Defining the Nebulous “Aerobic Base”
By Jeff Sonderegger
Among the most common terms used in fitness programming for endurance sports is “Aerobic Base.” This is always stressed as the most important factor in having a successful competition season, in preparing for a mountaineering project and in a myriad of other endeavors where covering long distances, preferably quickly, is the name of the game. The annals of the social media world and various communal training apps are littered with clichés like, “The (name that event) is won in the offseason,” or, “Every (insert event name) is won six months before it takes place.”
Despite the wanton abuse of such rhetoric, the sentiment is nevertheless absolutely true. Nobody who is serious about competing in or participating in endurance-based events can start training for an event just a couple of weeks before it takes place (excepting, of course, olympic-level athletes who have years of training to rely on in recovering from illness or injury). To do so only guarantees disappointment, frustration at one’s own inability and, depending on the event, puts the individual at personal risk. Even someone who goes on a technically mild backpacking trip deep enough in the backcountry could simply run out of gas and be in serious trouble of being stuck in an untenable position if they have no capacity for long aerobic exercise.
THE SCIENCE
In an effort to ensure understanding of the importance of building Aerobic capability and, thus, the entire purpose for this conversation, I will give a very simplified explanation of what it means to have a high-level of Aerobic training:
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) is, essentially, the fuel for energy and, thus, movement. Other than red blood cells, everything in the human body runs off it. The body produces ATP through the metabolic process using either oxygen (aerobic) or glucose (anaerobic) processes. Given this fact, the two primary factors that determine the pathway by which ATP is produced are incredibly logical: intensity and the physiological trained-state of the individual. The same logical train leads one to understand how codependent these two factors are in the production of ATP:
If an individual is well trained, i.e. has developed an efficient capacity for ATP production by the Aerobic pathway, the physiologically-perceived output allows the body to produce ATP with oxygen as the primary pathway when operating at a higher intensity. Incidentally, this is also the means whereby someone burns fat, as that is the primary fuel used for this pathway. This means the individual’s glycogen stores won’t get burned, and they’re able to continue operating at this intensity for a greater duration (we have much higher energy-potential stored in the fat in our body than in the glycogen in our muscles). In short, once someone has built a high-level of Aerobic fitness, they can go fast for a long time.
Consider elite marathoners, triathletes, cyclists and nordic skiers: if you watch them racing, they appear, during most phases of a race, to be breathing through their noses in what looks to be a comfortable, controlled manner. Now at that pace, their heart rates are undoubtedly in the higher percentages of their max in order to provide the necessary ingredients to their muscles to allow for them to move at such a rate. But they don’t look it. And they’re able to maintain such a pace for hours, clearly indicating that they’re not consuming their glycogen stores. This is because these individuals have spent literally decades fine-tuning their body’s capacity to utilize the aerobic pathway for ATP production. So they look comfortable and controlled because they ARE comfortable and controlled.
There’s much more to the science of the entire process, to include the production and consumption of Lactate in slow twitch muscles, but for the purpose of this informative essay, I don’t feel a need to go any deeper. Simply stated, the goal of building an Aerobic Base is to make the body more efficient at oxygen-fueled ATP production to allow faster movement over longer distances/durations of time.
THE PROBLEM(S)
The real trouble with all the discussions about Aerobic Base is that the actual meaning of this endurance staple, which is almost categorically regarded as fundamental, remains wildly vague. Or, at the very least, a passable definition is difficult to find among the millions of articles and opinions that can be found in every medium. But so many training plans for cycling, MTB-racing, cross-country ski racing, running and so many other endurance events share the same roughly 8- to 12-week “base building” period at the beginning of the training season. This time period is often adhered to regardless of the length of the actual event (half-marathon vs. full triathlon), which further confuses the notion of what “Aerobic Base” actually means, given the vastly different overall-endurance demands of these events.
Now why is the 8- to 12-week base period so common that it’s almost doctrinal? It harkens back to the work of Arthur Lydiard, a coach for the New Zealand Olympic Running Team during the 1960s whose athletes saw such success that the entire world had to stand up and take notice. Beyond taking notice, the entire endurance training scheme changed in many ways to mirror what Lydiard and his athletes were using to achieve such results. But, as is so often the case, the meat of his training regimen was lost in favor of attempting to make it into a simple equation, so the training itself took a back seat to the general periodization. Presumably the lack in time-variation is additionally due to the assumption that an athlete training for an event already has the training background and general fitness capacity (as well as wherewithal) to maximize performance-increase during the time afforded for training in this timeframe, regardless of the specific demands of a specific event. Furthermore, the risk of suffering from overtraining syndrome or injuries likely contributes to a general desire to not extend beyond that 12-week mark. But such is simply bad programming and bad coaching, as a coach should be aware of those risks and build defenses thereto into the programming itself. And for what does an athlete need a coach if they already have all of the training experience and tools that they need?
To compound the problems of lazy coaching, rarely (if ever) do these base-building periods include any form of assessment to measure a baseline or to track progress throughout, rather, they are simply a long line of “time under stress” training sessions in which one should be moving, but not pushing too hard. That “not pushing too hard” portion is smart science when it comes to building aerobic capacity while also developing resilience against overtraining (as proven by Lydiard), but assessments are crucial to ensure that the given training plan is having the desired training effect on the subject. If no true aerobic assessment is conducted at the beginning of the training session, how will one know that their aerobic capacity has, indeed, increased over the base-building period? Furthermore, if no additional assessments are conducted prior to the completion of this training period, a potential net-negative training effect will not be detected early, meaning that entire 8- to 12-week period has been, in essence, wasted. So clearly assessments are crucial. The problem here is that, with regards to Aerobic Base, the concept is so vague that the question of “what is even being assessed,” becomes an impassable chasm in the logic of a training program. So the cycle of simply writing the first three months of a training plan as “base-building” continues.
