By Rob Shaul

Monday-Wednesday April 15-17, MTI will be offering an open enrolment Tactical Athlete Advanced Programming Course at our facility in Jackson, Wyoming. This is the first time in several years we’ve offered an open enrollment Advanced Programming Course and we’ll be taking applications for enrollment.

Who Can Apply

This course will be restricted to full time, active duty tactical athletes: Fire/Rescue, Law Enforcement and Military.

Enrollment will be limited to 18-24 total students.

This is a Theory-Intensive, 3-Day Advanced Programming Course is not appropriate to athletes new to gym-based training, free-weight training, or functional fitness.

This programming course is for:

• Seasoned, experienced Tactical Athletes who are familiar with functional fitness and are ready to begin their own programming
• Seasoned, experienced Tactical Athletes who act as fitness trainers for their units
• MTI programming veterans who what to know how MTI programming is designed and implemented.

Enrollment may be selective.

We’re aiming for a diverse group of students across all tactical athlete disciplines – Military, LE patrol/detective), LE (SWAT/SRT), Fire/Rescue (Urban), Fire Rescue (Wildland), and Wilderness LE Professional (Game Warden, Ranger).

Tuition

•  $500/student for tactical athletes who’s units are sending them to the course and paying tuition/travel.
•  $250/student for those tactical athletes who are attending the course and paying their own travel/tuition.

Course tuition is 50% less than we charge to travel and teach the course.

Limited, austere housing (cots in the gym!) will be made available. Meals/food will be on your own.

How To Apply

Please email a cover letter/CV to rob@mtntactical.com. In your cover letter, please include your training background, familiarity with MTI programming, and reasoning for wanting to attend the course.

Applications are Due March 14, 2019. Put “Advanced Programming Course” in the Subject Line.

Once accepted for the course, you’ll be sent the payment link to pay and secure your spot in the course. Course spots are not secured until payment is received.  Below is the Tactical Athlete Advanced Programming Course Schedule and Description.

Questions? Email rob@mtntactical.com

MTI Tactical Athlete Advanced Programming Course – Schedule & Description

DAY 1: Macro/Meso Programming Theory, Strength Session Design

Learning Objectives:

A) Understand the methodology behind MTI’s fitness attributes for Military Athletes. Identify those attributes, and define each in real-world, relatable terms. Be able to apply this methodology to coaches own athletes and their mission sets.

B) Macro-Cycle Programming Theory – understand the concept of “Base Fitness” and the theory/methodology behind focused mission/event specific fitness and cycles directly prior to events.

C) Practiced capability designing balanced and fitness attribute emphasized meso-cycles under the Fluid Periodization paradigm. Understand the larger theory/approach behind meso-cycle design and discuss how it can be applied in students’ own work/environment.

D) Understand the specific exercise selection, application, and progression of MTI’s six strength programming methodologies.

E) Individual strength session design deploying the MTI approach with an emphasis on the TLU methodology.

F) Understand and demonstrate how to develop and deploy strength session/cycle progression over the course of a meso-cycle.

Day 1’s primary goal is to understand from the 10,000 foot level MTI’s approach to program design for mountain and tactical athletes, and be able to apply this broad theory into focused, meso-cycle design for mountain/tactical day to day training. Secondary goal is to understand and apply strength session theory and design.

DAY 2: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity, Tactical Agility, Endurance Training Session Design

Learning Objectives:

A) Work Capacity Session/Event Design – understand the time-based programming methodology, and demonstrate work capacity event-specific design which addresses the time-based training objective, weight-room flow, “garbage reps,” sprinting focus, trouble areas, etc.

B) Chassis Integrity Session/Event Design – understand Chassis Integrity programming methodology, and demonstrate Chassis Integrity event-specific design which deploys corresponding movement-specific exercises.

C) Tactical Agility Session/Event Design – understand MTI’s Tactical Agility theory and event design methodology, and demonstrate Tactical Agility event-specific design which addresses the training attribute goals.

D) Understand MTI’s approach to military-specific endurance and programming methodology. Be able to articulate the difference between “speed over ground” and “aerobic base” endurance training how both can be programmed into meso-cycles.

E) Bring it all together with Base Fitness Meso Cycle outline and design from 7-Week Calendar to individual training session design.

The goal of Day 2 is to introduce students to the “meat” of training Base Fitness Meso Cycle and individual Base Fitness session design, and give them ample practice designing strength, work capacity, chassis integrity, tactical agility, and endurance events. 

