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LAW ENFORCEMENT

SWAT/SRT Ruger: Slight Strength Emphasis

  • 7-week, 5 Day/week, training cycle with a slight strength emphasis
  • This is a multi-modal training plan which in addition to strength, trains work capacity, endurance, tactical agility and chassis integrity (core)
  • This training plan is one of the 450+ Plans included with an Athlete’s Subscription.

$49.00

One of 450+ Plans included in the Athlete’s subscription

Description

OVERVIEW

Ruger is the 1st Plan in our “Gun Maker” packet of plans for full-time LE SWAT/SRT.

Ruger is a 7-week, 5 Day/week, training cycle with a slight strength emphasis. This is a multi-modal training plan which in addition to strength, trains work capacity, endurance, tactical agility and chassis integrity (core).

This is Version 3 of the plan, updated December 2024.

FITNESS ATTRIBUTES

Strength
Ruger’s strength work deploys MTI’s “Density” strength progression methodology. Density is an efficient, percentage-based strength progression that has been deployed in MTI programming for several years. The method begins with a strength assessment, and then uses the athlete’s initial assessment results for the follow-on progression. Ruger’s version of Density progression is barbell based, and built around the following strength training exercises:

Weeks 1-3:

  • Front Squat
  • Bench Press
  • Hinge Lift
  • Weighted Pull Ups

Weeks 4-7:

  • Back Squat
  • Push Press
  • Walking Lunge
  • Weighted Chin Ups

Ruger trains strength two days per week, Mondays and Thursdays.

Work Capacity
Ruger deploys 9-13 minute work capacity efforts, 1x/week.

Chassis Integrity
Ruger deploys ART (Anti-Rotation, Rotation, and Total core exercises) and Low Back core circuits (3x low back/extension exercises). You’ll chassis integrity circuits 2 times per week on Tuesdays and Fridays. These circuits are 15 minutes long.

Tactical Agility
Ruger deploys 3 of MTI’s tactical agility drills to train this fitness attribute. You’ll train these drills once per week.

Endurance
Ruger deploys a 3-4 mile, unloaded, moderate-pace run, on Wednesdays.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

  • Monday – Strength
  • Tuesday – Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity
  • Wednesday – Endurance
  • Thursday – Strength
  • Friday – Tactical Agility, Chassis Integrity

REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

Ruger requires a fully outfitted functional fitness gym with barbells, bumper plates, racks, dumbbells and/or kettlebells, plyo boxes, pull up bars, sandbags, etc.

COMMON QUESTIONS

What if I miss a day?
Begin where you left off when you return to training. This program is progressed – each session builds upon the prior session – so don’t skip a session or skip around. Follow the training sessions in order, regardless.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I print out sessions to take to the gym?
Yes – you can print a week of programming at a time.

More Questions? Email: coach@mtntactical.com

Required Equipment

"Wanted to make a quick comment on your programs. To preface, they are awesome.

I am a Tactical Paramedic in Canada and Provide Direct Medical Support to Tactical Teams. Fitness wise it’s lots of crazy hours, call ins, rucking weight, stair climbs with weight and then being able to perform sometimes complex medical tasks and utilize psychomotor skills following a duration of physical work.

I have been on and completed the MTI FBI HRT and SWAT selection programs and I am doing the SWAT/SRT Ruger for the 2nd time. The results are great, from a functional fitness point of view. I am almost 48 y/o and have no problem completing these tasks and sometimes completing them seemingly easier than some much younger than me. I have found that doing them outside during the year in all temps has been beneficial. As an example I did the Tac Sepa outside today and it’s pretty cold and snowy but I think this has been to my advantage as this is the same environment and temp that I operate in.

Just wanted to pass on how great I think the programming is."

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"I’m a former soldier from the Canadian Armed Forces standing at 5’9” and 170lbs soaking wet. I spent many years refusing to pay for training plans or trainers. I learned to work out on my own, with friends, the military and followed copy-pasted plans that I would find in a google search. When I fell on Mountain Tactical Institute’s website some years ago, I told myself.."No way in hell that I would pay a monthly fee for this”. Boy was I wrong! I gave it a shot, thinking: If I can spend money on my Netflix and Amazon Prime account, I could do it for this. I’m now going into law enforcement and chose to follow the SWAT/SRT Ruger training plan. I’ll let the numbers speak for themselves.

