Training for an advanced unit

[close_fox]

Appreciate the work put into this response close_fox!
To answer your question about tactical pull ups, I meant military style, dead hang, chin over the bar for the reps to count style.
Good. "Is there another kind?" (Col Jessup voice...)
You mentioned the 2/3/4 plate goal standard as something I should be working towards, this will establish a good base level of strength for me to work with. You also mentioned MS's direct correlation to building resiliency, something of utmost importance for personnel hoping to get through this course. I also agree with you on putting on some mass, I should get up to the 165-170 range.
As for my push ups, I do them chest to deck, with my elbows tight to my body
Good to hear that i'll hit my goals in continuation, a run time around 18:30-45 has been a personal goal of mine for a while.

I read through your three block training plan, it seems like precisely what I was looking for. With Operator running for two or three blocks my MS should be respectably high. At the same time, I'll be running either Black or Black pro. for the first two blocks, I should be be leaving the 20:00 range and heading into the 19:00s. I'll follow your advice and save Apex Hills for later blocks, My thinking was SQ 3x/week + Apex is a lot of volume on your legs. Not automatically wrong, but something to consider.in the meantime I'll roll with regular hills, resets, and maybe some fasts 5s here and there. With a Fobbit interval session every other week during block one I'll start working on those push ups(/crunches). Block 2 comes around and rucking's made its way into my training. Push ups are being addressed in Fobbits, and on ruck weeks, an HIC. MS is still on the up and up.
Eventually block 3 will come along, and that I have a few questions about if you don't mind:
1. Say I'm running Op/Green. A training week would consist of 3 MS sessions of course, meaning with that conditioning would be 2 E rucks (with variables, hell yeah) and one SE session, 3 sessions total. Every other week, conditioning wise, instead of an SE session, I'd run an Apex Hill session. Is that what you had in mind? I was looking at the "Green Protocol - Standard Template" in TB2. Which looks to basically be 4 weeks of 2xMS (Fighter) and 3-4xE. Weeks 5-6 do a HIC (could be Apex) instead of one of the Es. Weeks 7-9 3xSE (I would build those SE circuits around PFT exercises + whatever PT exercises the course cadre suggest...you mentioned burpees), 2xE, 1xHIC. This seems like a good "indefinite" protocol for your course prep once you have built up the baseline MS you need. Basically cycling between hardcore ruck prep and prepping for getting smoked. While maintaining the MS you need. I'm thinking Grunt cluster would serve you best here (especially FSQ vice SQ to ensure your legs are up to the increased ruck volume).
2. Fobbits fall under E for this block, but i'm curious, where do they fit in with Op? I'm currently doing them as the E in Black Pro (30+min Fobbits...2min jog, hop off and bang out 10-20 push-ups and crunches...no pull-ups, because I get those on my MS days).
3.I do need to put on mass, but increased sets could possibly mean increased fatigue and adverse affects on my rucking in later blocks, suggestions? Eat more good calories. Maybe attempt to engage a hypertrophic response by decreasing rest intervals. That science is way beyond my expertise, but the TB books speak to it. I am personally blessed/cursed with "great" hypertrophic abilities. I have more mass than I want/need, so (per the text guidance) I have kept my RIs at 5min since I started TB. My muscles have not gotten appreciably larger. For that reason, I assume a converse strategy would work if I wanted to gain size (i.e., I would get bigger if I decreased my RIs). In my experience, gaining needed muscle will not slow your rucking down. The muscle you gain will "carry itself," plus more. There is a ceiling to this...diminishing returns. Obviously you don't want to be 300lbs of solid muscle and have to hump for 20 miles.

Once again thanks for the assistance, looking forward to your response.

Apologies for any typos or grammar errors, it's late, heh

[Aelian]

As usual Close_Fox has given some excellent advice.

I do (respectfully) disagree with one or two small things; one is screwing around with the rest intervals.

1)Decreasing RIs will increase the potential for DOMS or muscle soreness, typical of what bro-split BBer types feel after a heavy leg day. This will potentially fuck up or at the very least interfere with your conditioning for the rest of the week.

