MOPs & MOEs

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This week we're bringing you an episode of the Captains and Coaches podcast hosted by Tex McQuilkin. Alex met Tex at the 1st Armored Division H2F summit at Ft Bliss, and Tex really appreciated the discussion of Nazareth Syndrome from Alex's presentation. He also gave a hell of a hands on coaching development session.At Captains & Coaches, they believe leadership isn’t just taught—it’s built through action, resilience, and teamwork. Their mission is to empower athletes, captains, and coaches to excel not just in sports, but in life. They don’t just focus on physical training. They deliver a comprehensive approach to developing confidence, leadership, and mental toughness. Whether you’re guiding a team, leading on the field, or supporting from the sidelines, their tailored programs are designed to meet your unique needs and drive long-lasting results.Tex McQuilkin brings over 15 years of transformative experience as the Founder and Leadership Strategist of Captains & Coaches. His unique methodology bridges the gap between physical excellence and leadership mastery, empowering athletes to become exceptional performers and influential leaders.From youth athletes to elite collegiate competitors and special operations forces, Tex has guided individuals and teams to breakthrough achievements through his signature blend of disciplined training and empathetic mentorship. As a former four-year starter and three-year team captain for Marymount University Men's Lacrosse, he intimately understands the challenges and opportunities that shape athletic leadership.

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.In this week's episode we break down a number of major updates to the Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) program that were presented by LTG David Francis at a recent AUSA Hot Topic session.Key topics discussed:- H2F Return on Investment (ROI) data- Athletic Trainer contracting- Planned expansion over the next few years- H2F in the Army Reserve and National Guard- Planned facilities, called Soldier Performance Readiness Centers (SPRCs)- Benefits observed from shifting PT time

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.For at least the last four decades every soldier who has taken a PT test has listened to a scripted set of instructions before starting. Those instructions, whether it was an APFT, ACFT, or AFT included one identical sentence:"The results of this test will give you and your commanders an indication of your state of fitness and will act as a guide in determining your physical training needs."But if you ask soldiers whether they've ever been given feedback on what their scores say about their training needs, most will say no. That's why we put together AFT Insight. It includes a calculator that will turn your raw performances into point scores, but it's also much more than a calculator. It will help you determine your "fitness archetype" and explain what that says about how you should train.Try AFT Insight here: https://aftinsight.com/

In this holiday season as we approach the end of the year, we're getting a little reflective. In this episode, we're looking back at the experiences that got us to where we are in terms of how we approach our own health and fitness. Hopefully along the way we highlight some helpful insights.MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This episode actually originated at AUSA during the Sergeant Major of the Army's Professional Development Forum. When CSM Curry submitted a question asking whether physical training during PME would actually be strenuous, I knew I wanted to hear his perspective. And then when I found out he already listened to this podcast, it was a done deal.Command Sergeant Major Shaun D. Curry is a native of Wauwatosa, WI and he enlisted in Army in February 2001. CSM Curry’s previous assignments include 2nd Ranger Battalion (JBLM, WA), Human Resources Command / 75th Ranger Regiment Headquarters (Fort Knox, KY), 3rd Ranger Battalion (Fort Benning, GA), 6th Ranger Training Battalion (Eglin AFB, FL), Operations SGM of 2nd Battalion 5th SFAB (JBLM, WA), Battalion CSM of 1st Battalion 21 Infantry Regiment (Schofield Barracks, HI). His most recent assignment was the Brigade CSM for 3rd Infantry Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Schofield Barracks, HI).CSM Curry completed all levels of the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education up to and including the Sergeants Major Academy (Class 69). His additional military schooling includes Airborne School, the 75th Ranger Regiment Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP), Static Line Jump Master School, Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE-C), Reconnaissance Senior Leaders Course (RSLC), Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention Foundation Course (SHARP), the Common Faculty Development Program Instructor Course (CFDPIC), Master Resilience Training Course (MRT), Combat Advisor Training Course (CAT-C) and Jungle Operations Training Course (JOTC). CSM Curry holds a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word.CSM Curry deployed 14 times for a total of 61 months to both Afghanistan and Iraq in support of the Global War on Terror. His awards and decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal with “V” device, Bronze Star Medal (3rd award), Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal (5th award), Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, the Ranger Tab, Master Parachutists Badge, and he is a member of the Order of Saint Maurice.CSM Curry is married and has three children.https://flowcode.com/p/wR6h4oKsT https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/NCO-Journal/Muddy-Boots/Warfighting-Readiness/

