Rokstaff Takes on MTNTOUGH Backcountry Fitness Program

Justin Crossley

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Hey everyone! Have you checked out Rokslide sponsor MTNTOUGH.com yet? Some of the Rokstaff have committed to going through their 90-day backcountry hunter program. I know I needed a kickstart this summer and I'm confident this program is going to help me get in great shape for my upcoming hunts. The other staff members and I will be posting our progress in this thread so don't forget to subscribe and help push us.
 
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realunlucky

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Subscribing and following along. I thought hard about it and will probably regret not doing it but just couldn't give them my $300 right now

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MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab

FNG
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Hey realunlucky; I hear yah, $300 is not a small investment..wanted to make sure you saw our Father's day sale...

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Honoring All Dads

In celebration of Father's Day, we are offering a 10% discount on our online Backcountry Hunter Program until Monday 6/18. MTNTOUGH honors all the Fathers out there, thank you for leading and inspiring your family.

Use promo code "MTNdad" at checkout.

http://https://mtntough.com/pages/mt...hunter-program

MTNTOUGH also proudly offers a significant discount to Professional Guides, Military Members, Veterans, LEO's and First Responders. Email [email protected] for details.
 
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MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab

FNG
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Justin, we can't wait for you to start the MTNTOUGH program. We know it will make a tremendous impact this fall. Look forward to following along on your progress!
 
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Justin Crossley

Justin Crossley

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Background

I'm a manufacturing manager for Boeing. I get to work at 4 am and typically leave at 2 pm. Normally just Monday through Friday. My job is not physically demanding at all and every year it gets harder and harder to stay in shape. After about a 1.25-hour drive home I have Rokslide editing to work on 2-3 days a week depending on how busy we are. On top of that, I'm part owner in a drive-through espresso stand so I spend a varying amount of time managing that or picking up supplies. With all the free time I have left over during the week, I drive my 15 yo daughter to and from her clubs and coach my 12 yo son's basketball or baseball teams.

One area I struggle in is getting enough sleep. I typically get to bed between 9-10 pm and I get up every day at 2:30 am to start over again. At work, we rotate weekend duty between the managers and this weekend is one of mine so it started at 2:30 in the morning like a typical weekday.

Well, I got home from work today and decided there was no reason to delay. I logged into MTNTOUGH and watched the video for day 1 and headed to the gym.

Here are my starting stats: I'm 36 years old, 5'10" tall, weigh 183 lbs, and have about a 32" waist (I wear 32x32 jeans).

I don't remember the last time I worked out so I knew it was going to be tough. I play basketball most Sundays for about two hours and that's the only consistent exercise I get. The warm-up went well and I was feeling pretty good. Then I started today's workout called The 22's. I made it through the first half mile run at a 14 min/mile pace and then completed the first superset. I was dizzy by the time I finished it. My legs were starting to cramp, and my arms were jello from the push-ups. I did the next half mile run at a 12 min/mile pace and decided I would call that good for the day after the cool-down.

I'm thinking I may have to do the first week twice but we'll see how the next four workouts go.

One more note. I started my day with two scoops of MtnOps Ignite which is typical for my drive to work. I ate an apricot Clif bar for breakfast and two servings of MtnOps AMMO blended with almond milk for lunch. I was tired by the time I left at 1 pm so I had two more servings of Ignite on my drive home before I hit the gym.
 

ItemB

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Going to be following. Can this be done with just a bench and dumbbells or does a guy need a gym membership? I live in a small town without a gym. I do have a bench and 10-90lb adjustable dumbbells, I know certain exercises especially leg focused ones would be limited. But its what I have right now. I have been thinking of adding onto my garage to get a squat rack and other things but will have to wait until funds allow or I out grow these dumbbells and get serious enough working out.
 

Matt Cashell

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I am in. I will start next week, after I get back from a fishing trip.

Background:

I am a 39 year old father of five. I work full time (plus), and over the years generally stay in good shape by working out (weights and/or HIIT), running, biking, snowshoeing, etc. from 3 to 5 times a week. However, this occasionally yo-yos from consistent workouts and really good shape to inconsistent workouts and not-so-great shape. I am currently in a not-so-great lull, so this is a great time to get mtntough!

We will see how it goes!
 
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Having trained 1 on 1 with Dief and the MTNTOUGH crew for a little over a year I can honestly say that it’s worth every penny. Backcountry hunting is a complex discipline with several factors playing into the mental and physical preparation of a hunt. I have never seen a program that properly addresses every facet of training for a hunt in such perfect detail. I’ve never felt better in the mountains and I know I will be more focused on all of my hunts this year as a result of being less focused on how difficult they are. Good luck to everyone who is starting the program!
 
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Justin Crossley

Justin Crossley

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I completed day two today after work. It went much better for me than yesterday. Today's workout consited of the standard warmup and then a six machine, six hundred calorie cardio workout for time. The goal for begginers is 60 minutes or less and I was happy to complete it in 54 minutes. I actually felt pretty good throughout and think I could have pushed a bit harder but I wanted to complete the workout at a steady pace, without taking breaks. Looking forward to tomorrow!
 