DAY 3: Base Fitness Design Review, Event-Specific Program Design

Learning Objectives:

A) Review overall Fitness Mountain theory and Base Fitness meso-cycle and focused training session design. Discuss application to student’s work and coaching environment.

B) Deep Dive into Event/Sport-Specific Training Cycle Design including ample practice.

Day 3 we’ll finish Base Fitness meso and micro-cycle design and pivot hard to mission/event specific program design.

Military / National Security

This is how they’re going to raise the Norwegian frigate that sank, Navy Times
RAND Study Claims Air Force Suffering From ‘Identity Crisis’, Real Clear Defense
NATO’s Pointless Burden Sharing Debates: The Need to Replace a Mathematically Ridiculous 2% of GDP Goal with Real Force Planning, Small Wars Journal
The Battle at the Venezuelan Border, NY Times
SEALs revive stealthy submarine delivery team in Virginia, Navy Times
US airstrike in Somalia kills 35 al-Shabab extremists, Stars & Stripes
Will The US Capitulate To China?, Hoover Institution
Report: Problems plague military’s newest tactical vehicles, Stars & Stripes
All This Should Remind You of the Run-Up to the Iraq War, Council on Foreign Relations
Strategic Deterrence Columbia SSBN’s Essential Contribution, Real Clear Defense
Do Great Nations Fight Endless Wars? Against the Islamic State, They Might, War on the Rocks
Okinawa voters say no to US base relocation plan in prefecture-wide referendum, Stars & Stripes
Military retirees can still be court-martialed, Supreme Court affirms, Marine Corps Times

First Responder / Homeland Security / Wildland Fire

As border deployment grows, lawmakers demand details, Military Times
House Democrats Press U.S. Military About How It Is Screening For White Nationalism And Other Extremism In The Ranks, In Homeland Security
An officer’s response to the “KILL COPS” student artwork, LE Today
Driver Strikes Oregon Deputy, Leads Officers on 100 mph Pursuit, Officer.com
Florida Sheriff: Deputy’s Death Latest in Epidemic of Law Enforcement Suicides, Officer.com
How body armor saves lives: Interpreting LEOKA data, Police One
Brady lists ignite conflicts between police and prosecutors, management and the front-line, Police One
3 firefighters injured in house blaze that killed 2, Firerescue 1
Two police horse mounts assaulted as cops break up large bar fight, LE Today
Police: Ala. woman burglarized homes during funerals, Police One
Why Pensions are Bad for Cops (And What to Replace Them With), LE Today

Mountain

‘Free Solo’ Wins Oscar For Best Documentary Feature, Unofficial Networks
NEWSFLASH: Sport Climbing proposed for Paris 2024 Olympic Games UKClimbing.com
New Climbing Format Proposed for 2024 Paris Olympics Separates Speed Climbing, Climbing Magazine
Kings and Queens of Corbet’s 2019: Winning Runs, Snowboard Magazine
The Rise of Women’s Fastest Known Times, REI Co-op Journal
Why These Guys Slacklined Across the Mexico-U.S. Border, Outside Magazine
Climbing and Outdoor News from Here and Abroad – 2/7/19, American Alpine Institute
A Brief History Of Kayaking And Kayaks, Globo Surf
Grand Teton National Park Issues Emergency Closure of Jackson Hole’s Backcountry Gates, Unofficial Networks
How to Save $3,000 in Six Months for an Epic Adventure, Outside
Hipcamp Just Made Booking Campsites Way Less Terrible, Outside
Mount Rose’s Ski Patrol Hiring Video Is Gonna Make You Rethink Your Life Decisions, Unofficial Networks
Kilian Jornet Skis the Troll Wall, American Alpine Institute
The Ten Basic Commandments of Ski Rentals, Outside
The Best End of Winter Season Gear Sales, The Outbound Collective

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

“Why Can’t I Lose Weight?” Great Question. Here’s the Truth. Nerd Fitness
A Word of Advice to the Vegan Athlete, Breaking Muscle
People with osteoporosis should avoid spinal poses in yoga, study says, Science Daily
How Much Muscle Can You Actually Pack On in 1 Month? Men’s Health
How Red Light Therapy Can Help You Sleep Better, Recover Faster, and Train Harder Men’s Journal
Should Athletes Eat Ancient Himalayan Plant Goo?, Gear Patrol
Army National Guard scrambles to ready soldiers for new fitness test with trainers, $40M in workout equipment, Stars and Stripes
There’s New Research on the Science of Barefoot Running, Outside
Insomnia May Be in Your Genes, Web MD
Dear Mark: Fasting, Training, and Growth Hormone; Wear and Tear on the Arteries, Mark’s Daily Apple
Is At-Home Stool Test a Colonoscopy Alternative?, WebMD
Caffeinated drinks during exercise may cause kidney damage, reveals study, Specialty Medical Dialogues
Weedkiller Chemical Found in Popular Beer and Wine, WebMD