Week 1  /  Week 7 / Progress

Front Squat 1RM 135 / Front Squat 1RM 200  / 48.15%

Bench Press 1RM 175 / Bench Press 1RM 225 / 28.57%

Hinge lift 1RM 265 / Hinge lift 1RM 340 / 28.30%

Max rep pull-ups 25 / Max rep pull-ups 26 / 4.00%

My progress was mind-blowing! I now look back, regretting that I didn’t sign up years ago.Do yourself a favour, whatever your fitness goal is, follow their plans to the T and you’ll walk out a better athlete both physically and mentally."

 

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"Ruger requires a fully outfitted functional fitness gym with barbells, bumper plates, racks, dumbbells and/or kettlebells, plyo boxes, pull up bars, sandbags, etc, a track or running area with known 3 mile and 1-mile distances, and a repeating countdown timer (smartphone will work)."

Sample Training

Monday - Session 1: Strength Assessment

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds:

  • 8x Front Squat (start at 45/65# and add weight as you warm up)
  • 3x Scotty Bob (15/25#)
  • 8x Hinge Lift (start at 25/35# and increase load as you warm up)
  • Instep Stretch
  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:

Front Squat 1RM:

  • Work up to 1RM Front Squat:
  • Add 10-30# to your finishing warm-up load and do 5 reps.
  • Add 10-30# and do 3 reps.
  • Add 5-30# and do 1 rep. Continue adding weight until you reach your 1RM. Aim to be at your 1RM by your 4th or 5th single.

Bench Press 1RM:

  • Work up to 1RM Bench Press:
  • Follow the same progression as the front squat to reach your 1RM.

Hinge Lift 1RM:

  • Work up to 1RM Hinge Lift:
  • Same progression as above.

Weighted Pull-Up 1RM:

  • Work up to 1RM Weighted Pull-Up:
  • Do 1-2x pull-ups to warm up, then use a backpack and add weight. Continue until you reach your 1RM.

Cooldown:

  • Foam Roll Legs, Low Back

Tuesday - Session 2: Work Capacity, Chassis Integrity

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds:

  • 8x Goblet Squat (12kg)
  • 8x Hand Release Push-Ups
  • 5x Box Jumps (20”)
  • Instep Stretch
  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:

9-Minute AMRAP:

  • TAC SEPA Tactical Burpee Box Jump Drill (walk back to start).

2 Rounds:

  • Hip Flexor Stretch
  • Hip Switch

Wednesday - Session 3: Endurance

  • Warm-Up: None
  • Training: Moderate Pace Run - 3 Miles

Thursday - Session 4: Strength Progression

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds:

  • 8x Front Squat (start at 45/65# and add weight as you warm up)
  • 3x Scotty Bob (15/25#)
  • 8x Hinge Lift (start at 25/35# and increase load as you warm up)
  • Instep Stretch
  • Lat + Pec Stretch

Training:

Use the results from Session 1 Strength Assessment:

Front Squat Warm-Up:

  • 5x Front Squat @ 50% 1RM
  • 5x Front Squat @ 70% 1RM
  • 5 Rounds Every 90 Seconds:
    • 4x Front Squat @ 80% 1RM

Bench Press Warm-Up:

  • Same structure as the front squat progression.

Hinge Lift Warm-Up:

  • Same structure as above.

Weighted Pull-Up Warm-Up:

  • 1x Pull-Up (unloaded)
  • 1x Weighted Pull-Up @ 50% 1RM

5 Rounds Every 90 Seconds:

  • 3x Weighted Pull-Up @ 80% 1RM

Cooldown:

  • Hip Flexor Stretch
  • Shoulder Dislocates

Friday - Session 5: Tactical Agility, Chassis Integrity

Warm-Up:

4 Rounds:

  • 8x Squat
  • 8x Hand Release Push-Ups
  • 4x In-Place Lunge
  • 4x Prone to Sprint
  • Instep Stretch

Training:

4 Rounds:

  • TAC SEPA 5/10/15 Sprint Complex (slow walk back to start).

15-Minute Grind:

  • 10x Hip Bridge (65/95#)
  • 15x Standing Founder

2 Rounds:

  • Toe Touch Complex
  • 30-Count Dead Hang (from Pull-Up Bar)

Notes:

  • Dead hang stretches shoulders and back. Hold for 30 seconds at a moderate pace.
Testimonials

6/20/22

I’ve completed Ruger for the SWAT Gun Maker and I’m on week 3 of Glock.
I’ve been on a SWAT Team in Florida for 9 years now. I’m currently a Team Leader and a Sergeant.
We train twice a week and have around 4-5 missions a week. That much time spent in kit takes a toll on your body. I know for a fact that your programs have added longevity to my SWAT career. I’m currently 37 years old but I feel like I’m in my 20’s. I wish I would have discovered your workouts sooner.
I tell everyone about the workouts and their benefits. Long call outs in 100° weather and fast pace high risk search warrants come easy now.
I plan on doing all 5 Gun Maker programs. I wanted to thank you for what you do and for giving my career more time.
I’m not sure if you’ll actually read this or not but I do truly appreciate what you and your team do.
Thanks a lot for your time.
Why MTI?

