Military

Coach,

I just wanted to drop you a line and say thank you for the awesome programming. I just brought my company back from a very challenging 6 months in eastern Afghanistan. The bottom line is that without your program we would not have been able to accomplish half of what we did and we would not have brought home as many guys as we did. My Soldiers hated me when I first instituted mind numbing amounts of leg blasters, step-ups, and sandbag get ups, and training that was like nothing they had ever done before, but all these things became a rallying cry as the Soldiers realized how far ahead of their sister companies they were in their physical and mental fitness. Keep doing what you are doing, the benefit cannot be understated.

– B.

Rob,

Just wanted to say how great your operator workouts are. We are
currently deployed to Eastern Afghanistan been here since beginning of
July.

I had always been a fan of your workouts squad PT, SFAS ruck
program and the pre Afghan workout. I started the operator sessions once
we got in country, guys were looking at me weird I guess because I
wasn’t doing the “normal” gym/body building workouts.

But now I have 4 guys training with me at 5am 5 days a week. They curse at me every
workout but I try and remind them that it’s a guy named Rob Shaul who
comes up with these insane workouts not me. But in the end they love it,
they also see the results and benefits from the workouts.

To give you an example we were taking motor rounds to our COP, then over the radio they
called out for the medics because some guy had gone down and was in
another bunker across the cop so me and another medic took off
sprinting.

I had my full kit on and the other medic didn’t and I probably weigh about 30lbs more than him needless to say I left him in the dust and got to the casualty first and began assessing. By the time the other medic got there he was about to pass out and hyperventilating.

Oh and did I mention that in that same mornings workout had us doing
jingle jangles with our body armor?

I believe in your workouts and it’s benefit in helping us not only become better military athletes but to also help us to save lives. Here is a photo from the morning workout.

Thanks again for your awesome workouts!

v/r,

SGT A-G

Rob,

I’ve been lifting for about six years (boot, I know) and about two years ago a workout buddy of mine got me started on your operator sessions. In six months of doing your workouts, I was the biggest, strongest, and most physically fit I had ever been… and injury free (12 mile ruck under 2:10:00 @ 70#, ME DH pullups to 42) . My buddy PCS’d about a year ago, and I went back to my old ways, dabbling in various free functional fitness regimens online. After tearing my rotator cuff twice, tearing up both knees (a combination of operational hazards and my workout program), and not being remotely close to as strong as I was a year ago, I’ve returned to MilitaryAthlete. After just reviewing the current cycle I must say, it’s like coming home after a long deployment. I’m looking forward to a long love/hate relationship of slayfests with you and your lab rats.

Semper Fi,

John H.

Rob –

I’m a senior Marine ROTC student at CU-Boulder commissioning active duty in May.

I ran my final official Combat Fitness Test today (sprints, ammo can presses, buddy carries/drags, etc…. sorry if you already know what it is) and got my best time ever by a LONG shot. Perfect 300 and I feel like I had a lot left in me.

I just wanted to say thanks for the Military Athlete program. I’ve been doing “Crossfit-type” programs since the beginning of high school but your program is the only one that has truly yielded extraordinary results. The strength-bias programming is EXACTLY what I was looking for and EXACTLY what I need (as well as many of my active duty infantry friends here who do your program also and swear by it).

Thank you for all that you do.

Respectfully,

– T.

Rob –

Just graduated Ranger School last week and I’m emailing you to send big time KUDOS to you for developing the Ranger School train up program. All I can say is that I’m 28 years old and followed your program to the letter (I completed the 6 week cycle about 3 times before I actually went to school…) and I went straight through the course without issue. The mountain phase in particular was not even close to as bad for me as it was for 90% of the other dudes out there and I have to credit your program for really helping me get my legs ready for the exceptional challenges. I really do believe that I had the endurance to go the distance… And even as I was losing pounds of body mass and muscle each week, I had the foundation and confidence to know that I could take the next step and keep moving.

– J.

