Ranger Physical Assessment (RPA) 2.0 Training Plan

$49.00

  • 5 weeks, 6 days/week training plan designed specifically to maximize your performance on the proposed RPA 2.0
  • Assessment-based training plan that Individually scales to your current level of fitness
  • This training plan is one of the 450+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription

Description

This 5 Week, 6 day/week training program is event-specifically designed to prepare for and improve your results on the proposed Ranger RPA 2.0:

Uniform: Cammies and Boots

  • Run 1 Mile
  • 6x Strict Chin Ups (Palms toward face)
  • 100m Farmer’s Carry with 2x 40# kettlebells or dumbbells
  • 100m Individual Movement Techniques**
  • 100m Skedco Drag @ 185#
  • Run 2 Miles

RECORD FINISH TIME. PASSING IS UNDER 27 MINUTES.

NOTE: We understand that the RPA 2.0 has been proposed but is still under testing as of August, 2023. So it’s possible this assessment won’t be implemented, and/or there will be changes to the events or 27 minute standard. See above …

This is version 1 of this plan, built August, 2023.

Programming
This training program has 3 specific objectives:

(1) Familiarize yourself with the RPA 2.0 including multiple efforts at the full assessment. You’ll complete the RPA 2.0 every Monday during this 5-week plan.

(2) Increase speed over ground and running-specific fitness. Your running speed for the 3 miles total run in the proposed RPA 2.0 will largely determine your finish time as by time, running will make up most of your finish time. In addition to threshold 800m and 1-mile repeats, you’ll run 4-5 miles at a “moderate pace” on Saturdays.

(3) Improve your max rep Chin Ups. While as proposed the RPA 2.0 requires just 6x chin ups, Ranger School Cadre are notorious for super strict interpretation of “good” reps, and there’s a likely chance you may need to more than 6 chin ups during the assessment.

Weekly Schedule

  • Mon: Ranger RPA 2.0
  • Tue:  RPA Field Work repeats (Farmer Carries, IMT, Skedco Drags)
  • Wed: Speed over Ground Intervals
  • Thu: RPA Field Work repeats (Farmer Carries, IMT, Skedco Drags)
  • Fri: Speed over Ground Intervals
  • Sat: Chin Up work and Moderate Pace Run (4-5 miles)

Required Equipment
– Known 800m and 1-mile distances
– Stopwatch with repeating countdown Timer
– Skedco and 185-Pound Load or substitute
– 2x, 40-lb dumbbells or kettlebells
– 100m Known Distance

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 have less then 5 weeks before my Ranger RPA 2.0?
Still start at the beginning of this training plan anyway. Don’t skip ahead.

Can I see a sample of the training?
Click the “Sample Training” Tab to see the entire first week of programming.

What if I have more than 5 weeks?
Email coach@mtntactical.com with the time you have and we will advise.

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. 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, or the prescribed interval times for runs?
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 lunges?
5x Lunges = 5x Lunges each leg, or 10x lunges total

What about nutrition?
Here are our nutritional recommendations:

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.

Required Equipment

Required Equipment
- Known 800m and 1-mile distances
- Stopwatch with repeating countdown Timer
- Skedco and 185-Pound Load or substitute
- 2x, 40-lb dumbbells or kettlebells
- 100m Known Distance

Sample Training

Below is the entire First week of programming from the plan:
*****************
MONDAY
SESSION 1
Obj: RPA 2.0 

Warm Up:

3 Rounds

Uniform: Cammies and Boots

Training:

(1) Start a Stopwatch, then immediately do these events back to back: 

  • Run 1 Mile
  • 6x Strict Chin Ups (Palms toward face)
  • 100m Farmer's Carry with 2x 40# kettlebells or dumbbells
  • 100m Individual Movement Techniques**
  • 100m Skedco Drag @ 185#
  • Run 2 Miles

RECORD FINISH TIME. PASSING IS UNDER 27 MINUTES.

(2) 2 Rounds

COMMENTS:

100m Individual Movement Techniques - it's still unclear what this will be, so for the purposes of this assessment and rest of the training plan, start prone, then jump to feet, sprint 10m, and go prone again. Repeat this for 100m .... So essentially 10x up downs with a 10m sprint between each. 

No Kettlebells? Use two 5-gallon cans filled with water

No Skedco? Do your best to rig something similar .... Weighted  Sled. Drag an old pallet with sandbag or rocks on top. Drag a tire .... Be resourceful. 

************
TUESDAY
SESSION 2
Obj: Run Intervals

Warm Up:

4 Rounds

Training:

(1) 3 Rounds

  • Run 800m at Threshold Pace
  • Rest 8 Minutes between efforts

"Threshold Pace" = Fastest Possible

(3) 2 Rounds

***********
WEDNESDAY
SESSION 3
Obj: Field Work Repeats

Warm Up:

3 Rounds

Uniform: Cammies and Boots

Training:

(1) 3 Rounds. Rest 8 Minutes Between Efforts:

  • 6x Strict Chin Ups (Palms toward face)
  • 100m Farmer's Carry with 2x 40# kettlebells or dumbbells
  • 100m Individual Movement Techniques**
  • 100m Skedco Drag @ 185#

(2) 2 Rounds

***********
THURSDAY
SESSION 4
Obj: Run Intervals

Warm Up:

4 Rounds

Uniform: Cammies and Boots

Training:

(1) 2 Rounds

  • Run 1-Mile at Threshold Pace
  • Rest 10 Minutes between efforts

"Threshold Pace" = Fastest Possible

(3) 2 Rounds

*************
FRIDAY
SESSION 5
Obj: Field Work Repeats

Warm Up:

3 Rounds

Uniform: Cammies and Boots

Training:

(1) 3 Rounds. Rest 8 Minutes Between Efforts:

  • 6x Strict Chin Ups (Palms toward face)
  • 100m Farmer's Carry with 2x 40# kettlebells or dumbbells
  • 100m Individual Movement Techniques**
  • 100m Skedco Drag @ 185#

(2) 2 Rounds

**********
SATURDAY
SESSION 6
Obj: Moderate Pace Run, Chin Ups

Warm Up:

4 Rounds

Training:

(1) Max Rep Chin Ups

Be super strict ... full elbow extension at the bottom, chin fully over the bar with a short pause at the top. 

RECORD RESULT

(2) 5 Rounds 

30% Max Rep Chin Ups every 75 Seconds

So ... if your Part (1) Max Rep Chin Up score was 15x chin ups, 15 x .3 = 4.5 or 5 (round up). Set a repeating countdown timer to 75 seconds. On "go" complete 5x strict chin ups. Faster you finish, the more rest you get between rounds.

(3) Run 4 Miles at a moderate pace. 

"Moderate" = comfortable but not easy

(4) 2 Rounds

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

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If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
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If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
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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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