Additionally, in this world, there are an increasing number of people entering the realm of endurance sports with little-to-no training background or experience. These people are reaching for whatever existing programs and material exist to help them in their training without having years and potentially decades of aerobic-tuning to rely on. These existing programs hardly afford such individuals the time to actually build the necessary aerobic capacity to be competitive and CERTAINLY not the same aerobic capacity as the individuals for whom the programming was done. Thus, the concept of “Aerobic Base” HAS to be considered a moving target depending on where an individual is in their endurance- and fitness-journey. When programming is created without the variability in experience considered, the relatively untrained who are attempting to follow such programming will ultimately fall further behind due to negative training effect and/or overtraining injuries/burnout. And the gap between the elite and the pedestrian widens every season in a world where, with proper training and focus, it would not necessarily have to.
All of this equates to a realm of training that’s far too difficult to actually grasp, causing the majority of people, both coaches and athletes, to seek the simplest possible solution; they want to be given a number. “Once I can run 7-minute miles at 60% of my heart rate, I have a good Aerobic Base,” or, “Once you’ve trained 12-weeks following this ‘time under stress’ regimen you have a good Aerobic Base,” or something along those lines. And though a benchmark akin to the former may be plausible in a “general fitness” sense, there is simply no catch-all that can be considered an adequate base mark across the spectrum of endurance events.
THE EXISTING DEFINITIONS
Though I’ve stressed how few real definitions for Aerobic Base there are, a couple can, in fact, be found. There is are two definitions that are generally accepted by their respective camps, among which many of the high-performing endurance community, both coaches and athletes, can be found. Though there’s no specific scientific study that has been conducted to prove either of these definitions, again, due to the variability of human genetics and physiology, the amount of anecdotal evidence backing both of them certainly lends credence to their veracity. I, personally, have found great success in implementing the first into my own training.
That equation, which is championed by Scott Johnston of Uphill Athlete, states that one must simply determine their Aerobic Threshold, their Anaerobic Threshold, and then determine the difference. If a person’s Aerobic Threshold heart rate is within 10% of their Anaerobic Threshold heart rate from their Anaerobic Threshold, “Aerobic Base” has been established. If the difference is greater than 10%, a concerted effort must be given to aerobic training (time spent at sub-aerobic threshold heart rates) to allow the body to adjust and increase the Aerobic Threshold to within 10%.
Okay, maybe that’s not so simple, but it’s also not incredibly difficult. Importantly, it allows for individualized results which, in turn, allows for a truly individualized aerobic/anaerobic training regimen. If you’re interested in testing your own Aerobic Base by this method, follow these links for descriptions on methods by which one can attain their Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds for the purpose of finding whether one has attained Aerobic Base by this theory.
Despite my personal successes with this methodology, it absolutely has its flaws. Chief among them is the timeframe of the assessments listed above, the longer of the timeframes being only 60 minutes. This is a period which hardly mimics the aerobic- and muscular-endurance of most endurance events. Furthermore I’ve found that most HR monitors that the majority of people own can be unreliable at best and absolutely worthless at worst, meaning that it’s difficult to attain reliable metrics and, thus, ensure that the subsequent training periods are planned with correct focus on pacing.
The second definition is propagated by Joe Friel, author of the “Training Bible” series of books and one of the most widely recognized coaches of endurance athletes. His concept of Aerobic Base is an incredibly simple definition: Aerobic Base has been achieved once an athlete can move by event-specific means (run, bike, swim, etc) at 70% of max heart rate for a period of four hours. The utter simplicity of this definition is incredibly appealing to an athlete at every level (for the reasons noted in “The Problem(s)” above), and the four hour time-period certainly addresses the primary issue with Johnston’s definition.
However, this same simplicity lends, unfortunately, to flaws in the theory and the duration of the time period increases the risk of overtraining injuries for the many individuals looking to enter the world of endurance who don’t have the years and years of training experience and general fitness to rely on. This concept also does not specify anything to do with pacing meaning that, theoretically, an individual could be walking briskly at 70% of their MHR for four hours, but incapable of running any form of competitive or tactically mandated (as in a PT test) pace for any sort of duration.
Furthermore, such a training methodology still relies on the use of a heart rate monitor. These are certainly getting better and better every year, but I would argue that a person is better served learning to read their own body. Personally, I’ve found myself during many training sessions frustratedly chasing heart rates, stopping me from simply finding a zone and enjoying the experience. But if I simply settle into a comfortable, nose-breathing (or conversational) pace, I can maintain pace longer and enjoy the training much more. Additionally, an individual who learns to listen to their own body is able to better perceive strengths, weaknesses and the onset of certain overtraining injuries before they become a problem. Thus, rate of perceived exertion (RPE) should be considered a valuable tool in Aerobic training, where the desired RPE is somewhere in the range of conversational, or nose-breathing, pace.
WELCOME TO SCIENCE, AMERICA
The notion of spending a great deal of time training at the pace mentioned above seems sinful and foolhardy to the majority of Americans who have done any degree of training in their life. For most, disciplined training ended with high school or prep school sports. Most Americans, regardless of their chosen sport, have had the training notion of “No Pain, No Gain,” pounded so firmly into their heads that at the thought of going on an hourlong movement at the pace required to maintain the aforementioned RPE makes them roll their eyes and chuckle. ‘This is the way geriatrics train, and we’re red-blooded Americans.’ Even the most physically untrained will put forth a Herculean effort on a weekend hike and spend the following week sick and unable to walk because of it to avoid the shame of being “slow.”
