FEATURED ATHLETE BEFORE BREAKING INTO THE FITNESS WORLD AND ACTING, LAS VEGAS NATIVE AND TEAM MRI ATHLETE KYLE CLARKE (LEFT) SERVED IN THE U.S. ARMY AS COMBAT ENGINEER OFFICER
ive years ago, Major Mark Ivezaj went searching for a better training programme for the men under his command in Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment—one of the most elite units in the U.S. Army. He found that programme and more under the guidance of world-class powerlifter Matt Wenning, who at the time was training at the legendary Westside Barbell in Columbus, Ohio. Wenning transformed Ivezaj’s Rangers into a stronger, more athletic group of soldiers—while also reducing injuries by an astounding 64%. But why stop with the Rangers? Ivezaj is currently operations officer for the 4th Infantry Division, 4th Brigade Combat Team at Fort Carson, Colorado, a unit with a non-deployable injury rate of 18%. This number needs to go down, and fitness levels across the board need to be brought closer to those of the Alpha Company Rangers. “Current U.S. Army fitness doctrine and facilities,” says Ivezaj, “do not prepare soldiers sufficiently to conduct full-spectrum operations in general, and specifically in the mountains of Afghanistan.” Based on Wenning’s success with Alpha Company, the U.S. Army contracted him to create a similar routine for 4-4 IBCT that’s been dubbed the Mountain Athlete Warrior pro-
94 MUSCLE&FITNESS
CAMBERED BAR GOOD MORNING In a power rack, place a cambered bar across your "upper traps" and hold its handles. Unrack the bar, bend your knees slightly, and bend at the hips—pressing your hips and glutes behind you—to lower your chest to the floor. When your torso is parallel to the floor, return to the start position. Use a tempo of three seconds up and three seconds down for each rep.
gramme. The idea is to find a better alternative to the Army’s obsolete physical training regime, and to create a formidable force of elite athlete soldiers to populate the United States military.
MAKING WAVES The MAW programme combines multiple training styles to create a more well-rounded athlete. Think of it as a buffet line at a cafe. Some items you’ll put on your tray. Others you’ll leave for someone else. “How we select from that cafe,” says Wenning, “is not by choosing things we like, but by choosing things we need.” Effective soldiers need many things.
The balance and endurance to climb up the side of a mountain on uneven terrain. The overall speed and athleticism to sprint quickly during battle, duck and cover, then sprint again. The strength and power to drag an injured soldier 100 yards or more to safety. The MAW programme addresses these areas in three-week cycles, with a different emphasis each week.
WEEK ONE (Stability): Exercise difficulty increases through adding some form of instability to the mix, whether it’s dangling kettlebells from elastic bands, performing one- legged movements to compromise balance, or both.
WEEK TWO (Strength): The surfaces and resistances are no longer unstable, but the weights are as heavy as you can handle. Highlights of
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