By Charles Bausman

The first step for a newly commissioned Army infantry officer is completing the Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBOLC). Many Lieutenants will look ahead to the rigors of Ranger School after IBOLC, but the physical demands of the IBOLC curriculum should not be underestimated.

After multiple requests for a course specific training plan, we’ve developed the US Army IBOLC Training Plan.

The focus of IBOLC is on teaching small unit tactics up to the platoon level, including multiple small unit field exercises. It also includes several PT assessments which can heavily influence the overall student standing and GPA. The Army IBOLC Training plan will specifically train to perform on those gates, as well as create a physically well-rounded officer as they move towards Ranger School and serving as a Platoon Leader.

The Army Infantry Basic Officer Leadership Course (IBLOC) is a 6-week program including a 1-week taper to be completed the 6 weeks directly prior to the course start week.

This program gets progressively harder each week, until week 6, when the training tapers down into the start of the course. Don’t skip ahead!! The plan is designed to build upon itself. If you have to miss a training day, start up back where you left off.

This training program trains for the physical expectations of a newly commissioned officer at IBOLC based on the course curriculum. This includes developing rucking speed, timed 5-mile run, and APFT. The plan also includes an assessment based work capacity efforts, a work capacity effort designed to improve obstacle course confidence, a leg blaster progression to develop lower body strength, and chassis integrity work.

The plan includes 4 specific assessments and follow-on percentage based progressions which allow the training program to automatically scale to your level of fitness. You’ll take these assessments multiple times over the 6-week program:

• APFT – Max Sit ups (2 minutes), Max Push ups (2 minutes), 2 Mile Run, and Max Pull Ups
• 6 Mile Ruck for Time – 45# Ruck, 10lb Rubber Rifle or Sledge Hammer, Full Cammies/Boots
• 5 Mile Run for Time, shorts and t-shirt
• Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Test

Weekly Training Schedule

• Monday: APFT Work, Chassis Integrity
  
• Tuesday: 2-Mile Run Intervals for 5 Mile Run Improvement, Leg Blaster Progression
  
• Wednesday: Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Progression
  
• Thursday: APFT Work, Chassis Integrity
  
• Friday: Ruck Intervals

Questions? Email coach@mtntactical.com

Military
The Ongoing Challenge of Irregular Warfare: Thoughts on Responses and Intelligence, Small Wars Journal
For Marines, Pre-Deployment Training May Feature Simulated Cyber Attack, Defense Tech
Trump’s Strategic Plan on Track With Air Force’s New ICBM, Real Clear Defense
We Won the War in Afghanistan – And Then Lost It, War is Boring
Jihadists strike across West Africa, Long War Journal
Trump made the right move on Afghanistan, Brookings Institute

Homeland Security/Terrorism
Canadian intelligence monitoring far-right activities after Charlottesville, Intel News
State Department Travel Warning For Mexico Includes Cancun, Los Cabos, InHomeland Security
Get ready for the new normal: Fighting terror in the US The Hill
Was The Charlottesville Car Attack Domestic Terrorism, A Hate Crime Or Both?, InHomeland Security
Homeland Security Secretary: Border walls work. Yuma sector proves it. USA Today

Mountain
Less Serious Accidents in North American Mountaineering, Outside Magazine
To Get to the Summit, Cory Richards Had to Lose It All, Outside Magazine
Video: Where the Wild Things Play (homage to all the badass, adventurous ladies we know.), Outdoor Research
Großglockner rescue helicopter crash and miracle escape caught on camera, Planet Mountain
Walls are meant for climbing, The North Face

First Responder
How to maintain situational awareness while on duty, Police One
Smugglers Use Drone to Fly Meth Over Mexican Border Into San Diego, Police Mag
An empirically based approach to defining wildland firefighter safety and survival zone separation distances, International Journal of Wildland Fire
What Every Firefighter Needs to Know About NFPA 1583, Firefighter Toolbox
Police Lives Matter, Law Enforcement Today

Gear
Evolution of the Sniper Rifle, Small Wars Journal
This Drone-Maker Armed a Quadcopter with a Sniper Rifle, Defense Tech
Gear Spotlight: Tectal mountain biking helmet, by POC, Freeskier
GoPro Is Finally Starting to Right the Ship, Outside Magazine
Meet the Maker: Behind the Scenes with Jake Hoback of Hoback Knives, ITS Tactical

Nutrition/Fitness
Strength Training Guide: Why Train Strength? TrainingBeta
Progression And The Hierarchy Of Needs, Breaking Muscle
Can You Afford The Benefits Of The Mediterranean Diet? Breaking Muscle
What I Learned from Weighing My Food for 4 Months, Outside Magazine
Energy Dense Foods Increase Cancer Risk: Study, Science Daily
When Sports Injuries Lead to Arthritis in Joints, NY Times
Sleep your way to optimal performance in just 7 days www.robbwolf.com

By Rob Shaul, Founder

A few years ago I visited Fort Bragg and was taken by a Green Beret and friend of MTI to his unit’s THOR3 gym. It was lunchtime, and I’d expected the gym to be busy – but there were just a few guys training with the THOR3 assistant coaches.