Interesting

How to Avoid Fatty Liver Disease, NutritionFacts.org
Roche ‘steps up’ for gene therapy with $4.3 billion Spark bet, Reuters Health News
Good dog? Bad dog? Their personalities can change Science Daily
10 & 2 Qs: Does Dairy Affect My Hormones? Robb Wolf
Visit Indiana Dunes, America’s Newest National Park, Outside Magazine
How to Remove Porcupine Quills For Fun and Profit, Outdoor Life
Meet the Pioneers of Ireland’s Cold, Raw, Wonderful Surf Scene, Adventure Journal
Humpback Whale Washes Ashore in Amazon River, Baffling Scientists in Brazil, NY Times
Worries grow about white nationalism in the ranks, AF Times
Most Americans say colleges should not consider race or ethnicity in admissions, Pew Research Center
SureFire Under Fire – Company Trolled Over Donations To Anti-2A Candidates, LE Today
Police: Man who shot at Calif. officer had been deported three times, Police One
Dealers Can’t Sell Corvettes, So There are Deals Everywhere, Gear Patrol

By Josh Tawson

In January 2017 the Army deactivated the last of its active-duty Long-Range Surveillance (LRS) companies in Fort Hood, Texas and by August 2018, all remaining National Guard LRS units met the same fate. The Army made this decision after using computer models to determine its future priorities to remain successful in a dynamic world. 

Dismounted reconnaissance has increasingly taken a back-seat to various technological means of recon leaving a costly void in conventional Army capabilities.

Reactivating LRS and mandating reconnaissance specific training would fill this void and we can look to our peers in the Marine Corps for guidance on how to fix this issue.

UAVs Versus Dismounted Troops

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming a regular means of gathering intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) for our armed forces. UAVs allow for the gathering of imagery in a safe manner as the pilot is often in a secure location leaving potential cost of human life a non-factor. Additionally, it presents a more cost-effective method of gathering intelligence in that we simply don’t need a lot of them. 

In 2014 a deployed soldier in Afghanistan costs the U.S. government $2.1 million, according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, while a single MQ-9 Reaper drone, for example, costs $6.48 million to build and close to $3 million to operate. 

With far more soldiers serving, let alone deployed, then drones, the Department of Defense budget would favor the use of drones. 

Current and past wars have not presented the full myriad of potential problems that reliance on a technology driven means of recon could present.  In any near-peer conflict control of the air space and a legitimate defense against potential cyber-attacks would prove crucial to mission to success.

Bad weather and limited visibility can also inhibit any UAV mission and therefore prevent the gathering of timely intelligence for commanders.  Reviving the boots on the ground deep reconnaissance asset will alleviate these problems and allow for a more dynamic and effective Army.

The use of dismounted scouts will enable commanders to infiltrate into high density, low visibility areas and confirm or deny intelligence reports for 24 hours a day, no matter the weather.  Even dismounted troops have portable technology that can help them achieve similar capabilities similar to larger UAVs. 

Reconnaissance teams can utilize hand deployed drones such as the Raven or emplace remote sensors to conduct perimeter defense, surveillance, environmental monitoring, and target acquisition operations.  FM 3-98 Reconnaissance and Security Operations states, “A lack of knowledge concerning insurgents, local politics, customs, culture, and how to differentiate between local combatants often leads to actions that can result in unintended and disadvantageous consequences.” 

A drone circling 50,000 feet above cannot gather context of a local community and the interactions between people the same way soldiers on the ground can.  The Army finds itself in a stability role in every war fought by the United States and stability operations require a knowledge of the local populous to be successful.  Prior to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army found significant, albeit late, success in the Vietnam war with Civil Operations and Rural Development Support (CORDS) as well as, amid several others, post World War II Germany in 1945 and several Caribbean countries beginning in 1915.

