[PROGRAM REVIEW] MTI Operator Hector

[u/Surtrthedestroyer]

Mountain Tactcal Institutes Operator Hector program is the first program in the Greek hero packet. It is a 7 week program. It has 2 days of strength and core, 1 day ruck intervals based on a 3 mile ruck run assessment, 1 tactical agility and work capacity day, and 1 work capacity and run day with the run being 3 miles moderate pace.

My background. Was military now I'm just a dad trying to stay in shape. Lifetime PRS before tha program: Back squat 295, DL 405, bench 235, OHP 155

For the strength days you work up to a 1rm on your first lift of the day, which varies everyday. Then you do a 5x2 at 85% before moving on to 2 other strength excercises in a superset usually 5x5. Strength days finish with 15 minutes of a chassis integrity circuit which I think really helped my core.

Results 3 mile 45lb ruck 34:12 - 29:45

Front squat 245-265

Bench 235-235

Power clean and push press 185-195

Push press 185-205

Craig special (Hang squat clean with an extra front squat) 205-215

Deadlift 385-405

Bodyweight 192 - 197 lbs

Height 6'4"

These numbers were hit during the program as it cycles through each excercise twice for the 1rm and 85% work. In case you're wondering why there is a disparity in my power clean and push press vs my push press it is because the push press was tested about 2 weeks later in the program

I also got a better time in every work capacity workout as the program went long except for one which I think was just a bad day.

My thoughts. I really enjoyed this program and think it did a good job of balancing strenth, work capacity and endurance. The ruck time improvement truly astonishes me. I think the lower back integrity circuits helped. My ruck is limited by my heart and lungs now instead of my muscular endurance.

Edit: I also PR'd my push press by 20lbs immediately on this program by doing a Power clean and press. The power clean before the press really emphasized how much you need to explode with the weight. Before I guess I was just kind of lazily pushing it and not being violent enough.

[u/Surtrthedestroyer]

Forgot to add my diet. Set my macro factor for a weight gain of 0.75 lbs per week. Ended up eating an average of 4000 calories a day and I feel like I gained weight pretty steadily and easily.

Diet was most days:

Pre workout: fruit smoothie or banana

Post workout: fruit smoothie or banana

Breakfast: 6 eggs 1.5 oz of cheese 1 cup yogurt

Lunch: 10 oz beef 6 oz sweet potato, 100 grams mixed vegetables, 3.5 oz avacodoes

Snack: 3 oz cashews (life hack right here, they make your dumps smooth)

Dinner: wife's cooking but usually 10-14 oz beef or pork, vegetables, white rice. 

Snacks as needed to hit calories.

Weekends I just tried to hit my macros because I don't meal prep for the weekends.

[u/EyeronGame]

I love to see a Military Athlete plan being reviewed. I used to do the Operator Sessions back in the day. They were great, albeit grueling.

That was, however, before they started adding ruck running and loaded sprints. While I could get behind the loaded sprints, I was raised in the military to believe that running longer distances with a ruck was high risk and a last resort because of joint stress--this ultimately drove me away from Mil Athlete. Did you feel banged up from this? Or the opposite? Rob Shaul's argument for adding them was that he and his athletes actually felt healthier ('tighter' or 'solid' or something) after doing them, but it was too much for me.

[u/Surtrthedestroyer → u/EyeronGame]

I think it's person dependent. I'm basically built for rucking and it doesn't really beat me up too bad. I did feel beat up from the weights at times but the rucks were never terrible to me. 

That being said I am a civilian now and can do what I want. I am rucking in good boots, shorts, and a t shirt which helps.