1)  Mission Direct

Gym numbers mean nothing. All that matters is mission performance. 

To this end, MTI’s fitness solutions and programming are not boxed in by convention, tradition, orthodoxy, public opinion or any other artificial constraint driven by inside or outside forces.

We begin with the raw fitness demands of the mission and build a fitness solution which directly prepares the athlete for those demands.

2) Fitness Solutions Built from the Ground Up

MTI’s programming is not “re-tread” bodybuilding, football, CrossFit, kettlebell, strength or general fitness programming. We’ve built our fitness programming for mountain and tactical athletes from the ground up.

The Fluid Periodization methodology we deploy to concurrently train multiple fitness attributes is completely original and has continued to evolve and improve over the years.

Our mid-section training methodology, Chassis Integrity, is also original, as is our endurance programming, 7 strength training progressions, tactical agility, and work capacity programming.

Our mountain sports pre-season training plans, tactical PFT, selection, school, course, and fitness improvement training plans across military, LE and Fire Rescue are MTI-developed, tested and athlete-proven.

Over the years hundreds of athletes and coaches have taken our advanced programming and unit fitness leader programming courses and MTI is widely recognized within the mountain and tactical professions and fitness media as a thought leader in fitness programming for military and tactical athletes.

3) The MTI Method

→ Research: MTI begins program design with extensive research of the fitness demands of the mission, sport or event, identifies the exercises and progressions which sport-specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the training plan.

→ Deploy & Assess: We deploy the training plan “Lab Rats” at our Wyoming facility. Training session and cycle issues are identified and fixed as we work through the training plan. Post cycle we assess the programming’s effectiveness and efficiency. We keep the stuff that works, and fix or toss the stuff that doesn’t.

→ Publish & Assess Again: Plan is published for purchase as an individual training plan and made available to our subscribers. Feedback/results are assessed.

→ Iterate: We take what we learn from lab rats and athletes, re-visit, update and improve already published training plans. Several of our individual training plans are on their 4th or 5th version.

4) Mission-Direct Research

MTI exists to “Improve Mountain and Tactical Athletes mission performance and keep them safe.” To that end, we have developed a unique research methodology aimed at identifying real world areas of improvement and identifying immediately deployable mission-direct solutions. Click HERE to learn more about MTI’s Mission-Direct Research methodology, and Here to read about just few of our research efforts.

5) Field Proven

Our stuff works. Weekly we receive unsolicited reviews of our programming and testimonials to its effectiveness.

6) Programming Breadth

MTI’s library of 200+ sport-specific fitness plans for mountain and tactical athletes is unmatched. Resources range from specific programming for tactical special forces selections, to specific plans for climbing Rainier and Denali, to general fitness solutions such as running improvement, to post-rehab from injury.

Over the past decade, MTI has partnered with hundreds of athletes throughout their individual mountain and tactical careers, and provided fitness solutions as they face new mountain objectives, tactical schools, selections, PFTs and deployments, and came back from injury.

7) Worldwide Influence

Our work is not limited to US Athletes.

We’ve developed selection-specific training plans for Canadian, UK, Australian and German Special Forces Selections and worked with individual military personnel from Scandinavia, South, and Central America.

Canadian, Australian, UK and western European law enforcement and fire/rescue athletes have used MTI programming for mission-direct fitness.

On the mountain side, Alpinists from Japan to Slovakia have consulted with MTI and used MTI’s programming to prepare for mountain objectives.

8) Mission Performance beyond Fitness

MTI’s exists is to improve Mission Performance for mountain and tactical athletes and keep them safe. 

This focus on “mission direct” solutions, enhancements and improvements drives our work and research and extends beyond fitness solutions to include training, leadership, gear, team culture, and safety. 

Fitness is just one area of our work.

Our non-fitness research has included tactical cultures, combat uniforms, and gore-tex performance, and effect of stress on marksmanship.

Our work on defining what it means to be a Quiet Professional has had penetrating influence and driven healthy conversations with both mountain and tactical professionals.

9) Direct, Honest, Clear Answers

Since 2007 we’ve taken and answered dozens of questions weekly from mountain and tactical athletes. We’ve saved these individual Q&A’s and now thousands are archived on our site.

