dumbbell Strength Plans.
  2. High Rep Kettlebell Snatch Training Plan – super interesting!
  3. The Single Kettlebell/Dumbbell plan will adjust to whatever kettlebell you have. The High Rep Snatch deploys an initial assessment – and if you score too many reps on the assessment, you have to increase your KB size and assess again. Understand muscle growth is dependent on your individual biology, and not the training load, but the volume. Bodybuilders interested in building mass do 10-15 reps each set. Powerlifters, interested in increasing strength with minimal weight gain, do 1-5 sets/rep. So your KB size depends on your strength. I do high rep snatches with a 40-45# Kb (500+ reps in one session) – but complex exercises like 2 handed clean and press – 45# works good for me. I don’t know you or your strength – so I’m not sure.
  4. KB’s are expensive …. a barbell and rack with pull up bar might be a better strength and all around tool for you. The barbell is far more flexible than the kettlebell because it’s much cheaper to change weight …
– Rob

QUESTION

I have heard good things about your programs.  I need some advice on where to start.  I just turned 50.  My fitness level mediocre.  I joined the military (Reserves) two years ago (midlife crisis) and have a deployment coming up in a few months.  I want to improve my fitness level but am a novice.  I am looking to improve basically in all areas as well as some weight loss (or at least convert some of that extra weight to muscle).  I have been looking through your plans but there is a lot to process.  Do you have any recommendations regarding best place to get started with your program.

I have a busy work and home life.  I need something that does not require 2 hours per day.  I have access to a fitness club and some limited equipment at home.

ANSWER

– Rob

QUESTION

I am getting ready to start training for the 3rd SFG best diver competition. It is a two day event focusing primarily on endurance training. I have primarily been focusing on short distance sprint work and strength training to stay in shape. What is your recommendation on one of your programs that will help me maintain my strength while increasing my endurance? The events are an SFPA, 3k fin, 1500m nav dive, 12.8 mile ruck and some pool stress events so it’s very cardio heavy.

SFPA is the special forces physical assessment which is 2 mins push-ups, 2 mins situps, 5 mile run in under 38 mins, and max rep dead hang pull ups. I’ve attached the flyer for the competition, were about 7 weeks out so monday my partner and I are going to start getting after it.

ANSWER

It’s not perfect but close is the DEVGRU Selection Training Plan – it’s what I’d recommend.
– Rob

QUESTION

Starting Fortitude today. Reviewing the plan, strength days call for warmups with 3 sets x 8 reps of squats, bench press, etc @ 95# – then heavy lift at 8 sets x 3 reps. With MTN’s recent revision of programming & veering away from garbage reps as per the recent article, wanted to check if I should stick with the plan as designed or adjust.

ANSWER

Light front squats in the warm up aren’t “garbage reps” – they are designed to warm you up for the heavy lift coming next.
– Rob

QUESTION

47 y/o male
6ft 2in
200 lbs
Currently  AF Security Forces  plan to cross train  to S.E.R.E.
I saw you have a S.E.R.E. program but I want more than that. I’m a bit of a dumb@$$ and wondering which program is the best over all/ most challenging? If someone was into S & M in a non-sexual way to increase fitness.

ANSWER

Many of our plans deploy assessments and the follow-on programming is based on the athlete’s assessment results – so the plan pushes the athlete no matter what.
If you don’t have a SERE date and want to move in that direction, start with Humility.
– Rob

QUESTION

I am a former Team USA(tandem pilot) and National Champion cyclist and after years of grinding myself down from all ends I hung it up in 2018 and since then I have not really been active. I mainly play soccer 3-4 nights a week as a keeper or midfielder and that is the only working out I do consistently.
I am in the final process of a police department’s hiring process and I have some applications with fire departments as well. I would like to increase my overall fitness and lose the belly fat that I have accumulated in the last 3 years. I can pass the CPAT and the police department physical without any issues. I am looking for a program that can ramp me back up to what I consider a good fitness level with running/hiking/rucking and more than likely bodyweight/sandbag/minimal equipment. I travel on the road for 7-10 days at a time a month and would like to find something that can work for me whether I am home or on the road with little to no access to a gym. I like a challenge, but also want to be mindful that I am overweight and after 10 years of cycling, my shins hate me if I ramp up too quickly on  running mileage.
Happy to hear any suggestions given just combing through your catalog there are tons to choose from.