And even the very physically-trained suffer from the negative effects of this same mentality. CrossFit being exhibit 1A. Though there is certainly some smart science in the training methodology of CrossFit, the entire doctrine encourages the idea that every single training session should leave one soaked, beaten down and exhausted. Otherwise, it “wasn’t a good workout.” And the statistics for CrossFit injuries are proof of what this training mindset leads to.
In both cases mentioned above, the end result is an inability to train due to overtraining. Logically, the inverse can be viewed as incredibly valuable. For training to be effective, one must avoid overtraining so that training can continue. In this regard, Americans need to, in the words of Dr. Phil Maffetone, slow down to speed up. And Dr. Maffetone’s success in coaching Mark Allen to six Ironman World Championships should be proof enough of the truth of that statement.
CONCLUSION
So what is “Aerobic Base,” then? I briefly covered what the entire concept of “Aerobic” means, as well as the broad strokes of how training should be conducted, but what is the actual definition of Aerobic Base? As mentioned, it has to be considered a moving target for every individual based on their training experience and physiological state. This makes it seem that no passable definition COULD be given, as the variability would be so great that a single definition is impossible to broadly apply. Especially given the fact that the definition for a single individual would change over the course of time.
But therein is exactly the answer. Aerobic Base MUST be considered event- and trained-state-dependent. Meaning, on a sliding-scale, as an individual graduates to a capacity for greater distances and faster paces, their target for Aerobic Base will adjust to accommodate. For example:
A 28 year-old male soldier has always struggled during his APFT run. He’s never considered himself a runner and genuinely runs twice a year, during his diagnostic and for-record APFTs, if he can help it. He has cut it close to failing several times and has decided he’s sick of being ill with worry for weeks leading up to his APFT twice per year. For such an individual, his training periodization should be programmed such that he spends significantly more time training in a low RPE than a high RPE for as long as six months. He should be assessing his progress every three- to four-weeks to get an idea of what needs to be adjusted in his regimen. One week before his APFT he completes the final assessment of his training regimen. He’ll know that his programming has helped him to achieve “Aerobic Base” for this event if, during this final assessment, he is able to run his two miles, maintaining a nose-breathing or conversational pace throughout, and finish 10-20 seconds faster than his “passing” time.
With this accomplished, this soldier’s training plan SHOULD continue to implement Aerobic efforts (RPE being comfortable nose-breathing/conversational pace) with a faster time being the goal for Aerobic Base. After two years of such training, with the lion’s share of training time being spent at an Aerobic pace, this same soldier would be capable of maxing the APFT run at this same low RPE. His body has adapted and evolved and he is capable of moving further, faster, longer and at a higher heart rate while still aerobically producing ATP. Or rather, BECAUSE he is still aerobically producing ATP.
This example is poignant, as most people would consider the two-mile run an anaerobic or mixed-pathway event. It’s short enough to be able to really give it gas. And for the majority of soldiers taking the APFT, that’s exactly what they’ll do. However, this does not take away from the veracity of the training methodology. Because the event itself is so short, soldiers satisfy themselves with the fact that they can complete it with relatively little time spent on training their aerobic pathway. However, they’re left gasping for air throughout the entirety of an event which, as stated, is very short, indeed. And still getting relatively slow completion times in spite of their perceived and physiological efforts. This is as plain and simple a sign of an individual being aerobically deficient as can be found, and should reiterate to the individual the importance of aerobic training and building the topical “Aerobic Base.”
So, again, what is Aerobic Base? It’s the ability to complete the desired time over distance for an event while maintaining aerobic ATP production. It’s the ability to go as far as necessary as fast as desired.
EPILOGUE – SEND HELP!
In wrestling with this topic, in spite of the fact that endurance (see: aerobic) training has become a keystone of the programming that I do for myself and for others, I will admit that I got my butt handed to me on a daily-basis. Aerobic Base is such an immensely important and heavily used phrase in every phase of endurance training and there is just so little concrete information that serves to define its actual meaning. Rob and I probably could’ve passed a Bill through the molasses-covered halls of Congress with all of the time we spent kicking ideas, experience and research back and forth while I slogged through this writing.
So if anyone has found any concrete definition, assessment, or theory with regards to Aerobic Base that isn’t mentioned above, or if you have any specific experience with the assessment methodologies listed, please reach out and let us know.
Email rob@mtntactical.com.