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.It's always a great episode when you get to bring a personal friend on the pod! This week's guest was a very physically fit infantry officer when he and Alex were in the same battalion. He went on to join Special Forces, but ended up being medically retired. Holistic approaches to health and fitness have featured prominently in his transition and recovery journey, and we had him on to learn what that has looked likeWill Webb is a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer who now supports Veterans through holistic wellness and mental health work. Growing up in a military family and later graduating from West Point, Will spent a decade in service until a career-ending injury forced him to slow down and confront how deeply the mind, body, and spirit are connected.That transition led him on a personal healing journey, including a life-changing ayahuasca retreat in Peru that helped him reconnect with his spirituality, face his shadow, and find a new path aligned with service and purpose.Will now works with Heroic Hearts Project and the Truxtun Foundation, two nonprofits offering holistic options for Veterans. He’s also earning his Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, specializing in Spiritual and Depth Psychology.Based in Venice, California, Will shares the practices that supported his own recovery - surfing, yoga, sound healing, and transformational life coaching - helping others regulate their nervous systems, cultivate resilience, and step into alignment with their truth as they navigate the next chapter in their lives.elevatedventuring.comOr email him at: will.webb@heroicheartsproject.orgHeroic Hearts Project and Truxtun Foundationhttps://warriorside.org/ Learn about the use of MDMA with soldiers in Ukraine here: https://www.lucid.news/maps-mdma-assisted-therapy-ukraine-war/ Some examples of Icaros can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2ZyDBxPNqRvAUJQEk2hFVC?si=e51a305efd38464f

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This episode covers two primary topics: First, we chat about wearable technology, its evolving accuracy, and how to implement it to change health and fitness behaviors at scale. Second, we discuss the challenges of doing business with the military, particularly in the technology space where innovation is rapid and constant.Geoff Wylde leads ŌURA’s Human Performance team, delivering technology solutions that help tactical and critical workforce communities optimize physical and mental readiness. Beginning with an illness‑monitoring initiative for the U.S. Air Force, his team has expanded Oura’s programs for first responders, active‑duty military, and veterans to include athletic performance, fatigue risk management, chronic stress management, and holistic health and well‑being. Before ŌURA, Geoff led programs on technology policy and industrial strategy at the World Economic Forum and spent a decade in strategy consulting at PricewaterhouseCoopers.Outside of work, Geoff volunteers and serves on the board of Healing Waters, a nonprofit that brings chronically ill and at‑risk communities into nature through camping and whitewater rafting in Northern California.Here's a peer reviewed validation study that compares the sleep/HRV accuracy of Garmin Fenix 6, Oura Generation 3, Oura Generation 4, Polar Grit X Pro, and Whoop 4.0.

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.Dr. Rich Willy is a new Associate Professor in the PhD program in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The Ohio State University. He holds a PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science from the University of Delaware and a Master’s of Physical Therapy from Ohio University. He is a licensed physical therapist with over two decades of clinical and academic experience. His research focuses on the biomechanics of running-related injuries, bone stress injuries, and rehabilitation strategies for tactical and athletic populations.Dr. Willy has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, and his work has been featured in high-impact journals such as British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, and American Journal of Sports Medicine. Dr. Willy contributes to clinical practice guidelines for patellofemoral pain and running injuries. He is a frequently invited speaker at national and international conferences, including symposia for the US and International Olympic Committees, NBA teams, and sports medicine meetings.His research has been supported by the Department of Defense and APTA Orthopaedics, among others. Current projects include optimizing load carriage biomechanics, developing sex-specific training interventions, and advancing wearable technologies for injury prevention and rehabilitation.He and his wife also run Montana Running Lab, a hugely valuable resource curating the best clinical evidence for athletes and rehab professionals. We highly recommend their instagram as an evidence based source of information. We'll talk a bit about some of the resources available there at the end of this episode.

