Q: What would be a good workout plan to do for a week or 2 while I’m on vacation at the beach? I am staying at a house on the beach. I’ll have access to the beach, drive way, ocean. I am flying so I am very limited on what I could take. I do have a TRX system & gymnastics rings that I could probably stick in my suitcase. Thanks, Steven
A: Vacation training advice –
– Get up early and do it first thing – like at dawn – so it doesn’t interfere with the rest of the day.
– Keep it short 30-45 minutes
– Not feeling it? Take a rest day – no worries
– Don’t let fitness training interfere with recreation … so if you’re sore from surfing, rest and don’t train.
See these simple sessions below. Leave the TRX and take a pair of swim googles and work through these sessions in order.
Day 1:
45 Min Beach Run
Day 2:
30 Minute Grind …
10x Squats
5/10x Hand Release Push Ups
10x EOs
Run 200m
Day 3:
45 Min Beach Swim
Day 4:
30 Minute Grind …
4x Bodyweight Rob Shaul
Run 200m
Day 5:
45 Min Beach Run
Day 6:
30 Minute Grind
5x Burpees
75m Shuttle
Walk back to start
Day 7:
45 Minute Beach Swim
Day 8:
30 Minute Grind
10x Squats
4x 40-Foot Prone to Sprint
10x Toes to Sky
Q: Hello. I hope this message gets to you. I’m going for 19th SF Group. Im going to be attending a Socom Athlete Event on the 28th of June. The NG has a program called the RTLI. Basically after BCT & OSUT i will go to ranger & airborne school. Then upon passing both, i would come back down to CA and get trained by 19th SF group to prepare for SFAS. I was recommended by my recruiter to your training programs. Im currently in a program right now that i pay for monthly, however it’s specifically structured to obtain an 18x contract right off the bat or people that want to go to SFAS now. I seen you had a ACFT and a Ranger School program. Which one should i do first ? I don’t think i need to focus on the SFAS training right now especially if like i mentioned when i get back to CA, i will be trained directly by 19th Group but wanted to get some advice about how to tackle this. I have a good base at the moment physically but still need to improve.
A: If I’m reading this right, your first big test will be Ranger School.
You’ll lose fitness at BCT and OSUT, and it will be a while before you get to Ranger, but the plan is no joke, and will help harden your body and mind for that event and get you prepared for the pre-Ranger course you’ll attend directly before.
Q: Just wanted to follow up after your initial guidance on my run plan. Since I started about 2 months ago on the run improvement I’ve dropped 20LBs and completed a timed 5 mile in 41 minutes when I started from around a 46-48. Unfortunately during my PT test I had a bad day and ran a 44 minute 5 mile. I have 30 days and then I will retest. The run plan is obviously working but I’m dying out around 2 miles which is causing me to mentally panic and I start adding time. Even at an 8 minute pace I start stressing. I had success before doing two mile repeats and was able to drop my time to a 38:50. I think I’m going to skip to the first week with the two mile repeats and essentially finish out the plan. Do you have any additional guidance on what could help me be successful?
A: Your plan is solid. Congrats on the weight loss and improvement.
You likely won’t see the same level of improvement the second time around. Gains come harder when you start more fit. You should still improve, but not by dropping another 7 minutes from your finish time.
Q: Hello Coach Shaul and the MTN team,
I am in need of programming advice as I pivot to the next chapter of life. I was considering the busy dad — I don’t have kids, just a cat dad if that counts — limited equipment, or the SF 40 Alpha program but wanted your advice first.
I have used numerous plans (Op Achlies, Ruck based Selection, GR Selection, knee pain, etc) and all were tremendous, truly.
Age: 40 yo
Injury History: knee, ankle, hip, shoulder, and low back injuries — arthroscopic knee surgery in 2018, high VA disability rating.
Background: I am a US Army veteran, undergone SF and PJ selections, former football player (professional/minor league) and collegiate track athlete. Currently into a mix of traditional lifting, sandbag, rucking, and carrying, paddle boarding, swimming, surfing, hiking, and LOTS of walking in my weight vest. I need to move everyday, but as I have aged, I need to be better at scaling back (“grind” mindset not sprint). My nutrition is dialed in, creatine as a nightly recovery has helped a lot.