The other thing is that when you get close to selection, when you start fine-tuning your training and making it selection-specific (think 2-3 months out), then drop Operator and switch to Fighter. 1) It gives you an extra day for conditioning. 2)It'll allow you to increase how much conditioning volume you can handle during the week. If you were training for a "black" selection like SWAT/ESU, I'd say Operator is an option all the way through. For SOF barbell training is fairly insignificant in relation to simply rucking, running, swimming and SE. People have been passing SOF selection for years without touching a squat rack. That's not to say you should ignore a valuable tool that improves your strength, just don't over-value it at the expense of other more important attributes. Definitely strength train and build up your ability to stabilize heavy loads, but don't discount more heavy rucking to get better at heavy rucking. Like a boxer, the closer you get to your match, the more you focus on skills as opposed to roadwork or heavy S&C.

For your HICs, your selection of Apex is excellent. Another suggestion if I may is to keep a Fast5 in the rotation. 3 Mile tempo runs give you that balance of speed and distance. Other HICs are too short, and Es are too long. When you do your funruns, include lots of burpees, mountain climbers and push-ups. If you run with a partner do some fireman's carries every once in a while on your route too.

This is on top of the great advice CF has given you, just a little fine tuning.

[alottadav]

People have been passing SOF selection for years without touching a squat rack. That's not to say you should ignore a valuable tool that improves your strength, just don't over-value it at the expense of other more important attributes. Definitely strength train and build up your ability to stabilize heavy loads, but don't discount more heavy rucking to get better at heavy rucking. Like a boxer, the closer you get to your match, the more you focus on skills as opposed to roadwork or heavy S&C.
************

quoting for effect, i agree heavily with this. Just Don't forget what it is you'll be tested on. Strength is the FOUNDATION of everything but remember the actual testing protocols. Nobody will ask what your 3RM OH Press is.

[close_fox]

As usual Close_Fox has given some excellent advice.

I do (respectfully) disagree with one or two small things; one is screwing around with the rest intervals.

1)Decreasing RIs will increase the potential for DOMS or muscle soreness, typical of what bro-split BBer types feel after a heavy leg day. This will potentially fuck up or at the very least interfere with your conditioning for the rest of the week.
I'm not sure that we disagree about this. I don't want to see him breaking KB's golden rule of 2min minimum RI. What I was trying to say was, (1) leave RIs of 5min+ for Ham Beasts like me who don't want/need any more size. And (2) he can try RIs of 2-3min for some hypertrophy (at least according to the text, I don't claim to know the science behind it).

The other thing is that when you get close to selection, when you start fine-tuning your training and making it selection-specific (think 2-3 months out), then drop Operator and switch to Fighter. Definitely in agreement here. I recommend building whatever strength he needs, then prioritize course specific training while maintaining that MS as much as possible. Some version of Green + Fighter seems like the recipe for that.1) It gives you an extra day for conditioning. 2)It'll allow you to increase how much conditioning volume you can handle during the week. If you were training for a "black" selection like SWAT/ESU, I'd say Operator is an option all the way through. For SOF barbell training is fairly insignificant in relation to simply rucking, running, swimming and SE. People have been passing SOF selection for years without touching a squat rack. That's not to say you should ignore a valuable tool that improves your strength, just don't over-value it at the expense of other more important attributes. Definitely strength train and build up your ability to stabilize heavy loads, but don't discount more heavy rucking to get better at heavy rucking. Like a boxer, the closer you get to your match, the more you focus on skills as opposed to roadwork or heavy S&C.

For your HICs, your selection of Apex is excellent. Another suggestion if I may is to keep a Fast5 in the rotation. 3 Mile tempo runs give you that balance of speed and distance. Other HICs are too short, and Es are too long. When you do your funruns, include lots of burpees, mountain climbers and push-ups. If you run with a partner do some fireman's carries every once in a while on your route too.

This is on top of the great advice CF has given you, just a little fine tuning.

I should have also added, hopefully you have access to "official" training guidance from the course. Every school I've attended, I included doing it "their way" in my preparation. Usually as the last phase of my training before I show up.

[Aelian]

As usual Close_Fox has given some excellent advice.

I do (respectfully) disagree with one or two small things; one is screwing around with the rest intervals.

1)Decreasing RIs will increase the potential for DOMS or muscle soreness, typical of what bro-split BBer types feel after a heavy leg day. This will potentially fuck up or at the very least interfere with your conditioning for the rest of the week.
I'm not sure that we disagree about this. I don't want to see him breaking KB's golden rule of 2min minimum RI. What I was trying to say was, (1) leave RIs of 5min+ for Ham Beasts like me who don't want/need any more size. And (2) he can try RIs of 2-3min for some hypertrophy (at least according to the text, I don't claim to know the science behind it).

