Q&A 3.26.20

by SSD

QUESTION

In regards to Range Fitness, I don’t have a rifle but I have a pistol is there potentially a way of adapting the carbine plan to be done with a pistol.

I live on a rural area so the range of engagements can potentially be very far especially for a pistol, although short range work in a house is also a priority given a rise in armed robberies in my area.
I appreciate your assistance in advance.

ANSWER

We developed the Range Fitness system for pistols as well, but I never built a full plan like I did for carbines.
Here is one of the Pistol drills we developed: https://mtntactical.com/knowledge/mil1687-shoot-fast-2013-07-29/
– Rob

QUESTION

I was wondering if I purchase the usaf PJ packet (which has the 8 workout plans) would it show me when to implement the different programs?

ANSWER

You’ll want to begin the packet exactly 53 weeks before selection.
The 8 plans, in the order you’ll complete them, are:

QUESTION

I am an LEO in Vienna, Austria.
First I want to tell you that all of your plans seem very engineered and seem to be on point when it comes to the outcome that is targeted by each individual plan. I still have a question though and that ist as follows.
I have a selection for a particular unit of the police coming in May.
The selection consists of a very intense parcours which is about 450 meters (a quarter of a mile) long and should take about 2,5 to 3 minutes.
It consists of sprints and 29 obstacles (ladders, ropes, jumping,
Unfortunately, I have not found a training plan on your website that targets this specific goal. I do have access to it. My question now is if you could tell me which one of your plans fits my demandings the best or if there is no such plan, would you create one when I sign up fir your membership?
ANSWER
By my count you have 11 weeks until May 11. I’m not sure when your selection begins, but you’ll want to time it so you complete the second plan recommendation – the SWAT/SRT Selection Training Plan the 7 weeks directly before your selection … here’s what I’d recommend:
Weeks    Plan
1-4          Ruger – First plan in our Gun Maker Packet of plans for full time LE SWAT/SRT. Trains strength, work cap, endurance, chassis integrity and tactical agility.
Obstacle Course – what we’ve found is familiarity and obstacle technique expertise are almost more important than fitness to completion time.
Since you have access to the obstacle course now, what I’d recommend is for Weeks 1-4, complete the O-Course 3 times on Saturdays, with a 5 minute rest between efforts.
For weeks 5-11 and the SWAT Selection Training Plan,  replace the Friday Dirty Dog Repeats with 3 more runs of your O-Course, with 5 minute rest between efforts.
– Rob

QUESTION

I’m currently using your Bataan Death march race program to prepare for the event in March. After that I am planning to do the Monte Rosa Spaghetti Traverse in Switzerland Sept 3rd through 10th. I will have about 6 months after the Bataan Death March to prepare for the Monte Rosa. Any thoughts on what programs you would recommend directly after Bataan and in prep for MR?
As an FYI- I’ve used your Rainier and Big Mountain Plans for Ecuador and Mt Rainier climbs.
I appreciate your help and love your programming.

ANSWER

6 months = 23 weeks. Here’s what I recommend:
Weeks    Plan
1-7          Jedediah Smith
8-14        Frank Church
15-18      Wrangell St.-Elias (1st 3 weeks)
19           Total Rest
The first 4 plans are from our Wilderness Packet for Wilderness Progressionals and have a strong mountain endurance (running, uphill movement under load). Complete the Peak Bagger Training Plan the 7 weeks directly before your trip.
The route seems to be mostly scrambling and snow travel. Not sure there is enough rock work to dedicate much time rock training, but if so, I’d recommend working in a V-Sum at a local bouldering gym weekly.
– Rob

QUESTION

Love the work that you do, love MTN, best thing out there I think. So, my wife is struggling a bit to find a workout regimen that is helpful to her. She works as an accountant and during high peak seasons (Feb to April, July to Sept) can only get to the gym about 3 times a week. What plan would you recommend? She is most concerned these days about how her legs are conditioned, but I always remind to her to not forget her upper body conditioning as well. I recommended to her the Big 3 + Run, but she saw that it was a 6 times a week program, what plan do you recommend for her? Looking forward to your response. I’d say cardio wise she’s very fit, can run and swim with anyone in her age group with ease. She is 30 years old. She has good knowledge grasp around the gym, is familiar with other MTN plans (hypertrophy, push up improvement). She struggles with strength, she can do about ten pushups (chest to deck with good form), close to squatting her body weight, knows how to deadlift, bench, etc. She definitely uses the videos you all have, very helpful! Hopefully that helps.  Happy Friday brother!

ANSWER

Johnny from our Country Singer Packet. This is a 5 day/week plan – but just have her follow the sessions in order when she gets to train.
Johnny is multi-modal (strength, work cap, Chassis Integrity, Endurance) – and the strength in the plan deploys our TLU progression …. which means each session is self-scaling and she won’t need to remember past 1RMs, etc.
– Rob

QUESTION

What is the recommended rest between sets on big 24 lifts.

ANSWER

Each strength set is followed by a stretch or mobility drill. Ideally is your “working rest” between rounds.
However, in our experience, we’ll be able to finish the session in 50-60 minutes at the beginning of the cycle (-10 pounds), but at the top of the progression, it was taking 75 minutes simply because of its intensity – and we simply needed more rest to be able to make the lifts. So do the stretch, and then lift. If you’re not making the reps, rest a little after the stretch.
– Rob

QUESTION

I am into your mountain base program (Helen).  So, here my questions/recommendations so far.

– part of the program requires running. I am in a winter climate (Colorado), and running is quite difficult and often impossible.  Part of my intent was to have a strong indoor program for the winter months. I get out there to ski, etc.  But in lieu of running, I am using a rower/in door bike for cardio.  Can you develop goals/metrics for alternate cardio?  In the summer, I will be running mountain trails, and won’t have as much time to be in the gym, so this program can be seasonal.  Indoor PT in winter months and more outdoor in summer months.  Or do you have a program like that?

– in the App, once you’ve established your 1 RM, it should auto calculate the weights for you for the following weeks. Yes, I can do math, but during a workout, sometimes I have to refer back to the 1RM and then do the math.  It would be nice to just have the designated weight auto-populate. A more user friendly app.

ANSWER

1. Spin 8 miles for time and complete 2-mile spin intervals at a threshold pace, in lieu of the 1 mile run repeats. Do the step ups in the plan as prescribed.
2. Understand. We use a notebook.
– Rob

QUESTION

I just started the busy operator 1 program. I am looking to add in some rowing during the rest days to keep me moving and keep my stress levels down. Will this negatively impact the strength progression of the program? Or should I use the days off to foam roll and stretch?

ANSWER

You should be able to add rowing as long as it’s not super intense – easy pace.
– Rob

QUESTION

I have done the hunting package workout for the past few years. This year you changed it, in the past you had more military/full body workouts (Ex.Humility) for the few months before the sport-specific backcountry workout 7-8 weeks before the hunt. Why the change?

ANSWER

I was concerned the lead-up programming wasn’t adequately preparing hunters for the focused intensity of the final plan in the packet. The build plans do this now.
– Rob

QUESTION

I am attending OCS in July and want to get a jump start on preparing for the test. I know the PT test recently changed and was wondering if this was reflected on the OCS training program? Is the current program still up to date?

ANSWER

Our understanding is the ACFT will take over for the test at OCS in October.
Let me know if you have any documentation which says different. Our current plan uses the APFT.
– Rob

 

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