Army Methodology

As it stands the conventional Army’s means of dismounted reconnaissance is a troop consisting of two platoons nested within a mounted recon squadron.  This troop, doctrinally, is supposed to report gathered intelligence from the battlefield to the Brigade Commander directly for dissemination across his brigade combat team (BCT). 

Infantry battalions commonly have a dedicated scout platoon that conducts limited reconnaissance and surveillance (R&S) and security operations for its local chain of command.  This platoon can, however, be detached to other units if necessary. 

The conventional Army’s dismounted recon assets will often find themselves on personal security details, semi-permanent base security, or even utilized as regular infantry platoons.  The latter use is a dangerous idea because a scout platoon cannot organically support an infantry platoon mission.  They lack the number of personnel and the weapons and equipment that a standard infantry platoon operates with.

Iraq and Afghanistan still warranted a need for reconnaissance driven missions.  A common task would be to conduct recon and surveillance on routes that convoys relied on that were consistently being targeted with IEDs by the enemy.  The undeniable reason that dismounted scouts are being utilized improperly is that commanders don’t want to assume risk.

Technology driven ISR gathering does not put human lives on the line but sending a platoon forward of friendly lines is naturally more dangerous.  The way to mitigate that risk, as with any risk, is through standardized training of all reconnaissance personnel. 

Currently, there is no required reconnaissance training for conventional Army scouts, dismounted or mounted.  Both offer optional in-depth courses, the Reconnaissance Surveillance Leaders Course (RSLC) and the Armored Reconnaissance Course (ARC), but they are small schools that commonly fill seats with personnel from other branches of the military.

Conversely, the Marine Corps requires that all Force Reconnaissance Marines attend and graduate their Basic Reconnaissance Course in Camp Pendleton, California.  The Army needs to expand the role and the resourcing of RSLC to fit the broader needs of the Army.  RSLC is a mentally challenging and physically rigorous course as it’s currently taught and will serve this new larger reconnaissance community well if they get the backing of the Army to help expand its reach.

Marine Corps Methodology

Organizationally, the Marine Corps has a similar reconnaissance methodology.  The Marines, like the Army, have two platoons of dismounted reconnaissance personnel within a company (Force Recon) that is inside of a reconnaissance battalion.  The mission set, by nature of different branches of the military, is different but the Army stands to gain a lesson learned.  Within the Force Recon company is a deep reconnaissance platoon.  Each of the three teams within the deep recon platoon has a different specialty to include freefall, amphibious, and mobility operations, which is similar to the former Army LRS company structure.  All reconnaissance Marines go through the Basic Reconnaissance Course (BRC) and they are required to graduate in order to serve in a reconnaissance role.  BRC is a four-phase school that covers the fundamentals of reconnaissance as well as waterborne operations. Every Marine that graduates BRC and goes to his respective unit starts off with the same base knowledge of his unit’s mission set and their role in the organization as a whole. They don’t have to spend time trying to train their personnel on the same base level, the schoolhouse already did that for them and now they can build off it together. 

The Marines have a deeper commitment to reconnaissance capabilities than the Army has.  The Marine Corps has committed to the adoption of hand deployed quad copter drones for every infantry squad, according to a Stars and Stripes interview with LtGen Robert Walsh of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command.  This will only help to further the capabilities of their reconnaissance troops on the ground even further. 

They also have a full reference publication, MCRP 2-10A.5, dedicated to remote sensor operations which help to expand a commander’s view of the battlefield.  The Army conversely has a single paragraph dedicated to the same within FM 3-98, the last Army publication dedicated to remote sensors was fielded in 1977 and is no longer in circulation.

The Way Ahead

The Army needs to stand up the LRS companies again but organizationally restructure the old design.  Instead of housing the LRS companies within military intelligence battalions, assign the company directly to its respective division. 

The company will assign a platoon to each brigade combat team while still maintaining team specialization.  The team specialties will remain in freefall, mountain, and dive techniques in order to diversify the capabilities of each BCT even further.  The key difference in the revitalized LRS units is that all personnel assigned to a LRS company will have to complete the refurbished RSLC course.  Doing so will ensure that every member of the LRS companies has the same fundamental knowledge and physical capability to accomplish their mission. Doing so will only improve the ISR gathering capabilities of the Army as a whole.  It should also give commanders the confidence to send their elements forward knowing they are properly trained in an array of reconnaissance techniques.