I was introduced to the head coach and asked him what strength, work capacity, endurance and other fitness/mobility standards he’d established for the soldiers he worked with.

He hemmed and hawed some, and when pressed, couldn’t identify any specifics. He didn’t have any. I don’t mean to criticize this coach – he was a contractor working for a bigger company, and it could be that company didn’t have any standards.  Nevertheless, I was stunned.

In simple terms, it’s hard to know how you’re doing if you don’t know where you’re going.

First with Mountain Athlete, then Military Athlete, and now with MTI, assessments have always been key to our programming – not only at the macro level but also at the micro level – many of our individual training plans include assessments and assessment-based progressions.

At the Macro Level, we’ve developed several Assessments for the athletes’ communities we work with – all are described below.

MILITARY

• All Around
  Operator Ugly Fitness Assessment – Operator Ugly is our first tactical fitness assessment and has endured over the years. The goal was to develop one test of relative strength, work capacity, mental fitness, stamina and endurance which was relatively simple to administer and score. Operator Ugly is no joke – for men, the assessment includes max rep bench press and front squat reps at 185#, max hinge/dead lifts at 225# in 60 seconds, max pull ups, a shuttle sprint assessment, sandbag get up effort, and finally, a 3-mile run for time in a 25# weight vest. I’ve administered Operator Ugly to 30 military athletes in 90 minutes.MTI Soldier-Athlete Fitness Test (SAFT) – This assessment was created in 2018 and refined in 2021 as a replacement for the Army’s ACFT and Marine Corps PFT/CFT. The SAFT is low equipment and less time intensive compared to the current fitness tests employed by the Army/USMC. The SAFT includes three sections. 1) Upper Body Strength, 2) Work Capacity, and 3) mission-direct endurance via a 3-mile ruck for time. Simple, time effective, and all you need is your plate carrier, ruck, and a pull-up bar.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment – I developed this assessment a few years ago after receiving several questions asking, “Am I Strong Enough?” The MTI Relative Strength Assessment answers this question for both mountain and tactical athletes (military, LE, Fire/Rescue).Mountain and tactical athletes are not strength athletes like Olympic weightlifters or competing powerlifters. What is most important is relative strength – or strength per body weight. Too much strength impacts other important fitness attributes for these athletes – including work capacity and endurance.The MTI Relative Strength Assessment deploys 1 Rep-Max efforts for these classic barbell exercises: Bench Press, Front Squat, Power Clean. Also tested are max rep bodyweight pull ups. Exercise 1RM’s, max pull ups and body weight are thrown into a formula which spits out an athlete’s Relative Strength Score.MTI’s Fighter Pilot Fitness Assessment – Over ten years ago I was first approached by Air Force pilots interested in developing a fitness assessment to test the pilot’s ability to perform the Anti-Gravity Straining Maneuver. Years later one of the MTI mentors was a retired fighter pilot and we worked together to develop a mission-direct, practical assessment. One area myself and the mentoree struggled with was developing a simple assessment for neck strength and strength endurance. Helmets, night vision equipment, etc. are heavy and neck issues are common amongst pilots.
• Work Capacity
  I’ve been working for years to develop a simple, effective, and mission-direct work capacity assessment for tactical athletes, and this year, finally cut through all the possibilities to develop the MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment.Set up 2 cones, 25m apart. Military athletes – wear a 25# weight vest or your IBA – and start prone. On “Go” come to your feet, and sprint down to the far cone. Drop to prone on the other side, and sprint back to the starting cone. Drop to prone, and repeat … for 3 minutes.Take a minute rest, then do another 3 minutes. Take a minute rest, then do a final 3 minutes.Scoring: Each 25m length counts as one rep. So a round trip = 2 reps. Only full lengths count …. record the total reps from all 9 minutes of work intervals.MTI Coach and Researcher, Charlie Bausman, a mutant in his own right, took this assessment a couple weeks ago. Here’s the text he sent me after finishing, “The Work Capacity Assessment ….. is a soul crusher.”
• Endurance
  The MTI 3/3/3 Military Athlete Endurance Assessment is my recommended replacement for the typical 12-mile ruck assessment used at many military units and schools. I developed and tested this assessment this Spring. What makes it unique is it tests endurance over 3 loads.The test begins with a 3-Mile Run for Time carrying a rubber rifle, 10# sledge or 10# dumbbell. After a 6 minute rest, next is a 3-mile Ruck Run for Time at a 45# Ruck, plus a rubber rifle, 10# sledge or 10# dumbbell. After another 6 minute rest, athletes finish with another 3-mile Ruck Run for Time at a 75# Ruck, plus a rubber rifle, 10# sledge or 10# dumbbell. Total distance is 9 miles.

