MOPs & MOEs

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠ We have experts (including Rachele!) standing by to answer your questions.When we hit record on this conversation, we thought it would be a single episode focused on bridging the gap between academia and practice, but we quickly realized that Rachele had a wealth of information to share. This will be part 1 of a 3 part series, and it all revolves around science communication. Some specific topics include the roles of different professions within human performance, lifestyle medicine, supplements, and the challenges of making sure research is relevant and useful.Rachele Pojednic, PhD, EdM, FACSM, is the Director of Scientific Research & Education at Restore Hyper Wellness, an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University and the Director of Education at Stanford Lifestyle Medicine. In addition, she serves as a Research Associate at the Institute of Lifestyle Medicine at Harvard Medical School and is an award-winning Instructor at the Harvard Extension School. Previously, she was a tenure-track faculty member at Norwich University and Simmons University.For the past decade, Dr Pojednic's work has examined nutrition, supplementation and physical activity interventions on muscle physiology, performance and recovery, as well as muscle related chronic disease. She has received research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and the Vermont Biomedical Research Network (VBRN) an NIH IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) program. She has published extensively on vitamin D and cannabidiol (CBD) supplementation and their effects on skeletal muscle in health and disease, muscle physiology and aging with a focus on sarcopenia, physiologic metrics of muscle recovery in warfighters, the effects of nutrition and exercise interventions on diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, and educational models for healthcare professionals focused on nutrition and exercise.Dr. Pojednic received her PhD in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition & Exercise Physiology from Tufts University. She also holds a Masters in Education in Physical Education and Coaching from Boston University and a BS in Cardiopulmonary and Exercise Science from Northeastern University. She holds a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification from National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is board certified Health Coach from the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC).

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠join our Discord!⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This is a quick hits episode! Instead of spending an hour on a specific topic, we hustle through a series of hot topics that either address current events, add to previous episodes we've done, or just don't quite make the cut for a full episode of their own. These topics include:- Athletic Trainers in the military- The nomination of Casey Means for Surgeon General- The validity of the Standing Power Throw- Some concerns with the new combat standards- Are frequent changes to fitness standards a problem?- How the side shuffle got added to the sprint drag carry- Do alternate cardio events need full scoring scales?

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic!To continue the conversation, join our Discord! We have experts standing by to answer your questions.One of the classic problems with tactical strength and conditioning is that, unlike many athletic settings, you can't assume a common baseline level of fitness. Even in combat arms units, it's normal to have extremely wide ranges of fitness levels in the same unit. The same platoon might have powerlifters, distance runners, and gamers who would rather not exercise at all. In this episode Nate Palin joins us to share some lessons learned about navigating this challenge. He has coached diverse populations ranging from civilians to special operators, all of whom have influenced his current perspective. We touch on a number of important topics: Novelty in training can significantly impact engagement Barbells are not always the primary tool in tactical trainingEngagement and enjoyment are crucial for participation in trainingCoaching relationships are essential for effective training outcomesLifestyle conversations often take precedence over strict programmingReal-time monitoring can enhance training effectiveness and safetyPerformance programs focus on pushing limits, while wellness programs aim to elevate the baselineWellness and high performance are interconnectedTactical professionals have diverse roles beyond physicalityKnowledge sharing is vital for effective coachingMotivation is a leader's responsibility, not just a coach'sHard work remains the foundation of success in training

On the week's episode we're getting "clickbaity with integrity" in the words of our guest, Dr. Alyssa "Lyss" Olenick. Between her social media presence as @doclyssfitness and her powerhouse training business The Lyss Method she's a big deal as both a coach and a science communicator. We've been working on getting her on the podcast for over a year, and she definitely delivered. You'll hear about everything from her husband's hair journey to training for Hyrox to running ultramarathons. As far as credentials, Lyss has a bachelors in health science from Lockhaven University, a masters in exercise physiology from Western Kentucky University and a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Georgia where she looked specifically at sex differences and female metabolism. She also holds a CrossFit level 2 certification and she's a Certified Sports Nutritionist through ISSN.If you like what you hear, she offers a ton of great content including both free and paid resources. Training programs, a newsletter, blog articles, ebooks, and more.

We first became aware of the story at the heart of this episode over three years ago. Details were scarce at the time, but we knew that heat casualties had been a major issue for units at Defener Pacific... except for one company that was completely unaffected. And as it turned out, that company had been doing afternoon physical training to deliberately prepare for the heat (plus leveraging H2F experts to optimize the training). Our guest for this episode was the commander of that company at the time, and he provides a ton of insight into how good training management left his company with zero heat casualties while the battalion experienced 45. MAJ Christian Wardynski is an Instructor of Economics in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy at West Point, which he also graduated from in 2014. After graduating Engineer BOLC, Chris served in the 54th BEB, 173rd IBCT in Vicenza, Italy as a Light Equipment PL, Sapper PL, and BN Air Officer. Most recently, he served as the Company Commander for Bravo Company, 37th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. Chris holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from West Point, a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago where he also served as a fellow at the Pearson Institute. Chris and his wife, Jackie, have four daughters.He also provided a bunch of clarifying notes that we'll share here:He said the DoD vs. VA alignment is a Principal-Agent Problem, but as he described it, it would probably fit the definition of a negative externality better - the DoD's decisions to "overuse"/ or under-rehabilitate soldiers impose uncompensated long-term healthcare costs on the VA (and thus the taxpayer); same for the current commander not considering the cost savings of proper rehabilitation/physical resiliency of soldiers for the next commander. Regardless, both principal-agent issue and externality issue apply. You can tell by this correction that he's a true econ instructor...For additional context on the heat acclimation they started in May 2021, they had Company STX the second week of June and he initially started reverse cycle PT to see if it'd help soldiers with performance during the STX event. They executed 9x ESB-style lanes focused on individual soldier and engineer tasks, and covered over 30 miles under load in 24 hours. As a bit of risk management for the event, he mandated that all soldiers had to eat at least the main meal of the MRE and a side, or three sides total if not eating the main meal, as well as the entire salt/electrolyte packet every four hours during the event. If they found any soldier who ate less than the required amount, it would result in a summarized article 15 (if there were no extenuating circumstances). It was on the TLs to decide if they needed to eat more frequently and if they wanted to eat on the move or not. Team leaders led their own teams movement through all the lanes and to each station. This provided a great opportunity for them to exercise some initiative and leadership. Surprisingly, zero heat casualties during this crucible event for the ~80 soldiers that completed it, despite a peak ~95 degree heat index in that timeframe. Regarding Defender Pacific, when he arrived to his company assembly area after the jump, his soldiers looked utterly unphased and appeared completely fresh. The BN TF, however, had about 45 heat casualties by that time. After the BN TF mission was complete, they had a 7 mi ruck to the training area where they'd rest overnight, and his soldiers handled the movement without any issue whatsoever. He did note that they did not have a very hard follow on mission, whereas most other companies in the BN TF had some pretty physically arduous movements/follow-on missions.