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Arete 12.3.20
Military / National Security / Foreign Policy
Vietnam veterans with high blood pressure, other serious illnesses would get presumptive benefit status in final defense budget bill, Defense News
Milley Makes Case for U.S. Military Keeping Up With Global, Technology Changes, Defense.gov
14-week training. Only one infantry MOS. The Marine Corps is considering these major changes to its enlisted infantry, Marine Corps Times
Military health care personnel will be the first in the DOD to receive coronavirus vaccine, Stars and Stripes
The Next SIMNET? Unlocking the Future of Military Readiness Through Synthetic Environments, War on the Rocks
Wildland Fire / Law Enforcement
Californians flee as strong winds push fire through canyons, FireRescue1 Daily News
From recruit to probie: Advice for the newest members joining the ranks, FireRescue1 Daily News
New NFPA Standard Offers Firefighting Guidance Based on Fire Science, Firefighternation
U.S. Forest Service officials ground largest firefighting, Firefighting News
Starbucks is Giving Police, Other Frontline COVID Responders Free Coffee Throughout December, Policemag
How the Wilmington Police Department Uses Drones, Officer
Mountain
The Relentless Push and Pull of a Mountain Guide, The Cleanest Line
Video: Top 5 Most Creative Ski Sessions Ever | Red Bull Snow, Red Bull
15 Ways to Play in the Snow This Year, Outside Magazine
Lauren Shartell becomes the second US woman to send the Lightning, Alpinist Newswires
8 Ways to Support the Outdoors and Give Back this Season, Osprey Packs
Hamish MacInnes, Who Revolutionized Scottish Winter Climbing, Dies At 90, Rock and Ice
Fitness / Health / Nutrition
What Does Your “Threshold” Really Mean? Outside Magazine
Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, and Wine Come From? NutritionFacts.org
The 15 Best CBD Oils You Need In 2021, Men’s Journal
Healthy muscles are a carrot on a string for healthy lungs, Science Daily
How to Start Calisthenics Training, Breaking Muscle
Interesting
COVID Can Harm the Infant Heart, WebMD Health
The Newest Hotel Amenity? Virus-Scrubbed Air, NYT
This war film was so gory the Veterans Affairs set up a hotline for veterans traumatized by it, War is Boring
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Q&A 12.3.20
QUESTION
I’m a patrol cop and also on SWAT. I sit around 265-270 most days, but would like to get that down to around 230/235. I have a lot of experience in strength training, however my preferred method of training now is long, slow distance runs in heart rate zone 2, (sometimes on the trail as well) j just enjoy them and do them 4 time a week most weeks. What suggestions would you make for a program? I looked at some of the running ones, however six days a week can be a lot depending of court/work and kids schedules, also I prefer some variety in training on days that I’m not running. In currently comfortable running for 90-120 minutes continuously as well. Thank you
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- Athlete must lay all the way down with the bag touching the ground, and stand all the way up (hip/knees full extension) and bring the feet together for each rep. Bringing feet together is important.
- Doesn’t matter how often athlete switches shoulders, and there’s no requirement to have equal reps on each shoulder.
- No form requirement. I’m not athletic enough personally to roll into a deep squat and stand up – I do a lunge up – but I’ve had athletes who can do this. The squat up is faster.
- Athlete can stop and rest whenever …. continuous motion is not required
- Familiarity with this exercise is key. As you know, when you first try 10 minutes at 80# it’s crushing mentally. But the 2nd and 3rd time, when the athlete knows what to expect, scores will increase simply because of familiarity with what it feels like and better technique/form. I’ve seen Tier 1 SOF guys do this event for the first time and only score in the 50s …. it’s pretty mean to throw this at someone in an assessment without them first having tried it…
- I don’t load women at 80# – it’s just too heavy/dangerous, for women esp. those under 150#. I’d keep women at 60#.
- But … some men will reach speed limitations at 60# and a 10 minute effort … i.e. it might be too light. What I mean is the movement takes time, and for your strongest/most fit men at 60#, they might not score much less than if they did the movement unloaded because you just can’t go any faster. I’d recommend loading men at 80#.
QUESTION
I’m a US navy rescue swimmer and I’ve been trying to look for a good workout program to help increase my strength speed and endurance. I seem to just be all around looking for a well rounded fitness program that incorporates running, swimming, and functional strength exercises. If you have any suggestions please let me know that would be greatly appreciated.
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QUESTION
I just recently graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course and I am about to spend the next few months in language classes where I will be able to focus on fitness. I know that I will be taking an ACFT in approximately 20 weeks and I want to be prepared for that, so I was looking specifically at your ACFT prep programs. I have always been more of an endurance athlete but I would like to focus on bulking up and gaining some strength before going to an SF Team. I was wondering if you had any advice on how I could best use my time over the next few months, knowing that I have the ACFT and I will probably do your 7 week program as the lead up to that. What would you recommend I try for the next 12-13 weeks before that? I have access to a full weightroom (though with some COVID restrictions) and also some kettlebells and a sandbag at home. Thank you for your time.
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I have noticed that your Busy Operator says its been updated to a 2019 version..what has changed with it since 2014 when I last used it?
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I bought the Greek Hero series packet a while back and really like it, but have run into an issue balancing MTI with my solo martial arts training. I think it’s really important for a martial artist to train in their art everyday, especially during COVID and not being able to train with a partner. But due to time constraints before work and not having the ability to do two-a-days style training it’s been tough to balance martial arts and MTI. I would like to keep doing both, and have thought about doing a shortened version of MTI (such as a 45min cap and just doing whatever amount of MTI training as I can do in that time) and then doing martial arts focused training afterward. But I’m hesitant to bastardize your programs in such a way. Consequently, I’m a bit stuck on a way to adapt. Have you run into similar questions from other civilians before and have a recommendation for such an issue?
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I have an odd question. I have been working out in a myriad of different stuff for more than 35+ years (…cotton T’s to moisture wicking polyester). For someone getting back into MTI programming, and with your extensive knowledge of athletes and their apparel, what recommendations would you make for buying workout clothes? What seems to provide the greatest flexibility and longevity based on your time in the gym?? Yep…told you it was weird.
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I just started the 3 week push-up/pull-up improvement plan. I’m a 43 old male, 6’1”, 201 lbs. I’m in decent shape from an endurance and chassis perspective (I just completed a 5 day backcountry hunt, over 30 miles rucking plenty of gear at elevation).
Still, I have struggled with pull ups my whole athletic life (so I’m open to the probability it is mental) so that is why I’m focused on this course. My (perhaps modest) goal is to do 5 full pull ups after 3 weeks.
I cannot do a single full pull up to start this course. Even on the eccentric version I struggle with the slow “letdown” and practicality fall – while I definitely feel strain in my back muscles to show they are working I am wondering if I just keep at the course as designed, or should I add some supplemental lat pulls or “cheater pull up bands” or something else to build some basic strength before starting this? Or is there a more basic course I should try first?