MOUNTAIN

• All Around
  MTI’s Alpinist Fitness Assessment assesses strength, uphill hiking under load fitness, aerobic capacity, climbing fitness, and endurance. I believe it is the most accurate and comprehensive fitness assessment in existence for professional and high level recreational all-around mountain athletes. The plan deploys bodyweight bar dips and strict pull ups to assess upper body strength. Next comes a hard, 40 minute step up effort for reps wearing a 40# pack.A 300m shuttle for time is used to assess aerobic capacity, and 50 minute Bouldering V-Sum used to assess climbing fitness and technical level.The assessment concludes with a 15 kilometer run for time.Altogether, the assessment takes 2.5-3 hours of solid work. The long-run at the end is by design – many alpine events require this type of end-of-mission stamina – and in this way, the assessment also assesses mental fitness.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment – Same assessment used for tactical athletes, but the scoring for mountain athletes is different. Mountain athletes don’t have the same strength demands as tactical athletes.
• Backcountry Hunting
  The MTI Backcountry Big Game Hunting Fitness Assessment is one of our most intense, non-tactical assessments. It measures relative strength via a 1RM front squat, bench press and max rep pull ups, core strength and work capacity via a sandbag getup AMRAP effort, and 3 modes of endurance: (1) unloaded run; (2) loaded step ups, and; (3) heavy ruck.

LAW ENFORCEMENT – SWAT/SRT

• All Around
  The MTI SWAT/SRT Fitness Assessment was developed after extensive research into the fitness demands of SWAT/SRT, and the most common events at various SWAT/SRT selections at both the local, state and national levels.  The 7-part assessment tests strength via 1RM Bench Press and Front Squat, and max rep pull ups in a 25# weight vest.Max push push ups and sit ups assess muscular endurance, and the Devil Dog Assessment measures anaerobic power. Endurance is assessed via a 1.5 mile run for time at the end.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment -Described above – this assessment applies to all mountain and tactical athletes.
• Work Capacity
  The MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment. described above, applies to all tactical athletes – Military, LE and Fire/Rescue

LAW ENFORCEMENT – PATROL/DETECTIVE

• All Around
  The MTI LE Patrol/Detective Athlete Fitness Assessment will take approximately 60 minutes to administer, and measure upper and lower body relative strength, muscular and anaerobic power, and mid-section rotational strength. For strength, we revisit the bench press and front squat but dictate the assessment at bodyweight for men for both, and do a test of max reps in 60 seconds. Max Rep Pull Ups assess upper body pulling strength. A 300m Shuttle for time in a 25# weight vest assesses anaerobic power, and max rep box jumps in 60 seconds assess muscular power and power endurance.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment -Described above – this assessment applies to all mountain and tactical athletes.
• Work Capacity
  The MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment. described above, applies to all tactical athletes – Military, LE and Fire/Rescue

LAW ENFORCEMENT – CORRECTIONS

• All Around
  The MTI Correctional Officer Fitness Assessment  will take approximately 60 minutes to administer, and measures upper and lower body strength and strength endurance, grip strength, anaerobic power, mid-section rotational strength and tactically-specific work capacity. For strength/strength endurance, the assessment deploys a bodyweight bench press for reps, and a in-place lunge effort for reps holding 25# dumbbells. The assessment also tests strength (grip assessment), power (max box jumps in 20″ and repeat sprint work capacity.

LAW ENFORCEMENT – K9 HANDLER + DOG

• All Around
  The MTI K9 Handler Fitness Assessment is a 7-event assessment which will take 60-75 minutes to administer. Three of the events include the dog – two short work capacity efforts, and a long 3-mile run at the end.

