General

BODYWEIGHT FOUNDATION

“Just wanted to let you know that I am extremely satisfied with Bodyweight Foundation training plan. Extremely. It is just the right thing for me.

Your plan showed to me how out of shape I really was (though it was not very surprising to begin with), but it showed it in a very methodical way, if I may say so. I am not simply overwhelmed or completely smashed, but instead I understand where I have serious holes in my current shape. Thank you again. Also wanted to give you more detailed info – I have not yet completed my second week in three weeks. But most of the free days have been filled with physical work, so I do feel tired :).

Now will start to work on programme more often though. Sessions feel hard and maybe 6 times a week is too often for people so out of shape? Some exercises feel easier than others – squats and push-ups are OK, but pullups and heels over bars are hard. 800m in 4:40 (my 1,5 miles was awful) is almost impossible – it is hard to run slower than 4:20. Overall – very impressed and grateful.”

UBBR

Just wanted to give my thoughts and opinions on your UBRR prep.

First test scores:

Age 30 BW 220

Bench 175 20

Pushups 53

Situps 40

Pullups 17

Dips 27

Rope pass

Kipp up 10 (grip)

4×25m sprint 21sec

5mile ruck 62min

Score 1,215

Finale score:

Age 30 BW 222

Bench 225 25

Pushup 63

Situps 43

Pullups 22

Dips 33

Rope pass

Kipp up 13

4x25m 18sec

5min ruck 55 min easy (very hot 90°)

Score 1,408

I made some modifications (dread of any program author.) I increased the bench to BW in training and in testing (225.) Also dropped the shuttle sprint training to 50m or 2x25m I found that I was pacing myself with the full 100m and that my time decreased in my second test (week 3) by going shorter I stayed very explosive and pushed harder. I feel it helped.

Limiting factor of my situps was speed of movement I can do high 70’s in 2min. I tried moving fast in training but little change on test day. Grip was my limiting factor on the Kipp ups I started incorporating dead hangs for 10sec after my work sets during the rounds, but only for the last two weeks of the program. I feel if I had done this early it may have helped much more.

The ruck was easy and I paced do to the temperature. Body felt fine and I recovered well from day to day. Obviously I made improvements overall to my score. You gentleman have a good day and keep up the good work.”

HUMILITY

“Wicked kudos on the Humility program. I just finished it (okay, I finished it over a month ago and I’m mostly through Big 24 now, but still), and I gotta say you couldn’t have picked a better name for it

Some background – I’m a 27 year old male, 6’0” 195 lbs, never been more than an average athlete, but with a decent amount of hands-on experience with fitness in and out of the gym. Prior to Humility I’d been doing a lot of traditional heavy lifting exercises in the gym, and I hadn’t done any serious cardio since finishing a GORUCK Heavy in May 2015. I looked at the Humility plan and figured, “Hey, what’s the worst it could be. Just body weight stuff and light dumbbells and maybe some running.”

I’m an idiot. The program didn’t make me any less of an idiot, but it did harden me up and grant me a little, er, humility. The running was a little rough at the start, but Tuesdays were my worst days b far. Usually I’d be totally burned up before I finished the quadzilla-Scotty Bob-pullups sets, thanks to the burpee sets that preceded them. The other days weren’t much better – seven miles was the most I’d run all at once in a long, long time, for instance, and it only went up from there. But I’ll be damned if I’m a quitter.

Overall, I ended up seeing substantial improvement on just about everything, with the exception of the pullups (max: 20 to max: 21 after 7 weeks, a whopping 5% increase), which I admittedly kind of slacked off on. Won’t do that again, I promise. The biggest benefit was the hardening that came from punishing my body, and I mean really challenging it, outside the sterile air-conditioned increasingly soccer-mom-populated environment of the gym. Humility did to me what I haven’t been able to do to myself for some time now, and for that I thank you fine people at MTI.

Big 24 is no joke, either, but I’m missing the daily ass-kicking that Humility gave me so I’m moving on

to Fortitude after I’m done here in a week or so. Thanks again and Kudos on the good work.”

RANGER SCHOOL

“Just graduated from Ranger school today. I just want to tell you that following your planning was something that settled me up for success.

I just med recicle Darby because one level 2 ankle sprain but I was able to recover in 2 weeks and be back on the game going straight through the end.

Awesome plans and insight.

RLTW”

RUNNING IMPROVEMENT

“I’ve been doing the Run Improvement Plan you recommended for an upcoming 10k trail race. Even though I’ve never officially competed, I want to try and come in  first. I would like to say the Quadzilla Complex just flat out sucks! But I have seen tremendous improvement on down hill running. I also understand that if I truly do want to have a good showing, I will have to perform in my Zone 3-4. I decided to run 3.1 miles and really push myself. I ran the first 1.3 miles around 6:40 then dropped to about 12:00 while running up hill to regain energy. By the time I was back on top of the hill, my time was back down into the 6:30s. Btw, I weigh about 215. Thanks for the advice and continued support!!”

“I want to extend my appreciation to the team at Mountain Tactical Institute. The variety of plans, nutrition guidance, articles, exercise database, Q&A and so much more make MTI a go to for effective, time-efficient training. It has had a tremendous impact on myself and undoubtedly many others within the military community. Please extend my thanks to all the folks on your team.”

“I am four days into my first program. I am very impressed with the detail, description and tools that are provided to help follow and accomplish my goals. Excellent video to describe what and how all exercises are to be performed! Looking forward to the results and then progressing with more programs! Thank You! Quick bio; age 58, 160lbs, 72″ I was in crossfit for one year, then had to have rotator cuff surgery (I was in a tussle with a 1200lbs steer) but had a serious infection went from 180lbs to 140 now 3.5 years later working my way back into shape! So far your work is awesome! P.S. GO COWPOKES!”

“I’m a professional in the fitness industry and I really appreciate what you and your staff are doing at MTI. I spend a lot of time programming classes and training sessions for my own clients that I don’t spend enough time programming for myself. But, like you, I like being a lab rat for others programs. I’ve done many online workout programs (both to learn new styles of programming and become familiar with new exercises) I’ve done programming from GYM JONES to Crossfit to Gymnastics Bodies and many in between, however none of them have addressed the combination of Strength, Conditioning and Mobility as well as MTI has.”

I am British Military, not front line or SF. I am 5’7 currently weighing around 68kg. Lately I moved on from Athlean X which I followed for most of my training life and moved onto your programming which i discovered looking for an ultra marathon plan. I do a yearly charity fundraiser trying to do something impressive endurance wise to maximise donations as the charity is a personal thing for my family. The first was a 50k, 2 years ago. I used your 50k plan and went from being able to run around 10k to finishing the race. My IT bands gave out at around 30k and I was the last one accross the line, but i crossed the line. This was the 1st official race i attended and I finished an ultra thanks to your plan. I also used your mountain marathon plan this year to do Man Vs Mountain accross Snowdon this year. Finished that one in a much better state.

“I just wanted to drop a note and say thank you for your programming. I tested for my 4th degree karate black belt yesterday, a four hour non-stop event. From following your programming I had enough energy to not only pass the test, but to be able to perform with solid intensity throughout. Even today I feel good enough to do the whole thing again if I had to.

I know it’s not your typical story of a military or mountain athlete, but I still wanted to say thanks for doing what you do and that your programming really does work.”