The other thing is that when you get close to selection, when you start fine-tuning your training and making it selection-specific (think 2-3 months out), then drop Operator and switch to Fighter. Definitely in agreement here. I recommend building whatever strength he needs, then prioritize course specific training while maintaining that MS as much as possible. Some version of Green + Fighter seems like the recipe for that.1) It gives you an extra day for conditioning. 2)It'll allow you to increase how much conditioning volume you can handle during the week. If you were training for a "black" selection like SWAT/ESU, I'd say Operator is an option all the way through. For SOF barbell training is fairly insignificant in relation to simply rucking, running, swimming and SE. People have been passing SOF selection for years without touching a squat rack. That's not to say you should ignore a valuable tool that improves your strength, just don't over-value it at the expense of other more important attributes. Definitely strength train and build up your ability to stabilize heavy loads, but don't discount more heavy rucking to get better at heavy rucking. Like a boxer, the closer you get to your match, the more you focus on skills as opposed to roadwork or heavy S&C.

For your HICs, your selection of Apex is excellent. Another suggestion if I may is to keep a Fast5 in the rotation. 3 Mile tempo runs give you that balance of speed and distance. Other HICs are too short, and Es are too long. When you do your funruns, include lots of burpees, mountain climbers and push-ups. If you run with a partner do some fireman's carries every once in a while on your route too.

This is on top of the great advice CF has given you, just a little fine tuning.

Agreed, I just didn't want him thinking it meant to dip below the 2 min RI.

I should have also added, hopefully you have access to "official" training guidance from the course. Every school I've attended, I included doing it "their way" in my preparation. Usually as the last phase of my training before I show up.

x 2 on this, bang-on. Very beneficial to include the "official" training in specificity phase.

[TangoZero]

@Close_Fox, @Aelian, outstanding thread. This is the kind of hard-earned info very few will ever learn.

@Badmattan, another suggestion...when you do your Operator blocks use one of the options in this article:

http://www.tacticalbarbell.com/operator-options/

In your case I'd probably go with the option that allows you to hit your squats for one work set on deadlift day.

[thebadmattan]

Appreciate the work put into this response close_fox!
To answer your question about tactical pull ups, I meant military style, dead hang, chin over the bar for the reps to count style.
Good. "Is there another kind?" (Col Jessup voice...)
You mentioned the 2/3/4 plate goal standard as something I should be working towards, this will establish a good base level of strength for me to work with. You also mentioned MS's direct correlation to building resiliency, something of utmost importance for personnel hoping to get through this course. I also agree with you on putting on some mass, I should get up to the 165-170 range.
As for my push ups, I do them chest to deck, with my elbows tight to my body
Good to hear that i'll hit my goals in continuation, a run time around 18:30-45 has been a personal goal of mine for a while.

