SF60 Alpha: Slight Strength Emphasis

$59.00

  • 7 Week, 4 Day/Week Training Plan designed for civilian and/or tactical athletes ages 60-65 years old.
  • This is a balanced training cycle that equally trains work capacity, chassis integrity (functional core), endurance with a slight strength emphasis.
  • Can be purchased individually or as part of the SF60 Training Packet
  • This training plan is one of the 250+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription

Description

SF60 Alpha is an intense 7-week, 4 Day/week multi-modal, training cycle that concurrently trains strength, work capacity, chassis integrity (functional core), and endurance. SF60 Alpha has a slight strength emphasis.

“SF560” is an acronym for “Strength and Fitness 60” and is age-appropriate for all high-impact athletes in the 60-65 age range.

The programming in this plan is specifically designed for civilian athletes, and/or tactical athletes, that no longer need to perform at the “tip of the spear” in their profession.

Below are some key programming principles for SF60 Programming:

  • No 1RM (1 repetition max Strength Efforts)
  • Eliminate all loaded deep squatting/lunging movements to minimize knee wear and accommodate likely knee arthritis. Bodyweight squats and lunges may be prescribed, but bodyweight lunges will not be prescribed
  • Less barbell work in favor of sandbags, bodyweight and dumbbell/kettlebell training
  • Replaces short, super-intense work capacity efforts with longer, steady-pace, “Grinds”
  • No max effort endurance efforts. Endurance efforts are completed at a “moderate” pace
  • Continued emphasis on Chassis Integrity (functional core) training
  • Shorter (45-minute), efficient training sessions
  • Designed to build and maintain foundational “base fitness” for older athletes.
  • 4 day/week training plan on a 2:1, 2:1 schedule: i.e. train Mon-Tue, rest Wed, train Thurs-Fri, Rest or Outdoor Recreation Sat & Sunday

This is Version 1 of the plan, designed in January 2021.

 

FITNESS ATTRIBUTES

Strength Programming
SF60 Alpha’s strength work combines barbell Hinge Lifts with upper body and core training based on an assessment.. The Hinge Lift progression is reverse in terms of reps – it begins at 8 reps/set and decreased to 3 reps/set over the course of the training cycle. Upper Body Strength is trained via repeated Scotty Bob and Chin Up assessments and progressions. Added to strength days is a sit up assessment and progression. 

Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity
25-35 Minute, combined, multi-modal Work Capacity and sandbag-based Chassis Integrity “grind” (work steadily, not frantically)

Endurance
Trained via a 45-minute, moderate-paced, “Athlete’s Choice”, runs, rucks, spin/bike, or row.

 

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

  • Monday – Strength
  • Tuesday – Athlete’s Choice Endurance
  • Wednesday – Total Rest
  • Thursday – Strength
  • Friday – Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity
  • Saturday – Total Rest or outdoor recreation
  • Sunday – Total Rest or outdoor recreation

 

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

  • Fully Equipped functional fitness weight room including barbells, plates, squat rack, bench, plyo boxes
  • 12-20″ box or bench for step ups
  • Pull Up Bar
  • Sandbag – 25# for women, 50# for men
  • Foam Roller

COMMON QUESTIONS

How long will sessions last?
All sessions are designed to last 45 minutes.

Any modifications for women?
These are prescribed in the training plan. For example, if the session calls for front snatches @ 45/65#, the first load – 45# – is for women, and the second load – 65# – is for men. If the plan calls for 5/10x Push Ups, this means women do 5x push ups, men do 10x push ups.

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.

Required Equipment


  • Fully Equipped functional fitness weight room including barbells, plates, squat rack, bench, plyo boxes

  • 12-20" box or bench for step ups

  • Pull Up Bar

  • Sandbag - 25# for women, 50# for men

  • Foam Roller

Sample Training

Below is the First Week from this Training Plan:

 

MONDAY
SESSION 1
Obj: Strength

Warm-up:

3 Rounds
8x Hinge Lift @ 45/75#
3x Scotty Bob @ 15/25#
Lat + Pec Stretch
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 5 Rounds
8x Hinge Lift - Increase load each round until 8x is hard, but doable.
Hip Flexor Stretch

(2) Max Rep Scotty Bob @ 15/25# in 90 Seconds.