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Reflecting Back On My Failure At Selection
By Anonymous
Fifteen years ago, I assessed for a special mission unit in the military. This was in the mid-2000’s, when combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq were on-going and very intense. With so much need and limited resources, I thought that I was a guaranteed lock during the assessment. But, being selected to attend the training was only the beginning of the assessment phase. I knew the assessment period would be difficult, but I didn’t value enough that I still needed to perform above standards in order to be successful.
Up until this point, I was successful. I had graduated from one of the service academies and received my commission. I was selected for Special Operations and completed all of the training without injury or set back. I had deployed to Afghanistan and participated in combat operations. I had proven myself multiple times over on paper and by action. I was entitled to be a part of this organization, right?
I’ll cut to the end–I wasn’t selected. At first, I didn’t understand why I wasn’t selected and I was angry. I was furious! The Cadre didn’t give us enough information. The other personnel in the unit didn’t take time to mentor me. The rest of the team didn’t act like professionals. I blamed anybody and everybody for my failure.
Whatever the reason, it unfortunately took me six years to learn from the mistakes that occurred during those few months. That’s an unacceptable amount of my career time that I should have been growing from my mistakes. I let the fact that I failed get the best of me, instead of learning from my failure.
I don’t remember getting a thorough outbrief of why I wasn’t selected, but chances are I also failed to fully comprehend what was told to me during my outbrief. Some of the feedback I do recall revolved around failing to properly plan for our team training iteration, which led to failed objectives and busted time limits. Wearing the improper uniform during a joint training event. Overall, I had doubt on why I wasn’t selected and what I could do to fix it. Additionally, I was not asked to assess again in the future. I didn’t understand why I was the person not selected when the team as whole was failing to perform.
I know I was in shock. I remember feeling ashamed of myself and embarrassed. I also remember thinking what would others think of me. It was no secret that I was assessing for the unit. It’s not like I could hide the fact that I didn’t get selected. There were lots of unanswered questions swimming through my head, and I didn’t even know where to start.
I arrived to my unit after the failed assessment with three main thoughts: 1) I had a chip on my shoulder and wanted to prove “them” wrong. 2) What are others going to think? 3) Do I even have what it takes to be in Special Operations? Over time, I found the answers to my concerns.
Yes, I did belong in Special Operations. I had proven that already when I was selected. There is no reason that I should have questioned my abilities. Yes, I failed during the assessment, but I couldn’t have failed if I didn’t even assess. When you tell that to a person who was not selected, they don’t believe it. But, it’s true. You have to make yourself vulnerable during an assessment and selection. Not everybody makes it. I learned that not being selected isn’t the worst thing that could happen to me. Not assessing because I was afraid to fail would have been worse.
I’m sure there were people talking about me out of my earshot after my failed assessment. They could have been asking why didn’t I get selected. What did he do wrong? Or, that assessment must be hard if he didn’t get selected. The best thing that happened to me was that my new commander welcomed me with open arms and a “clean slate”. He knew that he was getting a person who was not selected. But, he recognized the fact that he was getting somebody who was capable enough to even assess who could be value-added to his unit.
I didn’t recognize I was good enough to be in Special Operations after the failed assessment. I was too busy being pissed off at myself. I hated the fact that I failed. It made me question my actions and decision making process. I poured hours of work into simple projects, just to make sure that nobody would question me. I let doubt consume me whenever I made a decision. It was an extremely unhealthy life to live. There was no way that I was going to fail again. I was more concerned about not failing, than I was concerned about succeeding.
For six years, I held an internal grudge and questioned who I was as a person. I didn’t think about it 24/7, 365; but I did think about it. It wasn’t until I came to the conclusion that the reason I failed was because of me, that I understood what truly happened. There was nobody out to get me. The Cadre were a professional group who knew how to do their job. Quality, not quantity. I knew the expectations. I knew how to be a leader. I just didn’t perform as required. Ultimately, it was my fault and I fully accept that now.
I know it took six years because I had a moment of self-realization while I was driving to work several assignments later. A day earlier, a colleague made a comment that they thought it was stupid I didn’t get selected. When I asked him why, he responded, “Because you always look out for your men and take care of them.” And there it was—that short comment gave me the clarity that I needed.
Ever since not being selected in my shock, doubt, pity, and anger phases; I never told myself that from that moment forward I was strictly going to focus on taking care of the men. While I over-focused on producing a superior product, or continuously questioned my decisions; I never once forgot or had to readjust my emphasis on ensuring the men had the proper time, resources, and training to accomplish their mission. I also ensured they were recognized for their efforts. At the end of the day; mission first, people always.
Yes, I had been good enough to attend the assessment; I just flat out didn’t perform as an individual or the right leader during that timeframe. That is the reason that I was not selected, and that is the reason why others were selected. It wasn’t the right time for me to attend the selection training. I was not professionally mature enough for the required responsibility.
I was finally able to move on and get past the failed assessment pretty easily. Yes, becoming a part of that special mission unit would have provided some amazing opportunities. However, when I looked back at everything else I had accomplished up to that point, I quickly realized that I didn’t need to be pissed off at myself anymore.
After the selection training, I almost got out of the military. I figured that if I didn’t make the assessment of the special mission unit, then there wasn’t anything left for me to do. I’m glad I stuck around. I continued my service in the military for what I, and many others in my career field, would consider a successful career. I learned from not only the mistakes made during the assessment, but others during my career. I grew, I worked hard, and I became the leader I was capable of becoming. I worked with some amazing people, deployed several times again into combat, and had amazing opportunities to lead correctly. However, it took me more than six years to recognize that the reason I failed assessing for that unit was because of me. It was my fault and my fault alone.