Our guest this week recently published an opinion piece criticizing how the Army undermines its health and fitness efforts through the poor nutrition environments on its installations. We dive into that conversation, looking at both the problems with Army nutrition, and the many ways leaders are working to fix them.MAJ Christina Deehl is a Registered Dietitian from Army's Medical Center of Excellence where she works in the Directorate of Training and Doctrine. Her recent op ed stirred up a lot of conversation about the gap between what Army leads aspire to in the nutrition domain of H2F and the actual food environments on our installations.Christina has 16 years of active duty service, including time with H2F at the 101st and XVIII ABC, serving as the command performance dietitian for US Army Special Operations Command, a fellowship with the Olympic Committee, clinical time at a couple hospitals, and two stints as a cultural support team leader.Around the time we recorded, research by a team she was on was also published: Normative fat-free mass index values based on body composition method in Army personnelOther references from the conversation:DA PAM 30-22 AR 30-22 Fixing the Randolph Sheppard ActGAO Report: Food Program:DOD Should Formalize Its Process for Revising Food Ingredients and Better Track Dining Facility Use and CostsGAO Report: DOD Food Program:Additional Actions Needed to Implement, Oversee, and Evaluate Nutrition Efforts for Service Members

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.On this episode we revisit a popular debate, but with a few new angles. This is not a typical strength vs cardio conversation, since everyone should obviously do both. Instead we focus on the "optimization" challenge of finding an appropriate balance between the two.Baseline health guidance (both for Americans and globally) calls for 150 minutes of "moderate to vigorous physical activity" weekly, plus two days of muscle strengthening activity. That provides a starting point for minimum activity levels, but what about performance goals?We chat about strength and endurance standards from a few different sources, as well as research on dose response to strength training vs cardio. For the Ranger Regiment data mentioned, the more recent version is no longer available since their human performance page has been deactivated, but here's a link to the older data we discuss.BYU/University of Minnesota study on dose-response association with mortalityHarvard/Iowa State optimum dose studyRand study on ACFT associations with injury risk

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This week we're back for round 2 with Brian Carroll. You should definitely go back and listen to our first episode with him before you dive into this one. We brought Brian back to ask a variety of follow up questions, some our own and some provided by you guys in your responses to the initial episode. The most frequent piece of feedback we got was about his interpretation on MRIs. We get to that a little later in the episode, so stick with it.Other topics for this discussion include the psychology of recovering from injury, the complexity of the relationship between pain and injury, and for our video viewers he even breaks out some spine models to demonstrate a few of the concepts he discusses.He mentions Michael Shacklock and neurodynamics a few times, if you want to learn more about that check out their page. He also mentions a few videos they're making about MRI interpretation, here are links to the first two:"MRI Case Study: Why They Matter and Why They Don't Tell the Whole Story""Does Your MRI Tell the Whole Story?"Brian also asked that we include the following clarification in response to his exchange with Alex about Elon Musk's role in SpaceX engineering (this is copied directly from Brian's email): "Elon Musk actually does design rockets and create technology for various aspects of rocket science and aerospace advancement. He oversees engineering and development projects for SpaceX yet only holds bachelor degrees in both economics and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He began (but did not complete) a PhD program at Stanford before launching PayPal etc, he lasted 2 days in the program. He credits mentors and reading many books and studies, as have I with MRi's. "

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.This week's episode is a crossover with Ray and Travis over at Coaches' AAR. If you're in the tactical human performance space, they're much more focused on the practical aspects of coaching. Where we get into strategic, policy, and cultural issues, they keep it focused on the practitioner's perspective.Go follow Coaches' AAR on the following platforms!Coaches' AAR on InstagramCoaches' AAR on Spotify

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. ⁠Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic. ⁠ MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can ⁠get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.On September 30th, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke to an audience of the US military's most senior leaders, announcing a sweeping set of policy reforms. These included a heavy emphasis on fitness, both force-wide and for particular education and training courses. In this episode we review many of those changes. We start with a rapid overview of the "non-fitness" changes, like grooming standards and adjustments to investigation processes. After than we move into a more focused discussion of the fitness-specific changes and the ramifications these will have.Drew mentioned our "Fitness Aptitude Test" (FAT), if you want to check that out and try it for yourself, here's a blog post about it.