Rob,

I wanted to write and thank you for another successful training program. This weekend I completed the first Goruck Heavy event at Ft Bragg. It was setup and ran by Sgt 1st Class Dan Plants of 3rd SFG(A) (whom I think you know). 73 showed-up and 37 finished 24+ hours later. I was in the finishers group – not bad for a 44yo dude. We went 30-40mi with 40# rucks minimum, carrying water cans, stretchers, slosh pipes, and other crazy shit. We hit sidewalks, fields, tank tracks – and whatever the sand/clay/misery mix that composes the trails at Bragg. We did log PT, stairs laps, lunges, etc… Weather was raining 34-45 degrees the whole time with no sun. I used the Ruck-Based Selection program, as you suggested, and that definitely helped carry me through. The rucking NO DOUBT prepared me for the long movements and general abuse we received. The sandbag getups and long work cap sessions especially helped prepare my mind for this event, and fighting off the word that starts with a Q and sounds like quit. If anything ‘gave-out’ on me, I would say my overhead pressing was nonexistent by the end – legs and back were still in the fight to the end.

I’m not sure what is next on the event list, but whatever it is, Military Athlete will be used for training.

Thanks again,

– S.

Rob,

I would like to thank you and your staff for all that you guys do and your support of the military.

I was a pretty avid crossfitter until I was turned on to your website through a platoon commander in my company. Needless to say I have been hooked ever since. I am without a doubt stonger and more durable than I have ever been in my life thanks to your workouts.

I am currently on my 2nd deployment to Afghanistan and have done your workouts religously and to the “t” day in and day out for seven months. Only taking a week off between programs for recovery and obviously on days we are outside the wire.

Since being out here myself and few other Marine Advisors have completed the 357 strength, Work Capacity, and Ultimate Meathead Cycle. Now we are currently doing the “Operator Sessions” until redeployment to the states. All of our lifts have gone through the roof! Every 1RM is over 200lbs with squats over 300 and deadlifts over 400.

We can’t thank you guys enough for what you have provided us to keep us in the best shape possible to do our jobs. We all have excellent training and know our jobs but just knowing that the man next to is capable of dragging your ass to safety if something goes wrong and can last in a fight for hours if need be puts you just a little more at ease.

This is how the Military should train hands down!

Thanks again for all you do and keep up the great work!

– J

Rob,
aI just wanted to thank you for all your hard work in programming your operator sessions. Myself and a few other guys have been following your operator sessions now since the beginning of our deployment back on July 2012 and now we are coming to a close of this deployment (10 days left). Your program has really changed us, one guy couldn’t understand why we were doing the things we were doing because it didn’t relate to anything the magazines say, so I had to constantly remind him to just follow the program. He did and now he is preaching Military Athletes to others. As for me I believed in the program since I was introduced to it from an old platoon sergeant, but never really stayed focused on it day in day out. So during this deployment I followed the program to the “T”. At the age of 35 I must say I much stronger than I was when I was in my 20’s and I have also lost 30 lbs!! Again me and the guys are grateful for you, even if we may cuss your name out on some of the workouts.

– R.

Rob,

The Bataan Death March plan you gave me was fucking awesome. About half of
my team did the plan, but we had a CSM who didn’t think he could learn
anything from a captain so he didn’t want to play. He took a few of my
guys, did their own thing, and they all finished like shit. Included among
the guys that did your plan is an SSG, who won third place in the
female military heavy division, and 2nd in her age group. I will send
pictures soon. Thank you very, very much.

– T.

Rob, I just wanted to say thanks again for such an awesome program. My detachment took a record APFT this morning and the results amazed me. My detachments average during the initial diagnostic was a very weak 242 and after doing your APFT 6-Week Training Program our average was raised to a 273. My background is Infantry so I believe it is important to be physical fit but my Soldiers are Public Affairs and they do not hold the same belief in physical fitness Infantry Soldiers do. I had two Soldiers raise their average over 50 points and I made a believer out of them and the other companies and detachments in my unit. Out of 10 companies and detachments we had the second worst average and after six weeks we know have the highest. Thanks again and keep up the amazing programming.

v/r – C.