If I could go back and confront myself the day after not being selected, I know it would be a hard conversation. I’m positive that my younger self would have difficulty understanding and listening to my advice. I would emphasize that one failed assessment does not make a person’s career. It’s the work that a person does before, during, and most importantly after a failure that makes them successful. Get over the failure now, and start learning from the mistakes that you made. Your values are not in question. Don’t change who you are. You failed because you are young and still need to mature. Become a more confident and consistent leader starting right now.
You Might Also Like My Failure Resume
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Arete 11.27.20
Military / National Security / Foreign Policy
US formally withdraws from Open Skies Treaty over Russian violations, War is Boring
Righting the Course for America’s Special Operators, War on the Rocks
Army’s Sci-Fi Infantry Goggles Change the Mechanics of Shooting, RealClearDefense
Service members celebrating a ‘takeout’ Thanksgiving in Afghanistan, Stars and Stripes
These Veterans Find Solace in Trail Running, Outside Magazine
After more than 120 years, Buffalo soldier to be given symbolic burial in Florida, Stars and Stripes
How Two US Military Bases Are Exploring 5G’s Potential, Defense One
Wildland Fire / Law Enforcement
Deferred maintenance projects for federal fire agencies receive funding, Wildfire Today
Hands-on training: Firefighters weigh in on their favorite types of evolutions, FireRescue1 Daily News
4 steps to safe, realistic live-fire training, FireRescue1 Daily News
How Robots are an Effective Tool for Law Enforcement, POLICE Magazine
Former NTOA Director Advocates Restrictions for No-Knock Warrants, POLICE Magazine
CDC advisory committee: Police, first responders should be in 2nd priority group for COVID-19 vaccine, Police1 Daily News
Mountain
Heli Skiing Returning To Northern Idaho! Selkirk Powder Company Expands Services, Unofficial Networks
Last Surviving Member of 1953 Everest Expedition Passes Away, The Adventure Blog
Alaska’s autumn nets two big new climbs in Hayes Range, Planetmountain.com
Best of Both Worlds: Sierra Nevada University has it all for student-athletes, FREESKIER
Viktoriia Meshkova, Sascha Lehmann European Lead Champions 2020, Planetmountain.com
Nepal’s ‘Road to Everest’ Isn’t What You Think, The Adventure Blog
To Share or Not? The Badasses Who Chronicled Washington’s Wilderness, Adventure Journal
Fitness / Health / Nutrition
High blood pressure in midlife is linked to increased brain damage in later life, Science Daily
How Does Your Brain Respond When You Hold Your Breath? Outside Magazine
It’s Time for a Digital Detox. (You Know You Need It.), NYT
Why 20 Miles Is the Perfect Length for a Bike Ride, Outside Magazine
Interesting
‘Essential workers’ likely to get earlier access to Covid-19 vaccine, STAT
The Biggest Dam Removal Project in American History is Back On Track, Adventure Journal
Into Not So Thin Air—How Global Warming Is Altering Oxygen Levels on Everest
Bizarre Monolith Discovered in Remote Utah, No Bones or Apes in Sight, Adventure Journal
Army Special Forces veteran builds robot sparring partner, Marine Corps Times
Turkish firm develops AI-powered software for drone swarms, Defense News
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Lab Rats With Kettlebell Experience Needed to Test The Fitness Building Capacity of High Rep Kettlebell Snatches
SORRY – WE’VE RECEIVED ENOUGH LAB RATS FOR THIS MINI STUDY AND ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS.
By Rob Shaul
MTI is calling for remote lab rats with kettlebell snatch experience for an upcoming, narrow and focused, 4 week, 5-day/week Mini-Study testing the overall fitness building capacity of kettlebell snatch High-Intensity Interval Training (HITT) and high repetition kettlebell snatches.
This mini-study will begin Monday, December 7, 2020.
The deadline to apply is 1700 Mountain Time, Monday, November 30, 2020.
Background
We found a research study that has been completed on the fitness building capacity of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) using kettlebells. This 2015 Study found that HIIT using kettlebell snatches significantly outperformed cross-training to improve aerobic capacity among female college soccer players.
In one of our own mini-study, we found kettlebell swings only performed half as well as hinge lifts to improve hinge lift 1RM.
Personally, I’ve experimented with high repetition kettlebell snatches as a way to maintain/build work capacity and aerobic fitness while recovering from foot surgery. Since that experience, I’ve wondered about the overall fitness building capacity of this unique kettlebell exercise which is championed by kettlebell experts/nerds everywhere!
Details
Lab Rats will all complete the same programming which will begin with a general fitness assessment consisting of:
- 1RM Hinge Lift
- Max Repetition Arms Extended, Hand Release Push Ups in 2 Minutes
- Max Repetition Strict Pull Ups
- Max Rep Prone-to-Sprint (40 feet) in 6 Minutes
After a rest day, the Lab Rats will complete a kettlebell snatch test. Women will use a 12kg kettlebell for the test and throughout the study. Men will use a 16kg kettlebell for the test and throughout the study.
For the remaining Week 1 Friday training session and all the M/W/F training sessions in weeks 2 and 3, the lab rats will complete either HIIT kettlebell snatch efforts, or high repetition kettlebell snatch training sessions. Tuesday and Thursday sessions will be moderate paced running, rucking or biking (athlete’s choice).
Week 4 will be a re-assessment week. Monday of Week 4, the lab rats will re-complete the Hinge 1RM, Hand Release Push Up, Pull Up and Prone to Sprint assessments and the results from the pre-study and post-study assessments will be compared.
Cycle Duration and Schedule
This MTI Mini-Study will take 4 weeks. It will begin Monday, December 7, 2020 and end on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.
What We Hope To Learn
The effectiveness of kettlebell snatch HIIT and high rep kettlebell snatches to increase general strength, strength endurance, and work capacity.