MOPs & MOEs is powered by TrainHeroic, the best coaching app on the planet. Click here to get 14 days FREE and a consult with the coaches at TrainHeroic to help you get your coaching business rolling on TrainHeroic.  MOPs & MOEs delivers our training through ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TrainHeroic and you can get your first 7 days of training with us FREE by clicking here.To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.On this week's episode we're breaking down two recently released memos that establish guidelines for medical oversight of the Army's H2F teams. Across the military embedded human performance is becoming a bigger and bigger part of how we train and care for service members, but having so many medical providers operating outside the clinic creates some policy challenges. Whether it's "integrated operational support," H2F, or something else, policies like these are popping up across multiple services. The first memo is "Credentialing Policy for Certified Athletic Trainers" and it clears up some grey area about how ATs fit into the Army's medical system.The second is "U.S. Army Medical Command Responsibility for Clinical Quality Management of Holistic Health and Fitness Program" and it applies to all medical providers on H2F teams (not just ATs). It also has important consequences for facility standards in the spaces that H2F teams provide medical care.

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.If you enjoy the discussion on stoicism, pre-order our guest's book now! On this week's episode we're diving deep (get it?) on an extremely unique corner of the military human performance world. Submariners operate in an environment unlike any other, and trying to maintain health and fitness under those conditions involves a variety of challenges. Our guest is uniquely qualified to provide insights about life in this world.Commander William Spears is a submarine warfare officer in the U.S. Navy. A native of Pineville, Louisiana, William enlisted in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program after high school. Upon completing technical training, he was admitted to the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 2008 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and commissioning as an officer. Today, he also holds defense-related master’s degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Command and Staff College, and the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy.William has served in nuclear-powered submarines across a variety of classes and mission profiles, including duty as the Weapons Officer of a fast-attack submarine and the Executive Officer of a Trident missile submarine. Ashore, he has served as a tactical evaluator on an inspection team responsible to assess the combat readiness of U.S. submarines, and he currently works in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD CAPE) in the Pentagon. He will return to sea duty in the summer of 2026.He has his own passion for exercise, which is not  always a clean fit with the culture of the submarine community, as you'll hear in this episode.He also writes on leadership, ethics, and military topics. His book Stoicism as a Warrior Philosophy releases in the US in November.

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.Our guest for this episode was brought low by persistent back pain despite being one of the strongest people on the planet. But through his journey to find a solution for that pain, he found a new mission to help others avoid the mistakes he made in the past. His book, "The Gift of Injury: The Strength Athlete’s Guide To Recovering From Back Injury To Winning Again" co-written with Dr. Stuart McGill is highly praised by athletes and rehab professionals alike.Since entering his first powerlifting meet in 1999, Brian Carroll has since risen to the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Brian totaled 2730 at 275 and 2651 at 242 with more than ten times his body weight in three different classes (220, 242, 275), and both bench pressed and deadlifted over 800 pounds in two other weight classes. He’s totaled 2600 over 20 times in 2 different weight classes in his career. He has squatted over 1000lbs more than 60 times and was the first man to squat of 1300lbs.After ten years of high-level powerlifting competition and an all-time World Record squat at 220 with 1030, in 2009, Brian was competing for a Police academy scholarship. On a hot and humid July morning, Brian, hurdling over a barricade at 275lbs, landed on, fell, and hurt his back. The resulting back pain has been a huge part of his professional journey, leading him to seek out Stu McGill in 2013 who he latered co-authored The Gift of Injury with in 2017. It's worth nothing that his 1306lb squat came AFTER all of the back back and working with Dr. McGill.He owns his own coaching and consulting business Power Rack Strength where he works with a wide range of athletes and frequently delivers professional education for rehab professionals.Abnormal magnetic-resonance scans of the lumbar spine in asymptomatic subjects. A prospective investigation.""Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine in people without back pain""Association of Lumbar MRI Findings with Current and Future Back Pain in a Population-based Cohort Study""Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations""Does magnetic resonance imaging predict future low back pain? A systematic review"

