QUESTION
Dear Rob,
Thank you so much for the training plan. It was incredibly stimulating and I have incorporated many of your ideas into what I do as a result. I’m going to be attempting a special forces selection course next year and will be purchasing one or more of your related courses in the near future. I’m writing to ask if you have a program I could recommend to my father. He’s 57 and while not unfit as such, could stand to lose a lot of subcutaneous fat. He has recently injured his right rotator cuff which is a real bummer as he can’t handle much weight. I was thinking intervals in the hills and in the pool. He’s seriously at risk of type 2 at the moment and is coming into the bracket for heart problems (and as a doctor he should bloody know better).
I know this is maybe a little less elite than your bread and butter but I’d be grateful for any advice or a recommendation you may have for a case like this.
Thanks again for all that you do
– M
ANSWER
Sorry – I just don’t deal with that population, so my advice here is based on my best guess, not a lot of experience.
First – diet is where you should start. Cut carbs, sugar and alcohol, and it will make a huge difference.
Fitness – I’d combine some single mode aerobic stuff and strength stuff in the weight room. Most of the older guys I know really enjoy strength training – so definitely some good leg/upper body (as he can handle) in the weight room – including vanity lifts like curls.
Biking might be a great initial mode for his cardio – he’s too young for walking, but I’m betting you’d never get him to run or sprint.
Good luck.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
Thanks again for helping me ace the APFT. It’s such a cool feeling to smoke soldiers half my age.
Anyway, I’m planning on climbing Mt. Rainier next summer and also bagging King’s Peak in Utah. Which training would be the best for Rainier? The Peak Bagger, Big Mountain, or Afghan Training?
Also, my 13-year-old son will accompany me on King’s Peak. He asks me all the time if he can run or train with me. It’s good father-son bonding when we run together. He runs track in the spring and swims competitively in the summer–so I know he has at least a good cardio base. He definitely lacks the strength though. How can I scale your training programs down to his level or is that even advisable? How would you train a kid?
Again, thank you for your time. I appreciate what you do for us military men and women.
– B
ANSWER
Big Mountain Training Plan for Rainier: http://www.mountainathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=49&&cart_ID=22
Your son can train right along side you. We work with quite a few 6-8th graders in the weight room. The Big Mountain plan includes strength training at the start – it would be good for both of you.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
First off Kudos! I was shocked when I retook my APFT after doing the On-Ramp training program, I gained over 60 points. Maxed PU/SU and ran a sub 14:00 2-mile for the first time since college.
Second, Now that I have finished the On-Ramp I am not quite sure where to head next. I am applying to SF however, I will not have a selection date until after May 2014.
Should I start the Operator Sessions or should I pick up the Rat-6 strength plan first? I would like to start incorporating more endurance into my training regemine (i.e. running/rucking)
Thanks again for all the help! I feel like a completely different person.
v/r
– J
ANSWER
The On Ramp is designed as a bridge to the Operator Sessions. You’re ready to start the Operator Sessions.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Coach,
Need some help with choosing the right plan for me. I’m a former college football player turned desk jockey for the past six years. I started CrossFit about 18 months ago and have recently started the Operator Sessions. I’m transitioning to Active Duty Army and leave for BCT on 31 March, followed immediately by OCS, and then hopefully Ranger School.
What course of action should I take over the next four and a half months?
Thanks in advance,
– T
ANSWER
Do the Operator Sessions until 6 weeks out from BCT. Then cancel your subscription to the Operator Sessions and purchase and complete the APFT Training Plan (http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=51&&cart_ID=30) directly before Basic.
Good luck!
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob –
I’ve used your plans in the past to train for various events, however my primary concern at the moment is dropping about 10lbs. Other than the diet aspect, is there a certain type of plan you would recommend if fat loss is the immediate goal?
– T
ANSWER
Bodyweight Training Plan: http://www.mountainathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=58&&cart_ID=72
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
My biggest limiter is strength. I was always a skinny cyclist then a skinny climber. Now I’d like to put on some more muscle to be more competitive in the military ranks. Which of your plans would you recommend? I’ve been doing the operator sessions for about a year with the AFPT plan and now the Busy Operator plan mixed in.
Here are my operator ugly results from a month ago: its obvious what I need to work on.
