Army EOD Phase 1 Training Plan

$39.00

  • 6-Week, 5x day/week training plan
  • Bomb Suit Screener and AFT specific training
  • Assessment-based plan automatically scales to your incoming fitness level
  • This training plan is one of the 450+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

Description

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This is a 6-week, 5-day per week training program specifically designed to prepare athletes for the Phase 1 Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Preparatory Course. It is intended to be completed during the four weeks immediately prior to reporting.

A key component of the course involves maneuvering in the ~85-pound bomb suit. This plan develops the functional strength, work capacity, endurance, and mental toughness required to perform effectively under the physical and psychological demands of the suit.

FITNESS DEMANDS

Bomb Suit Test
The Bomb Suit Test is designed to assess functional fitness and motor skills while wearing the heavy, restrictive explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suit, which weighs approximately 85 pounds. While the exact components vary, common events include walking up stairs, carrying heavy buckets of parts/explosive devices, dragging a rescue dummy, and manipulating wiring devices. Much of the attrition during EOD training is not from physical inability, but from psychological challenges such as claustrophobia and panic caused by restricted breathing in the suit.

Though the actual events and duration of the bomb suit test are not public, our research has shown that the test is approximately 20 Minutes where you will perform different manuevers in the bomb suit.

AFT Training
In addition to Bomb Suit Training, the plan includes AFT training for all events. You will complete the AFT and use those assessment scores for follow on progressions.

WEEKLY SCHEDULES

  • Mon – AFT Assessment or Dead Lift, Push Ups, Plank
  • Tues  – Shuttles, Run Intervals
  • Wed – Bomb Suit Training, Chassis Integrity
  • Thurs  –  Dead Lift, Push Ups, Plank
  • Fri  – Bomb Suit Training, Sprint Drag Carry Training

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

  • Step Up Box – 16 – 18″
  • Stop Watch with repeating countdown timer (Smartphone will work)
  • Barbell and weights for Dead Lifts
  • 60# and 80# Sandbag
  • 25# Weight Vest
  • Backpack with 60# of filler
  • 55# DB/KB
  • Pull Up Bar
  • Track or course with known distance (400m Track)

COMMON QUESTIONS

What if I miss a day?
Don’t skip ahead. Start where you left off. The plan is progressive, and its training sessions designed to be completed in order.

What if I can’t handle the training volume at first?
Building stamina and resilience is a key training goal of this plan, and physical and mental stamina is also key to completing the Selection course. If you can’t handle the training volume at first, it’s better to cut training sessions short, rather than take unscheduled rest days.

What if I can’t make the prescribed reps for the bodyweight exercises?
Do your best, and be sure to do the total number of rounds, even if you can’t make the reps or the time. Don’t quit.

How do you count reps for Sandbag Getups, and Step ups?
Step Ups – The prescribed rep count is total reps, so 50x Step Ups = 50x total reps, 25x each leg.

What if I miss a training day?
Ideally, you will train 5 days in a row, and take 2 full days off for rest. If for some reason miss a session, do not skip ahead. Start again where you left off and complete the sessions in order throughout the plan.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run Calculator and Ruck Calculators are is listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I can’t do the whole session?
If you don’t have enough time to complete the whole session, you can split the session into two.

Can I print out sessions to take to the gym?
Yes – you can print a week of programming at a time.

More questions? Email coach@mtntactical.com

 

Required Equipment


  • Step Up Box - 16 - 18"

  • Stop Watch with repeating countdown timer (Smartphone will work)

  • Barbell and weights for Dead Lifts

  • 60# and 80# Sandbag

  • 25# Weight Vest

  • Backpack with 60# of filler

  • 55# DB/KB

  • Pull Up Bar

  • Track or course with known distance (400m Track)

Sample Training

MONDAY

SESSION 1
Obj: AFT Assessment

Warm up:
3 Rounds
8x Dead Lift - Increase weight as you warm up
4x Hand Release Push ups
4x 25m Shuttle
10 Second Aft Plank
Instep Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) Work Up to 3RM Dead Lift
AFT 3rm Dead Lift
Note - you have just 5 minutes, We'd recommend two 3 rep efforts working up, and then 1-2x 3RM attempts. Don't go heavier than 420 pounds.

