Connor (in photo) took me out for my first skate ski in the Grand Teton National Park. I’d been warned about the aerobic demands—and it absolutely delivers.

mtntactical.com/research/mini-…

JH Lab Rats grinding through kettlebell floor presses as part of last week’s TLU Session. Each set is paired with pull-ups to target both push and pull upper body strength.

Yesterday we began our Rock Climbing Pre-Season Training Plan with a 50-minute V-Sum. Complete your 8 hardest routes within 50 minutes.

JH Lab Rats training Lock & Reach intervals as part of Rock Climbing Pre-Season Training—focused on finger, grip, and forearm strength. Lock & Reaches train primarily finger strength, but also upper body power, lock-off strength, dynamic force production through the fingers, and

Arete is a hand-picked weekly list of the most thought-provoking articles, essays, and links I come across—curated for mountain and tactical athletes. Not always the newest, but always worth your time. It’s what I’d forward to a sharp teammate or training partner. — Rob Shaul

Training Question? Email [email protected] mtntactical.com/knowledge/aret…

This week’s MTI Q&A. Mission-direct answers on fat loss, substitutions, injuries, selection timelines, mountain prep, and durability. If you’ve got a training question, email [email protected]. mtntactical.com/knowledge/qas-…

Arete is a hand-picked weekly list of the most thought-provoking articles, essays, and links I come across—curated for mountain and tactical athletes. Not always the newest, but always worth your time. It’s what I’d forward to a sharp teammate or training partner. — Rob Shaul

Today I retested my Relative Strength Assessment following my weight cut down to my Ideal Tactical Bodyweight. I did not make the weight in the allotted 6 weeks, coming up 4.6 pounds short. Front Squat: 245 to 255 Bench Press: 275 to 275 Hinge Lift: 325 to 315 Pull Ups: 15 to

This week’s questions cover: • SWAT selection timelines and PFT strategy • Sapper → Ranger prep for young officers • Restarting at 41 and 58 after layoffs • Dropping 140 lbs and starting from zero • Post-surgery return to training (labrum repair) • Kayak endurance without

JH Lab Rat John working through a bouldering problem during Monday's V-Sum Session. He has improved his 8 problem V-Sum score by 9.

Avalanche fatalities are tragic. Europe averages100 per winter. The U.S. averages 27. mtntactical.com/knowledge/aval…

Week 3 of our Rock Climbing Pre-Season Training Plan is underway. All athletes progressed their Lock and Reach training by moving to smaller holds. Next, we’ll increase the demand by removing feet from the movement or adding load with a weighted backpack.

Photos from yesterday’s 40 minute, 4-problem V-Sum.

Ranger. BORTAC. Mountain season prep. Year-round base fitness. And a 47-minute PR. This week’s Q&A is live. mtntactical.com/knowledge/qa-q…

Nothing beats Sandbag Getups!

John and Liz grinding through yesterday’s Work Capacity effort between our campus board Lock & Reach circuits. The effort included a short EMOM of 10x box jumps and 5x burpees. Since the beginning of the cycle, all athletes have progressed to smaller holds for the Lock & Reach

Arete is my weekly collection of interesting articles, essays, and links I come across while reading about training, mountain culture, the tactical profession, and the wider world. — Rob Shaul mtntactical.com/knowledge/aret…

Yesterday’s Endurance Session focused on Speed Over Ground training with two rounds of 2-mile intervals based on our mid-cycle 5-mile run assessment.