This one is a bit of a current events episode. We're diving into two hot topics in Army human performance:First we dig into the ongoing drama around cutting Athletic Trainers from H2F teams, including the efforts to reverse the decision. This touches on everything from contracting policy to the difference between measuring performance and measuring effectiveness. Embedded Athletic Trainers in military settings have some of the best evidence for effectiveness (including saving more money than they cost), but that's not always how decisions get made.Then we break down some of the changes from the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) to the new Army Fitness Test (AFT). Specifically, we take a look at the pros and cons of the Standing Power Throw and the the impact of switching select close combat jobs to sex-neutral fitness standards.We mentioned a few resources/links in the conversation, so here they are:Petition to members of Congress and senior military leaders to retain Athletic Trainers in the H2F programArticle from an infantry OSUT battalion commander highlighting the value of Athletic Trainers within H2FKristen Griest's speech at West Point Founders Day 2021, focused on sex-neutral fitness standards for combat roles

Michael Moss is the author of the #1 NYT bestseller Salt Sugar Fat that rocked the processed food industry (which has been so impactful that it's still in print a decade later, now in 22 languages). He is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist formerly with the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and a trusted keynote speaker to global audiences. His latest bestselling book Hooked explores addiction and free will in battle with corporate interests.He has been a guest on shows like CBS This Morning, CNN The Lead, All Things Considered, and the Daily Show to discuss his work, which has ranged widely from exposing the corporate interests in nursing homes to the Pentagon's failures in providing soldiers with armor, to the food industry in the context of health, safety, nutrition, politics, marketing, and the power of individuals to gain control of what and how they eat.He lives with his wife Eve in Brooklyn, where they've raised two boys.If a whole book is a little too much of a commitment for you, you can also read this article version in the New York Times.Salt Sugar Fat on Amazon.Hooked on Amazon.

On Monday the Army announced some major fitness testing changes that include removing the Standing Power Throw (SPT) and introducing sex-neutral standards for 21 "close combat" military occupational specialties (MOSs). These changes are marked with a shift from Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) to the new name: Army Fitness Test (AFT). In this episode we break down the changes and some of the most frequently asked questions with CSM Raymond Harris, the Command Sergeant Major of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), the command responsible for ACFT/AFT and H2F. Command Sgt. Maj. Raymond S. Harris assumed the responsibilities as Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia on Sept 29, 2023.He enlisted into the Army on March 20, 1996, as an Infantryman. He attended One-Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He has served as a rifleman, machine gunner, automatic rifleman, Bradley gunner, team leader, squad leader, platoon sergeant, first sergeant, and command sergeantmajor.Some highlights from his extensive bio:He has served in infantry battalions across Fort Riley, Vilseck Germany, Fort Cavazos, Fort Benning, Hawaii, and Fort Campbell. He was a member of The Old Guard. His Brigade and higher level assignments have been with 165th Infantry Brigade at Fort Jackson so basic training, 3rd SFAB, 1st Infantry Division, and V Corps. He has deployed in support of the Kosovo Campaign, Operations Enduring Freedom Cuba and Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation EADR (European Assure, Deter, and Reinforce) ISO Ukraine. CSM Harris is a graduate of all levels of the NCO Education System, U. S. Army Sergeants Major Academy Class 64.His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, Bronze Star Medal with one OLC, Meritorious Service Medal, and all of the campaign medals and chest candy badges you would expect based on his assignments and deployments. CSM Harris is married and has two children.

In 2016 the American Heart Association called for Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF), generally measured using VO2max, to be included as a vital sign. They said:“The underlying premise of this statement is that the addition of CRF for risk classification presents health professionals with unique opportunities to improve patient management and to encourage lifestyle-based strategies designed to reduce cardiovascular risk.”In this episode we discuss the arguments made and evidence cited in that statement, as well the update published in 2024.If you're the type to want follow up citations/further readings, here are a few that we found interesting (but you can find many more cited in the two statements linked above):People over 60 can still improve their VO2 by just as much as young people, relative to their baseline.Here's where you'll find the normative values from the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND) that we discussed.And before you ask, we also briefly address the classic "strength vs cardio" debate. Here are some studies we used to support it:Association of Resistance Exercise with Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality (yes, we understand that CVD is probably not the right place to look for strength training benefits)Optimum dosing of resistance training for health and longevity

This episode is all about identifying the right approach to endurance training for different types of athletes. Some people are genetically predisposed to strength and power, while others are built for stamina. While most of us fall somewhere on a spectrum between the two, knowing your athlete archetype can help you determine your optimal approach to training. This episode is built on Drew's blog post from a month ago, so if you need some written examples of what we discuss you can refer to that.Some key topics we address:Strength and power adaptations are largely neurological, while endurance adaptations are largely physiological. As a result, intensity is the key training variable for strength and power, while volume if the key to endurance.We return to a frequent topic on this podcast, which is the energy systems model routinely found in strength and conditioning education classes.Zone 2, who it's appropriate for, and when. Alternate cardio modalities (like biking, rowing, and swimming) and how they fit into training when the primary focus is often running.The classic "training residuals" chart that appears in so many textbooks, and just a few of the reasons it's probably not accurate for most people.

The human performance community often focuses on physical fitness at the expense of other domains. Recent holistic approaches have improved the ways we address other domains, especially nutrition, mental health, and spiritual fitness. A weak area in many of these programs is financial fitness, and Life Skills for Soldiers is working to fix that. Financial fitness is a dedicated domain in the DoD's Total Force Fitness model, but it's often treated as separate from the "performance" focused domains. Our guest on this week's episode is Brendan Duebner, a former artillery officer who served at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and deployed to the Middle East. He served as a headquarters and HIMARS platoon leader and as a liaison officer to the Kuwaiti Artillery forces.During his last year in the Army he started Life Skills for Soldiers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to improve service members lives through life skills education. Through this organization he has led a team of over 25 and raised over $150,000 including donations from companies like Nike and Google.After leaving active duty he completed his MBA at Wharton where he focused on Entrepreneurship and Finance, and he still serves as a member of the Army Reserve's 75th Innovation Command. In the spirit of measuring effectiveness, Brendan's team also publishes impact assessments from their pilot programs.

This episode covers a lot of ground. On the heels of last week's episode where we had to edit out our discussion of women in special operations, that's exactly where our conversation this week starts. We originally connected with our guest because of his LinkedIn post about a woman in her senior year at the Naval Academy who has been selected to attend BUD/S, but we quickly move on to focus on how mindfulness fits into human performance. Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned consultant and mindfulness and meditation teacher. He was born in South Africa but grew up in Ruston, Louisiana.After graduating high school, he served briefly as an enlisted sailor in the US Navy before receiving an appointment to the US Naval Academy and graduating from there with a BS in mathematics 4 years later. He also has a Master's degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School.During his 24-year Navy career Jon served in Iraq, Afghanistan, off the coast of Somalia, and in Panama.After retiring, he served briefly as the Deputy Executive Director for the veteran nonprofit, Veteran's PATH. He now runs a podcast called Men Talking Mindfulness; does keynote speaking engagements on developing leadership, grit, and resilience; and owns his own consulting company, Frogman Mindfulness. In all three roles, his desire is to improve cultures and individuals through mindfulness, meditation, vulnerability, and compassion.Jon's wife, Beka, also served in the Navy and is now a civilian Orthopedic Physician Assistant. Together, they are the proud parents of three children, and after an adventurous 6 months as a family in an RV, they have settled on a small farm in Colorado Springs.

CSM JoAnn Naumann planned on serving one enlistment in the Army to get a clearance and learn a language so she would be competitive for the Foreign Service. 28 years and 14 deployments later she's now the USASOC Command Sergeant Major.We originally got in touch because she appreciated our episode with Alyssa Clark where we talked about ultra marathon running. CSM Naumann recently completed her first fifty miler at fifty years old (at a pace faster than she's required to run on the ACFT two mile, according to the Army). In addition to hearing about her approach to training, we also discussed her experience with embedded human performance teams in special operations, including the challenges around integrating human performance professionals while preserving NCOs' role in physical training leadership. She joined the special operations community before POTFF was established and has watched it evolve over the course of her career.

