Case Study: Can you improve Max Effort Strength and Loaded Uphill Endurance Concurrently?

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

Two MTI Lab Rats completed a 4-week mini study designed to test whether max effort barbell strength and loaded uphill endurance could be trained concurrently.

Both athletes improved across nearly all strength and endurance assessments:

• 13.3% and 7.3% increase in Bench Press 1RM
• 16.0% and 6.6% increase in Back Squat 1RM
• 0% and 3.1% increase in Hinge Lift 1RM
• 37.9% and 6.2% increase in Step Ups in 45 Minutes (25# pack)

This study followed a similar format to a previous MTI mini-study—Max Effort Strength + Aerobic Base—and saw comparable results.

We also tested whether athletes could complete 50% of their 45-minute step up Max Reps, in just 20 minutes. This target proved too ambitious. Emmett came close, completing 438/451 in Round 1 and 422/451 in Round 2.

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Background

This specific cycle, which trains max effort strength and uphill endurance concurrently, reflects the unique demands of the athletes we serve.

MTI’s tactical and mountain programming has long integrated both heavy barbell strength work and endurance training. Tactical athletes benefit from max effort strength through improved load carriage, close-quarters combat capability, and the ability to move heavy, awkward equipment. Uphill endurance—whether during rucking, patrolling, or long movements under load—is equally mission-critical.

For mountain athletes, the benefits of aerobic endurance have long been accepted. But gym-based strength training is still often dismissed. Our experience has shown that strength improves durability. Stronger athletes are harder to injure, and when they do get hurt, they recover faster.

Research has shown that max effort strength work does not hinder endurance gains. However, the reverse is not always true. Higher volumes of endurance or work capacity training can limit strength improvement. In theory, if the goal is only to improve pure strength, endurance should be minimized. But for the athletes we train, both qualities are required.

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Study Design

Participants:

• Taislee
• Emmett

Initial Assessments:

• Bench Press 1RM
• Back Squat 1RM
• Hinge Lift 1RM
• Max Rep Step Ups in 45 Minutes wearing a 25# pack

Strength Progression (2x/week):

• MTI’s Density Progression
• 5 Rounds Every 90 Seconds: 4 Reps at % of 1RM
  • 2 sessions at 80%
  • 2 sessions at 85%
  • 1 session at 90%

Endurance Progression (2x/week):

• 2 Rounds Every 20 Minutes at a % of each athlete’s 45-minute step up max
  • 2 sessions at 40%
  • 2 sessions at 45%
  • 1 session at 50%
• Reps completed as fast as possible, the faster you finish, the more rest you get

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Results

Athlete	Bench Press 1	Bench Press 2	Back Squat 1	Back Squat 2	Hinge Lift 1	Hinge Lift 2	Step Ups 1	Step Ups 2
Taislee	75 lbs	85 lbs	125 lbs	145 lbs	175 lbs	175 lbs	574 reps	792 reps
Emmett	275 lbs	295 lbs	305 lbs	325 lbs	315 lbs	325 lbs	903 reps	959 reps

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Discussion

This study had a limited sample size—just two participants. Although both athletes improved, one of the athletes, Taislee, was new to structured strength and endurance training, which likely influenced her improvement rates – “newbie gains”. Her gains were significant, but not unexpected for a novice. Emmett has trained under MTI’s methodology for years, so his smaller, consistent improvements are more reliable indicators of the program’s effectiveness.

The 50% step up progression target proved too aggressive. Emmett was unable to complete the required reps within the time limit—hitting 438/451 in Round 1 and 422/451 in Round 2. In contrast, 45% of his step up total landed closer to the target range, finishing with approximately 90 seconds of rest in Round 1 and about 50 seconds in Round 2.

Taislee had no trouble completing her 50% rep targets, which was likely due to her initial max step up count being too low. Her step up rep numbers were increased mid-study to account for this.

On the strength side, Emmett successfully completed all reps and rounds across lifts at 90% 1RM—except for the final rep of the final round on Bench Press, where he failed.

The results reinforce what we’ve seen in previous cycles—max effort strength and endurance can be trained together effectively.

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Next Steps

With only two participants—one of whom was new to structured training—our results are limited. This cycle will need to be repeated with a larger sample size of trained athletes to better validate the findings.

We’re also interested in testing the transferability of step up improvements to loaded uphill movement. This follow-on study would begin with a baseline loaded uphill assessment and assign athletes to one of two groups: a step up progression group or a loaded uphill group. Understanding the effectiveness of step ups in improving real-world uphill movement would help inform how we program for athletes who don’t have access to steep terrain—clarifying whether step ups improve uphill capacity or simply make athletes better at doing step ups.

Lastly, this study showed that strength can improve alongside loaded uphill endurance, but with a larger sample group, we could explore this relationship more directly. A future study could compare a strength only group to a strength + aerobic endurance group to see how concurrent endurance training affects strength development.

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Questions or Feedback?
Email: emmett@mtntactical.com