REST 2 MINUTES

(2) Max Hand Release Push ups in 2 Minutes
AFT Hand Release – Arms Extended Push Up
Note - rest position is in the front leaning rest position (high plank)

REST 2 MINUTES

(3) Sprint-Drag-Carry for Time
AFT Sprint-drag-carry
Note - Start from Prone and drag a 90 pound sled, and carry 45 pound kettlebells or dumbbells

REST 2 MINUTES

(4) Max Plank for Time
AFT Plank

REST 5 MINUTES

(5) Run 2 Miles for Time
Run 2 Miles for Time
RECORD ALL RESULTS

(6) 2 Rounds
Toe Touch Complex
5x Lunging Dislocates


TUESDAY

SESSION 2
Obj: Shuttles, Run Intervals

Warm up:
3 Rounds
4x Walking Lunges
4x Prone To 40ft Sprint
Instep Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) 4 Rounds
150m Shuttle Every 1:15

(2) 3 Rounds
Run 800m - Use your "800m Interval Pace" using your SESSION 1 AFT 2-Mile Run Time and the MTI Running Calculator
Rest 4 Minutes Between Efforts

(3) 2 Rounds
Foam Roll Back
Hip Flexor Stretch


WEDNESDAY

SESSION 3
Obj: Bomb Suit Training, Chassis Integrity

Warm up:
3 Rounds
10x Hand Release Push-up
10x Step Ups - 16 - 18"
5x Walking Lunges
Instep Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) 20 Minute Grind - 45# Backpack or Weight Vest
30x Step Ups - 16 - 18"
25m Farmers Carry - 55#
10x In-line Lunge
"Grind" = work steadily not frantically for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don't stop to rest

(2) 4 Round Grind
5x Sandbag Cross Clean - 40/60#, Increase to 80# if possible
10x Sandbag Good Mornings - 40/60#
6x Sandbag Twist & Toss - 40/60#, Increase to 80# if possible
"Grind" = work steadily not frantically for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don't stop to rest

(3) 2 Rounds
Pigeon Stretch
5x Shoulder Dislocates


THURSDAY

SESSION 4
Obj: Dead Lift, Push Up, Plank

Warm up:
3 Rounds
8x Dead Lift - Increase weight as you warm up
4x Hand Release Push ups
10 Second Aft Plank
Instep Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) 8 Rounds AFT Deadlift
Round 1: 3x 65% of Finish Load
Round 2: 3x 75% of Finish Load
Round 3: 3x 85% of Finish Load
Round 4-8: 3x 3RM - 10lbs
3rd World Squat Stretch - between each round
Rounds 4-8 Example: If your 3RM from Session 1 was 225 lbs, use 215 lbs (225 - 10) for Rounds 4-8

(2) 6 Rounds, Every 75 Seconds
30% Hand Release Push Ups
Use SESSION 1's AFT HRPU Assessment to find you assigned reps. Rest with whatever time is remaining in the 75 second interval.

(3) 6 Rounds
30% Max Plank Time
Rest 30 Seconds
Use SESSION 1's AFT Plank Assessment to find your time.

(4) 2 Rounds
Frog Stretch
5x Lunging Dislocates


FRIDAY

SESSION 5
Obj: Bomb Suit Training, Sprint Drag Carry Training

Warm up:
3 Rounds
10x Hand Release Push-up
10x Step Ups - 16 - 18"
Instep Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:
(1) 20 Minute Grind - 45# Backpack or Weighted Vest
30x Step Ups - 16 - 18"
25m Dummy Drag
5x In-line Lunge
5x Squat
"Grind" = work steadily not frantically for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don't stop to rest

(2) 3 Rounds
100m Shuttle dragging 90# Sled - Rest 30 Seconds.
100m Lateral Shuttle - Rest 30 Seconds.
100m Shuttle Carrying 45# Kettlebells or Dumbbells
Rest 1 Minute Between Efforts. 100m Shuttle = Down 25m, Back 25m, Down 25m, Back 25m.

(3) 1 Round
Foam Roll Complex

1)  Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance. 

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

 

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

 

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

 

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

 

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

 

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

 

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

 

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe. 

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety. 

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

 

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

 


All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete’s Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes’ mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website  or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf’s of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete’s Subscription?

  • Plan – Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
  • Packet – Like purchasing the DVD’s of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
  • Athlete’s Subscription – Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you’ll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the “Required Equipment” tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming.
You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com

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