Bench: 1
Deadlift: 14
Front squat: 4
Pull up: 8
SBGU: 72
Sprints: 42
V/r,
– J
ANSWER
Cancel your subscription to the Operator Sessions and go with the Hypertrophy Plan to start: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=55&&cart_ID=35
Then follow up with the Rat 6 Strength Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=55&&cart_ID=84
Then roll back into the Operator Sessions.
Here’s how you CX your subscription:
How do I cancel a subscription?
Cancelling a subscription cancels all future scheduled payments of that subscription. A subscription can be cancelled up until the day of the next scheduled payment.
1. Log in to your PayPal account.
2. Click the My Account tab.
3. Click the History subtab.
4. Click More filters, select Subscriptions and agreements, and then click Subscriptions.
5. Change the date back to the year the subscription was created, and then click Show.
6. Click Details next to the subscription.
7. Click Cancel Subscription.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hi Rob,
I’ll be spending six weeks abroad and staying in a small room without access to any equipment beyond my GR1 which I could fill with sandbags. I had hoped to do your bodyweight program while I was there, but I wont have a pull-up bar. Are there any alternative movements to the pull-ups in the bodyweight program or is there a program you think would be a better fit?
Thank you in advance,
– T
ANSWER
You can do rucksack rows for a pulling movement. Regardless – the Bodyweight Plan is my recommendation. http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=56&&cart_ID=96
– Rob
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QUESTION
Rob,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my March email. I did not end up going out for my agency’s SWAT selection this spring but have my eyes set on 2014. I’ve been slowly ramping up over the past few months to build towards peaking next spring – I started with improving my running and swimming and then got back into the gym with your body weight program (if I never see another leg blaster it’ll be too soon). From there I have progressed into a training program forwarded to me by one of the guys in our tactical unit – the plan builds over three months but generally trains six days a week with three days mixing conditioning and strength, a metabolic circuit day and a day each of swimming and rucking.
I’m emailing because I’m having shoulder issues with some of the body weight/grinder portions of the training. When it comes to mountain climbers, pushups, bear crawls and basically anything involving the front leaning rest position my shoulders fatigue rapidly and I’m dropping for rest mid-exercise. I was hoping you might have some recommendation for improving shoulder strength and endurance that I could layer into my current training. The plan I have now includes shoulder prehab work, pullups, shoulder presses, etc. and I’m still working the bodyweight/grinder exercises but I don’t know if that is enough to address this area of deficiency. Any guidance or suggestions you could offer would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
– A
ANSWER
I’m sorry. I can’t offer anything for your shoulder work. You should improve your conditioning and the problems will lesson – if not, something else is going on. I have worked with athlete who had especially delicate shoulders … but they improved with time.
– Rob
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QUESTION
I was looking through your programs and came across you Lower Back Fitness training program. I was wondering if this could help me. A little background. . .
I have been a Crossfit trainer for over 3 years (currently in Anchorage, AK coaching at Crossfit Alaska). Alongside, I have been training the Univ of Alaska Anchorage volleyball team for 3 years.
Earlier this year in June, I was following The Outlaw Way program and they adopted the 3 week Smolov Jr program for Back Squats. My second week in the program, I made ONE wrong move squatting and hurt my back. I thought I just tweaked it so I worked through the pain and discomfort for about a month. Well, early Aug, I got an MRI and found out I tore a disc in my L Spine and herniated two discs. I have been limited ever since the end of June and am itching to get back to my olympic lifting and Crossfit. Plus, I HATE not being able to demo certain movements to my clients and athletes without pain and discomfort
I still work on other things but I cannot squat, deadlift, oly lift, or do other strenous movements that aggrevate the back. Days that I "feel good", I tend to push it a little too much and pay for it the next couple of days.
Can your Lower Back Fitness training program help me or speed up my recovery process?
– A
ANSWER
The program starts easy and gets progressively harder. It’s designed for athletes with delicate low backs, as a way to build their strength, and confidence. It’s not a rehab plan, however.
Whether or not it’s appropriate for you, I’m not sure. Your injury seems fairly severe, and recent. I’m not a doctor, so I can’t give you medical advice. In all training, be patient and safe – you know this all ready.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Firstly, I have completed your Delta selection program, your Apft program, and your bodyweight program (also Devgru…among others), and I have dramatically increased my athletic capabilities. So much so that I can do three Gym Jones (timed) sessions straight through and be ready to go the next day! I want to thank you for your service to our military and mountain community, for if guys like you didn’t exist we as a whole might never know how much further we could have pushed ourselves in athletics, adventuring, and combat combined. Thank you sir!