Ryan Avery

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I am 42 and FAT! I don't workout much at all so this should be really fun

Just completed day one and it kicked my butt

77f569fb7d6a0771f70315316d25f27a.heic
 
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Matt W.

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I did Day 1 today and it was a rough one.... I have consistently battled cramps the last few years and today was no exception. Going to hydrate up today and get ready to take on tomorrow. I am with Justin, I might have to do week 1 a few times before taking on week 2!! : )

I'm 5'11" 168lbs and wear a 32x32 pant. I'm not to concerned about my weight as much as I am about ensuring that the weight I am carrying is more muscle. I think 165-170lbs is not a bad spot for me to be, just want it to be the right pounds....

I ran out of my MTN OPS Yeti, so waiting on that to show up. Its been a my go to pre-workout, get me up and going, drink for a few years now. Sits on my stomach better than coffee before a work out. I plan to add MTN OPS Ammo drinks as a meal supplement during the day as I need more calories to gain muscle. I also like using the MTN OPS Phenix. Might be all in my head, but I feel I recover quicker using Phenix than without. Throw in a daily multi vitamin as well and that's my process.

What are you all eating along with the program? Figure some of us are trying to gain some bulk, some are trying to slim down, and some are trying to do a little of both, and all have different approaches to this.. ??

I plan to do a light breakfast after the workout, some healthy snacks mid morning, lunch, then the ammo mid afternoon, and a healthy dinner (my wife cooks pretty healthy). Going to cut out soda as much as possible and work to limit my snacks to fruits, veggies, nuts, etc..
 

Gorp2007

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For those of you who have started the program, what are the equipment/environment requirements? I'm getting ready to a few months getting into shape, but I'll be in a desert with no access to mountains so if the program relies heavily on rucking up and down hills I'm going to be out of luck.
 

Matt W.

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This was a common question and the below is from Dustin @ MTN Tough

2) Here’s a List of Equipment You’ll Need

What equipment do I need?

Many guys wrote in asking if they could do the Backcountry Hunter Program from their “home gym”. The answer is... it just depends on what equipment you have. Our program is pretty robust. We know that many of you don’t have the time or money to pay for a personal trainer to work with you 5 days a week for 12 weeks (which would cost you in the range of $3000) so we’ve designed an extremely powerful 12 week program – built, tested, and executed by our team – that you can run on your own at a fraction of the cost. With that in mind it will require some equipment.

Here’s some of the equipment you will need in order to get the most out of this program. You can definitely substitute some items and we’ll try to help you with that but to get the most out of the program we recommend the following:
* A full set of dumbbells ranging from 10 pounds to at least 80 pounds ( Don't need the larger dumbbells if you have a bench press with plates)
* A standalone bench
* Squat rack (you can substitute dumbbell exercises for the squat rack type work but, again, there are some limitations)
* A barbell or trap bar and around 250 pounds of plates
* Cardio machines (like treadmills, stationary bikes, rowers, stair masters, etc) – we recommend a variety but, again, you can substitute for these workouts and we’ll try to help you with that.
* A cable machine
* Leg extension machine (we have modifications for this if your gym doesn’t have one)
* Pull up bar
* Step ups or box jump platforms


One of the things you also need (in my limited experience so far) is a gym that has enough space for you to do some floor exercises. For example jump squats, etc. The gym I joined does not have as much floor space as I would prefer, so getting there early and getting my work outs in first thing is going to be key.
 
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Question on The 22's workout: For renegade rows, how are you counting reps? Does each arm count as it's own rep, or is "right arm row, left arm row" one rep?

I did the workout last weekend. It was tough, but do-able, until I got to the renegade rows. I counted both arms as one rep, and I really started slogging.
 
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Justin Crossley

Justin Crossley

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Day 3

I was feeling pretty tired after a 9-hour day in the office, but I drank a shot of Ignite when I got home and hit the gym. Glad I did. I was very tight all day at work and through this afternoon's warmup. Once I got into today's workout, "The MTNTOUGH Ibex" I felt pretty good. I had to reduce the weight on the quad extensions, but I completed the entire workout without a break in 44 minutes.

After the cool down stretching I felt really good even though my legs are toast.

I've also switched up my eating habits and am trying to eat a small amount of healthy food every two hours.




 

Ryan Avery

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Just finished day two. WTF do you do if your so sore you can’t physically put your shoes on?? Asking for a friend.


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Tanya Avery

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Ryan and I just completed day 2 and the pain I am in definitely rivals my hip surgery post-op pain, lol!

Background:
I am 5’5” and weigh 130 am pds. I only work out occasionally and am obviously very out of shape!

Day 1: was grueling and I had real concerns about my ability to do this program. I hate to exercise and was downright angry during the workout. I agree with whomever said there should be a warm-up to the warm-up!

Day 2: I am pretty sore today but pushed through it. It was a lot better today in a lot of aspects but still very challenging. The workout took me about about 1 hr. 25min. Which was about 20 min longer than Ryan. I am scared for tomorrow’s soreness

This program has slapped me in the face with the realization of how bad I need to stick with it.
 
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