In this episode we look at a few pieces of recent research that focus on how knowledgeable both health and fitness professionals and average gym goers are on a variety of topics. We break down the results, but we also challenge the quality of questions the researchers asked in their assessments.We spend the bulk of the time on this survey by researchers from the University of Klagenfurt's (Austria) Institute of Sports Science.We compare it to research done by another Austrian team where they instead focus on health professionals (physical therapists, sports scientists, and coaches).Finally, we discussed a similar study among American health and fitness professionals looking at exercise prescription across a wide range of experience and education levels. We get pretty deep in the weeds in this episode, so tune in if some research discussion is up your alley!

After they complete initial entry training all soldiers are entitled to Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) to help pay for food, but many of them have most of it deducted to pay for meals provided in dining facilities (DFACs). Recent investigative reporting by our guest, Steve Beynon, has revealed striking inconsistencies between how much money is taken from soldiers in the form of BAS deductions and how much money is spent on providing those soldiers with the meals they're entitled to. At many of the Army's largest installations more than half of those funds seem to be getting reallocated, and the Army can't even explain where. From "smoke pit conspiracy" to congressional inquiry, this is a problem that many soldiers have talked about for years, but is just now breaking into mainstream media coverage thanks to Steve's work. He joined us on the podcast to discuss what he's found, and we may have even identified more problems live on air...Steve Beynon is a reporter for Military.com based out of the Washington, D.C., area whose detailed investigations have covered urgent issues impacting soldiers. A veteran of the Afghanistan war with over a decade of experience as a cavalry scout, Steve leverages his firsthand military experience to deliver authoritative journalism. In 2023, Military Veterans in Journalism honored him as one of the top veterans in media for exposing a cult scheme that defrauded veterans of their benefits, one of the largest scams ever to target the military community. This accolade includes recipients from the New York Times and Associated Press. The cult's churches were eventually raided by the FBI. His byline has appeared in Politico, Stars and Stripes, Military Times, American Legion Magazine, National Guard Magazine, Fox 19, Cincinnati City Beat, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. He studied journalism and environmental policy at the University of Cincinnati on a GI Bill scholarship.Steve's original story breaking this news published last month in Military.com21 Senators and Members of Congress signed this letter to the Secretary of Defense demanding answers about this situationSteve published a follow up piece discussing the reaction from Congress and some of the feedback from inside the pentagonHere's the DoD's page about BASWe discussed the Army's budget estimates towards the end of the episode, the military personnel (MILPERS) portion of which can be found hereWe also referenced the DoD's Financial Management Regulation, and the subsistence portion is found in Volume 7A, Chapter 25We also referenced two GAO reports:The first was "DOD Should Formalize Its Process for Revising Food Ingredients and Better Track Dining Facility Use and Costs"The second was "Additional Actions Needed to Implement, Oversee, and Evaluate Nutrition Efforts for Service Members"The law that guides most of this is 37 USC 402And finally, the DoD's overarching guidance is found in DoD Directive 1418.05

1.35 million applicants received a military entrance physical from 2016 to 2020, and about 15% of them received an initial disqualification. More than half of these disqualified applicants sought a waiver, and they were more likely than not to get approved. This whole system can be frustrating and opaque, so in this episode we dive into the medical standards and waiver process with a guest who was deeply involved. Dr. Christopher D. Meyering is a board-certified Primary Care Sports Medicine physician. He attended medical school at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University and subsequently completed his Family Medicine internship and residency training at DeWitt Army Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir, VA. Following a 2-year assignment in Germany, he completed a Sports Medicine Fellowship at the Tri-Service Primary Care Fellowship at Fort Belvoir, VA. He is certified by the American Board of Family Physicians with a Certificate of Added Qualification in Sports Medicine, and he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Meyering retired from the U.S. Army after 21 years of Service which included 3 combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Battalion Surgeon for Infantry, Armor, and Field Artillery units. Several key positions during his career were assignments as the Command Surgeon for the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command which oversees all recruiting and training for the entire U.S. Army; the Command Surgeon for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command which made him the medical waiver authority for the Army; and the Division Surgeon for the 1st Cavalry Division. Dr. Meyering was the Chief Medical Officer for the 2022 and 2024 DoD Warrior Games held in Orlando, FL. Additionally he was the co-medical lead for the 2021 Invictus Games held in The Hague, The Netherlands and for the 2023 Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer for all upcoming DoD Warrior Games and is the Medical Lead for Team U.S. at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. He is the author of multiple peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and published abstracts, and he has presented at international and national conferences and events. He was previously the assistant team physician for George Mason University and covered all collegiate sports. He volunteered medical services at multiple levels and events to include the Marine Corps marathon, the Army 10 miler, the Augusta Half Iron Man Triathlon, All Army Wheelchair basketball, USA National and Golden Gloves Boxing events, Army combatives tournaments, professional fast pitch softball, and Special Olympics. We reference a lot of data from this AMSARA report "Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity"Some other relevant reporting on the issue includes this piece from The War Horse and this discussion of recent changes from AUSACOL (R) Meyering told a story about national media attention on some of his work, and you can find that coverage here

How much do we really know about injury risk and prevention? Our guest this week argues it's less than most people think, so we dive into the state of the research to figure out why. There aren't many people as qualified as Dr. Dan Rhon to discuss the problem of musculoskeletal injuries in the military. He has a bachelors in applied health, a masters in physical therapy, and THREE doctorates: one in physical therapy, one in orthopedic physical therapy, and one in physiotherapy.All of those degrees are a bit ironic because he originally enlisted as an infantry marine because he didn't really think school was for him. That led him to going through marine corps infantry school, the scout swimmers course, the scout sniper course, SERE, and the special purpose recon and surveillance course. So he has military chops beyond his extensive medical qualifications. He's been a hospital staff physical therapist, brigade combat team physical therapist while deployed to Iraq, research center director, USARIEM research fellow, and various faculty and professor positions across a few university and clinical settings.He also lists 174 peer reviewed publications, well over 100 national and international presentations, and $35 million in total funding for projects where he was the primary investigator.

Why are there more MRI machines in Massachusetts than in all of Canada? Why is healthy food getting more expensive faster than processed food? Why does our medical system prioritize providing treatments over improving health outcomes?Our guest this week answers all of these and more, and he's among the most qualified people in the world to take on these questions.Dr. David Cutler is an American economist who is the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University. He holds a joint appointment in the economics department and at Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard School of Public Health, is a faculty member for the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies, and serves as commissioner on the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission.Cutler graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a degree in economics, and then joined the Harvard faculty after receiving his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1991. He has served in the administration of two presidents. His book Your Money or Your Life gives an introduction on the US health care system or you can find a discussion of it in the New York Times Magazine article, "The Quality Cure" Cutler's 2003 study "Why have Americans become more obese?" discusses rising obesity as an outcome of the revolution in mass food packaging.You can find links to his peer reviewed publications hereYou can find links to much of his editorial work here

This week we're bringing you an episode from Part-Time Hitters, where Eric Evans interviewed us about all things military human performance. We discussed H2F, MOPs & MOEs, Leg Tuck Nation, and how to improve performance in the part-time military.Go check out more from Part-Time Hitters and their supporters!Part-Time Hitters Website (a podcast about the reservist life)The Fratty Guard on Instagram (a lifestyle brand for part-time hitters)Friendly Forces Website (a 501c3 non-profit committed to helping reserve component members seamlessly integrate their military service with rewarding civilian careers)

Welcome back to part 2 of our injury conversation. From prevention to treatment, in this episode we're answering all of your questions about anything to do with injuries. We collected these questions from you the listeners (and Instagram followers) and our Physical Therapist John is back to answer everything we didn't get to in part 1. Topics discussed in this episode include: Lower back pain and what kinds of exercise help with it. Tendonitis, especially looking at the achilles and the patellar tendon. John even provides a very specific achilles tendonitis protocol you can use. IT band syndrome, including what aggravates it and what treatments do and don't help. How to build strong and durable hamstrings, as well as what types of activity tend to injure people's hamstrings. Warm ups, specifically looking at how effective research suggests they are, and some specific strategies you can try. And finally we talk about non-physical components of injury rehab, including nutrition, sleep, and the mental aspect.