Revitalizing a human emphasis for gathering intelligence will fill in the gaps that naturally reside in technology driven methods. Standardizing and requiring reconnaissance training for conventional scouts will not only help to reduce risk and encourage commanders to utilize all their assets but also to ensure that all recon personnel share the same base level training to help build a common operating picture. The LRS companies will not be there to compete with technology, rather work with it in order to get a three-dimensional understanding of the objective and help commanders succeed on the battlefield. 

The Army needs to act on this now while there are still former LRS soldiers circulating through the Army.  They can be used to train the new companies before the generational gap becomes to big recover from and they have to learn from scratch.

About the Author
Josh Tawson grew up in Northern California where he ran cross country and learned to snowboard.  After high school he received his degree in Political Science at Boise State University while serving in the Idaho National Guard.  He is currently an Army Infantry Officer serving at Ft. Bragg, NC and fits snowboarding and rock climbing in whenever he can.

Military / National Defense

The Air Force’s new ‘deploy or get out’ guidelines are officially here, Task & Purpose
Amid Trouble With the West, Saudi Arabia Looks East, NY Times
Terrain Matters: Training and Basing in Alaska, Modern War Institute
If America’s Unipolar Moment is Nearing Its End, What Comes Next?, Modern War Institute
Lithuania widens espionage probe, several now in custody for spying for Russia, intelnews.org
Would You Die for Europe? A Binational Battalion Offers an Answer, NY Times
New York Air National Guardsman accused of impersonating CIA agent to impress woman, Stars & Stripes
Netflix’s new military action flick looks like ‘Narcos’ meets ‘Zero Dark Thirty’, Task & Purpose
‘Amoeba warfare’ — Looking at drone swarms under a microscope, Task & Purpose
Congress May Make It Impossible to End a War, Defense One
Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia is having a bigger impact than expected, Stars & Stripes
My Underground Warfare Wish List, Modern War Institute
H&K Begins M27 IAR Deliveries, Soldier Systems

First Responder / Homeland Security / Wildland Fire

Congress restores funding for Coast Guard’s first new heavy icebreaker in 40 years, Stars & Stripes
Mass. unions: Poor conditions plague fire stations throughout the state, Firerescue1
FIREFIGHTER HISTORY 2/20, Firefighter Close Calls
Ex-Philadelphia homicide detective facing multiple counts of rape and sexual assault, LE Today
Puerto Rico Undercover Agent Shot, Killed in Drive-by, Police Mag
Nashville Police Pulling Harassed SROs from Schools, Police Mag
Massachusetts College Votes to Keep Campus Officers Disarmed, Police Mag
Missouri Officer’s Death by Suicide Highlights Need for Support, Police Mag
Mayor Orders LAPD to Scale Back Vehicle Stops, Says Black Drivers Disproportionately Stopped, Police Mag
A synthetic undergarment increases physiological strain, International Journal of Wildland Fire
Politicians Fighting Back With Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Reform, Tactical Life

Mountain

India’s first Piti-Dharr Ice Fest results in a flurry of first ascents, Alpinist Newswires
67-year-old Adventurer Has Rowed Halfway Across the Southern Ocean, Adventure Journal
Quick Pits Part II: How pits help with in-the-field decision-making, Backcountry Magazine
Master the Basics of Backcountry Ski Touring, Backpacker
Mind Your Manners: Ten Ways to Not Be a Bruh-Brah at the Crag, Bowhunting Blog
G3 University: What gives skis character? Freeskier
Paragliding in Patagonia, Aaron Durogati makes Fitz Roy flyby, Planetmountain.com
More Details on China’s New Climbing Rules for Everest, The Adventure Blog
Is Kings and Queens of Corbet’s the Best Competition in Skiing? Freeskier
Kilian Jornet Sets New 24-Hour Elevation Record, The Adventure Blog
WATCH: Man Who Killed Attacking Mountain Lion With Bare Hands Shares His Brutal Story. Unofficial Networks
Gallery: Rock Art—8 Rock Climber Artists, Climbing Magazine
Rob Bishop Blames Patagonia for Climate Change, Outside Magazine
How Global Warming Will Change Outside’s Best Towns, Outside Magazine
Jackson Hole Is Having The Snowiest February EVER!, Unofficial Networks
New Study Finds Rock Climbers Bring $12.1 Million Annually to New River Gorge Region, Climbing Mag
Skier Found Dead In Deep Snow At Heavenly Ski Resort, Unofficial Networks
Why Wilderness Matters to Hunters and Anglers, Outdoor Life
VIDEO: Kings & Queens of Corbet’s | GoPro Highlights, Unofficial Networks
Doctor Says Cure for CWD Has Been Found, Bowhunting.net

