When I first heard about HDT about 3 years ago I was intimidated to say the least. I looked into it but thought it was too hard. After Team Assessment Class 001 I was paired with someone who had done a

few rounds and he convinced me to try and now I’m hooked. After 10 rounds I’ve done bodyweight, ruck and ruck/sandbag and have loved (loved hated) all of it.

I used it to train for team assessment class 002 and later selection and it got me in the best shape of my life. The way Bryan programs for all levels and allows me to push on certain weeks and back off on others makes it challenging but not impossible at all. I went into Selection in the absolute best shape of my life.

The community has also been huge. Seeing people post accomplishments and struggles keeps me going at times. So many great people of all levels do the programming and continue to make huge gains each round. I also love seeing the people that come back from difficulties and crush their first event. Now having completed a round with my daughter I’m even more convinced this is the best. We had so much fun doing the work each week. During the pandemic she became one of those kids that gained weight due to activities being shut down. After doing one round she is having more fun being more active and has found that she wants to try new sports because now she has more confidence.

Through all 10 rounds my kids have watched me do the work at home and at the gym. They see the work and they see my effort to stay in shape which allows me to keep up with them no matter what

they do!

By the numbers doing HDT with the barbell work:

2 minutes Pushups 47 to 59

2 minutes situps: 64 to 75

5 minutes of burpee 60 to 74

Running and rucking have all improved by 2 minutes at a minimum

Barbell work (actually did a powerlifting meet and this is what I got)

Back squat 155 to 185

Bench press 85 to 105

Deadlift 210 to 305

In a nutshell it’s the best thing I have done overall. Programming, support, community all of it. 10 rounds went way too fast! Now it's time for 10 more!

I started HDT with the intent of preparing for the 9/11 20th anniversary HTL in NYC but having some pretty bad foot issues sidelined me which ultimately resulted in having to have surgery. It was a long frustrating and disappointing recovery process. My goal at this had point shifted from HTL to just getting back to where I was pre-surgery.

I remember being so discouraged my first rounds back after surgery. I’d been laid up for 16 weeks and physically, mentally and emotionally I was a mess.

I trusted the process and with the help and support of friends, I kept grinding away round after round, until I returned to my pre-surgery form and have now significantly surpassed that.

The original goal was an HTL but GORUCK reduced their event schedule quite a bit and there was nothing within driving distance of the Northeast. I just continued training hard and waited for something big to come up that I felt I could test myself out at.

The custom survival HH was announced in NY and I set my sights on finishing that. While the event was educational and I learned a ton, had a great time and made some awesome memories…it wasn’t the physically demanding event I needed it to be.

Here comes Bragg Heavy.

Bragg was an event I had my eyes on in 2021 and 2022 but due to injury, surgery, recovery and life changes I just didn’t feel I was ready to give the devotion that I felt Bragg deserved.

I signed up for Bragg 2023 and dedicated myself to being physically and mentally prepared to thrive at that event. I followed HDT religiously and was very fortunate to have Lovers Quarrel to inspire me to go harder, be faster, and get stronger. I was so proud of myself for earning that Bragg patch.

While completing several GORUCK events through the time I’ve been doing HDT, one of my biggest accomplishments I’m most proud of is winning an HDT round with my battle buddy Kyle Crutcher. That felt like the perfect way to wrap up what has been an awesome run with Heavy Drop Training.

I’m grateful for the community and the support. I’ve grown a lot physically, mentally and emotionally and I’ve had the opportunity to make strong friendships stronger.

Even knowing this was coming, I haven't done a very good job of organizing my thoughts. Somehow I managed to complete 10 rounds in 10 attempts, but that has gotten more difficult with each round and especially this last round with the QMODs. I started with a bodyweight round and after that I've done 3 ruck rounds and 6 SB/ruck rounds. I chose my own battle buddy the first time, I've had various random battle buddies including a few late starters and I've done a solo round. I turned 50 during XXV and I don't think I'm the oldest HDTer, but I'm one of the older ones. I think turning 50 and the possibility of not finishing this round because of other planned activities during the round got inside my head and made it a bit more stressful this time...but even with that, the key to completion still seems to be consistency. In each round I knew that I needed to get each week started by Tuesday at the latest and work through all of the stuff one day at a time. Two goals I came in with were to get stronger and to do another GORUCK Tough. I have definitely gotten stronger over time and increased my SB weights, and I can do 6ish strict pull ups where I couldn't do any before I started HDT. The pandemic interfered with my GORUCK plans, and now it just doesn't seem that important to me to do another event right now. Another goal I added along the way about the time the lockdowns started was improving my nutrition. I was in my second round of HDT at that point and I had a regular physical with bloodwork. My labs weren't as good as I had hoped with all of the exercise I was getting, so I started tracking what I eat with MyFitnessPal. With the combo of HDT and MFP, I lost 20ish pounds between March and July of last year, and mostly I've kept it off with only some minor fluctuations in weight (aka holidays and vacation). During XXV I did two local 5k races with my kids (neither of which coincided with HDT slick run weeks) and our first 4 hour adventure race on Father's Day. The two 5K races are part of a three race summer series and I'm currently first in my age group after the first two races, with annoyingly consistent times of 21:28 in both races. We had a blast doing the adventure race and we plan to do more. After we were done with the adventure race, my daughter thanked me and said she didn't think too many dads would do that with their kids. I don't know how true that is about other dads, but I wouldn't be able to do it if I wasn't staying active and healthy.