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.Drew is on a side quest to dive into niche areas of military human performance, and this episode is extremely niche. A few episodes ago we mentioned the fitness test for the Marine Corps Body Bearers (which includes bench press, squat, barbell curls, and behind the neck overhead presses). We got some of the details wrong, and thanks to the our audience we were put in touch with a former bearer to set the record straight.Billy Lashley served as a United States Marine and World Famous Body Bearer from 2019 to 2023. In that time, he performed 625 funerals — including high-profile state and joint services — and took part in Friday night parades and wreath-laying ceremonies at Marine Barracks Washington. His roles within the section included recruiter and instructor, giving him a front-row seat to both the weight of the mission and the responsibility of preparing others for it.This is small and extremely unique community that upholds some elite performance standards, and our conversation spans recruiting/testing standards, training protocols, and how leaders in the organization maintain the culture.Billy has much longer hair now, and is even more jacked. Follow him on Instagram at @blashley96.Here's some official Marine Corps media diving into the organization if you want more after listening to the episode:Marine Corps Body Bearers Part IMarine Corps Body Bearers Part II

On this week's episode we're tackling a topic we've been meaning to discuss for a long time: Despite being pervasive in both performance and medical spaces, SMART goals are no actually an evidence based way to change health and fitness behaviors. They may even, in some cases, be harmful.Our guest, Dr. Christian Swann, is a Professor of Psychology at Southern Cross University in Australia where he leads the Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Research (PASER) group.Christian's background is in sport and exercise psychology, and his expertise is in goal setting. His research focuses on how to set goals to increase and maintain physical activity, and he is particularly interested in how different goal setting approaches make us feel while we pursue them — as well as how they influence our mental health. As part of an international team of researchers he published ⁠"The (over)use of SMART goals for physical activity promotion: A narrative review and critique."⁠ This article aimed to answer a few key questions:Is the SMART framework based on theory? Is it consistent with existing evidence? Does it consider what type of goal is set? Is it applied consistently? Is it being used as originally intended? Does it carry any risks?Once you learn the history of SMART goals, some of the answers become a lot less surprising...

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.In this week's episode we're breaking down some recently published research. Specifically, "Personalized, Evidence-Informed Training Plans and Exercise Prescriptions for Performance, Fitness and Health" by Henning Wackerhage and Brad Schoenfeld. Up front, the article itself is an opinion piece, but it's based on an extensive review of the literature, and provides thorough citations. It's a useful article specifically because it synthesizes so much evidence into some practical guidelines for coaches.The authors advocate for an athlete, client and patient-centered approach whereby an individual’s needs and abilities are the main consideration behind all decision-making. They also lay out a subjective, pragmatic six-step approach that details how to write a training plan or exercise prescription that is partially based on scientific evidence.

MOPs & MOEs is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠powered by TrainHeroic!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠To continue the conversation, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠join our Discord!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We have experts standing by to answer your questions.Find ⁠Tactical Alpinism on Instagram here⁠You can find Mauri's podcast on ⁠Spotify⁠ or on ⁠Apple PodcastsWe recently had Mauri on to discuss his research on lactate threshold based training, but after he joined the conversation on our Discord we found out we missed an even more important topic. Fitness plays a huge role in ROTC cadets' ranking, and those rankings determine their choices of component and branch. As an instructor, Mauri's human performance focused approach dramatically enhanced his school's outcomes, so in the conversation we explore what worked.We discussed news of a cadet's death at Advanced Camp, you can find that story here.You can find coverage of the ROTC "rebalancing and optimization" (downgrading programs) here.