ANSWER

Start out with the Bodyweight Foundation Training Plan, and by cleaning up your diet. Here are our dietary recommendations: https://mtntactical.com/knowledge/nutritional-guidelines/
Follow Bodyweight Foundation up with the plans/order in the limited equipment Tribe Packet, beginning with Apache.
– Rob

QUESTION

I’m targeting joining the Army as 18X in 2 years. I’ll need to do all the prep schools (OSUT, jump school, SOPC) before I get my shot at SFAS.
  1. The SFAS pack is 1 year long. Should I start that so it ends right on SFAS, or so that it ends when I start OSUT?
  2. What plan(s) do you recommend for this first year? I’m doing Bodyweight Foundation right now to get back into things.

ANSWER

1. It ends when you start OSUT. You can’t count on the training time once you’re in.
2. Plans/order in the Greek Hero Series.
– Rob

QUESTION

Thank you again for taking the time to read and reply to these emails, it has been beyond helpful. Starting the 1st of January this year, I made a commitment to myself to go all out in the name of fitness and nutrition. It has been tough, however, it has been a very rewarding and fun process.

Starting on 1/1/2021 I weighed in at 229lbs with 31.1% body fat. Yesterday I weighed in at 209.6lbs @ 28.5% body fat.

Since the beginning of the year I have completed the Fat loss plan and I am on week 6 of the Whiskey plan right now. I have also been doing my best to follow the nutritional guidelines to a T.

I am at a point in my weight loss where I get kinda lost. I want to be gaining muscle but also losing fat. My focus is to become the best tactical athlete that I can be but not sure where I should go from here.

I work EMS for now and am putting in a packet for Navy Aviation in November. I work as the medical element for our local SWAT team as well.

What plan should I move onto next? Should I make any changes to my nutrition if I am following the guidelines you set forth? Do I need to worry about being in a deficit or surplus? My long term goal is be the best tactical athlete I can be.

I am hoping to incorporate the push / pull plan as well as may pull-up are in desperate need of attention. (If I can only do 2 straight pull-ups, is using a band acceptable during the push / pull plan).

I know that was long winded but any advice is good advice.

ANSWER

Nutrition? No changes.
Plan? Tequila – the next plan in the Spirits Packet.
Just. Keep. Grinding.
– Rob

QUESTION

I’m preparing for swat selection and have got 10 – 12 months left.

The key events on selection day are:
– max pull ups
– max reps bench press @ 80% of bodyweight
– an obstacle course, lasting for about 5 minutes
– 90 minutes of random stuff, working continuously with much of running, burpees, carrying stuff, planks, kettlebell exercises,  …
– 6km (3.7 mi) run

Now I’m wondering which of your programs would fit the most to prepare for this event.
I have to set a focus on running because it’s my biggest issue.

I’m looking forward to your answer, thank you for your time!

ANSWER

Here’s what I.Recommend:
Follow it up with the plans and order in the Gun Maker Packet – these are designed as day to day programming for full time SWAT/SRT and concurrently train strength, work capacity, endurance (run/ruck), tactical agility and chassis integrity.
Then, repeat the SWAT Selection Training Plan the 7 weeks directly before selection.
– Rob

QUESTION

After I completed the big 24v4 I failed to take the deload as I thought I was undertrained due to plateauing on the 4th week on all the lifts besides the hang squat clean.  I started a 40 day endurance/muscular endurance program directly after  and lost 8 lbs in muscle even though I had sufficient calorie intake. I feel stressed and irritable and I feel as though I am highly overtrained. I have done nothing but bike, walk and the recovery training for my shin splints for the past 4 days staying within 120-140 bpm and only getting aerobic for short periods.

How much longer would you recommend I rest for if at all and what should my training look like to get back to training at the level I was?

ANSWER

You’re asking a medical question and I’m not a doctor. As well, my sense is that the program after Big 24 isn’t from MTI … so I can’t help much. What I would recommend is a full week of full rest and then see what you feel like.
– Rob

QUESTION

I am 67 my wife is 58.  We are Jackson resort and BC skiers. The pre season BC plan is great. We follow it in the fall.

No gym work this winter. Looking for a limited equip plan to restart fitness. We do a ton of cycling, mostly hills so we use that for aerobic.

Thoughts?

ANSWER

– Rob

 

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