I read through your three block training plan, it seems like precisely what I was looking for. With Operator running for two or three blocks my MS should be respectably high. At the same time, I'll be running either Black or Black pro. for the first two blocks, I should be be leaving the 20:00 range and heading into the 19:00s. I'll follow your advice and save Apex Hills for later blocks, My thinking was SQ 3x/week + Apex is a lot of volume on your legs. Not automatically wrong, but something to consider.in the meantime I'll roll with regular hills, resets, and maybe some fasts 5s here and there. With a Fobbit interval session every other week during block one I'll start working on those push ups(/crunches). Block 2 comes around and rucking's made its way into my training. Push ups are being addressed in Fobbits, and on ruck weeks, an HIC. MS is still on the up and up.
Eventually block 3 will come along, and that I have a few questions about if you don't mind:
1. Say I'm running Op/Green. A training week would consist of 3 MS sessions of course, meaning with that conditioning would be 2 E rucks (with variables, hell yeah) and one SE session, 3 sessions total. Every other week, conditioning wise, instead of an SE session, I'd run an Apex Hill session. Is that what you had in mind? I was looking at the "Green Protocol - Standard Template" in TB2. Which looks to basically be 4 weeks of 2xMS (Fighter) and 3-4xE. Weeks 5-6 do a HIC (could be Apex) instead of one of the Es. Weeks 7-9 3xSE (I would build those SE circuits around PFT exercises + whatever PT exercises the course cadre suggest...you mentioned burpees), 2xE, 1xHIC. This seems like a good "indefinite" protocol for your course prep once you have built up the baseline MS you need. Basically cycling between hardcore ruck prep and prepping for getting smoked. While maintaining the MS you need. I'm thinking Grunt cluster would serve you best here (especially FSQ vice SQ to ensure your legs are up to the increased ruck volume).
2. Fobbits fall under E for this block, but i'm curious, where do they fit in with Op? I'm currently doing them as the E in Black Pro (30+min Fobbits...2min jog, hop off and bang out 10-20 push-ups and crunches...no pull-ups, because I get those on my MS days).
3.I do need to put on mass, but increased sets could possibly mean increased fatigue and adverse affects on my rucking in later blocks, suggestions? Eat more good calories. Maybe attempt to engage a hypertrophic response by decreasing rest intervals. That science is way beyond my expertise, but the TB books speak to it. I am personally blessed/cursed with "great" hypertrophic abilities. I have more mass than I want/need, so (per the text guidance) I have kept my RIs at 5min since I started TB. My muscles have not gotten appreciably larger. For that reason, I assume a converse strategy would work if I wanted to gain size (i.e., I would get bigger if I decreased my RIs). In my experience, gaining needed muscle will not slow your rucking down. The muscle you gain will "carry itself," plus more. There is a ceiling to this...diminishing returns. Obviously you don't want to be 300lbs of solid muscle and have to hump for 20 miles.

Once again thanks for the assistance, looking forward to your response.

Apologies for any typos or grammar errors, it's late, heh

Appreciate the reply as usual!
Thank you for the information regarding my future Fighter/Green blocks. As I'm rereading TB II, I'll be sure to take a ton of notes and follow your advice.
For gaining mass, I was thinking 4 sets across my MS blocks sticking with 2-3 minute RIs. 4 sets across seems highly recommended among the community, and I'll need the extra muscle.

[thebadmattan]

As usual Close_Fox has given some excellent advice.

I do (respectfully) disagree with one or two small things; one is screwing around with the rest intervals.

1)Decreasing RIs will increase the potential for DOMS or muscle soreness, typical of what bro-split BBer types feel after a heavy leg day. This will potentially fuck up or at the very least interfere with your conditioning for the rest of the week.

The other thing is that when you get close to selection, when you start fine-tuning your training and making it selection-specific (think 2-3 months out), then drop Operator and switch to Fighter. 1) It gives you an extra day for conditioning. 2)It'll allow you to increase how much conditioning volume you can handle during the week. If you were training for a "black" selection like SWAT/ESU, I'd say Operator is an option all the way through. For SOF barbell training is fairly insignificant in relation to simply rucking, running, swimming and SE. People have been passing SOF selection for years without touching a squat rack. That's not to say you should ignore a valuable tool that improves your strength, just don't over-value it at the expense of other more important attributes. Definitely strength train and build up your ability to stabilize heavy loads, but don't discount more heavy rucking to get better at heavy rucking. Like a boxer, the closer you get to your match, the more you focus on skills as opposed to roadwork or heavy S&C.

For your HICs, your selection of Apex is excellent. Another suggestion if I may is to keep a Fast5 in the rotation. 3 Mile tempo runs give you that balance of speed and distance. Other HICs are too short, and Es are too long. When you do your funruns, include lots of burpees, mountain climbers and push-ups. If you run with a partner do some fireman's carries every once in a while on your route too.

This is on top of the great advice CF has given you, just a little fine tuning.

Switching my training up as my event approaches, adding more skills work in preparation for it. I recall reading about this in TB I. Train how you fight. I will definitely be keeping Fast 5s on my schedule, love em.
Thanks for dropping knowledge!

[thebadmattan]

@Close_Fox, @Aelian, outstanding thread. This is the kind of hard-earned info very few will ever learn.

@Badmattan, another suggestion...when you do your Operator blocks use one of the options in this article:

http://www.tacticalbarbell.com/operator-options/

In your case I'd probably go with the option that allows you to hit your squats for one work set on deadlift day.

Noted. I'm assuming this will get me stronger faster and assist in the mass gaining area too. Thanks!