Training Strength Without Progression

By Rob Shaul

Progression is the cornerstone of strength programming and all strenght and conditioning programming. It’s predictable, trackable, and efficient.

MTI has multiple strength progression methodologies, and all follow the same general path. Intitial assessment, a simple progression based on the initial assessment, re-assess, and reset the progression, etc. This path is the most direct, simple and efficient way I’ve found to increase strength. 

But this progression path for strength training isn’t always the right answer for athlete or the purpose and intent of the training cycel. 

It assumes consistent training time, recovery, motivation, and access to equipment — things that mountain and tactical athletes may not have. The real world doesn’t care about linear load increases. Schedules change, fatigue accumulates, and sometimes an athlete just needs to train hard without the burden of tracking and comparison.

Over nearly two decades of programming for professionals whose lives and work don’t fit tidy spreadsheets — guides, soldiers, firefighters, ultra-runners, climbers — I’ve developed several methods to train strength effectively without progression. These sessions stand alone. They can be run for a day, a week, or an entire cycle. They don’t depend on assessments, percentages or prescribed reps. They rely on structure, intent, and effort.

There are four of these systems: TLU Strength, Efficient Strength, 357 Strength, and Bodyweight Flow. Each one came out of necessity, and each solves a specific problem that linear progression can’t.

Why Train Strength Without Progression

There are four main reasons.

The first is exposure. New or rookie athletes need exercise and movement practice with heavy loading — not just physically, but psychologically. They need to learn how to approach a barbell, work up safely to a heavy single, and feel what “hard but doable” really means. Thy must learn what full range of movement feels like, how the barbell or dumbbells handle, and drill technique. Non-progressive strength sessions can give them that experience. These can include a 1RM effort every session – not just at the beginning, middle and end of the cycle. As well, many more exercises can be deployed and the athlete isn’t locked into training one lift every time they come around to training lower body strength. 

The second is with cycle’s goal to maintain strength, and not necessarily increase it. For example, for a long ultra run event-specific cycle, because of the running volume needed, the athlete may only be able to train strength once per week, and his/her fatigue will be dictated that that weeks’ running volume and intensity. Given this, I can’t expect them to be able to follow a strength progression, but still want them to train and maintain strength. I do this with strength methods that aren’t assessment-based.

The third is uncertainty. Seasonal professionals — backcountry guides, river guides, wildland firefighters — never know when their next gym day will be. When you can’t guarantee consistency, progression doesn’t make sense. This is also true for deployed tactical athletes, tactical athletes on field exercises, and tactical athletes at schools and courses.  A non-progressive session gives these athletes a way to train and hopefully maintain strength whenever they get the oppoturnity to train it. 

The last reason is staleness. Many mountain and tactical professionals follow MTI’s base fitness programming, and in these cycles, often one or more fitness attribute is assessed and progressed. Progressed strength training is intense and demanding — physically, mentally, and emotionally. At times, even experienced athletes need a break from chasing numbers. A non-progressive strength cycle lets them still train hard without testing, tracking, or comparing. It keeps training enjoyable and sustainable.

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TLU Strength

The TLU method — short for Total, Lower, and Upper — was the first original strength design I developed by combining my own and methods from strength coaches Joe Kenn and Louie Simmons. It remains one of the most versatile. Each session trains all three movement categories within one workout (total body, lower body and upper body), but at different intensities and volumes. The first lift is heavy and low-rep, the second moderate, and the third lighter but higher volume. The order rotates through the cycle — TLU, UTL, LUT — to distribute fatigue evenly.

The first letter is the “heavy” intensity exercise, the second the “moderate” intensity and third, the “light” intensity. Here, the context for “intensity” is the load on barbell or the weight of the dumbbell. I manipulate this load using reps per set … the fewer reps per set, the greater the intensity. 

Classic MTI TLU design often begins with a 1RM assessment of the “Heavy” exercise, followed by a heavy set of working rounds at 85% of the 1RM load. 

After the 1RM-based heavy set of exercises, the moderate block deploys 6 rounds of usually 5 reps per rounds. Sometimes this block includes complex training, where the heavy lift is followed by a bodyweight explosive exercise.  which usess the same muscles and movement patters. Back squats followed by squat jumps, for example, or bench presses followed by clapping push ups. 

The final “Light” block deploys sets of 8-10 reps, and often is a upper-body press and pull super set — for example, weighted chin-ups paired with kettlebell floor presses. 

