Updated October, 2024
The USMC Infantry Officer Course (IOC) Training Plan is a 30 session cycle designed specifically to prepare the athlete for the physical requirements of the Combat Endurance Test (CET) and follow on training at IOC.
It is designed to be completed during the 6 weeks prior to your IOC start date. of The Basic School (TBS). We understand that this period has multiple field events in which you won’t be able to train. Use these sessions when you can. Train smart – field events have priority.
This plan focuses on developing loaded endurance and bodyweight strength to successfully pass the CET and follow on training.
Here is the weekly schedule:
- Monday – E-Course Endurance
- Tuesday – Lower Body Muscular Endurance, O-Course
- Wednesday – Running Endurance
- Thursday – Tactical Work Capacity, Upper Body Muscular Endurance, Chassis Integrity
- Friday – Ruck
Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment
This plan includes the MTI Tactical Athlete Work Capacity Assessment. below are details on how to conduct the assessment. This is a simple and straight forward assessment specific to the work capacity and movement requirements of tactical athletes.
Uniform: Boots & Utilities
Load: 25# weight vest, IBA or Ruck
Assessment wearing 25# weight vest, IBA or Ruck
- 3 Minutes 25m shuttle sprints for reps – with a drop to prone at each end
- Rest 1 minute
- 3 Minutes 25m shuttle sprints for reps – with a drop to prone at each end
- Rest 1 minute
- 3 Minutes 25m shuttle sprints for reps – with a drop to prone at each end
1x Rep = 1x 25m length, so a round trip = 2x Reps. Only full lengths count. Athlete starts on the ground prone, and must drop to the ground prone at each turn around.
Tally the total reps for each round. A sum of reps from all 3 rounds is the athlete’s final score.
CLICK HERE to see an Army Infantry unit conduct the test
Rucking and Running
The objective of the rucking progression is to ensure you are prepared to carry the heavy loads over the rolling terrain of the Camp Barrett training areas. IOC has no ruck-run events but does include many miles of walking with a very heavy pack. Maintain a 15 minute per mile rucking pace. This is fast walking, not running.
For lightly loaded running, you’ll work up to completing the Endurance Course (E-Course) twice at 25#. This should be completed at a moderate pace. Moderate pace means comfortable, but not easy. We want you to be able to run long distances in preparation for the CET. You’ll work up to carrying a 20# load on top of your LBV.
Obstacle Course
Complete all obstacle course iterations in your LBV to gain confidence in getting over obstacles with a awkward load around your mid-section. Be in control – don’t go so fast that you can not maintain your balance. Ensure you have medical personnel on stand-by.
Common Questions
What equipment is required?
- Fully equipped functional fitness gym
- Ruck
- Load Bearing Vest (LBV) with 2 full water canteens, med kit, Magazine pouches and magazines
- Access to O-Course and E-Course,
- Sandbag at 60/80# (60# for women, 80# for men)
- Wrist watch or stop watch
How long do the training sessions last?
Training sessions are designed to last 60-75 minutes. Endurance events may take up to 2 hours.
What does “4/8x” mean? How about “15/25#”?
First number is for women, second is for men, both for reps, and loading. Examples:
4/8x Chin Ups = Women do 4x, Men do 8x
15/25# = Women us 15#, Men us 25#.
What does “Grind” Mean?
Work briskly, not frantically. Keep moving and work steady through the circuit.
What if I miss a training day?
These sessions do not have to follow a standard Monday to Friday schedule. You can have multiple days between training sessions if in the field or otherwise occupied with training at The Basic School. Complete the sessions in order – don’t skip around.
My gym doesn’t have sandbags. What should I do?
Make one and take it to the gym when you train … a sandbag is required for this program. We sell sandbags at mtntactical.com, other venders sell them, and you can make your own. Be resourceful.
Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run Calculator is listed as an exercise.
What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.
Questions? Email coach@mtntactical.com
Good Luck!
Required Equipment:
This program is designed to be completed with the equipment available at Quantico/TBS
- Fully-equipped weight room (bars, bumpers, racks, dumbbells, etc.)
- Load Bearing Vest
- Sandbag (60# for women, 80# for men)
- Quantico O-Course
Below is the Entire First Week from the Training Plan:
MONDAY
Objective: Endurance
Uniform: Boots and Utilities
Warm Up:
Training:
- 1 Round:
- Run the TBS Endurance Course wearing fully loaded LBV - Moderate Pace
- Moderate Pace = Comfortable but not easy
3 Rounds:
- Hip Flexor Stretch
- Pigeon Stretch
- Lat + Pec Stretch
TUESDAY
Objective: O-Course, Strength Endurance
Uniform: Boots and Utilities
Warm Up:
3 Rounds:
- 10x Squat Jumps
- 2x Pull Ups
- 6x 25m Shuttle
- Instep Stretch
- Lat/Pec Stretch
Training:
- 1 Round:
- Full Leg Blaster
- Rest 60 Seconds
- 8 Rounds:
- Mini Leg Blaster
- Rest 30 Seconds
- 1 Round for Time:
- 2x USMC Obstacle Course wearing fully loaded LBV
RECORD TIME
WEDNESDAY
Objective: Endurance
Uniform: Green on Green
Warm Up:
Training:
- Run 6 Miles at Moderate Pace
- Moderate = Comfortable but not easy
THURSDAY
Objective: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity
Uniform: Boots and Utilities
Warm Up:
3 Rounds:
- 10x Squat Jumps
- 2x Pull Ups
- 6x 25m Shuttle
- Instep Stretch
- Lat/Pec Stretch
Training:
- Max Pull Ups wearing fully loaded LBV
- RECORD SCORE
6 Rounds, Every 90 Seconds:
- 30% Max Rep Strict Dead Hang Pull Ups
3 Rounds:
- Max 25m Shuttles in 3 Minutes wearing 25# vest, pack or body armor - Drop to Prone at Each End
- Each full 25m Length = 1 Rep. Keep running count of total reps completed
- Rest 50 Seconds
RECORD TOTAL REPS COMPLETED
So, if you completed 12 reps on round 1, 10 reps on round 2 and 8 reps on round 3, your total score = 12 + 10 + 8 = 30 Reps. Only full lengths count as a rep.
20 Minute Grind:
- Sandbag Get Up and Run - 60#/80#
- 4x Sandbag Keg Lift - 60#/80#
- 60 Seconds Sandbag Bear Hug Walk - 60#/80#
- 30 Seconds Sandbag Hold and Farmer’s Carry
Grind = work steadily, not frantically for the prescribed time or rounds. Pace yourself, but don’t stop to rest.
FRIDAY
Objective: Rucking
Uniform: Boots and Utilities
Warm Up:
Training:
- 6 Mile Ruck
- 6 Mile Ruck - 50# Ruck, Fully Loaded LBV, Carrying a 10# Sledge/Dumbbell
- Maintain a 15min/mile or faster pace … fast walking, don’t run.
3 Rounds:
- 3rd World Squat Stretch
- Instep Stretch
- Lat + Pec Stretch
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
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Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
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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.
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You can log in through our →Website or Mobile App →IOS and Android.
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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?
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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