The British Army’s Role Fitness Test Soldier (RFT(S)) was put into service in 2019 for Ground to provide an assessment that replicates real-world tasks commonly required of the ground soldier. It is age and gender-neutral – no adjusted scoring for younger/older soldiers or male/female soldiers. This fitness test is also strictly pass/fail by event, with specified times that the soldier must complete the given task in. More information and video demonstrations of the events can be found by HERE.
This 7-week, 5x/week training program is specifically designed to prepare athletes for the RFT(S). You’ll take the full RFT(S) on Week 1, 4, and 7. Follow-on progressions are based on your most recent RFT(S) results.
This training plan is designed to be completed the 7 weeks directly before your assessment. Week 7 in the plan is an unload/taper week into your event.
Weekly Schedule
- Monday: Fire & Movement, Water Can Carry
- Tuesday: Lift & Carry Shuttle, Casualty Drag
- Wednesday: Vehicle Casevac, Water Can Carry
- Thursday: Lift & Carry Shuttle, Casualty Drag
- Friday: Loaded March/Tab Intervals
Required Equipment
- Ruck/Pack with 40kg and 25kg of weight. We recommend a 25kg sandbag and a 15kg sandbag for an easy transition. Defer to your unit’s loading SOP’s if stated otherwise. Please note the time requirement differences for Infantry and Airborne/Para units.
- Equipment provided by your unit to conduct the actual RFT(S)
- Stopwatch and a known distance track or a GPS watch/app for tab pace
Common Questions
How long with the Training Sessions take?
45-90 minutes.
What does “4/8x” mean?
The first number is for women, second is for men, both for reps:
4/8x Chin Ups = Women do 4x, Men do 8x
What Equipment is Required?
- Ruck/Pack with 40kg and 25kg of weight. We recommend a 25kg sandbag and a 15kg sandbag for an easy transition. Defer to your unit’s loading SOP’s if stated otherwise. Please note the time requirement differences for Infantry and Airborne/Para units.
- Equipment provided by your unit to conduct the actual RFT(S)
- Stopwatch and a known distance track or a GPS watch/app for tab pace
What if I miss a day?
Begin where you left off when you return to training. This program is progressed – each session builds upon the prior session – so don’t skip a session or skip around. Follow the training sessions in order, regardless.
Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run/Ruck Calculator is listed as an exercise.
What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.
Can I see sample training?
Yes. Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming.
How do I access the plan?
Access is online, via username and password. You can log in either through our website or through our app (Mtn Tactical Fitness) available for IOS and Android.
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
Disclaimer
Before beginning any exercise program, consult with your physician to ensure that you are in proper health. Physical training contains inherent risks including, but not limited to, muscle strains, tears, physical and bodily injury up to and including death. This training program is not meant to provide medical advice; you should obtain medical advice from your private health care practitioner. If you are unable to assume these risks then you should not engage in this training program. No liability is assumed by Mountain Tactical Institute, Inc, its owners or employees, and you train at your own risk. Mountain Tactical Institute makes no warranty, express or implied, of any kind in connection with this training program.
- Ruck/Pack with 40kg and 25kg of weight. We recommend a 25kg sandbag and a 15kg sandbag for an easy transition. Defer to your unit’s loading SOP’s if stated otherwise. Please note the time requirement differences for Infantry and Airborne/Para units.
- Equipment provided by your unit to conduct the actual RFT(S)
- Stopwatch and a known distance track or a GPS watch/app for tab pace
Below is the First Week from this Training Plan:
******************************
MONDAY
SESSION 1
Obj: RFTS Assessment No. 1
Warm Up:
3 Rounds
200m Run
10x Press Ups
10x Sit Ups
Obj: Full RFTS Assessment
Training:
A. Infantry/RAC - 4 km tab @
40kg followed by 2 km @ 25kg
16AAB/Para - 4 km tab @ 40kg
followed by 2 km @ 25kg
Record Time for Heavy Tab Record Time for Light Tab
Rest 5 Minutes
B. 20x 7.5m tactical bounds,
then immediately 15m low crawl, followed immediately by 15m sprint
Record Time for Low Crawl and Sprint & Rest 5 Minutes
C. 20m Casualty Drag @ 110kg
Record Time & Rest 15 Minutes
D. 240m Farmers Carry @ 22kg
e/hand
Record Time & Rest 5 Minutes
E. 1x 70kg deadlift standing on two .5m boxes with 3 second hold in top position
PASS/FAIL
F. 40x 30m Shuttle Run for
time… Alternate between carrying a 20kg sandbag and unloaded for each 30m shuttle run
Record Time
******************************
TUESDAY
SESSION 2
Obj: Lift & Carry Shuttle, Casualty Drag
Warm Up:
4 Rounds
3x Sumo Deadlift using rope
and weight used in the actual vehicle casevac event, but place feet on ground. Work up to the prescribed load below.
Training:
- PASS on Vehicle Casevac Event
5 Rounds
1x 70kg deadlift standing on
two .5m boxes with 3 second hold in top position
FAIL on Vehicle Casevac Event
5 Rounds
1x Sumo Deadlift @ 70kg -
hold weight in top position for 3 seconds for each rep. Use the rope with weight used in the actual event, but place feet on ground.
B. 3 Rounds
10 sec max distance casualty
drag @ 110kg
Rest 20 sec
******************************
WEDNESDAY
SESSION 3
Obj: Vehicle Casevac, Water Can Carry
Warm Up:
3 Rounds
10x Burpees
5m Low Crawl
10m Sprint
Training:
- 3 Rounds
6x 7.5m tactical bounds
+ 15m Low Crawl + 15m Sprint
Rest 45 seconds
B. 3 Rounds
100m Farmers Carry @
22kg e/hand
3 Minute Rest
******************************
THURSDAY
SESSION 4
Warm Up:
4 Rounds
3x 30m Shuttle
30m Sandbag Bear Hug
Carry
Training:
- 2 Rounds
20x 30m Shuttle Run…
Alternate between carrying. 20kg sandbag and unloaded for each 30m shuttle run.
Rest 2 Minutes
**Note: 1 Shuttle = Down 15m and back for a total of 30m.**
******************************
FRIDAY
SESSION 5
Warm Up:
3 Rounds
200m Run
10x Press Ups
10x Sit Ups
Training:
- 2 Rounds
2 km tab @ 40kg
Rest 3 Minutes
B. 2 Rounds
1 km tab @ 25kg
Rest 1:30 Minutes
Use this equation to find your goal pace for the heavy tab and the light tab. Make sure to do the equation separately for the heavy and light tab, and apply it to part A and B, respectively.
Heavy
Step 1. (Your ruck time) / 4
Step 2. Result from above x .90 = Your goal pace per km
Example:
50 minutes / 4 = 12.5 min.
12.5 minutes x .90 = 11:15 min. per km —> Goal Pace
Light
Step 1. (Your ruck time) / 2
Step 2. Result from above x .90 = Your goal pace per km
15 Minutes / 2 = 7:30 min
7:30 min x .90 = 6:45 minutes —> Goal pace
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.
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