All blocks include a mobility stretch which acts as “working rest” between rounds.

Every TLU session hits the entire body, moves through different strength zones, and incorporates explosive movement. It feels complete — athletes leave the gym knowing they’ve trained everything. And because each workout stands alone, it can be inserted anywhere in a training year.

I use non-progressive TLU cycles when I want athletes to maintain strength during endurance blocks, or when I want to give long-term subscribers a mental break from tracking loads. The structure keeps the work meaningful, and the constant movement variety keeps sessions engaging without overtraining.

TLU Strength Example 1

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 5x Power Clean + Push Press – start light and increase weight as you warm up
• 5x Walking Lunge
• 10x Hand Release Push Ups
• Instep Stretch
• 5x Shoulder Dislocates

Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Power Clean + Push Press

Add 10–30# to your finishing warm-up load and do 3 reps. Then add 10–30# and do 2 reps. Then add 5–30# and do 1 rep. Keep adding weight and doing singles until you reach your 1RM by the 4th or 5th single. RECORD RESULTS.

(2) 5 Rounds

• 2x Power Clean + Push Press @ 85% 1RM
• Foam Roll Low Back

(3) 6 Rounds

• 5x KB/DB Walking Lunges – increase load rapidly each round until 5x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 2x Jumping Lunge – be explosive!
• Hip Flexor Stretch

(4) 6 Rounds

• 4/8x Weighted Chin Up – increase load rapidly each round until 4/8x is hard but doable
• 8x Kettlebell Floor Press – increase load rapidly each round until 8x is hard but doable
• Lat + Pec Stretch

TLU Strength Example 2

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 8x Back Squat – start light and increase weight as you warm up
• 4x Scotty Bob – 15/25#
• Instep Stretch
• 5x Shoulder Dislocate

Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Back Squat

Add 10–30# to your finishing warm-up load and do 5 reps. Then add 10–30# and do 3 reps. Then add 5–30# and do 1 rep. Keep adding weight and doing singles until you reach your 1RM by the 4th or 5th single. RECORD RESULTS.

(2) 6 Rounds

• 2x Back Squat @ 85% 1RM
• Hip Flexor Stretch

(3) 6 Rounds

• 5x Weighted Pull Up – increase load rapidly each round until 5x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 3x Ball Slam – 20#
• Lat + Pec Stretch

(4) 6 Rounds

• 4x Thruster – increase load rapidly each round until 4x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 2x Burpee – be explosive!
• Foam Roll Low Back

TLU Strength Example 3

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 8x Bench Press – start light and increase weight as you warm up
• 8x Box Jumps – 20” box
• 4x Walking Lunge
• Instep Stretch
• 5x Shoulder Dislocate

Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Bench Press

Add 10–30# to your finishing warm-up load and do 5 reps. Then add 10–30# and do 3 reps. Then add 5–30# and do 1 rep. Keep adding weight and doing singles until you reach your 1RM by the 4th or 5th single. RECORD RESULTS.

(2) 6 Rounds

• 2x Bench Press @ 85% 1RM
• Lat + Pec Stretch

(3) 6 Rounds

• 3x Power Clean – increase load rapidly each round until 3x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 2x Seated Box Jump – 20/24” box
• Hip Flexor Stretch

(4) 6 Rounds

• 8x Front Squat – increase load rapidly each round until 8x is hard but doable
• Rope Climb or 3x Tarzan Pull Ups
• Foam Roll Low Back

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Efficient Strength

Efficient Strength grew out of necessity, too — mostly from working with athletes who had limited time and energy but still needed to train full-body strength. Each session combines a total-body movement, a lower-body exercise, an upper-body press, and a pull — all trained together in one circuit for six deliberate rounds. The load increases each round, always staying in the “hard but doable” range.

An Efficient Strength session might start with power cleans, move into kneeling curl-to-presses, then dumbbell front squats, and finish with pull-ups. Athletes move steadily, not frantically, through all six rounds.

Each Efficient Strength circiut lasts about 30 minutes. By the end, every major movement pattern has been trained — pull, push, hinge, squat, press. It’s brutally efficient. I consciously try to inlcude only one barbell exerise per circuit. 

This format fits perfectly as complementary strength work for endurance athletes or as maintenance for in-season mountain professionals. It keeps them strong without beating them down. It also fills the gap between heavier progression cycles and bodyweight training phases — enough loading to sustain strength, but flexible enough to fit any schedule.

