TACTICAL TRAINING TEMPLATE

CAPT Mike Prevost, USN

A sustainable weekly training template for the tactical athlete

It is easy to be hard, but it is hard to be smart!

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Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Do not copy or redistribute without permission of
the author
Photo: Communication Specialist 2nd Class Casey H. Kyhl www.navy.mil

Disclaimer: The advice and information contained in this document may not be appropriate for
all individuals. Therefore, the author, employees, company, affiliates, or any other parties
involved in the creation or promotion of our products are not responsible for any injuries or
health conditions that may result from advice, opinions, and programs represented in this
program or any of our training programs or other products. The information on this website and
in the training program are the opinions of the author and are not a replacement for medical
advice. You should consult a physician before starting any diet or exercise program. If you
choose to follow the program without consulting your physician, you are doing so at your own
risk. We claim no responsibility for any injuries you might sustain. The opinions and assertions
contained herein are the private opinions of the author and are not to be construed as official or
reflecting the views of the Department of Defense.

This is a modification of Pavel Tsatsoulines Total Package strength and conditioning template
(www.strongfirst.com). This is for the tactical operator who needs strength, conditioning (metabolic
conditioning or METCON), and endurance. When you are training several fitness components at once,
you must simplify. This is a simple, but effective program that will allow you to excel at all 3 fitness
components without overtraining. This is a quality over quantity approach. The program template is
sustainable, over the long haul, while leaving enough energy to work on the numerous other training and
operational contingencies of the tactical athlete. If your conditioning program leaves you too exhausted
or too sore to do your day to day job, it is time to reevaluate! Also, for the tactical athlete, the strength
and conditioning program should not be the training element with the highest risk for injury day in and day
out. The job is hazardous enough without adding a high risk conditioning program. The keys to the
effectiveness of this program are:
1. The right dose of METCON. Excessive METCON will cook your central nervous system and can
interfere with strength gains. METCON in itself is not an effective way to gain strength. It should be
trained separately from strength if possible.
2. Big bang for the buck strength. Strength training is loaded movement. If the movements are
chosen carefully, very few exercises are necessary. A program that uses big bang for the buck lifts for
the 5 basic movements (1. Upper body push, 2. Upper body pull, 3. Squat, 4. Hip hinge, 5. Core) ensures
that there are no weak links. This is not a bodybuilding program. It is an athletic performance program.
We dont train by body parts; we train movements, loaded movements.
3. Manageable workload overall. You cant do 2 hour gym sessions, frequent as many rounds as
possible or as fast as possible METCON sessions, and endurance training simultaneously without
crashing headfirst into stagnation, overtraining, and injury. Improving your performance (rather than
trying to test yourself in the gym every day) is not about what you can do, but it is rather about what you
can absorb and recover from. The true test of the tactical operator is not how hard he can be in the gym.
The true test is whether he can put his ego aside and commit to a smart training program. It is easy to be
hard, but it is hard to be smart. Be smart.
The weekly template is below. You may move the Wednesday and Saturday endurance sessions to
Monday and Thursday to free up some off days. If you do this, perform the endurance portion after the
strength portion, preferably later in the day after a rest period. Two basic templates are below:
7 Day Per Week Template

5 Day Per Week Template

Mondaystrength

MondayAM strength, PM endurance

Tuesdayconditioning
Wednesdayendurance

Tuesdayconditioning
Wednesdayoff

Thursdaystrength

ThursdayAM strength, PM endurance

Fridayconditioning
Saturdayendurance

Fridayconditioning
Saturdayoff

Sundayendurance

Sundayendurance

Strength
Monday and Wednesday consist of two types of lifts, heavy grinds (i.e., deadlifts, bench press, pull ups,
presses) and heavy quick lifts (i.e., heavy kettlebell swings, heavy kettlebell snatches, and Olympic lifts).
On the strength days, you should focus on heavy lifts and the 3-8 repetition range. Varying the repetition
range within this bracket makes sense. Sometimes you should focus on heavy singles and doubles for
the quick lifts and heavy triples for the grinds, and other times you should use lighter weights (but still
heavy) for 5-8 reps. The loading should be wavy. This can be done rather randomly as you feel, or
systematically. Pick one exercise for each movement. 3-5 sets are about right. If you are doing singles,
you may do more sets (i.e., 10 X 1). Dont rush through these workouts. Take plenty of rest to ensure
that you can move big weights with proper form. Heavy ab work belongs on the strength days as well:
get-ups with a big kettlebell, hanging leg raises, hard style sit-ups, loaded carries etc.
Monday: 3 movements, squat, vertical push, pull, core
Tuesday: 3 movements, hip hinge, horizontal push, pull, core
The most effective exercises for these movements are below. Those with an * are the best of the best.
Upper Body Vertical Push:
*Standing Barbell Military Press (officially called the
"Press")
Overhead dumbbell or kettlebell press
Handstand pushup
Push press
Jerk
Horizontal Push:
*Loaded or ballistic pushups
Bench press
Dumbbell press
Pushups (loaded if necessary)
Dips
one arm dumbbell bench press
Upper Body Pull:
*Pullups
Dumbbell or barbell rows
Batwings
Body rows
Standing cable column rows