From prevention to treatment, in this episode we're answering all of your questions about anything to do with injuries. And of course to do that we needed an expert, so our Physical Therapist John is back on pod. He has a background working with human performance teams and currently serves in Special Operations. The primary topics we discuss in this episode are: Bracing, sleeves, and wraps - Do they work? When are they appropriate? Are there any drawbacks? How to decide whether or not to get a surgery. When it's appropriate to push through pain. Inflammation - When is it a good thing? When is it a bad thing? How should it be managed? Most notably, we talk about how RICE is out and PEACE & LOVE is in. Does running cadence affect injury risk? Shin splints - What causes them? How can they be prevented? What should you do if you have them? Plantar fasciitis - Or maybe plantar fasciosis would be more correct? There have been some recent developments here, so we dive into them. Shoulder impingement - Is it real? Do certain exercises cause it? What can we do about it? At that point, we ran out of time. So come back for the next episode if you want to hear about achilles tendonitis, hamstring injury prevention, the biggest risks during injury rehab, and more! We specifically mentioned this article in regards to running cadence: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/stop-overthinking-your-running-cadence/ We also mentioned a bit of research on ACL spontaneous healing, but we'll discuss that further next episode so you'll get the citations then.

Welcome back to part two of our Make America Healthy again breakdown. In this part of the conversation, after wrapping up the last of the key elements of the MAHA platform, we dive into the key personalities. Specifically, we went through many of the participants from "American Health and Nutrition: A Second Opinion," a roundtable discussion hosted by Senator Ron Johnson. It essentially served as a mainstream declaration of MAHA's priorities, and clips featured prominently on social media. Our discussion features the following key players in the MAHA community: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dr. Mark Hyman Vani Hari (Food Babe) Dr. Casey Means and Calley Means Max Lugavere Dr. Jordan Peterson Jillian Michaels Join us as we dive into both the good and the bad of MAHA, with a particular focus on the ways some of these initiatives could positively impact American public health.

We're starting the new year by diving straight into a politically sensitive topic. According to their platform, Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) seeks to drive a transformative agenda by aligning health-conscious, independent-minded voters with candidates who have the ability to disrupt the status quo. This includes prioritizing regenerative agriculture, preserving natural habitats, and eliminating toxins from our food, water, and air. The face of MAHA is RFK Jr., who is the presumptive nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services under the incoming administration. Other key personalities associated with MAHA include Vani Hari (aka Food Babe), Senator Ron Johnson, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Dr. Casey Means, and celebrity trainer Jillian Michaels. Join us as we dive into both the good and the bad of MAHA, with a particular focus on the ways some of these initiatives could positively impact American public health.

This is a rerun of an episode we did a year ago. As our last holiday rerun before we get into fresh content, this one helps to set the stage for our first couple episodes for 2025 which will discuss the "Make America Healthy Again" movement, aka MAHA. You might be surprised that many of our biggest problems today are the results of solutions to the problems we faced a few decades ago. This episode is all about nutrition in America: How did we get here? (Hint: there are actually some very good reasons for all the processed food) What problems is our diet creating? (Hint: it's more than just obesity) And what can we do to start fixing it? That's a huge topic, but our guest is one of the most qualified person to tackle it. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian is a cardiologist, Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Professor of Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, and an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center. Recently he also became the founding Director of the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute. His work aims to create the science and translation for a food system that is nutritious, equitable, and sustainable. Dr. Mozaffarian has authored more than 500 scientific publications on dietary priorities for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, and on evidence-based policy approaches and innovations to reduce diet-related diseases and improve health equity in the US and globally. Areas of focus include defining healthy diets, nutritional biomarkers, Food is Medicine interventions in healthcare, business innovation and entrepreneurship, and food policy. He is one of the top cited researchers in medicine globally, he has served in numerous advisory roles including for the US and Canadian governments, American Heart Association, World Health Organization, and United Nations. His work has been featured in an array of media outlets. Thomson Reuters has named him as one of the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds In 2023, Dr. Mozaffarian was nominated by President Biden to serve on the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition (PCSFN). Dr. Mozaffarian received his B.S. in biological sciences from Stanford University, M.D. from Columbia University. He took his residency at Stanford, and was a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Washington, where he also received his MPH. He earned a Doctorate in Public Health from Harvard. Before being appointed as Dean at Tufts in 2014, Dr. Mozaffarian was at Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health for a decade and clinically active in cardiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He is married, has three children, and actively trains as a Fourth Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. For an overview of the initiatives that the Tufts Food is Medicine Institute is tackling ⁠see their fact sheet.⁠ If you want to learn more about the Food Compass drama that we briefly discuss in the episode, ⁠check out this blog post summarizing the situation.⁠ You can find ⁠the text of the SWEET Act here⁠, which is a proposal to tax sugar sweetened beverages and use the revenue from that tax to fund research on diet-related health conditions.

This is a rerun of an episode from 2022, if you joined us recently it's a great introduction to building smarter physical training plans to improve performance and reduce injuries. We'll be back in a couple weeks with fresh content. Until then, happy holidays! No guest this time, just Alex and Drew trying to answer one of the most commonly asked questions we get here at MOPs & MOEs. Many of you are tactical professionals out there leading your teams without access to professional coaches. Or there are a lot of you training on your own with no guidance at all. So how do you build a plan that will produce results? This conversation will provide you with a few foundational principles you can apply to make sure you're on the right track. We discuss foundational movement patterns, conditioning modalities, frequencies for different types of training, balancing intensity and volume, and more. But we start with the most important thing, which too many people seem to forget: how to set a good goal.

Happy holidays! This is a rerun of an episode we published back in March 2023, but this topic has been getting a lot of discussion again recently so we wanted to revisit it! MOPs & MOEs merch is now for sale on our website! Check out the shop for tees, hoodies, stickers, and more. Job Fransen is a skill acquisition specialist working at the University Medical Centre Groningen in the Netherlands and an adjunct fellow at the University of Technology Sydney's School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation. His research focuses on optimizing skill acquisition in athletes. He has worked with high-performance athletes and individuals from around the world, across elite sport, esports and gaming, and the military. Job is also a skill acquisition consultant, assisting some of the world's best coaches to design practice that optimizes learning across a range of sports, most notably rugby, Australian football, soccer, and basketball. We discovered Job's work because of a preprint article he released that provides extensively resourced evidence to argue two main points: A far transfer of skills is something we all think we do yet it is very difficult to achieve. Instead, we mostly achieve near transfers of skills between very similar or related tasks. Cognitive training is evidenced not to have a far transfer in robust scientific research in psychology, yet numerous tech companies claim to have the ‘next best cognitive or perceptual training tool' for improving sports performance while these transfers are exceptionally difficult to achieve and there is no evidence these tools can even achieve them. In this episode, we start off by defining the concepts of "near transfer" and "far transfer" and then set off on a wide-ranging conversation about how to better deliver actual evidence-based cognitive training. We address the heated debate among researchers in this space, critique some of the popular technologies, and arrive at some pretty valuable insights on how to integrate skill acquisition principles into the ways we train, such as the optimal challenge point model. If this is a topic that excites you, you're in luck. Both ahead of and during our conversation Job pointed us toward a wealth of resources. We'll include links to numerous references below, but if you want to contact Job directly he is very open to that. You can email him at Job.Fransen@gmail.com or reach him on his LinkedIn. References: A critical systematic review of the Neurotracker perceptual-cognitive training tool Near and Far Transfer in Cognitive Training: A Second-Order Meta-Analysis Far Transfer: Does it Exist? Do “Brain-Training” Programs Work? Business leaders praised Lumosity's success then just two years later Lumosity settles for millions and admits lack of evidence for their claims

We stumbled onto Michaela's story because of this hilarious video explaining her pretty traumatic experience. We love a good comeback story after injury, especially when it includes a life being saved by strength training. We won't ruin the whole story, you'll just have to listen to the episode to find out, but there are several valuable lessons in here for both service members facing their own challenges, and for the medical professionals who care for them. The parallels between Michaela's experience and our previous episode with F/A-18E pilot Kegan Gill are astonishing. They both faced the unique combination of physical injury, brain injury, and mental health issues, and they both describe the mental health recovery as being far more challenging than the physical recovery. Find her on Instagram @maneuvering_mic where she discusses everything from aviation to outdoor adventures to resilience.