Goal: Find a good program that I can do near-daily that doesn’t leave me destroyed (I don’t recover like I did even a few years ago), keeps me fit, and more importantly gives me the base needed so that I can pivot easily to whatever challenge my girlfriend and I do (ex through hike of the enchantments, complete a triathlon, rock climb, etc). I do my best, physically and especially mentally, when I have a daily goal, that’s why the ideal program would have something near daily versus super hard work cap that leaves me beat up the next day and unable to train.
I travel a lot so I don’t always have access to a gym but always have my bands, sandbag, TRX, and 25# KB in my vehicle.
Thank you all for your time, consideration, and help. Always appreciative of the content and programming your team puts out.
A: It’s unclear if you need a limited equipment plan? I’m guessing not, and when you do travel and can’t find a gym I’ll assume you’re vet enough to either use your limited equipment and sub for the sessions in the plan, or you can create you’re own sessions using your limited equipment.
Given that, instead of a multi-modal, base fitness plan, I’d recommend you spend a cycle on max effort strength + aerobic base – specifically the Max Effort Strength + Aerobic Base Training Plan.
This is an interesting mix of programming – I’m calling “MTI Polar” – and hits two areas we need as we age – strength for living, and endurance for recreation – esp. outdoor rec (my world).
Then, at 40, options are open. Given your outdoors rec, I’d recommend either the Greek Hero series or the Daily Mountain Elite programming as your day – to- day “base fitness”.
However, you’ll want to drop into season-or sport-specific cycles driven by your recreation in the weeks prior to the sport. For example, if you are an avid MTB’er, 6 or 7 weeks out from your first sprint trip, complete the MTB Pre-Season Training Plan, or if you’re serious, the 100-Mile MTB Race training plan.
Both of these require training time. If you’re time is constrained, it’s hard to beat the Busy Dad Full Gym packet or the Daily Limited Equipment subscription for day to day stuff. Shorter sessions … which work for strength but hurt overall endurance.
At 40, yes you’re getting older, but you should still be able to hammer hard until mid-40s or even 50. At that age I was still doing the Operator Sessions and our tactical programming as my own lab rat, however, if I had my choice, I would have pulled back on the gym work and increased the significantly the endurance … as this helps best with my mountain life.
Sorry if I confused you… but in summary, if you’re training for a tactical job – you need to do the tactical training. If you’re training for general health and recreation, a push to MTI programming with a more endurance emphasis in general, and sport/season-specific plans as the calendar dictates is the way to go.
Q: Hello – I’m an active (e.g., whitewater kayaking, mtn biking, yoga, moderate weight training) 59 yr old male who would like to prepare for a high mountain backpacking trip in CO with my son in early July. In the future, I’d like to join him on a bow hunting trip in the high country, as well.
Any recommendations on which plan would best meet my needs?
A: Backpacking –
Backpacking Pre-Season Training Plan the 7 weeks directly before your trip.
Bow Hunting?
Backcountry Hunting Training Packet – 4x progressive plans, which will start you 29 weeks out. However, if you plan on going this year with your son (and you should – I’m 57), let me know and I’ll advise you on programming.
If you’re fit now, the Backpacking Plan should be doable. If you’re fitness is suspect, we have a test for that –
30 minute AMRAP
Unloaded Step Ups at 16″ Box/Step.
Q: Hey Rob, hope you’re doing good.
Looking at the PGX plan, question: I’ve heard so much about the importance of building(maintaining) muscle mass as we age…because it declines as we age. I’ve noticed this myself @59. So I was wondering your thoughts on doing PGX with a hypertrophy focus instead of strength. I think using the hypertrophy for skinny guys model combined with zone 2? Maybe cycling between a strength and growth cycle? Thoughts?
A: I’ve heard that too, but the overall issue is strength. As I understand it, the longevity docs are most concerned about strength loss and blame it on loss of muscle.
Issue with hypertrophy is extra mass = unneeded weight = more stress on joints. You don’t need a lot of mass to train strength or get strong, esp. if you look at relative strength – or strength per bodyweight.
As well – training hypertrophy is a lot of volume … and longer sessions in the gym – and with that a lot of soreness, joint impact, etc.
