ALERT: Review of NEW Tacfit Commando 2.0

This training routine is entitled Hardcore Tactical Fitness Secrets of the Special Ops. The Special Ops are the guys you call when something has to get done and there doesn’t seem to be anyone qualified to do the job. Here’s a program that promises to unlock their tactical fitness secrets.

The program was developed by two guys—Scott Sonnon and Ryann Murdock. Scott is a multiple-time USA National Team Coach, International Martial Arts Champion, Hall of Fame Inductee and Distinguished Master of Sport. Ryan has been a trainer for 27 years and regularly puts his training to the test in some of the world’s most unforgiving places as a widely published travel writer. Let’s take a look at TACFIT and see what it’s all about.

Just looking at their bios, you know these guys mean business so I wasn’t surprised to see the third line of the book that reads, “There will be fear. There will be discomfort. You will be pushed to the outer limits of what you currently believe possible….”

Looking through TACFIT I found it very interesting that the authors’ approach to fitness includes a number of elements that you see in lean hybrid training. For instance, TACFIT focuses on building “functional strength,” just like hybrid training does. Also, TACFIT Commando’s secret weapon is its “unique training wave of periodization,” which is similar to the periodization that you see in lean hybrid muscle training.

The book begins with a discussion of the four different elements the TACFIT Commando program incorporates each week. These elements include:

High Intensity Fat-Burning Circuits;
Complex Skills that promote “neurological sophistication;”
Real Tactical Applications;
and Injury-Proofing and Active Recovery.

Again, this multi-faceted approach is similar to what we see in lean hybrid training—a combination of the best elements from a number of different disciplines. And that’s a really important indicator of a valuable program. Any routine or program that just has a single focus isn’t likely to do you much good—at least not for long. Our bodies crave variety.

And at the heart of TACFIT Commando’s variety is what the authors refer to as they 7 x 4 training protocol. This is essentially a strategy to sidestep the body’s ability to quickly adapt to stress. That’s how we hit plateaus. We do the same thing over and over again, and our bodies quickly they use to the routine goal so we stop making gains. By cycling the programs according to the TACFIT Commando schedule, you can reduce—or eliminate entirely—those pesky plateaus. For anyone who is familiar with lean hybrid training, you know that this fundamental concept is shared by both training philosophies.

The next “key element” of the TACFIT Commando approach is understanding intensity. The authors begin by explaining that perceptions of intensity are going to vary widely from one person to the next. What is intense for one person can be nothing to another.

In regards to perception, TACFIT uses three different variables;

Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE);
Rate of Perceived Discomfort (RPD);
and Rate of Perceived Technique (RPT).

These are ranked as “No,” “Low,” “Moderate” or “High.”

So here’s how it all ties together in the 7 x 4 training protocol. Your workout schedule will vary from day-to-day, starting with a no intensity day, followed by a low intensity day, followed by a moderate intensity day, which is then followed by a high intensity day every seven days. This pattern is follow for four weeks, which gives you the 7 x 4.

The next part of the book is Part 2: Mission Briefing. Here the authors start to get more into the specific techniques that make TACFIT Commando so awesome. Topics covered here include “burst-recover-burst,” which is an adaptation of the Tabata-type intervals. In the following session we start to learn more about the routines themselves. And let me tell you right here—intensity is the name of the game here. For example, the First Commando Mission involves 20 seconds of very high intensity exercise, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

This cycle gets repeated eight times for a total of four minutes. Each day of the “mission,” the training follows this pattern with six different exercises.

This theme is carried on throughout the program. The following sections describe everything you need to know to perform the exercises in the TACFIT Commando style as well as the rest of the program.

Overall, I have nothing but good things to say about this book. I like its style and the fact that it is built on training philosophies that really work—just like lean hybrid training.

If you think you’ve got the guts to stick with this routine for 28 days, then I’m sure you’ll find it to be a worthwhile investment. Special link for readers of this blog: http://www.SpecialDefenseTraining.com