The year is coming to an end and there are a few topics that we didn't make full episodes out of that we thought were worth discussing. In this episode we hash out: A grab bag of nutrition topics including eating local, raw milk, processed food, and other hot topics in the nutrition space. Fitness during the holidays (or during travel in general). Some moderately spicy political stuff, mostly tied to "MAHA" and what we might see under the incoming presidential administration. Military medical accessions standards (the consequences of MHS Genesis on recruiting, conditions that require waivers, and some recent pilot programs). Tune in for a wide ranging conversation and little light debate. If you're interested in a deeper dive on any of the topics, let us know! Or better yet, recommend an expert guest we can bring on.

This episode continues a theme of bringing on guest's who crossed paths with Alex in the Army and helped shape his perspective on human performance. SGM Jaime Espinoza's career started with troubles involving weight gain, mental health, alcohol abuse, and more. But thanks to help from several people along the way (some human performance professionals, but also just fellow soldiers) he managed to overcome those hurdles and excel professionally. He joined us to talk about how, and how lessons he learned in the process can help improve outcomes for people experiencing the same challenges. Sergeant Major Jaime Espinoza is a native of Azusa, CA. Upon enlisting in the Army in August 2006, he attended basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, followed by advanced individual training at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. After completing advanced individual training, he was awarded the MOS 35F Intelligence Analyst. His assignments, in ascending order, were with HHC 2-6 IN, 2 BDE, 1st AD, Baumholder, GE; Bravo Company, 304th MI, Fort Huachuca, AZ; HHD, 525th MP BN, Guantanamo Bay, CU; HHC, 4 BDE, 1st CAV DIV, Fort Hood; HHT, 1-9 CAV, 1st CAV DIV, Fort Cavazos; HHC, 4th BDE, 1st CAV DIV, Fort Hood; HHC, 3rd BDE, 4th ID Attached to Foundry Fort Carson, CO; Delta MI Company, 299th BEB, 4th ID, Fort Carson, CO; HHD, 1ST IO CMD Land, Fort Belvoir; United States Special Operations Command (USASOC). He has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom(OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). He served in a variety of leadership and technical positions, including Junior Analyst, Targeting Analyst, S2 NCO, ASAS-L Master Analyst, Special Security Representative, Detainee Mail Analyst, S2 NCOIC, Senior Intelligence Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant, Operations NCO, Observer Controller and Trainer, Foundry Instructor, Operations Sergeant Major. SGM Espinoza's military education includes the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 74). Other schools include the Small UAV Course, Army Basic Instructor Course, Foreign Disclosure Officer Course, Military Police Pre-Service Course, Army Space Cadre Basic Course, Master Fitness Trainer Course, Critical Thinking Course, Integrated Data Sources and Enhanced Analytics Course, Information Operations Capabilities, Application and Planning Course, Army Operations Security Program Manager / Officer Certification Level II Course, Anti-Terrorism Officer Basic Course Airborne Course and SERE course. He holds an Associate of Arts degree in Applied Sciences in Intelligence Operations from Cochise College, a Bachelor of Arts in History with a concentration in Military History from Southern New Hampshire University, and a Master of Arts in International Relations from New England College. SGM Espinoza's awards and decorations are the Meritorious Service Medal (2nd Award), Army Commendation Medal (7th Award), Army Achievement Medal (6th Award), Army Good Conduct Medal (6th Award), National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal (1 Campaign Star), Iraqi Campaign Medal (2 Campaign Stars), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,Humanitarian Service Medal, Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal (2nd Award), Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (5th Award), Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon (3rd Award), NATO Medal, Luxembourg's International March of Diekirch Medal, Presidential Unit Citation (2 nd Award), Meritorious Unit Citation (3rd Award), Army Superior Unit Award. He has earned the Parachutist Badge, Army Basic Space Badge, Canadian Jump wings, Italian Parachutist Badge, German Bronze Parachutist, Polish Parachutist Jump wings and Netherlands Parachutist Jump wings, Norwegian Foot March Badge, Driver's badge with wheel and track clasps. SGM Espinoza is a recipient of the Military Intelligence Corps Association Knowlton Award.

One of the toughest challenges in military human performance is how to implement programs that work for reserve service members. With only a couple days a month of direct interaction, how do you improve their health and fitness behaviors the rest of the month? Who better to workshop solutions to this issue with than the Chief of the Army Reserve? Lieutenant General Robert Harter was an H2F skeptic at first (we discuss why), but now he's a believer and trying to mobilize the right leaders and resources to improve human performance for his part time soldiers. LTG Harter was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on August 1, 2024, and assumed the dual role of Chief of Army Reserve and Commanding General, U.S. Army Reserve Command. As the Chief of Army Reserve, LTG Harter is the principal advisor on Army Reserve matters to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army. As Commanding General of U.S. Army Reserve Command, he leads a community-based force of more than 174,000 Citizen Soldiers and 11,000 Civilians – with a footprint that encompasses all 50 states, five U.S. territories, and more than 23 countries across the globe. His previous General Officer assignments include Commanding General of the 81st Readiness Division, Deputy Chief of Army Reserve, Chief of Staff for Army Material Command, and Commanding General, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom). After graduating from Virginia Tech in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication, LTG Harter received his Active Duty commission as a Field Artillery Officer. He also holds a Master of Science degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College. As his initial Active Duty assignment, LTG Harter served as a platoon leader in the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Bad Hersfeld, Germany (deployed to Desert Storm). After branch transferring to the Ordnance Corps, he completed Active Duty assignments with the 101st Corps Support Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and the U.S. Army Munition Center and School, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. LTG Harter then transferred from Active Duty to the Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) program in 1999. His AGR assignments include Support Operations Officer, 55th Sustainment Brigade, Distribution Management Center Chief, 316th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom), and Assistant Chief of Staff, Office of Chief of Army Reserve. LTG Harter and his wife Erin have been married for over 35 years and have three children. They currently live in Stafford, Virginia.

In this episode we're discussing endurance training with an extremely qualified guest with a world class competitive ultra marathon resume. Alyssa Clark is a professional mountain runner, coach, podcast host and training plans director for Uphill Athlete. As a military spouse, running and coaching have been the constants she can bring with her no matter the duty station. She is also a multisport athlete with pursuits in winter adventures including large mountain link-ups through ski mountaineering, Alpinism, and ice climbing with her husband, Codi who is active duty Navy. Alyssa and Codi currently reside in San Diego, CA with their two Italian cats named Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute. To get an idea of the level of competitor she is in ultra running, here are a few of her race performances: 1st female finisher at Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB 2023 1st female finisher at HURT 100 2023 1st female finisher at Moab 240 Race 2022Ran 95 marathons in 95 days in 2020FKT on the 350-mile Pinhoti TrailOuray 100-mile women's winner in 2021 And since recording, she also won the UTMB Puerto Vallarta 100k through Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains, qualifying her for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB). You can find her on Instagram @theory_in_motion We mentioned Uphill Athlete's recent podcast about fasted training, you can find it here.