Fitness / Health / Nutrition

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely, Nerd Fitness
Protein released from fat after exercise improves glucose, Science Daily
10 Moves To Help Ease Joint Pain, Mark’s Daily Apple
Diet could help runners beat stomach issues, Science Daily
How to Fix Your Bench Press, According to an Expert, Men’s Journal
The Best Food to Slowing Your Resting Heart Rate, NutritionFacts.org
The Science of Cold Weather Running, Outside Magazine
McDonald’s French Fries May Cure Baldness, Muscle & Fitness
Legalize Pot? Amid Opioid Crisis, Some New Hampshire Leaders Say No Way, NY Times
Phys Ed: How Many Push-Ups Can You Do? It May Be a Good Predictor of Heart Health, NY Times
Men Increase Your Testosterone Production Naturally with a Change in Diet, Thrive Global
Vaccines don’t work against some viruses. CRISPR might one day fix that, Science Daily
Interval training burns off more pounds than jogging or cycling, Reuters
8 biggest caffeine myths, Nutritional Outlook

Interesting

Brain discovery explains a great mystery of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Science Daily
10 Amazing Family-Friendly Trips around the World, The Outbound Collective
Hiker Stuck In Quicksand For 10 Hours In Zion National Park, Unofficial Networks
How Climbers Will Be Chosen for the 2020 Olympics, Climbing Magazine
Breakthrough in the search for graphene-based electronics, Science Daily
Competitive Powerlifter Saves Man by Lifting Jeep, Muscle & Fitness
Amazon is projected to steal advertising market share from Google in 2019, CNBC
Do Private School Teachers Have A Skills Gap? Forbes
ThirdLove is homing in on Victoria’s Secret’s biggest weakness, Business Insider
Amazon’s $0 corporate income tax bill last year, explained, Vox

By Rob Shaul

1) Overall Military – Afghanistan Pre-Deployment Training Plan

The Afghanistan Pre-Deployment Training Plan was the first plan I designed on the tactical side. At the time (2008) there was only Mountain Athlete, and I began getting emails from soldiers downrange in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I was posting our daily training sessions, and somehow guys had found our stuff.

What I soon heard was soldiers were being deployed to mountainous regions in Afghanistan and getting smoked by the terrain and altitude. They were reaching out to me for mountain-specific programming – which lead me to design the Afghanistan Pre-Deployment Training Plan.

The plan needed to prepare them for uphill hiking (mountain endurance), rucking, tactical work capacity (sprinting), midsection work, and eccentric leg strength for the downhills.

We gave this plan away free to deploying US and Nato soldiers and Marines for several years, and literally, thousands of deploying personnel used it to prepare, including multiple entire US Army and US Marine battalions.

The plan itself is no joke – thousands of loaded step ups, hundreds of sandbag get ups, Leg Blasters two times per week – it’s a killer. It’s my favorite because perhaps of all the plans I designed, it had the most mission-direct impact.

2) Strength – Big 24 Strength Training Plan

I’ve never thrown up in the gym, but the closest I ever came wasn’t during a hard work capacity, panic breathing event, but during the final progression of Big 24.

The Big 24 progression is the most simple, and the most intense, I’ve ever designed. In its current iteration, the plan is 7 weeks long, 5 days/week. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are strength training, and every strength day is a battle with the barbell.

The plan is built around the following, classic, strength exercises:

• Back Squat – One of the key lifts to build strength. High bar or low bar doesn’t matter, pick one and be consistent.
• Kettlebell/Dumbbell Walking Lunge – Unilateral total leg smoker. Keep your midsection tight to prevent tipping toward one side.
• Hang Squat Clean – Simple Olympic movement.
• Push Press – Builds power transfer between the lower and upper body and overloads the shoulders to build strength.
• Bench Press – Builds upper body pressing strength.
• Weighted Pull Ups – Builds upper body pulling strength

What makes the plan so intense is it’s not percentage based. Rather, for every exercise, the athlete begins by working up to a 3 Repetition Maximum, and every strength effort is 8 rounds long. The first 3 of those rounds are a warm up to the “working sets.” Below are the progressions:

• Progression 1 – 5 Rounds of 3 Reps at your 3RM – 10 pounds
• Progression 2 – 5 Rounds of 3 Reps at your 3RM – 5 pounds
• Progression 3 – 5 Rounds of 3 Reps at your 3RM

So, if your 3RM Back Squat is 300 pounds, the first progression, after 3 rounds to warm up to the working load, is 5 Rounds of 3 Reps at 290#.