Squat:
*Back squat
Front squat
Lunge
Split squat
Box step up (loaded if necessary)
Overhead squat
Zercher squat
Goblet squat
Clean squat
Hip Hinge:
*Deadlift (sumo and regular)
Stiff legged deadlift
Romanian deadlift
*Heavy kettlebell swing
Glute Ham
Hyperextensions
Good mornings
Powerclean
Snatch (bar and kettlebell)
Core
*Loaded carries (i.e. Suitcase carry, farmer's walk)
*Plank
Windmill (kettlebell or dumbbell)
Turkish get up
*Ab wheel roll out
Dead bug or hollow rock
Hanging leg raise
Chops
Sledgehammer work
Tire flips
Bear crawls

Add a short (5 min) stretching session after the workout. Focus on shoulders, hamstrings, calves, hip
flexors, chest, and gluteus.
Conditioning (METCON)
Tuesdays and Fridays are all about high rep ballistics (swings, snatches, cleans, jerks) and METCON.
Barbell Olympic lifts are a risky way to do METCON. Kettlebell or dumbbell variants are much less risky.
Save the barbell Olympic lifts for the strength sessions. High rep in this context means 10-20. The

conditioning effect will come from keeping your rest intervals brief. Drive your heart rate up and keep it
there. Always use perfect form. Never compromise movement quality for effort. Note that the sessions
are brief, about 10 minutes. High quality, brief sessions are best for METCON. Some examples for
Tuesday/Friday are below. Feel free to create your own with these principles in mind.

Sample METCON sessions:

Kettlebell one-arm swing510 per arm.

45 lb ruck stair climb (up and down for 10 min)

Kettlebell one-arm jerk510 per arm.

US Secret Service 10min kettlebell snatch test.

Barbell complex: clean, lunge, push press (2 X 5

minutes)

Kettlebell double snatch5, 20, 10, 15.

1 minute jump rope, 30 seconds pushups (X 8)

Kettlebell double C&J3 x (10, 15).

Double kettlebell jerk2 x (10, 15, 20).

Car push (8 X 1 minute with 30 seconds rest)

Double kettlebell clean2 x (10, 15, 20).

10 Burpees, sprint 45 yards (x 4)

Turkish get ups (10 minutes)

Bear crawl (2 X 5 minutes)

Box jumps (8 X 1 minute with 15 seconds rest)

Sand bag get ups with bodyweight (2 X 5 min)

5 sand bag get ups, 25 pushups (X 6)

You get the idea. These are whole body, strength integration movements. When you are done with this
short workout, spend 10-15 minutes stretching from head to toe. Focus on shoulders, hamstrings, calves,
hip flexors, chest, and gluteus. You might also add some foam roller work. This part is just as important
as your workout. Maintaining joint mobility is essential for long term joint health.
Endurance
For the tactical athlete, endurance generally means moving under load. You never move in a tactical
situation in shorts and running shoes. Loaded movement is primarily about strength, but you need some
run ability also. The foundation of the run program is two run sessions and 1 ruck. There are two weekly
run structures that are alternated in an A/B/A/B/A/B fashion.
Run Plan A
Run Plan B

VO2 Max Intervals

Long Run

Tempo Run
VO2 Max Intervals

Long Ruck
Heavy Ruck

If you are approaching a run testable event (i.e., PFT or PRT) and want to sharpen up performance for
the run, drop the ruck for 4-5 weeks and substitute a long run for the long ruck and a tempo run for the
heavy ruck. When the run test event is over, go back to the original template.
Long Run: This is a steady pace effort. It is not hard and it is not easy. It is the natural pace you would
fall into if you went out for a long but comfortable run. This is not easy pace. If you had to constantly hold
yourself back, that would be easy pace. Steady is comfortable but you would not describe it as easy. For
those who train with a heart rate monitor, steady would be approximately 70-80% of your maximum heart
rate. With steady paced runs, you dont run harder over time, you run faster at the same effort level.
You can do this by keeping your heart rate in your target steady zone. As you become fit, you will have
to run faster to achieve the same heart rate. If you dont have a heart rate monitor, you will have to pace
based on effort. Keep the effort steady and eventually your steady pace will get faster and faster.