Efficient Strength Example 1

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• Bronc Complex @ 45/65#
• 8x Hand Release Push Ups
• Instep Stretch
• Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

6 Round Grind

• 3x Power Clean – increase load each round until 3x is hard but doable
• 5x Kneeling Curl to Press – increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 5x Kettlebell/Dumbbell Front Squat – increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 3/5x Pull Ups

Grind = work steadily, not frantically, through the exercises in this circuit. Expect 25–30 minutes.

Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

Efficient Strength Example 2

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• Bronc Complex @ 45/65#
• 8x Hand Release Push Ups
• Instep Stretch
• Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

(1) 6 Round Grind

• 3x KB/DB 1-Arm Squat Clean to Thruster – increase load each round until 3x is hard but doable
• 5x Dumbbell Bench Press – increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 5x Back Squat – increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 3/6x Mixed Grip Pull Ups

Grind steadily, not frantically, through all six rounds (25–30 minutes).

(2) 2 Rounds of recovery work:

• Hip Flexor Stretch
• Instep Stretch
• Pigeon Stretch
• 5x Shoulder Dislocates

Efficient Strength Example 3

OBJ: Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• Bronc Complex @ 45/65#
• 8x Hand Release Push Ups
• Instep Stretch
• Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

(1) 6 Round Grind

• 3x Power Clean + Push Press – increase load each round until 3x is hard but doable
• 5x Kettlebell Floor Press – increase load each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 4x Shoulder Hold Lunge – increase load each round until 4x is hard but doable
• 3/6x Chin Ups

Grind = work steadily, not frantically, through the circuit for six total rounds (25–30 minutes).

(2) Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

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357 Strength

357 Strength is my most aggressive non-progressive format. It blends heavy lifting, moderate volume work, and short, high-intensity efforts — 3-, 5-, or 7-minute AMRAPs — using the same movement patterns trained earlier in the session. The combination produces a hormonal response that amplifies recovery and strength retention.

A classic 357 session might begin with a hang power clean. After working up to a one-rep max, the athlete performs several rounds of doubles at 85 percent, followed immediately by a single burpee. That pairing primes the nervous system and ties heavy work with explosive bodyweight movement. The session then transitions into back squats — five reps per round, increasing weight each time — each set followed by jump squats and mobility work. The finisher could be a three-minute AMRAP of power cleans, burpees, and box jumps, followed by a 15-minute grind of rotational and chassis-integrity work such as sandbag tosses and cauldrons.

357 Strength sessions are dense and fast-moving,. They maintain both heavy-load capability and anaerobic work capacity. They’re also valuable during transition blocks — when a full progressive cycle would be too much, but the athlete still needs high-intensity work.

357 Strength Example 1

OBJ: Strength, Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm Up:

3 Rounds

• Barbell Complex (45/65#)
• Instep + Hip Flexor Stretch

Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Hang Power Clean

(2) 5 Rounds

• 2x Hang Power Clean – 85% 1RM, then immediately:
• 1x Burpee – be explosive!
• Lat + Pec Stretch

(3) 6 Rounds

• 5x Back Squat – increase load rapidly each round until 5x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 2x Squat Jump – unloaded, be explosive!
• 2/2/2 Toe Touch Complex

(4) 3 Minute AMRAP

• 4x Power Clean (95/115#)
• 4x Burpee
• 4x Box Jump (20/24”)

(5) 15 Minute Grind

• 6x Sandbag Toss and Chase – 40/60#
• 6x Cauldron – unloaded barbell
• 6x Band Rotation or Seated Russian Twist – 25#

Grind = work steadily, not frantically. Pace yourself, but don’t stop.

(6) Foam Roll Legs

357 Strength Example 2

OBJ: Strength, Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm Up

4 Rounds

• 10x Front Squats (45/65#)
• 3x Scotty Bobs (15/25#)
• 3/5x Pull Ups
• Hip Flexor Stretch

Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Front Squat

(2) 6 Rounds

• 2x Front Squat – 85% 1RM, then immediately:
• 1x Jumping Lunge – be explosive!
• 5x Shoulder Dislocate with band or PVC

(3) 6 Rounds

• 5x Bench Press – increase load rapidly each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 5x Horizontal Row – increase load rapidly each round until 5x is hard but doable
• 3x Squat to Stand

(4) 5 Rounds every 60 sec

• 5x 40’ Shuttle Sprint
• 10x Hand Release Push Ups

(5)n10 Minute Grind

• 20/20 Standing Founder
• 8x Good Morning (45/65#)
• 20/20 Kneeling Founder
• 8x KB Swing (16/20)

Grind = steady, not frantic. Pace but don’t stop.