At the beginning of the cycle, the strength sessions to fast, and take only around 50 minutes to complete. But at the end of the cycle, athletes need more and more rest between barbell efforts, and sessions stretch to 70-75 minutes. The last time I did Big 24, the final progression for me really wasn’t 5 rounds of 3 reps at my 3RM load, but rather 15x singles at my 3RM – because I needed to rest between each rep.

As well, I’d get nervous before each training session – well actually, more than “nervous” – more like scared!

Big 24 is killer, intense, and from a strength perspective, – very effective. It also has a “hardening” effect. We were all a little tougher, a little harder, on the other side of the Big 24 cycle.

3) Endurance – Alpine Running Training Plan

I designed this plan primarily for FKT attempts – or “Fastest Known Time” non-technical, alpine/mountain missions and events, but it’s also a fantastic plan for building focused mountain endurance – uphill hiking under load, fast downhill running, and loaded and unloaded distance trail running.

In my 30’s, long before I became a strength and conditioning coach, I spent several years focusing on fast, long, mountain movement – 20+ mile day hike/run loops, 30+ mile car to car peak bagging efforts, and 20-30 mile/day backpacking trips.

I loved moving fast in the mountains, and to train for it I spent hours packing rocks up Half Moon Mountain east of Pinedale, Wyoming, my home town, and running ridges and trails in the foothills of the Wind River Mountain Range.

I had a simple bathroom scale in the bed of my truck, and on the way to the base of Half Moon Mountain, I’d look for good sized rocks on the side of the road. I’d stop when I found a good group of these rocks, and load my daypack up to 40-50 pounds, and hike it up the 1,000 feet or so to the ridge atop Half Moon Mountain.

I’d dump the rocks in the same spot on the top of the ridge – and after a few Springs and Summers, had a good-sized pile of rocks – my “pyramid of pain.”

Back then I really had no planned progression or overall method to my programming. That knowledge came with my pivot to strength coaching, but the Alpine Running Training Plan’s roots come from those days hauling rocks up Half Moon Mountain and running trails with a pack in southwest Wyoming.

Here in Jackson, we have a steep, town ski hill called “Snow King.” Snow King Mountain is about 1,600 feet high, and steep. There’s a steep trail heading pretty much straight up the mountain, and a couple of Junes ago, me and my lab rats spent 6 weeks hiking gallons of water up that mountain and developing the programming for the Alpine Running Plan. Like rocks, we could dump water on the top, and run down unloaded – saving our knees some, and not risking as bad of injury if we took a tumble on the downhill. We worked up to 3 laps in about 90 minutes, carrying 4 gallons of water at the top progression – about 32 pounds.

I have an old training buddy in Pinedale, Tom, who’s fond of saying, “nothing trains like vertical!” Tom, 15 years my senior, took many a training trip with me up Half Moon Mountain. I could beat him to the top, but Tom was a master at running downhill, and I’d struggle, trip, and crash and burn trying to keep up with him. Running downhill off trail is a skill in itself!

The Alpine Running Training Plan has all this – hiking thousands of feet uphill carrying increasing loads of water, dumping it at the top and running downhill, running trails with a loaded pack, and miles of unloaded trail running – working up to 17.

It’s a 6 day/week training plan, and two days are spent in the weightroom, doing heavy eccentric back squats, some upper body strength training, and focused chassis integrity work.

This is not a well-rounded endurance training plan, but for Alpine endurance, its focus is intense and effective.

Question, Comments, Feedback? Email rob@mtntactical.com

By Rob Shaul, Founder

Mountain

(1) Base Fitness – Mountain Base Helen (6 Weeks, 6 /Days/week)

Helen combines multiple training attributes – gym-based strength, gym-based work capacity, assessment-based, and gym-based endurance, climbing fitness and chassis integrity all in the same plan. This much variety, combined with a 6 day/week schedule and overall intense training sessions results in a super challenging, but super-interesting and engaging base fitness training plans for multi-sport and all around mountain athletes.