Remember; do not increase the effort of steady runs. Steady pace is also 1:35 to 1:45 (minute: seconds)
per mile slower than your best 3 mile run pace. Gradually stretch the distance of the long run. The length
depends on your overall run goals.
Tempo: This is 10K race pace. This is definitely harder than steady pace but not your max pace. It is
also sometimes described as threshold pace. It is about at 90-95% of your max heart rate. This is about
:25 -:35 (:seconds) per mile slower than your best 3 mile run pace. You can either use heart rate to pace
your tempo intervals, or you can periodically race a 10K and use pace. The effort should feel hard but it
is not a maximal effort. A tempo run consists of some easy running and some time spent at tempo pace.
This is usually done as easy, tempo, easy, tempo, easy. The total time spent at tempo pace for a run
ranges from 10 minutes to 40 minutes with tempo intervals from 5 minutes to 40 minutes (i.e., 2 X 15, 5 X
5 min, or 2 X 20 min). Start with 10 minutes at tempo pace (i.e., 5 min easy, 5 min tempo, 5 min easy, 5
min tempo, 5 min easy) and work your way to 40 minutes (i.e., 4 X 10 min with 5 min easy recovery jog in
between or 2 X 20 with 5 min easy recovery jog in between).
VO2 max Intervals: Lots of people call these track intervals. That is because they are usually done on
the track. Heart rate is a poor way to pace these intervals because they are too short. It takes your heart
rate 2-3 minutes to reach steady state at a new run pace. As a result, you will be done with your interval
before your heart rate catches up. That is why it is best to do these on the track or on a course with
marked distances and use pace to deliver the right intensity. The most common distances to do these
are and mile repeats. These are done at your 1 mile race pace. They are tough! VO2 max intervals
are done with a 1/1 work/rest ratio. For example, if the work interval takes 3 minutes, the rest period is 3
minutes. What should you do during your rest interval? You should rest! Seriously, you can jog slowly or
walk or whatever it takes for you to recover. The point is to recover. Run these hard and push the pace.
However, the ideal session would have your pace on your first and last intervals the same. If you are
fading in your last intervals, you are going too hard. Always leave a little gas in the tank and finish felling
like you could have done another one or two. VO2 max intervals are potent medicine. You dont need
many. These intervals are best done on a track. If you don't have a track, mark out a 3/4 mile straight
section of road. Mark every 1/4 mile. Find a friend with a bicycle that has a bike computer/odometer if
you do not have a GPS or measuring wheel. Your car odometer is not accurate enough. If you are in the
military and on base, you can usually borrow a measuring wheel from base gym. An appropriate number
of mile intervals for a training session would be 6-8. For mile intervals, an appropriate dose would
be 3-5. More than that would likely be counterproductive. Intervals are potent medicine. Just a little is
enough.

Rucks
The ruck plan alternates a heavy ruck and a long ruck. The idea is to use progressive overload to increase the distance and the load. We never
run with a ruck in training, even if we expect to have to run with a ruck in testing and in a tactical situation. Running with a ruck is just too risky.
The exception is a few short sprints at the end of a ruck session. If you do some sprints, do only a handful and start slow then build. The standard
ruck training pace is 4 miles per hour (15 minutes per mile). Go a bit faster if you can. Research studies have shown that heavy rucks transfer
performance to long rucks but long rucks do not transfer much performance to heavy rucks. The best plan is to alternate heavy and long rucks.
However, if you are time constrained, just do the heavy rucks, because much of that fitness will still transfer when you have to go long. A sample
ruck training progression is below.

Sample Ruck Plan

Week

Week 1-3

Week 4-5

Week 6-7

Week 8-9

Week 10-11

Week 12-13

Week 14-15

Week 16-17

Week 18-19

Long Ruck

20%
bodyweight,
60 minutes

20%
bodyweight,
70 minutes

25%
bodyweight,
60 minutes

25%
bodyweight,
70 minutes

25%
bodyweight,
80 minutes

30%
bodyweight,
80 minutes

30%
bodyweight,
100 minutes

30%
bodyweight,
110 minutes

30%
bodyweight,
120 minutes

Heavy
Ruck

30%
bodyweight,
3 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

35%
bodyweight,
2 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

35%
bodyweight,
3 X 10 min
intervals
with 5 min
rest.