In our episode with LTG Gilland we mentioned Shawn "Big Tires Rollin" Robertson as a future guest, and now he's here! Shawn is a paragon of fitness (consistent ACFT 600s, 2nd place in the European bodybuilding championship) who is also passionate about organizational psychology. He joined us for this conversation about the role of fitness in leader development and how leaders can enhance the performance culture of their organizations. MAJ Shawn Robertson is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He is married to his lovely wife, Maj Jordan Robertson (USAF) and they have three sons – Ezekiel (6), Ishvi (4), and Zachariah (2). Shawn was enlisted as an 88M before commissioning via the Green to Gold program through the University of Hawaii where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychology. MAJ Robertson also holds a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University and a Master of Arts in Defense and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. Upon completion of the Military Intelligence Basic Officer Leaders Course, he was assigned to the 173RD Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) at Vicenza, Italy. While there, he served as the Assistant Battalion Intelligence Officer for the 1st Battalion, 503RD Infantry Regiment (Airborne), HUMINT and SIGINT Platoon Leader in the Military Intelligence Company, and deployed with 1ST Battalion, 75TH Ranger Regiment as an individual augmentee in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan, serving as one of the Deputy J2s. Following attendance at the Infantry Captain's Career Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, and the Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare course at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, MAJ Robertson was assigned to the National Security Agency, where he served as the Technical Production Operations Officer in the Army Technical Control and Analysis Element, and as the Bravo Company Commander, leading the National Security Agency's Special Operations Detachment in support of combat operations. In our episode with LTG Gilland a few weeks ago we mentioned Shawn "Big Tires Rollin'" Robertson as a future guest, and now he's here! Shawn is passionate about organizational psychology and developing leaders, but he's also incredibly fit (consistent ACFT 600s, 2nd place in the European bodybuilding championship). He joined us in this conversation to discuss how fitness fits into leadership development, and how leaders can improve the performance culture in their organizations. After completion of graduate school and the United States Military Academy's (USMA) Eisenhower Leader Development Program, MAJ Robertson served as the Tactical Officer for a Cadet Company, where he focused on leadership and character development. MAJ Robertson also served as the Aide-de-Camp for the Commanding General and Superintendent of USMA. MAJ Robertson is now serving as a Commander in the United States Army Special Operations Command.

In this episode we're diving into the fundamentals of how to get strong, and our guest is one of the best in the game at taking novices to pretty serious levels of strength. Andy Baker began his career in the strength & conditioning industry in 2001, as an intern while attending Texas A&M University. Like many people in the early 2000s he witnessed 9/11 and thought exercise science lectures might not be exactly where he needed to be, so in 2003, he stepped away from college and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served multiple combat tours in Iraq between 2003-2007. While serving on active duty he continued to coach clients and finished his undergraduate degree in Health & Sport Science from American Military University. In 2007, he opened the doors to Kingwood Strength & Conditioning (now Baker Personal Training) and he has served as the owner and lead trainer for the past 16 years! His clients range from Division I college athletes to people in their 80s! As you'll hear in the episode he's been extensively involved in Starting Strength working with Mark Rippetoe, including co-authoring the current edition of Practical Programming for Strength Training and the Barbell Prescription. He has also competed as a Raw and Drug-Free Powerlifter with the Natural Athlete Strength Association. In 2010, I won the N.A.S.A. Grand Nationals in the 198 lb raw division. My winning total included a 529 lb Squat, 380 lb Bench Press, and 562 lb Deadlift. We didn't work it into today's discussion, but his rebrand from strength and conditioning to personal training has also involved a refocus on older adults and strength training for longevity. As that space grows, he has made some really important contributions to that expanding part of the fitness industry.

To prepare for this episode we challenged each other to bring our top three fitness tests from any military around the world. Globally there are a wide variety of approaches, from extremely simple to extremely complex. A few of the ones we chose have been previously mentioned on the podcast (or on our social media) but others we've never discussed before. We also have a few honorable mentions, including one that isn't from the military at all, but that everyone who is passionate about the history of physical culture should be familiar with. Down the road we might use pieces of these for some audience challenges, so hopefully you've been training!

After two years of waiting, the Pose Method episode is finally here! You've asked what we think of it, here are our answers. Pose Method® is a proprietary method for coaching running technique developed by Dr. Nichloas Romanov in 1977 in the former Soviet Union. Pose clinics have been taught around the Army since 2009 and the newest version of FM 7-22 put Pose into official Army doctrine. In this episode we break down a few key questions: What is the Pose Method? Does the Pose Method work? How did the Pose Method end up in Army doctrine? We are joined in this conversation by Dr. Nick Barringer, who co-authored Gravitational Running and the Tactical Athlete, which analyzed the evidence for Pose Method, among other similar techniques. You can find Pose Method's content on their website and their military-specific website. They also have a YouTube channel called Pose TV that includes a military section featuring numerous endorsements from Army leaders. Some of the research mentioned in the episode: Effect of a global alteration of running technique on kinematics and economy (co-authored by Dr. Romanov, who led the training intervention) A Review of Mechanics and Injury Trends Among Various Running Styles (authored by Army researchers) Thinking about your running movement makes you less efficient: attentional focus effects on running economy and kinematics Smoothness: an Unexplored Window into Coordinated Running Proficiency (we didn't actually talk about this one, but even though he can't describe the findings, Drew is annoying about it so it's in the show notes)

We've been talking about having Ray on the podcast for over a year now. He brings a unique perspective as a former infantry Marine NCO turned strength and conditioning coach. And more importantly, he always focuses his insight on the real issues. The military human performance space is more about building the right culture than dialing in the Xs and Os of workouts, and he clearly knows that. Ramon “Ray” Cossio is a 12-year veteran of the Marine Corps, where he served as an infantry squad leader, platoon sergeant, and martial arts-instructor trainer. During his time in service, he deployed to Afghanistan in 2005 and participated in operation Red Wings, Iraq in 2006 during the “Surge”, and once again Afghanistan in 2011 to Sangin, Helmand Province. For his service Mr. Cossio was awarded two Combat Action Ribbons, three Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals, and a Bronze Star with "V." Following his time in the Marine Corps he received his bachelor's degree in Exercise Science from the University of Houston where he participated in internships with the UH sports performance and the Texas Obesity Research Clinic. He then went on to earn his master's degree in Kinesiology from the University of Texas where he conducted research on e-cigarettes' effect on blood vessel and was member of the Cardiovascular and Aging Laboratory. His professional experience has included roles as a coach, programmer, and operations manager for private “multimodal” gyms Austin and Houston, TX. In 2018 he began working as a contracted strength and conditioning coach for the Army's H2F-Lite program where he had the privilege of working with 40 th BEB, 2-37 AR, and 1AD DSB. Following his time as a coach Mr. Cossio was hired in 2021 as the 11th ADA H2F Program Director, and he continues in that role today.

It has been a long time, but we're back with another "101" episode. This time we're breaking down the considerations involved in assembling a week of hybrid training. If you're in the military, you're already doing hybrid training whether you call it that or not. Frankly, just meeting global health guidelines for physical activity amounts to hybrid training. Every health authority agrees: both cardiovascular and resistance exercise are vital to overall health. But trying to push both to high levels introduces some complexity. That's what we're here to help with. Some key topics we cover include the interference effect, consolidation of stressors, and building assessments into training.