357 Strength Example 3

OBJ: Strength, Work Capacity

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• Barbell Complex (45/65#)
• Pigeon Stretch
• Training

(1) Work up to 1RM Push Press

(2) 6 Rounds

• 2x Push Press – 85% 1RM, then immediately:
• 1x Clapping Push Up
• 5x Shoulder Dislocate with band or PVC

(3) 6 Rounds

• 3x Power Clean – increase load rapidly each round until 3x is hard but doable, then immediately:
• 1x Box Jump – 24/30”
• 3rd World Stretch

(4) 10 Rounds

• 4x Push Press (95/115#)
• 4x Power Clean (95/115#)
• Rest 20 seconds

(5) Foam Roll Legs & Low Back

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Bodyweight Flow

Bodyweight Flow was created out of programming necessity during a partnership with The North Face. I had to design sessions for large groups — 100-plus athletes, no equipment, wide fitness range, one hour to train. I needed a system that automatically scaled, kept everyone moving, and trained total-body strength and capacity.

The solution was a timed, choreographed circuit where athletes “flow” from one movement to the next without stopping. The structure is deliberate: few reps per exercise, logical movement order, and continuous pacing. Stronger athletes complete more total rounds in the time; newer athletes do fewer. Everyone works hard.

A foundational Bodyweight Flow might run for 20 minutes. Athletes move from push-ups to hand-release push-ups to clapping push-ups, then immediately into pull-ups, mixed-grip pull-ups, and chin-ups, finishing each mini-circuit with lunges and jumping lunges. Keeping the reps per exercise low hopefully keeps the athlete moving steadily from one exercise to next with no or minimal rest.

These circuits are deceiving. Even though the reps are low, the density of movement and lack of rest create a strong cardio and muscular-endurance effect. At MTI we use them as bodyweight strength sessions, deployment-ready training, or as recovery-strength work between heavy barbell phases.

They require no equipment, no prep, and no ego — just 20 minutes of steady effort. That’s their beauty.

Bodyweight Flow Example 1

OBJ: Bodyweight Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 5x Walking Lunges
• 5x Hand Release Push Ups
• 1x Pull Up
• Instep Stretch
• Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

(1) 20 Minute Grind

• 3x Push Ups
• 3x Hand Release Push Ups
• 3x Clapping Push Ups
• 1/2x Pull Up
• 1/2x Mixed Grip Pull Ups
• 1/2x Chin Ups

then…

• 3x In-Place Lunges
• 3x Walking Lunges
• 3x Jumping Lunges

Grind = work steadily, not frantically, through circuits for 20 minutes. Pace yourself, but don’t stop.

Bodyweight Flow Example 2

OBJ: Bodyweight Strength

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 5x Squat
• 5x Squat Jump
• 5x Burpees
• 1x Pull Up
• Instep Stretch
• Lat + Pec Stretch

Training

(1) 20 Minute Grind

• 4x Hand Release Push Ups
• 2x Alligator Push Ups
• 1x Clapping Push Up
• 15ft Rope Climb or 2x Tarzan Pull Up
• 6x Squat
• 6x Squat Jump
• 3x Broad Jump

Grind = steady, not frantic, through the circuit for the prescribed time. Don’t rest.

Bodyweight Flow Example 3

OBJ: Bodyweight Strength, Work Capacity

Warm Up

3 Rounds

• 5x Walking Lunges
• 5x Hand Release Push Ups
• 5x Squat
• 4x Prone to Sprint
• Instep Stretch

Training

(1) 20 Minute Grind

• 5x Squat
• 5x Push Ups
• 5x Squat Jump
• 1x Clapping Push Up
• 3x Walking Lunges
• 3x Alligator Push Ups
• 3/6x Pull Ups

Grind = work steadily, not frantically, through these circuits again and again for the prescribed time. Pace yourself, but don’t stop.

Final Thoughts

Strength without progression might sound contradictory, but in the real world it’s often the only sustainable option. Progression builds; non-progressive work preserves. It keeps athletes durable, motivated, and consistent through the chaotic rhythm of work, life, and adventure.

The TLU, Efficient Strength, 357, and Bodyweight Flow methods all share the same DNA: full-body strength, smart structure, and honest effort.

Questtions?
rob@mtntactical.com