35%
bodyweight,
3 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
2 X 10 min
intervals
with 5 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
2 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
3 X 10 min
intervals
with 5 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
3 X 12 min
intervals
with 3 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
3 X 15 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

Note: Go fast without running on the rucks. The idea is to move swiftly, but efficiently with a heavy load. Do not run. If you
experience any aches or pains, drop the load and build back up slowly.
Sample Ruck Plan
Week

Week 20-21

Week 22-23

Week 24-25

Week 26-27

Week 28-29

Week 30-31

Week 32-33

Week 34-35

Week 36-37

Long Ruck

30%
bodyweight,
130 minutes

30%
bodyweight,
150 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
120 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
130 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
150 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
160 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
180 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
190 minutes

35%
bodyweight,
200 minutes

Heavy
Ruck

40%
bodyweight,
3 X 15 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

40%
bodyweight,
3 X 15 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

45%
bodyweight,
2X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

45%
bodyweight,
3 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

45%
bodyweight,
2 X 15 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

50%
bodyweight,
4 X 5 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

50%
bodyweight,
2 X 10 min
intervals
with 5 min
rest.

50%
bodyweight,
2 X 10 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

55%
bodyweight,
4 X 5 min
intervals
with 2 min
rest.

Note: If you are experienced and are currently training with a ruck, you can start somewhere after week 1. Where you start depends
on your current condition. Highly conditioned individuals might start with week 20.

Summary
A sample week looks something like:

MondayBack Squat, Barbell Overhead Press, Weighted Pull-ups: 4 X 5 reps, Plank (2 min
hold X 2), 5 min stretch
TuesdayUS Secret Service 10 min kettlebell snatch test, 10 min stretch, foam roller
WednesdayRun 7 X mile intervals
ThursdayHeavy Kettlebell Swings, Weighted Pull-ups, push-ups with resistance bands: 5 X 3
reps, Loaded carries: 3 X 30 steps, 5 min stretch
Friday10 Burpees, sprint 45 yards X 4, 10 min stretch
SaturdayRun 5 min easy, 10 min tempo, 5 min easy, 10 min tempo, 5 min easy
SundayRuck 35% bodyweight 150 minutes

This simple structure leaves time and energy for you to work on tactical skills (i.e., climbing, swimming,
martial arts etc.). Remember, this program is about building fitness, not testing yourself in the gym. This
is not about what you can do, but rather about what you can absorb and recover from week in and week
out.
Notes: For tactical athletes it makes sense to focus on various versions of pull-ups for the upper body
pull. You should be training pull-ups like any other strength exercise and adding weights as necessary to
stay in the proper rep range. However, if you have a pull-up test coming up, you can drop the weight 4
weeks out and focus on increasing repetitions. Although bench presses are a great upper body push
exercise, loaded push-ups are much better for tactical fitness. Push-ups also include whole body bracing
and core strength. The disadvantage of push-ups is that they are more difficult to load. Elevating your
feet, wearing a weighted vest, using resistance bands or moving to one arm pushups are all good
strategies to effectively load pushups. If your job involves jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, it
makes sense to add some plyometric jumping to your program. They can be added to either the
conditioning days or the strength days. It is OK to turn it up a notch beyond this template from time to
time to train for a school, an operational contingency, or to attempt a particular fitness goal. A 4-6 week
intense focus period from time to time is beneficial. However, returning to a sustainable template after
that time period makes sense. If you want your body to last, you must take a long term perspective on
fitness. A long term perspective is not incompatible with performance, and in fact, it is necessary for
sustained performance. One last thing Dont eat junk. High quality training requires high quality fuel.
It is literally half the battle.

About the Author

Mike Prevost earned a PhD in exercise physiology from Louisiana State University in
1995. He specialized in muscle physiology and metabolism. Throughout his college
years (10 years total) he worked as a personal trainer in various gyms and fitness
centers. He has trained athletes for many different sports including triathlon, ultra
running, surfing, power lifting, bodybuilding, mixed martial arts, football, basketball and
more. After finishing his PhD, he took a commission in the U. S. Navy as an Aerospace
Physiologist in the Navy Medical Service Corps. While serving in the Navy he
developed human performance training material for the U. S. Special Operations
Command. He developed new fitness standards for Navy rescue swimmers. He
served as a consultant to the USMC in evaluating the safety of the USMC Combat
Fitness Test. He also served on a Navy committee tasked with proposing alternatives
to the Navy physical fitness test. He trained thousands of aviators and aircrew on
survival techniques, physiology, and human performance. He also served as the
Director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the U. S. Naval Academy, where he
performed physiological testing of athletes to improve performance, developed the
Principles of Strength and Conditioning Course for all Midshipmen, and served as the
director of remedial fitness training programs. He has over 25 years of experience in
working with athletes.