Description
The USMC TBS Training Plan is intended for newly commissioned Marine Corps officers preparing for the physical demands of The Basic School
The TBS plan is six weeks, with training sessions 6x days/week. It should be completed six weeks directly before the TBS check-in date.
The TBS plan is intended to:
- Prepare athletes for the graded events at TBS (Double O-Course, E-Course, PFT, CFT)
- Improve/Increase Rucking Performance
- Increase overall strength and durability for the duration of the course.
Weekly Schedule:
- Monday: PFT Assessment/Progressions
- Tuesday : O-Course Improvement, Chassis Integrity
- Wednesday: 6-Mile Endurance Assessment/2 Mile Intervals at 25# load
- Thursday: CFT Work
- Friday: PFT Assessment/Progressions
- Saturday: Long Ruck
THE BASIC SCHOOL TRAINING PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
The following program is designed to prepare an athlete for successful completion of the physical requirements associated with the Marine Corps – The Basic School.
It is an intense 6-week program designed to be employed exactly 6 weeks before your check-in date. It’s designed specifically to improve results on graded events at TBS as well as overall physical performance.
The program is progressed to get harder as you go along. Do the sessions in the order written. Don’t skip ahead. If you’re less than 6 weeks away from TBS, start at Session 1 and progress as far through the program as you can.
You’ll Train 6 days a week during this program. Sunday or Day 7 is total rest. Here is a outline of the schedule:
- Monday: PFT Assessment/Progressions
- Tuesday : O-Course Improvement, Chassis Integrity
- Wednesday: 6-Mile Endurance Assessment/2 Mile Intervals at 25# load
- Thursday: CFT Work
- Friday: PFT Assessment/Progressions
- Saturday: Long Ruck
Required Equipment:
- Ruck w/60# Load
- 10# Sledge or Dumbbell
- 60/80# Sandbags (60# for women, 80# for men)
- Box or Bench @ 20-24”
- 2x 5.56mm ammunition cans weighing 30# (a combination of sand and water can be added to reach the required weight) – 2x 30# dumbbells can be substituted if necessary
- Cones, pylons, utility flags, sandbags or other visible markers for the CFT course
- Tape measure of at least 100 feet (or another way of measuring a 25-yard course)
- Pull-Up Bar
- Course or track of known distances (220 yards, 440 yards and 880 yards)
- Timepiece or stopwatch
- Optional: If you have access to the USMC O-Course, use it for the Tuesday sessions. If not, use our substitute listed in the programming.
Combat Fitness Test (CFT)
Due to the complexity of the USMC CFT MANUF event we think it is impractical to require you to set-up and complete the entire MANUF multiple times throughout training. Instead we have designed a simplified MANUF assessment which we have substituted and will use to progress your training. The simplified course allows you to train for each event in the MANUF without the burden of a complicated set-up. We call it the Devil Dog Assessment.
While the Devil Dog Assessment tests all the same physical aspects as the actual MANUF event, we still recommend that you complete at least one trial run of the USMC CFT MANUF course prior to your test. Being familiar with the actual MANUF course will all you to better transfer the skills you gain during this training plan.
Your training for the USMC CFT will be divided into the three separate components: (1) MTC, (2) AL and (3) MANUF.
(1) Training for the MTC will consist primarily of speed endurance runs of 220 yard and 440 yards.
(2) Training for the AL will consist primarily of upper body strength endurance events.
(3) Training for the MANUF will consist primarily of sprints, agility drills, high crawls, modified high crawls, dragging objects, carrying objects and body weight exercises.
Note: We will not train for the grenade toss portion of the MANUF event. If an athlete wishes to train for this event they will need to prepare on their own.
Devil Dog Assessment (Modified MANUF):
The total assessment distance is 400 yards. The assessment consists of 16 x 25 yard continuous shuttles. The shuttles are designed to simulate the events in the MANUF event and are divided into four parts:
(1) 125yd Shuttle (0-125 yards)
(2) 25yd Crawl (125-150 yards)
(3) 12.5yd High Crawl / 12.5yd Mod. High Crawl
(4) 100yd Simulated Casualty (150-250 yards)
(5) 12.5yd SC Drag / 87.5yd SC Carry
(6) 150yd Shuttle w/ 2x 30# Ammo Cans or 30# Dumbbells
The assessment is actually very simple. Watch our video HERE.
To complete the assessment all you will need is: 2x cones (to mark the 25 yard course), a partner (or dummy or 80# sandbag) and 2x 30# Ammo Cans or Dumbbells.
RUN INTERVALS AND CALCULATOR
The run intervals work off of your most recent PFT and 6-mile run results. You can find the Links to the Calculators under FAQs at the bottom of this overview.
COMMON QUESTIONS
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.
What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.
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.
Sample Training
SESSION 2
Obj: O-Course Prep
Warm Up:
3 Rounds
10x Squat Jumps
1/3x Pull Ups
6x 25m Shuttle
Instep Stretch
Training:
(1) 3 Rounds for Time
USMC Obstacle Course
Rest 30 Seconds
No O-Course? Do this instead…
(2) 3 Rounds
4x40ft Shuttle
10x Burpee Box Jump @ 20-24”
10x Pull Up Bar Heel Tap
1x Rope Climb (No Rope? Do 3x Tarzan Pull Ups instead)
Rest 30 Seconds
Rest 5 Minutes
(2) 10 Rounds every 60 sec.
4x Sandbag Get Ups @ 60/80#
(3) 3 Rounds
Hip Flexor + Instep Stretch + Pigeon Stretch
Lat + Pec Stretch
SESSION 3
Obj: Endurance Assessment No. 1
Warm Up:
200m Run, moderate pace
10x Lunges
10x Push Ups
Instep Stretch
Training:
(1) 6 Mile Run Assessment wearing 25# Weight Vest or IBA
RECORD RESULTS
SESSION 4
Obj: CFT Assessment No. 1
Warm-Up:
Run 440 yards (1 lap), then...
4 Rounds
Run 110 yards
5x Push-Ups
5x Lunges
5x Sit-Ups
Instep Stretch
Training:
(1) Modified USMC CFT Assessment
(A) MTC: Run 880 yards
Rest 5 Minutes
(B) AL: Max Reps 30# Ammo Can lift in 2:00
Rest 5 Minutes
(C) Devil Dog Assessment
RECORD YOUR SCORES
(3) 10 Rounds every 20 seconds
Ammo Can Lifts @ 10% of your assessment score
(4) 10 Minute Grind
20/20 Standing Founder
10x Face Down Back Extension
20/20 Kneeling Founder
8x Single Leg Deadlift @ 30# Ammo Can
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
