I wanted to travel to Prague to see my dad, and spend some time with him - stage 4 cancer patient, fighter by all means. These are the moments when you realize that missed workout, spilled protein powder over the kitchen desk, or past due electricity bill is mere fly on the shoulder of dying bull. Seeing once healthy man full of vitality crawling through the house, coughing, trying to remember where his coffee cup is. Todays workout is simple, but has to be painful. To remind me, you, what pain really feels like. The Task: 500 Burpees. The Execution: Any style Burpees, anyhow, but as fast as possible. Notes: it's a gargantuan task for many. That's the point though. Once you finish it, you'll be proud of yourself as fuck. Any missed training day won't bother you anymore.

After Zone 2 run, and few pushups, it's time to crank up some heavy load lifting. Following Jason Brown's Function Conjugate principles - Max Effort day is here. Full Body strength session to build robust base, and rigidness. Exercise selection is specific to tactical athlete demands. The Task: 1A) Back Squat - 5+ sets of 4 reps at 70% 1RM 60s rest between exercises 1A) and 1B) 1B) Bench Press - 5+ sets of 4 reps at 70% 1RM 3 mins rest 2A) Supinated Pull Ups - 3 sets of 8 reps at 70% 1RM 60s rest between exercises 2A) and 2B) 2B) Zercher Lunges - 2 sets to failure at 70% 1RM 3 mins rest 3A) 100 cals on AirBike AFAP - as fast as possible The Execution: - Intensity is the peaking tool used seasonally to up the race performance in near proximity to the race itself. Tactical Athlete needs to be read 24/7. Every day can be his race day, so there's no peaking phase. Instead we use higher volume, and gradual increase in submaximal weight to stimulate strength increase. - Intent and execution of every rep is the name of the game. Every rep has to be as powerful as possible. - It's essential to terminate the work before the force starts to decline. In other words: finish stronger than you were in the beginning of the training - Supplemental submaximal work is included to stimulate, and simulate Tactical Athlete occupational demands: pull-ups and lunges. - Brisk alactic work in the end of the workout serves a Finisher to put together trained movement patterns, and simulate the severity of tactical scenarios - high speed at lactic threshold.

The Task: Run 5k (10k advanced) + 100 dead-stop pushups The Application: After previous Active Shooter Drill day of hard running and carrying, easy jog and antagonist push pattern comes as a balancing tool improving recovery, and general fitness preparedness. Execution: - Easy jog in Zone 2. Use MAF method to determine proper HR span. 180 - your age = top range. For me at 41 years of age: 139. Overshoot to 150 occasionally is nothing to worry about. Don't be overthinking it. - If you don't use heart rate monitoring device, use the Talk Test. If you can't talk in full sentences, you're running to hard. Slow down. - Pushups are done in dead-stop manner. In other words: hand release pushups. A Game Changer. Stiffen the entire body, squeeze the buts, harden the core, and make every rep count. - Split the pushups into 5-10 'at the time' chunks, or by the time chunks: do 5 push-ups by every 5 minutes running, 10 by 10 minutes running, etc, you get the idea right? - Record total time. Always. Keep the training dairy to see the progress/regress to adjust the training doses properly. - In case of bad weather - suck it up and execute. Who gives a fuck about falling droplets. Progression: - Add 10 push-ups by every minute your total training time improves. - If you're unable to perform 100 hand-release pushups within the run, do regular 'pump-out' ones. If you're not able to do even those, do as many as you can within the run, and complete the rest by the end of the day. Reasoning: - Covering 5k distance in Zone 2 intensity takes enough time (in untrained individuals) to elicit Aerobic Capacity (Mother of Performance) training effect. - Ability to pump-out 100 hand release pushups is plain badass. Especially when you train yourself up over time to subsequent 200-300 reps in single session.

If you're a cop, you need to train for this.. I've just returned from week long Active Shooter Course aimed at an Incident Management. It was eye opening in terms of physical strain I've gone through. Any mass shooting incident will have you dragging feet after hours of intense life-saving procedures that are inevitable part of such event. Train for strain. It will save a lot of lives. The Task - video below: Sprint to a an active shooter location, orient, and engage. In the aftermath, transport injured civilians to medivac checkpoint. Execution: 5 rounds of A) Run 200 yards/metres, then perform B) 30 6-count burpees C) 30 reverse lunges with 35 kilograms of weight on your frame D) carry that weight back to the starting line. Set up: place the weight implement (sandbag, kettlebell, barbell...) 100 yards/metres away from your starting line. Get back to the starting line and execute the workout. Guidelines: - Use any training implement that allows for the weight to be securely placed upon your frame, be it on you back, chest or shoulder. Think of sandbag, kettlebell, dumbell, barbell, rucksack. - You can change implement positions throughout the rounds, i.e.: sandbag bear hug, then cross-back, then shoulder left/right, etc... - Running to a point of contact should be fast but controlled - scanning the surroundings for possible threat. 200 yrd/m corresponds with the average distance tactical operator should cover from vehicle to a hot zone. - Burpees, and lunges simulate physical demands of an actual search-and-neutralize phase. 6-count burpees are done without a jump after you stand up. - Every rep should be done with an absolute precision. Quality work, not the speed, is crucial here. - Suitcase carry is preferred as it simulates you carrying the stretcher with an injured civilian. - If the stretch of 100yrds/m metres isn't aviable, choose any distance but run it in a shuttle fashion, covering 200 yrds/m in total. - Then perform the loaded carry part of the workout in the same manner. - Why 5 rounds? The number represents five casualties carried to medical checkpoint - the number when you start feeling the intensity of an event - Warm-up properly. 5-10 minutes light jog/ride, 5 minutes of bodyweight exercises on rotation - squats, pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, flutter kicks...