Mountain

MOUNTAIN BASE HELEN

“Wow. I’m three weeks into Mountain Base Helen, and the thoughtfulness with which this program was built is apparent. With the exception of the long cardio day, every workout takes about an hour, which is ideal since I workout at 6AM. You’ve even built in stretching and MFR. As I mentioned to my girlfriend, “they’ve really done all the thinking for me.”

More importantly in my case, Helen is hammering what was my weakest area during my last big climb: my quads. I know my efforts on that muscle group will pay huge dividends – not to mention the extra attention to my lower back, which forces me to stay mindful of core engagement throughout the day.

All in all I’m enjoying Helen because it feels like I’m training to be a pack mule – which is frankly how I want to train. When I go to the garage in the AM, it feels like I’m out there working. Not just performing some exercises, but doing real work. As a result, my mental engagement is high.

Next on the slate is the Alpine Fitness Assessment, which I’ll begin mid February after one week of Helen recovery. After the AFA, I’ll complete the actual Rainier program prior to my glacier course/climb. Kudos on a great program.”

WILDERNESS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PACKET

“Working my way through the wilderness packet and I absolutely love it. I have seen improvements every week which helps keep me motivated. It’s a great mix of exercises and I look forward to the workouts. Thanks for creating great plans and having so much info available.”

BACKCOUNTRY BIG GAME HUNTING PLAN

Just wanted to provide some feedback on this entire program. I started back in February from square 1. You knocked this thing out of the park. It is hell. Complete hell, but I am 2 weeks out from my hunt and have never felt more in shape and confident in my abilities. Week 6 (last week) of the final phase I hit a wall that took some serious mental fortitude to break thru but once I started this weeks training I felt so much stronger, I made it “over the hump.” I live in Texas so training to hunt the mountains of Colorado at 10-11k ft can be difficult so the step ups will prove invaluable (even though I despise them by this point).  I will definitely send you another email after my hunt to follow up on game time performance but I have no doubt in my mind that I am ready to go and that confidence going into it feels really good. Love y’alls programming!

50 MILE ULTRA RUNNING PLAN

I recently completed the 50 mile training plan to prep for my first ultra in 10 years, which was a 50k. I threw in a lot of “bonus” rest days to take it slow, and would have liked to have had a few more/heavier more upper body pulling exercises in the program, (but then, I have chronically unstable shoulders, so maybe that’s just me). Anywho…

After doing this program, (mostly on a treadmill), I went and did my trail 50k and got first place among the females (16th overall). My stabilizers were more than capable of taking the strain of a trail ultra, and nothing got pulled or strained or overly stressed. The aid station crews kept saying it looked like I wasn’t even trying! I think that’s the mark of some stellar training. Thanks for putting this together. You guys rock. – S

100 MILE ULTRA RUNNING TRAINING PLAN Rob – Just wanted to give out a huge kudos to you and your 100 Mile Training Plan.  I just completed the Bryce Canyon 100 in 33:45 with the use of your training plan.  This is the fourth 100 I’ve completed and I’ve used various other plans and expensive coaches, your plan crushes them all in my opinion.

For the first time in all my training I enjoyed all the workout sessions, I could see week to week improvement in my speed, strength, and endurance.

One of the most impressive things I saw from the training plan during my race was my consistent speed across the course and the distance. This was most impressive to me because I live in Chesapeake, VA where the highest hill is an over pass and 99% of my training is done on flats, while the Bryce 100 has 18,800 vertical gain. I also credit my quick recovery to your plan. While I had a few aches and pains following the run, with in a few days I was back to a relatively normal range of motion.

I also never really felt “beat up” like I have during past 100’s and I credit that to the strength and chassis work programmed in.

Huge thanks to you and your training plan for helping make my run a success. This will be my go to plan for all my ultras – Thanks again”

Plans are kicking @$$ so far! I completed Mountain Base Helen; and prior to that I’d literally never run more than five miles. After six weeks – plus two with Frank Church – five miles is a “laid back” training morning. So the cardio/distance pacing has been great for me. More generally, the plans are very clear, exercise demos easy to find, and the training is flat out fun. There’s enough variation of movement to keep my mind engaged, and my motivation high. I started Helen with a good base level of fitness; but after Helen, plus my start into Frank Church, I’m without question in the best shape of my life, at AGE 39 (and working as a full-time attorney). So grateful I heard about your company and started training with MTI.

Short context – I am 40 years old, had full ACL reconstruction on my knee 12 months ago and have been running/skiing and climbing for a few years.