Man, time flies! I'm horrible about taking pictures, so no before/afters for me.

I started HDT after my first Tough solidly kicked me in the hindquarters and I started researching ruck-oriented training programs... HDT always was at the top of the list! I did a couple of rounds which fed into a T/L which went much, much better, and then my first HTL in DC. I took a break over the winter, but then Bryan had the idea to do March Madness, and that got me back into the community full throttle. My wife even tagged along for a couple of rounds, which I thoroughly enjoyed. HDT was my companion for 2020's lockdown, and was key in helping ramp up for Bragg Heavy in January. I've been a bit inconsistent lately with being on the road a lot for work, but HDT has been there to challenge me to stay active and keep training. I'm looking forward to being back home and being able to give 100% to the next round, and hopefully have my wife come back on board for another round this fall!

Looking back at my progress, I'm realizing that my fitness habits used to default to what I was "good at", or at least comfortable with. I stayed in shape from running, but wasn't particularly strong, mainly due to a lack of confidence in my technique on lifts. Naturally, getting into rucking made me realize I needed to improve in the strength department (I distinctly remember needing my wife to lift a pitcher of water for me at breakfast following my first Tough!). I wanted something to prepare me for the demands of rucking and make me a more positive contributor at events. Heavy Drop provided the perfect balance of strength focus while allowing me to still work on distance and even running. My confidence in lifting techniques increased with sandbag work, and my endurance under weight went up as well. I regularly ruck with 45# dry now, and often use an 80# or 105# sandbag. HDT has helped work through the tweaks and imbalances which were common in my early rucking days, which has been a huge confidence booster. Doing hard things with a "no one cares what you can do fresh" mentality has built up mental toughness and encourages me to keep finding new goals and challenges, even outside of events.

Finally, the community of HDT is something unique and very special. The time and energy that Bryan dedicates to the program is incredible, and makes HDT feel like a much stronger community than just another workout group.

So thanks to Bryan Singelyn and everyone else in the HDT family! I'm on board for the long haul.

Oh man! I’ve given quite a few reviews over the rounds, but I started HDT to get out of a training rut, and holy shit! It worked! Went on to get after an HTL soon after and now just training for life. I run faster, ruck farther, and constantly surprise myself with benefits of functional fitness. Gonna keep getting after this for a while!

I started Heavy Drop Training to bridge the gap from doing OCR's and preparing for GORUCK events. I guess I am a bit of a masochist because I love the accountability, expectations and the grueling perverted workouts. I have started 12 rounds, however, do to illness only finished 11. HDT prepared me to complete two HTL’s last year and numerous other OCR and GORUCK events. I am often called the OLD MAN by the Cadre and other GRT’s. I just smirk and smile when they ask if I need help with the 80 or 120# sandbag and calmly say – “I got this”. HDT helps you get into your own mind. It etches in your soul an indelible mark of GRIT. A mark that I refer to during hard times and tell myself– “I can get through this – I have been here before!” HDT builds stronger Americans – mentally and physically. HDT is FAMILY.

After my first couple of events I found myself lacking severely in everything other than putting one foot in front of another . Like others who partake in this insane hobby, there is always a desire to be better teammates at events, have that edge and to thrive..not just survive.

I found HDT after looking around for a program geared toward GORUCK and reading a few comments on the effectiveness of the workouts. The program did not disappoint. As a lot of folks have stated the workouts are extremely well rounded and not only focus on strength and endurance but also mental toughness. Working through the physical thrash helps you build a mindset of achieving micro goals that when added push you over the finish line. I've been really happy with the gains I've made over the rounds, and the boost in confidence when getting put through the wringer during a welcome party. Hell, I'm even excited to carry coupons (.. except railroad ties). It was an integral part in helping me complete my first Heavy and will no doubt prepare me for future success in other grueling events.