URBAN FIRE/RESCUE

• All Around
  We purposely designed the MTI Urban Fire/Rescue Fitness Assessment to require minimal equipment found at most firehouses. The assessment is not only designed to assess the fire/rescue athlete’s ability to fight an urban fire but also complete the overhaul after the fire is out. Equipment needed to include a pair of dumbbells, sandbag, and 16″ bench or step.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment Described above – this assessment applies to all mountain and tactical athletes.
• Work Capacity
  The MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment. Described above, applies to all tactical athletes – Military, LE and Fire/Rescue.

WILDLAND FIRE

• All Around
  Wildland Fire Fitness Assessment – Tests relative strength, functional core strength, loaded, sprint-based work capacity, and mission-direct endurance.
• Strength
  MTI Relative Strength Assessment -Described above – this assessment applies to all mountain and tactical athletes.
• Work Capacity
  The MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment. Described above, applies to all tactical athletes – Military, LE and Fire/Rescue.
• Endurance
  The Wildland Fire 3/600/3 Endurance Assessment is MTI’s recommended replacement for the typical unloaded running assessment in shorts and a t-shirt conducted at most Wildland Fire units. The 3/600/3 MTI Wildland Firefighter Endurance Assessment is similar to our military endurance assessment and we feel a more mission-direct test of Wildland endurance over a 5-10 mile unloaded run. The assessment begins with a 3-mile run carrying a 5-pound tool (ax, pulaski, etc.). This is followed by 600x step-ups for time wearing a 45-pound pack. The assessment finishes with a 3-mile ruck run at 75# to mimic a smokejumper pack out.

OLDER ATHLETES

• All Around
  MTI 45+ Fitness Assessment – All mountain and tactical athletes will experience a noticeable physical decline in their late 40s and into their 50s. Many come to this age with significant mileage already on their joints, and most will begin to experience knee pain common to athletes this age. Others, will come with an injury history such as knee, ankle, and hip operations. The exact age at which begins to significantly impact training isn’t universal, but in general, by 50, most find joint pain limits the range of motion, some activities, and especially, loaded, deep squatting. This assessment was designed to work around these limitations while still focusing on mission direct performance. 

By Charles Bausman

The Army Mountain Warfare School (Jericho, VT) and the USMC Mountain Warfare School (Bridgeport, CA) both provide a wide range of military-based mountaineering skills at the individual and unit level. These schools are physically arduous, with plenty of loaded, uphill and downhill movements at high elevations. This requires a high level of fitness centered around the legs, core, and lungs to be prepared for training.

MTI’s Mountain Warfare School Training Plan is an 6-week long program – 5 days/week, yielding 30 total training sessions to be completed 6-weeks prior to your Mountain Warfare school training date. The plan is built around the following exercises and activities:

• DOT Drill – Lower body joint strength
• Leg Blasters – Lower body strength and strength endurance, especially for downhill movements
• Loaded Step Ups -Sport specific exercise for uphill movements
• Sandbag Getup – Core strengthening of the combat chassis
• Tabata Calf Raises – Calves tend to wear out first during extended uphill movements. This will develop the strength endurance of your calves. Be warned – it burns!
• Rucking – Develop the aerobic base for rucking
• PFT Prep – Individual training courses at both Mountain Warfare schools have an initial PFT that you must pass. Keep in mind that there is a significant elevation at each location, so showing up overly prepared for the PFT is critical. You’ll assess your PFT in Week 1, 3, and 6 and a percentage based progression to automatically scale to your current level of fitness.

Don’t underestimate courses at the Mountain Warfare Schools! The combination of elevation and loaded, uphill movements will make life very miserable if for athletes showing up out of mountain-specific shape.

By Rob Shaul

We’re calling for essay submissions from the MTI community – mountain, tactical and other types of athletes, with the title, “Advice to My Younger Self.”

Here’s you’re opportunity to reflect on past failures and successes, mistakes and accomplishments, and share your lessons learned with other tactical and mountain athletes.

Please limit your topics to tactical/mountain/professional related advice to include technical issues, fitness training, technical training, leadership, followership, professional habits, safety, situational awareness, gear, etc.

Details:

• Minimum of 500 words, but no more than 1,500.
• Not a natural writer? No worries – I’ll personally help with editing and clean up. Just get your thoughts down.
• Email submissions to rob@mtntactical.com

See this Article for Inspiration  Advice To The Young Tactical Athlete: Things I Know Now That I Wish I Knew Then…