We did a contracting episode a few weeks ago where we aired out a few grievances mostly focused on how strength and conditioning coaches in contracted roles with the military are treated. In that conversation we acknowledged that we have limited experience with contracting, and we were open to having an expert come on and set the record straight.  As it happens, this week's guest is exactly the kind of expert we were looking for. Chris Larkin is LMR Technical Group CEO and Cofounder and his background covers enlisted and officer service in Air Force Special Warfare and extensive involvement in military human performance in multiple different roles. Chris spent 28 years total in the Air Force as an enlisted Combat Controller and Special Tactics Officer, starting to advocate for military human performance initiatives even before commissioning. He served as the first Squadron Commander at the Special Tactics Training Squadron and helped establish the Combat Athlete Program (which pre-dated SOCOM POTFF) working with AF Research Lab and USAFA Human Performance Lab. He had HPO specific facilities built at the STTS and 23 Special Tactics Squadron – some of the first built in the DoD and even ran one of the first ever Human Performance Symposiums (bringing in industry, academia, and other military units to help solve HPO problems). He wrote his thesis at the Joint Advanced Warfighting School (JAWS) on “Combat Fitness a Concept Vital to National Defense” and was an Operational Squadron commander when POTFF came to AFSOC and even deployed HPO staff into Afghanistan to expedite the recovery process. His credentials include a bachelors in Exercise Science, Master Fitness Trainer, ACSM Exercise Leader, and USA Triathlon Coach. He's also an accomplished athlete in his own right. He ran Division 1 Cross Country and Southwest Texas State University. He has represented the Air Force in downhill skiing, triathlon, pentathlon, and Ironman - including 3 Ironman finishes. And he has 3,000 parachute jumps – including numerous demonstrations at events including NFL, MLB, NASCAR.

Dr. Chris Frueh is back for his second appearance on the pod! If you missed our previous conversation with him we dove into the dysfunction at the VA, with particular emphasis on the disability system. Dr. Chris Frueh, PhD is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Hawaii-Hilo. He has over thirty years of professional experience working with military veterans and active-duty personnel, and has conducted clinical trials, epidemiology, historical, and neuroscience research. He has co-authored over 300 scientific publications, including a graduate textbook on adult psychopathology. Recently his work has been intensely focused on a phenomenon called "operator syndrome," a set of complex, interrelated medical-psychological injuries faced by military special operators. This is interwoven with the concept of high allostatic load, but with a particular focus on the types of stresses and exposures unique to the military and combat. Chris' book released just a few months ago, you can pick up a copy here! If you're not ready for the full book but still want to learn more about the topic, Chris published this article in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine laying out the Operator Syndrome phenomenon.

A few weeks ago we got the news that Congress was considering directing the military to investigate the potential for adding creatine to MREs. This spurred a lot of discussion on creatine's effectiveness and dosing strategies, and to really get to the bottom of that we needed an expert. Our guest this week is so much of an expert that he is often referred to as "Dr. Creatine." Scott Forbes is an associate professor in the Department of Physical Education Studies at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada, and an adjunct professor in the faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina in Canada. Dr. Forbes is a certified sports nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) and a clinical exercise physiologist and high-performance specialist through the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP). Dr. Forbes has published over 110 peer-reviewed manuscripts and five book chapters. His research examines various nutritional (e.g., creatine and protein) and exercise interventions to enhance muscle, bone, and brain function in multiple populations, including athletes and aging adults. Bachelors (Kinesiology): University of SaskatchewanMasters (Kinesiology): University of SaskatchewanPh.D. (Physical Education and Recreation): University of AlbertaPost-Doctoral Fellowship (Faculty of Medicine): University of CalgaryInternational Olympic Committee diploma in Sport Nutrition A large portion of the content for this episode was based on his publication "Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show?"

Our guest for this episode has been on Active Duty for over 34 years, with much of that spent in Special Operations, and he's still scoring 600s on his ACFTs. Our wide ranging conversation covers everything from how he's maintained a high level of physical performance across his long career to the role that physicality plays in developing young leaders. We even dig into ideas for improving the health and fitness culture across our country. Lieutenant General Steve Gilland commissioned into the United States Army upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1990. As an Infantry Officer, he served in a variety of tactical assignments in Air Assault, Armor, Mechanized Infantry, Ranger, and Special Operations units. He has served in the 24th Infantry Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 75th Ranger Regiment, the United States Army Special Operations Command, the 1st Cavalry Division, the 101st Airborne Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the III Armored Corps, and the United States Military Academy. Lieutenant General Gilland has commanded at every level up to Division and participated in numerous operational deployments to the Middle East, Africa, and Afghanistan. Prior to assuming duties as USMA's 61st Superintendent, he served as the Deputy Commanding General (Maneuver) of III Armored Corps, Fort Hood (known as Fort Cavazos since 2023), Texas. Lieutenant General Gilland holds a Master's Degree in Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Force Command and Staff College. He has the long list of awards you would expect, plus he has earned the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Expert Infantryman's Badge, Ranger Tab, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and - notably less common than the rest - the Military Free Fall Jumpmaster Badge. Lieutenant General Gilland has been happily married to his West Point classmate Betsy, for more than 33 years. Team Gilland are the proud parents of three children.

Our guest this week is a key player in two important research and policy initiatives. First, she led the Army Comprehensive Body Composition (ACBC) study that led to the recent updates to body composition policy. Second, she leads the Female Elite Warfighter (FEW) research initiative which focuses on identifying the characteristics that make women successful in elite combat training courses. We discuss both of these ongoing efforts in this conversation. Holly McClung is a Nutritional Physiologist for the Military Performance Division at the United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) in Natick, MA. She earned her Master of Science Degree in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire and obtained her certification as a Registered Dietitian through course work at Cornell University and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Holly is dual-trained in nutrition and exercise physiology, holding certifications as a Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics and Certified Exercise Physiologist. On the Military Performance Team Holly functions as a principal investigator leading work in the female Warfighter and special populations workspace. Her work group is focused on designing and implementing research to quantify and model individualized energy and nutritional needs of modern Warfighters. She led the Army's modern body composition study, and her research supports the 2023 updates to the Army Body Composition Policy (AR 600-9). Holly has published more than 45 peer-reviewed publications and holds two patents on a mobile metabolic sensor system intended for personal use. Most recently her attention has been on characterizing the physiological, metabolic, and cognitive profile of elite Warfighters going through the modern Ranger Training Course to determinewhether differences exist between sexes. She also has some really interesting forthcoming research based on the Army body composition study pending publication that we'll keep you guys posted on. And most importantly, she's a member of Leg Tuck Nation. A selection of her publications: "Development and cross-validation of a circumference-based predictive equation to estimate body fat in an active population" "The Rise of the Female Warfighter: Physiology, Performance, and Future Directions" "Physiology of Health and Performance: Enabling Success of Women in Combat Arms Roles" "Physical and Physiological Characterization of Female Elite Warfighters" "Psychological and Sociological Profile of Women Who Have Completed Elite Military Combat Training"

Contracting is a dominant theme in military human performance because so much of the staffing for military human performance teams is handled through large contracts. In this week's episode we break down some of the key issues with defense contracting that make things harder in human performance. If we can't define the value of coaches, "least price technically acceptable" quickly becomes "lowest bidder." And that creates a race to the bottom for coaching salaries. Stricter requirements for coach certification might be counterproductive if pay doesn't increase. We've seen other related professions require higher degrees without the salaries to justify the additional schooling. Personal services contracting only happens within specific exemptions, mostly reserved for medical and special operations. Non-personal services comes with limitations that make it harder to get the right people. It's hard to come up with who is "at fault" for some of the current problems, because these systems are complicated. But we have to have these conversations if we're going to make any progress.