Secondly, all that being said I still suck at sit-ups…I mean what the fuck!? I eat right, rest correctly, stretch all of the time (including between sets), and everything I can think of doing. Also I never stray from your programming. My pushups are increasing, my pull-ups are leaping up in count, my speed and distance is awesome, my lifting and power endurance is great, as is my rucking….but those evil Army sit-ups are my nemesis. Please let me know how to correct this malfunction? Thank you for your time!
Best,
– R
ANSWER
Best way to bet better at sit-ups is to do more sit-ups. Sorry.
That being said, we all seem to be better at certain exercises. I crush the sit-ups – which my assistant coach calls the "girl exercise" ….. and he beats me at pull ups.
Don’t lose any sleep over it.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hey Rob,
Hi, i was just wondering what brand of rucksack you use for rucking.
– T
ANSWER
We ruck with used ALICE packs. Nothing fancy. They work great.
– Rob
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QUESTION
Hey Rob,
Please, can you tell me again which vests you guys use and how durable you find them?
Thx
– E
ANSWER
We use 25# Box Vests from weightvest.com. They’ve been bomber for us. – Rob
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QUESTION
Mr. Shaul,
I have seen great gains using your APFT improvement plan, and recently maxed the APFT as a result. I am currently preparing for Cultural Support Team selection. I am not sure if you are familiar with this program or not, so let me explain. From their recruiting website "Cultural support teams are comprised of female Soldiers who serve as enablers supporting Army special-operations combat forces in and around secured objective areas.
Their primary task is to engage the female population in an objective area when such contact may be deemed culturally inappropriate if performed by a male servicemember."
I am currently putting together a packet in order to apply for their selection date starting 1 April. I currently do not have orders to attend. I am trying to give myself the best chance possible to be selected, and that starts with being given orders to attend based on my application packet. I used your APFT improvement plan to give myself the APFT score I needed. Now, I have to do a 6 mile ruck with 35lbs. While it is not hard to do that to standard, I am looking to achieve the best time possible. Is your Ruck Improvement plan the best way to improve my time for a test like this? You say in the description of your Ruck Improvement plan that you can combine it with another plan. Which one would you recommend I use in order to continue to prepare myself and improve my fitness for this course?
Finally, once I complete the 6 mile timed ruck for my packet, I will still have approximately 4 months until selection. Because this is a fairly small program, very little information is available regarding selection, and the 6 week qualification course that immediately follows if you are selected. The fitness plan on CST’s recruiting website is found here:
http://www.soc.mil/SWCS/CST/ and is called THOR3. I have had such great success with your program however, that I am curious what course of action you would recommend, and if you have a plan that would set me up for success. I have heard through the grape vine everything from alot of rucking, a 5 mile timed run, and seen pictures of obstacle course and buddy carries, so I am unsure how to train for all of that on my own, so I decided to go to the expert.
Thank you for your advice, I think you offer great strategies and I look forward to what you recommend.
-C.
ANSWER
The Ruck Improvement Program would be a great place to start: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=56&&cart_ID=110. It includes a 5-mile assessment, and long rucks. If you use this plan, drop your ruck weight to 35#.
There’s more to rucking speed than the physical part. Other stuff comes into play – like learning to load your weight high in your ruck, learning to ruck run, and walk fast with the ruck, building lower leg and foot strength and fitness,, just getting used to carrying the load, and dialing in your ruck and shoes/boots.
You can double up with this plan. I’d recommend one of our strength plans – specifically the Rat 6 Strength Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=55&&cart_ID=84 Strength will carry the day at many of the selection events, and simply make you much more durable. If you do this plan, don’t lift like a girl. Lift like the professional athlete you are.
The Ruck Improvement Plan is 3 days/week – so you can double up with Rat 6, or complete the Rat 6 sessions, in order, on the 2 week days you’re not rucking. Rucking is no joke – and alternating days with the strength work is where you should begin.
For Selection, I’d recommend our Ruck Based Selection Plan: http://militaryathlete.com/page.php?page_ID=12&cart_category_ID=52&&cart_ID=45
This plan seems just about perfect for the team selection. If you get to that point, email back – we’ll need to adjust some of the loading.
I looked at the THOR3 Plan. It’s juvenile in design.
Good luck!
– Rob