We’re not salesmen, and our answers are noted for their directness, honesty, and clarity. Our stuff isn’t for everyone. If we can help, we’ll let you know. If we can’t, we’ll let you know that, too.

– Rob Shaul, Founder

 

All of the Above is Backed Up By Our Promise: Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

Our Stuff Works. Guaranteed.

By Rob Shaul

I received notes frequently from athletes hesitant to purchase a subscription or training plans asking me to sell them on why they should make the purchase.

While I understand the question, I’m not a salesman – so I can’t put a hard sale on anyone for our programming.

I can tell them the process we go through to design our programming.

We begin with extensive research on the fitness demands of the event, identify the exercises and progressions which sport specifically meet those demands, chose end-of-cycle goals, and program backward to design the plan.

Then we test the cycle on ourselves and our lab rats here in Wyoming. We document, note what works and doesn’t work, re-assess, and make changes and modifications.

Then we publish the programming in the form of one of our plans or as part of our subscription daily training sessions for tactical and mountain athletes.
We don’t stop there – our daily programming is the “tip of the spear” for our programming evolution. We use these sessions to learn and make continuous improvement.

As we learn more and improve, we go back, and update the sport-specific training plans on the website. For example, we’re currently on Version 5 of our Ruck Based Selection Training Plan and Version 3 of our Dryland Ski Training Plan and Version 4 of our Big Game Back Country Hunting Training Plan.

We understand our programing isn’t cheap, but we believe it’s a great value. The $79 for the Ruck Based Selection Training Plan, and $39 for the Dryland Ski Training Plan reflect the, research, work, innovative theory, iteration, testing and feedback we’ve put in and received to make these plans effective.

All that matters for us is outside performance, and we feel strongly that Our Stuff Works in the real world.

Here’s our guarantee:

1) Individual Training Plan Purchase:
If you purchase an individual training plan, follow it as prescribed before your season/event/pft/selection, and if you don’t feel you were physically ready for your season/event/pft/selection, and/or didn’t see dramatic improvements in your early season performance, we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

2) Athlete’s Subscription
If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

Questions?
Email: rob@mtntactical.com

Common Questions

COMMON QUESTIONS:

Do you have any reviews or testimonials from athletes who have used your Athlete's Subscription
Yes. Click HERE.

Is it true you guarantee your stuff works?
Yes. If you purchase an Athletes’ Subscription, follow the training sessions as prescribed, and are not satisfied with the quality of the programming, notify us within 30 days of purchase, and we’ll refund your money, no questions asked.

How is MTI programming different than CrossFit?
This is a common question. Read our answer HERE.

You have a lot of competitors. Why should I choose MTI?
MTI is driven to improve mountain and tactical athletes' mission performance and keep them safe. This emphasis and focus on mission performance sets us apart. Read about more that sets us apart HERE.

If I purchase a plan or subscription, how do I access the programming?
All of our plans are online, accessible via username and password.
You can log in through our →Website  or Mobile App →IOS and Android.

Do you have downloadable .pdf's of the training plans?
No. But you can print the programming, by week, from your browser. You access individual training plans online via a username and password.

Do you have a mobile app?
Yes, we do. Available for IOS and Android.

What is the difference between purchasing an individual training plan, packet of plans or an Athlete's Subscription?

  • Plan - Like purchasing the DVD of the first Star Wars movie. You own it forever, including any updates we make to the plan.
  • Packet - Like purchasing the DVD's of all the Star Wars movies. You own them forever, including any updates we make to the plans.
  • Athlete's Subscription - Like subscribing to Netflix. You get access to all 200+ plan in our library, but lose access if you unsubscribe.

If I purchase an Athletes Subscription Can I cancel on my own, anytime?
Yes.

Do I have to contact MTI to cancel or can I do it myself?
You can do it yourself. Instructions HERE.

If I purchase a subscription and have questions about where to start or what plans(s) to use for my goals, will you help?
Yes. We answer dozens of training questions from athletes weekly. Email coach@mtntactical.com.

If you add new plans or update existing plans after I subscribe will I have access to them?
Yes. We are continuously adding training plans and packets (2-5/month) and updating plans. With your subscription you'll have access to all new plans, new courses and plan updates.

What Equipment is Required?
Click the "Required Equipment" tab to find out what equipment is required for the specific plan you are interested in.

Where do I find unfamiliar exercises?
See our Exercise Library HERE. The Run and Ruck Calculators are listed as exercises.

What about nutrition?
See our Nutritional Guidelines HERE.

Can I see sample training?
Click the “Sample Training” tab to see the entire first week of programming. You are encouraged to do it before purchasing.

What if I have more questions?
Email rob@mtntactical.com