To Participate
- You’ll need to commit to training 5 days/week, for 4 weeks – during the holidays – and follow the program as prescribed.
- You’ll need the required below:
– Barbell and plates for the 1RM Hinge Assessment
– Pull Up Bar for the Pull Up Assessment
– 40-foot open space for the Prone to Sprint Assessment
– Stop Watch (smartphone will work)
– Repeating Interval Timer (smartphone will work)
– Single Kettlebell (Women – 12kg, Men – 16kg)
- Highly Recommended is some type of hand protection – high rep kettlebell snatches can be tough on hands in terms of rips.
- You’ll need to have experience completing kettlebell snatches with proper form. This is not a cycle to complete if you’re not competent and experienced with this exercise.
The cycle will begin Monday, December 7, 2020, and end December 30, 2020.
We aim to limit the total number of Lab Rats to 10-16 athletes.
Want to be an MTI Lab Rat?
Please email rob@mtntactical.com, and put “Kettlebell Snatch Lab Rat” in the subject line by 1700 mountain time, November 30, 2020.
Please include:
- Your age, height, and weight
- Kettlebell Snatch Training Experience and Proficiency
- Verify you have access to the required equipment, including a single kettlebell (12kg for women, 16kg for men), barbell and plates for the hinge lift, etc.
- Finally, please verify you can commit to the 4 week, 5 day/week training cycle.
You’ll be assigned to a Group, and provided with further instructions. Training will start on Monday, December 7, 2020.
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Q&A 11.27.20
QUESTION
I am starting week 7 of the ACFT limited equipment program. The only deviation I did was take a full ACFT.
An immediate benefit of your program, besides focused improvement, is reducing test anxiety. I found myself mentally prepared to execute all components of the test.
First background:
42 years old
US Army Infantryman
CSM
74 inches
238 lbs
17% BF (Ref: AR 600-9)
Deadlift: 340 lbs
Power Throw: 12.2 m
HRP: 55
SDC: 1:32
Leg Tuck: 10
Run: 14:27
At the conclusion of this week, what is a good subsequent program?
My weakest event is by far the run and leg tuck.
I have available a full beaverfit gym, all components of the ACFT, and I am assigned to Hawai’i and 1.5 miles from the ocean.
Thanks again for a great program and enabling me to set the right example.
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I hope all is well. Two questions;
- Is there a good substitute for EOs? I must not be doing them correctly, but every time I try them, I end up causing some back pain.
- Are there any benchmarks that you recommend before embarking on Humility? For example, a certain score on the Tactical Athlete assessment, number of pull-ups, etc.? I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew (too early).
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Quick question. I’ve been browsing your programs. Can’t seem to find what I am looking for. I am deployed to Iraq and have been doing 5//3/1 for last three months. I feel like I ve plateau on this and my conditioning just fits in whenever.
We have limited time (50) mins to use the gym because of Covid. I am looking for strength program but also conditioning.
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Just got your subscription and had a question about your plans.
I finished my first year of hotshotting in September and wanted to know which plan I should use to prepare for next fire season. I know you have plans for hotshot/smoke jumpers but wanted to know if it’s too early to use that plan since they’re only 6-7 week programs and I begin next season in the middle of March, so do you recommend another plan prior into doing the specific plan for the job. Hope to hear back from you.
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1. Yes
2. Up to you, but I’d recommend it as it’s nice to unload and get away from the barbell for a spell.
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Stuff I Learned At Work – A Retired USAF Colonel
By Gary Alexander
1) Provide honest, critical feedback.
When somebody performs a task above standard, we have no problem telling a person they did a good job. However, when somebody fails to perform as expected, or has room to improve, providing feedback becomes more difficult. We let emotion get the best of us, as we don’t want to hurt feelings. Unless you tell the person they didn’t do a good job, why, and how they can improve next time; chances are they won’t improve. We always strive to improve. We want to get better at whatever it is that we’re not great at. Don’t worry about the emotional aspect of providing feedback, be honest, be critical, and be professional.
Have I always provided the critical feedback, unfortunately no. I’m guilty of not providing honest, critical feedback more times than I care to admit. I improved over my 22 year career. I only wished I had started sooner. Because, what I learned is that when you provide the honest feedback, it shocks people at first. But, after that, they expect the critical feedback. And what’s even better, is the individual wants the honest feedback. They don’t come into your office with thoughts of recognition and complete admiration—after all you’re not their parent. They come to you wanting to know, and expecting to hear from you as a leader, how they can improve.
2) Receive honest, critical feedback.
Just like you provide the feedback, keep the emotion out of it. The person is not attacking you. Listen to what they have to say and don’t make excuses or interrupt them. Receive the feedback with an open mind and make yourself better.
Two years into my career as a young First Lieutenant flight commander, my Director of Operations sat me down for over an hour giving me my annual feedback. It was conversational as he provided me real-life examples of what I had done correctly, but more importantly, what I needed to do to improve. I can’t remember a single thing about what he said that I did well, but I’ll always remember, “Stand up when you address the room. You’re in a leadership position, act like a leader.” Funny thing was, it wasn’t just about standing up to address the room. That was one small thing that needed correction. He made me realize that expectations were set higher for me on a daily basis, and I needed to be a leader.
3) Make eye contact and say “Hello”, it sets the tone for the day.
It’s real simple, and doesn’t require much effort. I’ll bet as you’re reading this, you’re wondering what in the hell does smiling and saying “Hello” have to do with anything? It makes you more of a professional and it makes you more approachable. If you have a tough guy/girl image to maintain, this won’t effect it. If you’re an introvert, eye contact will help you socialize more. Computers, cell phones and social media have pushed people to become more heads down focused on their screens, rather than observing the situation directly in front of them. As a professional, even a quiet professional, knowing your surroundings and being approachable is critical to success.