So far I have followed (in order):

1. Mountain Base
2. Artemis Mountain Base
3. Helen Ultra Pre-Season

I also used 30 Minutes/Day Dryland Ski Training Plan before a week’s piste skiing and back country touring in between Artemis and Helen. This weekend I finished my first 50km race since my op thanks to your programming. I had enough left in the tank to speed up and continue passing other racers in the last few km of my race. Thank you for designing great plans that reward hard work and discipline.

To anyone out there thinking of buying plans from these guys; do it, it works! They’re no joke and will test your resolve and commitment but if you follow them you will see results. After recovery I’ll be starting the 50 Mile Ultra Running Training Plan and have my first 50 miler booked in for late September this year. Thanks again Rob and team. Keep up the great work and feel free to post my feedback to your website.

To say the plan progression you suggested (Helen, Frank Church, Rainier) had me dialed for my Mt. Rainier climb would be the understatement of the year. Before I get to that: As I mentioned in a much earlier email, we spent six days on the mountain – four in glacier rescue/skills training, two focused on the summit objective. Because of the duration we began with pretty heavy (but not soul crushing) loads of around 60 pounds, working them down to 50 or so by day four at Muir. Our route took us around the southeast side of the mountain, over the Williwakas Glacier, and up the Paradise to Little Africa (amazing). From there we climbed the middle Cowlitz before crossing over to the snowfield above Anvil Rock. We then commenced our summit bid from Muir. To begin, my breathing was never labored; and frankly I was astonished. My heart rate was nice and steady. No burning anywhere in my body. The feeling was absolutely surreal. I was present, happy and having a damn good time. What’s more, I felt rock solid moving back down off the summit. All in all I felt fantastic, and was really only sore in my quads for a day and a half or so after the climb. Overall your programming and suggested progression were five-star, A++, 10 out of 10. So I owe you and your team a huge THANK YOU! Although you’re remote and work with hundreds of clients, I felt like you were part of my team, and the result speaks for itself. (I knew in my heart, and our lead guide actually verbalized to me after the climb, that I had a couple thousand feet left in me.) Please do feel free to share this testimonial as you see fit. The key for me is that you delivered on your promise that, if I followed the training AS PRESCRIBED, I would truly enjoy the climb, and not merely slog and suffer my way through it. Moving up that mountain was an absolute blast!

“I am a long time subscriber, over 9 years using your programs, mostly for mountain related activities I recently finished Wrangell St Elias and wanted to share that’s it’s close to being perfect, kinda like Humility. I found it very effective as a fall prep for backcountry skiing in between a long summer of mostly mountain running. This package of programs was really needed for those of us that don’t climb(much) but need mountain specific programming. What I liked most about this program is the dumbell focus. I just turned 56 and the balancing requirements using dumbbells vs a barbell were surprising – something I didn’t appreciate until I read about deteriorating balance as one ages. So as a suggestion for us SF45 people is to keep some concentration like this in those programs as you have in the WSE. Second, the sprints were brutal and perfect after an endurance focused summer. Your message of simplicity was top of mind as I almost heaved during the first few weeks. So more of that, even for us old guys. Lastly I’m now into the backcountry V4 program and it’s better than v3. I struggled last winter using v3 both in the gym and on skis, and midway through had considered pulling my old copy of v2. V4 combined with Wrangell St Elias has made for a good couple of first days on the snow already.  Thanks for your valuable work”

1.  started Body Wt Foundation late summer/early fall last year.  As I said before the leg work really loaded my legs making running difficult.  However, I did get in better shape and as usually happens when I get in better shape I started running more which for me is a good, happy thing.

2.  Then I started dryland ski training in November.   Intense as you said.  After 1st week my lower calf muscles were too sore to run or do the jumping exercises.   I rested them for about a week and got back to running and then I just started the jumping lunges without weight again.   I continued without weight and was fine.

3.  I spent 2+ weeks at JH and Grand Targhee and felt really really good.  Going pretty hard with my teenage son so I feel like I was well prepared.  Thank you!

4.  Conclusion….I turn 61 tomorrow…  I should have eased into the dryland and started without weight on the jumping stuff.  My body response reminded me of starting speed work after building base of steady running when my lower calves would get really sore but of course when I was 20 it was just soreness, not debilitating.

5.  I did hurt my shoulder skiing but I didn’t miss a day.  I finally had it Xrayed last week and I actually cracked humerus right below the head.  So working around that now.  Hurts most when sleeping which seems weird.

So old dudes should maybe take it extra easy to start….Other old dudes are likely starting from a better place so of course it’s going to vary depending on condition.