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QUESTION
Rob,
I am currently a DA selected Army recruiter looking to improve our workouts
to better prepare our 18x and option 40 guys before they ship off to basic.
I was previously stationed with C co 3/509 out of Alaska and we used the
Afghan program before our last deployment and it did wonders. I haven’t been
able to track anyone down that still has the workout program. Would this
program be what I’m looking for or would you recommend a different program.
Any advice would be appreciated.
V/R
– A.
ANSWER
It would be a good one to use for guys qualifying for those programs. The good thing about the Afghan Plan is it uses minimum equipment – but is no joke. There are no excuses.
Here’s the link to the plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=52&&cart_ID=83
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
I have really been getting into climbing and mountaineering and just climbed Rainier this last week. I am currently an infantry team leader in the Army with plans to mountain guide when I get out. Should I get a subscription for Mountain or Military athlete. I will deploy one more time for sure before I am out so would following the Mountain Guide plan starting now be a good idea? I used your on-ramp program when recovering from injury and it worked very well. Thanks for any help you can give me.
– C.
ANSWER
Train for your job now C. Do the Operator Sessions.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob,
I am nearing completion of the bodyweight program and was wondering what other programs you have that involve minimal equipment. I have the bodyweight stuff and a 35# kettlebell (I’m light 140#). I could easily add a sandbag or some other kettlebells or dumbbells but am not quite ready to invest in a full barbell and bumpers. (Maybe I should just throw down and get one!) As a backcountry skier and runner, lower body strength is good (squats) but dead lift and upper body strength is not up to standard yet.
Your site and training programs are great! It would be awesome if you had a Mountain Athlete gym in Seattle. I bet you would crush it with the number of skiers and climbers in Seattle.
Thanks for the information,
– C.
ANSWER
I’m currently building a plan which uses a sandbag, pair of dumbbells, pull up bar and weight vest. It should be done sometime this week.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hello Rob,
I’ve been training with your operator sessions for almost a year now. This by far is the best training program out there. I was doing well with it before I was injured in an accident. I’m recovered now and I’m on the third week of your On-Ramp program to make sure I’m completely back on the horse before I start the Operator Sessions. I also want to start training for a half marathon at the end of September and just wanted to get your opinion on doing your On-Ramp and Operator Sessions (eventually) as well as training for this half-marathon. Should I sub out on certain things? I’ve posted a training program that I’ll probably follow. I don’t think it will be too much but, I just wanted to get your opinion. I appreciate your time.
T
ANSWER
In general, while training for the 1/2 marathon, you shouldn’t do any work capacity sessions we design. I would limit your Military Athlete training to the strength sessions. Let your running training for the 1/2 marathon cover work cap.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hello,
My name is A. I’m a SSG in the Army. I was wondering do you have a exercise instructional guide in a PDF format so I call you use for remedial physical training at my unit?
Thank you
– A.
ANSWER
I’d recommend our APFT Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=51&&cart_ID=30
This plan automatically "scales" itself to the fitness level of the individual – plus it’s designed so a group of individuals with varying fitness levels can train together, yet all do the level of training appropriate to their individual fitness level.
It’s a great place to start for your soldiers who need remedial physical training.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
I am a huge fan of your training, but am not happy where I am at size wise physically while I am following your programming. What can I do to build/maintain mass and still follow the workouts? I eat like a horse, supplement with creatine, and consume a pre/post workout protein shake. I sit at 190 while following the daily workouts, and would like to maintain the 205+ lbs that I’m currently at. Should I add 5/3/1 to my routine throughout the week with bench/squat? Thanks in advance!
-J.
ANSWER
Jay – Couple things – first, pay attention to your relative strength. You can compare to our strength standards. Second, I’d recommend our Hypertrophy Cycle for building mass. You should cx your subscription to the Operator Sessions, do the cycle, then drop back in.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
I’ve been following now for about a month and love your programs and really appreciate all the work you put into the your products. I watched one of your videos on nutrition and remember you saying stay away from bread and also potatoes. In that video you said nothing about corn or sweet potatoes. I was wondering what are your thoughts on these? Also what do you recommend for getting your 5 mile run time down. I am right now hovering around 40 minutes. And am considering adding 800/ 400m repeats to your workout but fear over training and increasing possibility for injury, What are your thoughts.
Respectfully,
– R.
ANSWER
You can eat sweet potatoes. They are on the menu.
5 Mile Time – We’re actually working on a few training plans just to improve running at various distances. I’d recommend 1.5 mile, and 800m repeats, 2x week – and to actually run a 5-mile time trial 1x/week. Overtraining? – depends somewhat on your fitness level. What you could do is sub your running in for our work cap or stamina sessions.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hey Rob,
Had another question for you. I am on the last week of your Bodyweight plan, which I love, though I absolutely despise Leg Blasters. There is a GORUCK challenge coming up in late August. I initially planned on doing your Ruck Based Selection Program right after this to prepare for the SFRE coming up in September. While it is only a two day event, I wanted to blow it out of the water. Now would it make more sense to purchase the GORUCK Challenge plan to prepare for the Challenge and subscribe to the Operator Sessions afterward leading up to SFRE? Or just go all out with the Ruck plan? Thanks!
– N.