Helen’s deploys our TLU Strength Progression, which often means directly after the warm up, the athlete must complete a 1 Repetition Maximum (1RM) effort on a single strength exercise. TLU was the first, original strength progression I ever designed and it pulled from multiple theories – with the daily 1RM effort coming from famous powerlifting gym, Westside Barbell in Ohio. Long ago I read the gym founder, Louie Simmons’ book, and I’ll be honest, had trouble following much of it.

However, I do remember his position of daily performing 1RM efforts, as a way to keep his competing powerlifters engaged, and working as hard as they could. One thing you’ll see if you go into any commercial gym where athletes coach themselves is few ever do 1RM efforts. We’ve found that not only do 1RM efforts help us get a snapshot of an athletes strength, but also help new and experienced athletes get comfortable with the exercises and heavy load.

The endurance efforts in Helen are split between a 6-mile run assessment with follow-on hard 2-mile intervals and gym-based endurance. This is a killer combination, which trains single-mode and multi-mode endurance. An example of gym-based endurance would be:

(1) 60 Minute Grind ….

• 50x Step Ups
• Run 400m

Finally, for climbing fitness, Helen deploys the Bouldering V-Sum – which I consider the most efficient training tool available to train both climbing strength and technical ability in a consistent, focused, measurable manner.

(2) Sport-Specific Fitness – Kayak/Paddling Pre-Season Training Plan

Of all the different types of mountain athletes I’ve worked with, kayakers have been by far the hardest working, most open-minded and overall, most fun to work with. Jackson is not a kayaking mecca – so it’s not every Spring I get to work with kayakers, but when I do – it’s so much fun.

First of all, kayaking paddling from a strength perspective includes simultaneous and opposite single arm push and pull strength and strength endurance, while at the same time requiring midsection anti-rotation strength and strength endurance to brace against the upper body forces.

Unlike any other mountain sport, even rock and ice climbing, the lower body (legs) are largely taken out of the fitness demands for kayakers – and the focus of the strength and strength endurance work is on the upper body and mid-section.

Developing the gym-based exercises to sport-specifically train these types of strength was an exercise in experimentation on my part, and significant suffering on the part of my kayaker lab rats. We tried Reverse Bench Presses, Horizontal Pull-Ups, Rope Climbs, Scotty Bobs, regular Bench Presses, Elevated Front Bridges for time wearing a weight vest and created a bizarre exercise called the Kayak Special which combines a GHD, alternating dumbbell bench presses, and mid-section isometric strength!

We didn’t even try to create some type of sport-specific gym-based work capacity effort. Instead, I made my kayakers load up their kayaks and meet me at the ice-filled, spring-runoff flowing, Snake River two days a week for hard paddling intervals against the current! I’d also make them traverse across the river, and have them complete a kayak roll mid-stream going and coming!

The best is when I’d have them kayak across the river and back, exit their kayak, pick it up, run up a hill and back with it, and repeat … for like 40 minutes! (See video below). Through it all, they kayakers worked hard, never questioned, and always brought effort and competitive spirit.

Like all MTI programming, every year we improved and eventually settled on Alternating Dumbbell Bench Presses, Renegade Rows, and Seated Russian Twists to train gym-based sport-specific strength. At the river I continued to improve our interval work, and settled down from some of the crazy longer efforts.

One of secondary benefits of the Kayak/Paddling Training Plan is that with all the high rep upper body and core work, my Kayakers all got jacked!! At the end of the 6-week cycle, they had bulging pecs, lats, biceps, and 6-packs! Overall a lot of fun and super effective programming … after I figured it out ….

(3) Climbing Fitness – Expedition Ice/Mixed Climbing Training Program

I designed this training program at the request and for elite, high-level climbers with dangerous Alaska, Canadian Rockies or Himalaya expeditions planned. From the initial program design I was able to limit distractions and focus on the primary fitness demands of this type of event:

(1) Sport specific grip strength for ice tools

(2) Mountain endurance – running, and uphill hiking under load

(3) Calf strength and strength endurance

(4) Total Body and midsection strength for durability.

At the top of this plan’s 8-Week progression, the athletes complete 2+ hours hanging on their tools, 50x Figure 4’s with minimal rest, 1,000 loaded Step Ups and 5 miles of running in the same session, and 5 total minutes of Calf Raise Intervals with minimal rest. This work is in addition to barbell-based total body strength work and gym-based mid-section work. It’s a very sport/event-specific, focused, training plan which has proven itself on some dangerous, alpine expeditions.

The video below shows ice tool tech board intervals:

Questions? Email rob@mtntactical.com

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