Thank you for coming by The Everyday Marksman. This site and its community are a labor of love. I hope you stick around for a while, and maybe even join us.
-Matt
Project Hoplite: Introduction to a Tactical Fitness Experiment
Recently, I mentioned that I was going to run in a Spartan Race Super 10k at the end of October 25. To train for success, I've organized a 25-week training program covering all aspects of physical success for the event. This is the first part of a series of posts where I'll share how training is going, and lessons learned as a 40-something guy attacking Tactical Fitness in a way I haven't really tried before.
The Gamut Challenge Might be the “Perfect” Competition
Caleb recently completed The Gamut Challenge, which is a bit like a "Run & Gun" on steroids. Here's how it went, what he learned, and why you should consider getting in on the action.
How to Use the Martial Marksman Physical Calculator
I'm a nerd at heart, especially a data nerd. Over the course of a year, I built calculator out of a spreadsheet. This calculator encompasses all of my physical fitness goals from strength levels to body composition, cardio conditioning, and science-driven aesthetic targets. It also provides goal body mass targets, cardio zone targets, and ideal rates of fat loss or mass gain for cutting and bulking throughout the year. I've been testing it with others for a while on a small scale, and now I'm ready to release it to you. And it's free. I don't even need your email.
Workout of the Month: Mountain Tactical Institute Burpee Beep Test
Did you know the Air Force added new fitness test component, the high aerobic multi-shuttle run (HAMR? You might know as the beep test, which estimates VO2 max more efficiently than traditional runs. MTI has a spin off version with burpees that I think makes a perfect workout of the month entry. Let's go.
I Did Kettlebell-Only Training for 12 Weeks; Here’s What Happened
I took a training detour away from barbells to focus on nothing but kettlebell work (with a bit of cardio) for 12 weeks. So what did I learn? Did kettlebell-only programming live up to the hype? Do I think it's a good fit for you and other marksmen? Let's dig in.
How Much Should You Actually Weigh for Martial Success?
In what might be the most controversial post I've ever made, I'm going to tell you about how much you should weigh. In my own quest to figure out a personal journey towards health and performance, I've read a ton of articles, research papers, and training logs. Add to that a healthy dose of self-experimentation. Through all of that, I think I've landed on a formula for figuring out about where someone engaged in a variety of performance activities should be. Let's dig in.
The Giryathlon Race: Demolish Your Weak Points
For this post, I'm drawing from Lebe Stark's recent video introducing a kettlebell race that involves both running and a variety of exercises. Combined together into a single race, I think this one is a serious butt kicker for not just a single event, but as a recurring workout you can build upon over time.
The 200 Rep Kettlebell Snatch Workout
For this challenge workout, we're tackling a classic kettlebell test. The first goal is completing 200 total snatches, but the next level goal is doing it in less than 10 minutes. Let's dig in.
Four Years from Friday: Approaching Your Training Life in Seasons
Let's talk long term. Too many people think that success is just a few weeks or months away, when that is far from the truth. In reality, success is a culmination of long term effort often years in the making. In this piece, I take a little known two day challenge and show you how I would break it down into a series of seasons and blocks that could be repeated over and over again, always driving closer and closer to success.
Workout of the Month: Sandbag Brutality
For June 2024, the workout of the month is a sandbag complex I recently wrote up for myself in my own programming. It's a killer example of "real world" strength and conditioning. Let's dig in.
Thinking Beyond the Drill, or the “Teaching to the Test” Fallacy
I've got a little bit of a bone to pick with how a lot of the shooting culture talks about drills. Much like weight lifting and gym bro culture, it seems a lot of shooters are more interested in flexing their egos than actually using drills as a way to improve. But how, exactly, should we approach that?
The Martial Marksman Physical Fitness Hierarchy
In this post, I outline the physical training hierarchy for Martial Marksmen- or really any prepared citizen, first responder, or military member. What are the most important to least important things to worry about when building up your capability? Let's get into it.