ANSWER
The Ruck Plan will be overkill for the GORUCK Challenge – but doing it would save you $25. I’d go with the Ruck Plan and use it for both.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
Again thanks for all you do. We have a strong following of your program at the Citadel. It is great that your program is now getting future military officers fit for their military career before they start them. With that being said, we also have a lot of D1 college athletes at our school that want to get a tad bit stronger. I know a lot of people have been asking about Wndler’s 5/3/1. Is there a possibility you could look at it and maybe give some advice on combining it with your program. It really pushes for great gains but over a good amount of time. I feel this could work well with becoming stronger and being more durable. I don’t want you to create a hybrid workout just for me, but I would be interested on your thoughts. Is it possible to combine with military athlete? Would it not be a good idea to combine the two? Would both programs suffer if combined? Thank you sir for any and all advice. Have a great day and God Bless.
Very Respectfully,
– S.
ANSWER
5/3/1 is classic strength training. In general, when you combine strength and other stuff (work cap, endurance, etc.), your gains are not as great as they would be if you just did the plan in isolation. In other words, to get the most out of 5/3/1, do just it.
Understand military athletes are "hybrid" athletes, with a large menu of fitness demands – work capacity, stamina, endurance, strength, etc. My programming is strength first – because I believe getting an athlete stronger is the best thing I can do for him or her, however, we don’t’ train strength in isolation. Strength isn’t everything. If you take a look at our strength standards – for example, 1.5x Bodyweight for bench press and front squat, these are actually "modest" in the strength world. Oly lifters and power lifters get a lot stronger.
However, I’ve found I can get guys this strong, and still build in a large work capacity and endurance motor.
I’ve built and sell several strength plans – Big 24, Rat 6, 357, etc. – but even these include a little work capacity work.
So, 5/3/1 may be appropriate for a football player at the Citidel, VMI or West Point – while they are in school, but once they are in the military, they’ll be over strong and under-lunged.
The closest plan I’ve built to 5/3/1 is our Rat 6 plan – we’ve had great luck with it.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
I am an ENS in the US Navy. While I am training to be a pilot, I think that the Military Athlete workouts can apply to anyone trying to up their fitness. I have suffered from a lower back problem for a few years now due to high school and college athletics and would like to pursue your 8 week lower back fitness plan. I was hoping that you could provide me with more feedback from customers (if that exists) about the effectiveness of this plan, before I purchase it. If on the other hand you provide a free "trial period" like you do for other programs that would also be helpful in making me sure that I have chosen a good program.
I appreciate your time and help in this matter and hope to get on the grind soon!
V/r,
– B
ANSWER
We’ve had good luck with the plan with the athletes we work with here in Wyoming, but the kudos you see on the site are what we’ve received from outside.
I can’t provide a free trial, however. I would say the plan starts our fairly easy, and get progressively harder.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
This question is not so much about your programs but a general one, you are a smart dude and I am going to pick your brain. I have been doing a 5×5 strength program with running, mostly sprinting. I am considering doing a 6-8 week cycle of German Volume Training but at 5’6", 170 I am worried about being slower. I am currently in the Air Force after 8 years in the Army and the Air Force Fitness Assessment is very run biased,with the run worth more points than the other two events combined. I was wondering what you thought. Should I use a less extreme hypertrophy program? Would GVT hurt my run? Would running during GVT undermine the gains? I defer to your expertise. Thank you and keep up the great work.
– J.
ANSWER
I’m not sure what German Volume Training, is but I’d like to see you at 150-160# – so you don’t need any more weight or mass. In fact you could stand to loose some weight. Adding mass will definitely slow you down. You might need a strength plan, but not a hypertrophy plan.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
My name is D. and I am in the Navy down at Fort Sam Houston for Corpsman school for 14 weeks and plan on getting a SARC contract while I am here. I was wondering if you believe that your BRC training plan would be something I should look into doing while I am here or if I should just subscribe to the operator sessions while I am here. Until I get settled in down here I am not entirely sure what is available to me for workout equipment and there is a SOCP (Special Operations Corpsman Prep) program in place that I will be a part of every morning. Let me know your thoughts when you get a chance. Thank you for your time.
– D.
ANSWER
I’d recommend the MARSOC Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=52&&cart_ID=89
But …. this plan is no joke and will take time during your work day to complete. If you have that flexibility, and pool availability, during Corpsman school do this plan. If not, I’d recommend the Operator Sessions until you graduate, then the MARSOC plan before SARC selection.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob–
I’m a long-time mid-distance track athlete looking to start training for the Navy SEALs program. I’ve done some lifting and consider myself to be in relatively good fitness. However, my previous training hasn’t been all that strength-oriented (we did weight work a few times a week max), so I was wondering if you’d recommend the On-Ramp plan or if I’d be okay with the Operator Sessions or some other plan.
Thanks for your time
– L.
ANSWER
OnRamp is designed not only for guys who aren’t super familiar with a barbell, but also guys who need to work on their overall fitness prior to the Operator Sessions or another of our training plans.
My guess is you’re a pretty fit guy (work capacity), who just isn’t super familiar with the weight room and lifting. I’m thinking you should start with another of our strength plans, then jump into the Operator Sessions. I’d recommend our Rat 6 Strength Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=55&&cart_ID=84.
It’s focus is barbell-oriented strength training, but also includes shorter, intense work capacity efforts and lots of core strength training.
From Rat 6 you’d be good to jump into the Operator Sessions, but would want to do the BUD/s Plan directly before selection: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=52&&cart_ID=57.
– Rob
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