At 57 and a lifelong gym rat, I’m not interested in spending 60 minutes in the weightroom doing high rep hypertrophy sets of back squat, bench press, curls, etc. The Polar GenX gym-based sessions are heavy, and short – 20-30 minutes.
So – to directly answer your question, yes, you could do the Polar idea and sub in hypertrophy for the max effort strength work, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
Q: Good afternoon,
I’m preparing to go to the Coast Guard’s Tactical Operator (TO)
Screener in early August. I’m about to begin week 6 of 7 of MTI’s
Operator Perseus program. Following the Perseus program I’d like to
start up a new program that will lead into the screener. The screener
is one week.
Expected physical fitness demands of screener
– physical fitness test first, which consists of 1 min of push-ups, 1
min of sit-ups, 1.5 run, minimum of 5 pull-ups, and minimum of 5
chin-ups
– swimming (75 meter swim in uniform, boots, helmet, and gun belt,
followed by several minutes of treading water, followed by several
minutes of drown proofing (go limp in water and lift head occasionally
for air)
– unknown distance ruck run @~45#
I attached an 8 week program to prepare for the screener that was
provided. It seems easy and aside from the swim I feel like the
Perseus program has gotten me in better shape than the 8 week program
they provided will get me.
Unfortunately, I don’t know any other specific physical demands other
than the ones I mentioned.
Because the screener is so short and the specific demands are mostly
unknown, my goals are to: (1) improve physical fitness test numbers
(namely, sit-ups and run time); (2) improve water confidence/pool
endurance–I go dang near hypoxic after just 1 or 2 laps; (3) maintain
or improve strength, work capacity, and endurance built from the
Operator Perseus program.
From what I’ve heard, most drop outs during the screener come from
failing the physical fitness test or lack of water confidence. I’m
certain the screener is not nearly as physically demanding as BPRC or
MARSOC selection. Again, it’s only one week long. Having said that, do
you still recommend that I use one of those selection plans? I’m
thinking those programs might be better to do in preparation for
indoc, which is a few months long once you get assigned to one of the
tactical units.
I was thinking about doing a busy operator program + swim program +
physical fitness test prep. Do you have a program(s) you can recommend
that I do?
A: I think it’s a mistake to discount the selection because of its duration. I’d recommend the
Basic Recon Plan.
My sense is the Cadre will test your fitness no matter how fit you go in … and the volume and water con work in this plan will help prepare you mentally and physically – esp. if your swimming is suspect.
You’ll want to limit the rucking in the plan to a 45# ruck. No need to go heavier.
You can adjust the PT assessment in the plan to what you’ll face at the CG Selection. For the 1.5 mile run, use 800m intervals.
Train hard.
Q: Good morning, I’m currently doing the Busy Dad Workout Program. I have been doing this program for approximately one year. I would like to do one of your Strength Programs next month and then start Busy Dad Workout Program again. Which Strength Program would you recommend? Looking to stay under an hour for workouts Really enjoy the current Busy Dad Program. Enjoyed using the 80lb sandbag during some of the workouts.
Q: Hey coach,
I’m hiking the GC rim to rim on September 11, almost exactly 16 weeks from now.
I’m 50, 5’6” and 136#.
No equipment restrictions, but I prefer bodyweight and rucking.
I’ve started using your Rim to Rim plan to see how I perform and I’m feeling good after a week.
I regularly do 2x 5 mi rucks during the week + 6-7 mi hikes on Saturday so I’m starting out with a reasonable base.
I live in Bend, Oregon and prefer being outside versus a gym.
Any recommendations on which plan I should use for the next 8 weeks since the R2R training plan is only 8 weeks long?
A: Copy … if you’ve already started the Rim to Rim plan keep doing it!
I’m 57, 5’4″ and super jealous of your bodyweight. I’m built like a fire hydrant and am fighting to get down to my college freshman weight of 145# …. but am not sure I’ll ever get there because of lingering muscle I can’t seem to shed.
Complete the full RtoR plan, then drop out of it into base fitness training. From our stuff, I’d recommend 4 weeks of
GenX Polar or the
SF45+ Daily Stream. Then repeat the last 4 weeks of the RtoR plan directly before your trip.
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