In this wide ranging and long overdue episode we talk about everything from kettlebell training to data literacy. Our guest is something of a godfather in the tactical strength and conditioning space, and if you don't know who he is you're missing out. He's been around the space in both academic and industry roles and is one of the smartest guys in the game. Chris Frankel, PhD, has over 40 years of experience, including significant contributions to fitness, sports performance, and tactical training through his roles in academia, coaching, and instructor development. Dr. Frankel earned his doctorate in health, exercise, and sports science from the University of New Mexico and has developed and delivered evidence-based fitness education worldwide. He is a self-described gym rat and science geek, and he says he's currently fighting the good fight against age-related decline, but based on the handful of sessions where I've trained with him I'd say he's winning. Chris is the Head of Performance Innovation at BeaverFit USA, and if you're wondering how to better utilize Beaverfit equipment at your unit, he'll blow your mind.

In this episode we answer questions submitted by you guys! Topics covered include PED use in the military, NCAA athletes now being allowed to smoke weed, hybrid programming considerations, eccentric training, herniated disc recovery, and more. We discuss several references: This blog post about physical training in the reserve component The first ever study on DOMS from 1902 This blog post on the Heavy-Light-Medium programming method Our fillable, DA form lookalike PT planning guide

Anyone who's familiar with the Army's Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Training (P3T) program has probably heard pretty negative things about it. Historically, women have avoided participating if they can get out of it, and if they can't they've been disappointed by what they got out of it. Our guest on this week's episode is changing that. She's bringing modern human performance to P3T and traveling around the around training leader's on up to date principles and methods. Kelsey Mathias is a pelvic health Occupational Therapist. Her career has been spent in private practice and working with U.S Military Service Members and Veterans. She currently works as a contractor supporting the U.S Army as an instructor training leaders from interdisciplinary teams on a holistic approach to pregnancy and postpartum physical training. In the episode Kelsey references the updated policies which can be found in Army Directive 2022-06. As a reminder, like all of our guests, the views expressed by Kelsey Mathias do not reflect the views of the government.

We reached out to our guest for this week's episode after he testified before Congress and used the opportunity to repeatedly highlight military human performance programs. He was also our first guest to tune in from the Pentagon Briefing Room. Troy Black is the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, making him the most senior NCO in the entire United States military. We were particularly interested in having him on when we saw that the #2 priority on his strategy document is Holistic Human Performance. SEAC Black assumed his current post as the 5th SEAC on Nov. 3rd, 2023 following his selection and service as the 19th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., in April of 1988 and attended the School of Infantry and Marine Corps Security Force School. Throughout his career, SEAC Black has been assigned numerous duties to include: Machine Gunner, Machine Gun Squad and Section Leader; Weapons Platoon Sergeant and Weapons Platoon Commander; Drill Instructor, Senior Drill Instructor, Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team (FAST) Platoon Sergeant and Operations Chief, Series Gunnery Sergeant, DI School Instructor, and RTR Drill Master; First Sergeant, Sergeant Major, 3d Bn, 7th Marines, Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Marine Logistics Group, and Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He has deployed in support of Operation Just Cause, Operation Sea Soldier, Desert Storm/Desert Shield, and Sea Angel; Operation Iraqi Freedom II (OIF), Operation Bright Star, Operation Iraqi Freedom IV (OIF) ; Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010; WESTPAC 14.2 and Operation Inherent Resolve. SEAC Black has a Bachelor of Science in Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies from National American University and graduated from the Joint Special Operations Forces Senior Enlisted Academy December of 2011.

Two years into this and we've fielded a lot of questions that relate to injuries. Since we're not experts in that space, we brought a professional on board! John Romanello is a Physical Therapist with experience in both the conventional Army and special operations. In this episode he breaks down the science behind injury risk, what we can do to prevent injuries, and some of the important considerations to ensure successful rehabilitation after injury. If this episode has you interested on how you can better rehab your own nagging injuries and lower your risk for reinjury, check out the our blueprints and master plans! John also wrote a blog post on all of this, including references to relevant research. At the beginning of the episode we mentioned Shrier, Impellizzeri, and Stovitz's piece about the misguided semantic fights over "injury prevention." If you need some rehab hype, it's hard to beat Adrian Peterson's comeback from a torn ACL/MCL to MVP of the NFL in the following season.

The ACFT has been a hot topic since the day it was announced. Even now, after a few years, myths and misconceptions persist. We've seen a lot of these in our comments and messages, and we thought it was time to address a few. In this episode we break down a little bit of the history behind how the test was developed, the reasoning behind a few of the events, and the validity (or lack thereof) of some of the common criticisms of the test. Here are some of the references mentioned, if you want to dive deeper: "Prediction of simulated battlefield physical performance from field-expedient tests" (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18251329/ ) Pilot testing of two proposed alternative fitness tests, the APRT and the ACRT (https://www.army.mil/article/55446/new-army-pt-tests-army-physical-readiness-test-army-combat-readiness-test/) "Correlations between Physical Fitness Tests and Performance of Military Tasks: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA607688.pdf ) "Development of a New Army Standardized Physical Readiness Test" (https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD1011066.pdf ) Final report of the BSPRRS study published (https://www.iadlest.org/Portals/0/AD1097586%20Baseline%20Soldier%20Physical%20Readiness%20Requirements%20Study.pdf ) Our episode with Dr. East, who was involved in much of the work linked above: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0vjeGEOqUwnkokRrSrgJKL

Jessie Graff is probably best known for her athletic achievements on the obstacle course show American Ninja Warrior. In 2016, she became the first woman ever to complete Stage 1 of the Las Vegas Finals course. In 2017, she became the first woman to compete in, and to successfully finish, Stage 2. Her athletic evolution started with circus classes, which led her to gymnastics, then pole vault. All of that, combined with a base of martial arts training and a theater major in college led her to stunt work. She has made stunt double appearances in X-Men: First Class, Bridesmaids, John Carter, Sons of Anarchy and The Mandalorian. She both acted in a doubled Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman 1984. As you might expect from her career, she has had her fair share of injuries, we won't spoil the full list, but a theme you'll hear in this conversation is the mindset, resilience, and adaptability to navigate those challenges. It's also fitting that this episode comes shortly after our home gym conversation, because Jessie takes that to an entirely different level. While most of us live in homes that happen to have some gym equipment in them, Jessie lives in a gym that happen to has a home in it. You might notice that when she talks about being a top finisher competitively she doesn't talk about her place among the women, she only talks about her ranking among everyone, including the men. Cooking a meal while hanging from the ceiling Pushing the limits of the kinds of activity her house makes possible (including a zip line) Jessie navigating her stairs and hallway without touching the floor Jessie building her gym home

If you know the name Matt Chan, then he needs no introduction. Skip this and start listening. His athletic journey started as a high school swimmer and continued as a collegiate water polo player at Western Illinois University. He originally took up CrossFit in his late 20s to help improve his endurance as a firefighter in Denver, Colorado. Despite making his games debut at 30 years old he went on to four top 10 finishes at the CrossFit Games (including runner-up in 2012). During this competitive peak Chan became a full-time athlete and one of the most popular and knowledgeable veterans in the sport. Now that he's done with the pro athlete phase of his life he's back to firefighting, and in addition he coaches at Train For the Win (aka TrainFTW). He has spent a lot of time on CrossFit Seminar Staff and has a leadership role in the Peer Fitness Trainer program in his fire department. Matt was also the Titan Games season 2 champion at 42 years old, enjoys climbing, mountain biking, and hunting. If you're curious about the Peer Fitness Trainer program it is a collaboration between ACE (the American Council on Exercise) and the IAFC (International Association of Fire Chiefs): https://www.iafc.org/topics-and-tools/resources/resource/iafc-iaff-ace-peer-fitness-training-certification-program-candidate-information-guide