As a guy at an operational unit, I tried to make sure that no matter how tired I was, no matter my mood; when I walked in the door that morning, I would make eye contact with everybody and say “hello”. My attitude and outlook affected others.
Making eye contact and saying hello became even more necessary during my staff time at headquarters. I crossed paths with hundreds of people walking in-and-out of the building. I’d try to make eye contact and say hello, but unfortunately receive little to no response. I’m not sure the exact reason, but I have a pretty good idea. Regardless, you know whose attitude was affected…mine. I found myself getting angry and my attitude plummeting all before I had even sat down at my desk in the morning. By the end of my staff tour I had given on up on eye contact and salutations. I didn’t like the person I had become.
It’s now taken a concentrated effort on my part to return to making eye contact and saying hello. I’m happier now. I know that I positively effect people the moment I say hello. I have become approachable again and learn more about the things I can’t see on a daily basis. If I don’t say hello, I become part of the problem and less professional. So do everybody a favor, and say hello. If not for your benefit, than for the person that you say “Hello” to.
4) Reward yourself for that “extra”ordinary thing that you did.
Chances are, you’ve earned it. And chances are, you will find a reason to discount your own self-accomplishment:
I can do better next time.
It’s not that big of a deal.
I don’t have time.
After a particularly busy week working in Operations, the squadron Operations Superintendent came into my office at 4:00pm on Friday with a 6-pack of beer. He cracked two open and put one on my desk. I told him I still had a bunch of work to do and would join him later. He laughed and told me that we could both keep working until midnight, and we still wouldn’t finish what needed to be done. He was right, 75% of our squadron was deployed at the time, and we had pulled 12+ hour days for five days straight making sure the team downrange had everything they needed. Half-way through our first beer, one of the NCOs walked into Operations asking for help with something. Normally, we both would have been happy to assist. Instead the Ops Sup told him to come back at 5:00pm if it was that important because we were taking some time for us. We finished our beers, reminded each other of how hard we had worked that week, but most importantly took time to reward ourselves. When 5 o’clock rolled around, nobody came to see us.
When my wife and I first started dating, I told her that I drank a beer when I got home after each military jump. She asked why? I told her, because jumping out of a plane is something extra”ordinary” in my job. I asked her what she did when she did something “extra”ordinary for her job. She said, “Nothing.” She was a Physician Assistant for a cardiology practice at the time. About two weeks later she told me she drank a glass of wine on a Tuesday night(she didn’t usually drink during her work week). When I asked her why, she told me because she had to resuscitate a person in the hospital who had flat-lined while performing a heart stress test. He lived to go home to his family that day. Yep, she earned it.
5) Invest time in your top performers.
I’ve heard people say “That guy/girl is ‘fire and forget’.” For those unfamiliar with the term, a “fire and forget” person is somebody that requires little to no supervision. They understand the task at hand, the overall objective, and what needs to be done in order to complete the project. They are both formal and informal leaders. They are the all-stars of your unit, company, or organization. But, they need just as much mentoring and grooming as anybody else. However, too often, we give our top performers more work. Why? Because they get things done.
During a deployment to Afghanistan as a senior Captain, I had a boss who would call me from his location in the Middle East 1,200 miles away every Friday night. The calls would last only 20-30 minutes. But, those 20-30 minutes lasted a career. We would talk about what happened that week around the Area of Operations, what operations were upcoming, and he would then help me realize how it all tied together. I never dreaded those phone calls, but I never fully appreciated them until later in my career. When I was a senior Major six years later back in Afghanistan, I would take 15-20 minutes each week to do the same thing with a young Lieutenant. We would discuss air-to-ground fires at a tactical level. Four years later, when we crossed paths, he told me that he appreciated those discussions. And he then used them with his young troops.
It sounds simple, because at the most basic level it’s mentoring, which is what a leader is supposed to do. However, too often it’s overlooked or not enough time is invested in the top performers. According to the Pareto Principle, 80% of outcomes result from 20% of causes. The “fire and forget” are the 20% of your organization that are producing 80% of the results. Yep, make sure you invest the time to professionally develop and guide them.
6. Over-Communicate and Over-Inform.
I had a boss once who stated, that including him in the “CC” line of an email was a waste of his time because he received over 100 emails a day. Each time he had to look at an email, took time away from him. What a missed opportunity.
Yes, it’s frustrating to watch emails build in your Inbox at a demoralizing pace throughout the day. The constant knocks on your door as you try to accomplish a task take time away from you. The ringing phone interrupts the project that you are working on. But those emails, knocks, and phone calls help you grasp the challenges individuals face.
In my leadership roles, I stressed that when in doubt, include myself and anybody else in the email. Is this micro-management, I would say no; and here’s why:
(1) The emails allowed everybody to stay updated with the most current information. More often than naught, somebody in the “CC” line had information that effected the subject at hand and resolution became more rapid.
(2) The flow of information allowed me the opportunity to understand a person’s train of thought–good or bad. Which, in turn, allowed me to mentor the individual (see point #5).
(3) The information kept me in touch with what was going on outside of my office consumed with too many staff meetings, teleconferences, and performance reports.
Captain Phil Harris from Deadliest Catch used to say, “You can watch things happen. Make things happen. Or wonder what the hell just happened.”
The moment you act like you’re too busy to learn something about your organization, is the moment that you’ve lost touch. It takes less than a second to delete the email, but chances are your understanding of the situation increased immeasurably. I would rather spend the time making the decision to delete an email if required, than wonder what the hell just happened.
Mr. Alexander is a recently retired US Air Force Colonel who spent his career in Special Tactics.