You can stop and rest as needed, and if go to your knees for the push up portion of Scotty Bobs if you have to. Just keep working for the full 90 seconds. Each Push up counts as 1x Rep.

RECORD REPS

(3) Max Rep Chin Ups in 90 seconds. 

You can rest as needed. When you can no longer do a chin up, move to negative chin ups - jump up until your chin is above the bar, and lower your self slowly to a 5 second count. Each chin up and negative chin up count as 1x rep. 

RECORD REPS

(4) Max Rep Sit Ups in 90 Seconds. 

You can rest as needed - just keep working for the full 90 seconds. 

RECORD REPS

(5) 2 Rounds
Toe Touch Complex
Foam Roll Low Back

******************************

 

TUESDAY
SESSION 2
Obj: Athlete's Choice Endurance

Training:

(1) 45-Minute Run, Bike/Spin, Row or Ruck @ 25/35, Moderate Pace

"Moderate" = Comfortable but not easy

Comments: Athlete determine today's endurance mode

******************************

 

WEDNESDAY
SESSION 3
TOTAL REST

******************************

 

THURSDAY
SESSION 4
Obj: Strength

Warm-up:

3 Rounds
8x Hinge Lift @ 45/75#
3x Scotty Bob @ 15/25#
Lat + Pec Stretch
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 5 Rounds
8x Hinge Lift - Increase load each round until 8x is hard, but doable.
Pigeon Stretch

(2) 5 Round Grind ... 

Use your SESSION 1 Results to Calculate your Reps....

30% Max Rep Scotty Bob @ 15/25#
30% Max Rep Chin Ups

30% Max Rep Sit Ups

So, if you score ...
- 21x Scotty Bobs
- 12x Chin Ups, and
- 34x Sit Ups on the SESSION 1 Assessment, 

21 x .3  = 6.3 or 6
12 x .3 = 3.6 or 4
34 x .3 = 10.2 or 10

Today, you'll do a 5 Round Grind of .... 

6x Scotty Bob @ 15/25# (every push up counts as 1 rep)
4x Chin Ups
10x Sit Ups

"Grind" = Work steadily, not frantically through the exercises in this circuit again and again for the prescribed time or rounds.

(3) 2 Rounds
3rd World Squat Stretch
Foam Roll Low Back

******************************

 

FRIDAY
SESSION 5
Obj: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm-up:

3 Rounds
10x Squat
8x Hand Release Push Ups
10x Step Ups @ 12-16" Box
8x Sit Ups
Lat + Pec Stretch
Instep Stretch

Training:

(1) 25 Minute Grind ....
3x Sandbag Cross Clean @ 25/50#
20x Step Ups @ 12-16" Box
6x Sandbag Clean + Press @ 25/50#
4x 40-Foot Shuttle with Sandbag (down 40ft, back 40ft, down 40ft, back 40ft)

"Grind" = Work steadily, not frantically through the exercises in this circuit again and again for the prescribed time.

(2) 2 Rounds
Instep +
Foam Roll Legs

******************************

 

SATURDAY
SESSION 6
Rest or Outdoor Recreation

******************************

 

SUNDAY
SESSION 7
Rest or Outdoor Recreation

Testimonials

4/4/22
I’m doing the SF60 program and am loving it. My first look at the program made me think it might be too easy.  It wasn’t lol. It’s just about perfect for me. I love the sandbag “grind” sessions. And the way you program core type exercises is genius. My knees are in good shape so I occasionally add in step ups or a mini leg blaster to prepare for the upcoming hiking season. FYI, I’m 60 years old, 6’3”, about 210 lbs (shooting for 190 ish), and recently retired. Can still bench my body weight.


Everything makes sense and is easy to follow. Access is easy. The videos are great.  I’ve been visiting your webpage for years.

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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