In addition to the excellent programing the community is really special. People are genuinely excited to see others beat time hacks, increase weight in movements and push through a solid week of beat downs. If people are having a rough go at it, people chip in with advice, and encouragement. Then there's the lead sadist himself, Bryan Singelyn. He's always there helping folks with questions, giving advice on form, and modifying workouts when necessary. One thing that really stood out this past round was one individual had a couple WO to get done and not a lot of time left in the week to do it. He setup time on Zoom and worked through both WO's with them. That speaks volumes.

Like others, HDT is always the first recommendation when people ask about prepping for events. Bryan, thanks for the hard work and heart you put into the program! HDT is amazing, and will be a main component in my training for a long time.

I found HDT on IG in 2018 while looking for ruck related training pages. After going through their page I was sold and signed up, the round was VIII-18.

I had just done the MOG Mile T/L and felt that I could have been better prepared, my previous event prior to that was back in 2015.

My goals going in to HDT was to complete a Heavy then an HTL.

Thanks to HDT and the community I ended up doing 2 HTL’s within 5 months in the brutal Texas heat .

I was definitely prepared thanks to the HDT training, there was no doubt I was going to not only finish but be an asset to my team! I also completed a few more T/L in between and after those 2 HTL’s.

My take away is the awesome community that comes with HDT and a sense that if you put in the work there is nothing you can’t accomplish.

So here I am about to go into my 12th round

Thank you Bryan for an amazing program and community!

I have always been athletic. I was strong - naturally strong, stronger than most every other girl in my grade, without trying. But there was one thing I was not: I was not skinny.

I also was not fat. I was just a bit larger - more muscular - than the other wispy thin girls at my school. Even though I was proud of my athletic ability, I hated the body that came with it. And I hated it more than I was proud.

I went to college, and in my newfound independence quickly discovered that I could, in fact, be smaller. I dropped twenty pounds in about six weeks- and thus began my many-years-long relationship with an eating disorder. I cycled through normal and too-low weights many times. No matter how close I got to recovery, I always slipped back because I just could not accept the fact that when I was a healthy weight, I was not stick thin. My recovered body was too big, at least that was what my eating disorder told me.

My last serious dip into weight loss was just a few years ago. This time I reached almost thirty pounds under a minimum healthy weight, the lowest point in my life. Yet again, I put the needed weight back on. And yet again, I hated it. I hated my body, I hated myself. I felt like a failure because I could not seem to stay "skinny enough"

Somewhere around this time, I found rucking. Suddenly I was surrounded by strong, amazing women - women who could literally carry me on their shoulders if they wanted. They were positive and encouraging, even though I could barely keep up with them. They were not skinny, but they were strong, mentally and physically. And I wanted to be like them.

Along the way, I heard many good things about HDT, so I decided to try it. I was embarrassed by how physically weak I was. I couldn't do a single pushup. I couldn’t carry a forty pound sandbag half a mile without getting winded.

Six weeks later, I could a pushup - a full pushup, not on my knees. I could carry 40 pounds for two miles without effort.

I also saw my body change, which initially terrified me. I started to gain visible muscle, and I actually got a little bigger - but I could see progress in the weekly numbers, and the support of the group propelled me along in moments of fear. I started to feel a bit more confident. I felt a growing strength that was not just physical, it came from somewhere deep inside.

I've now done HDT for several rounds. I've seen so many more changes, all positive. I am so much stronger. I eat much more normally, and I eat much MORE- five times more than when I was at my lowest weight. I have happily ditched the clothes that are too small for my healthy body, the clothes that used to torture me when I could not fit into them.

Finally, being strong has become more important than being skinny.

To say that HDT cured my eating disorder would be silly. I am not “cured-“ I definitely still struggle. Also, nothing can cure me, I can only help myself.

However, it is very accurate to say that HDT has given me the structure, the tools, and, most importantly, the support to help me over that last hill- the hill of self-hatred and self-defeat. I am very lucky that my body survived the years of abuse I subjected it to. I feel just as fortunate to have found a group of individuals who have unknowingly helped me through a (still ongoing) transformation- a transformation back to acceptance, pride in myself, and the true desire to work for and welcome health over sickness.

So, thank you, Bryan. Thank you, HDT community. Who I am today would not have happened without you.

This is my 10+ HDT round sharing post/review: 

A few years ago I was doing some random training, but nothing purposeful. I've always been active throughout my life, but I hadn't been doing anything really structured since my college basketball days. I played DIII where I was an undersized power forward at 5'9, but still led my conference in rebounding one year 🙂  I was now in my 40s and feeling like if I was going to get "serious" about my training and if I had any fitness goals I wanted to achieve, I needed to get going on them now before it would be "too late." I was thinking about doing an OCR, but it felt intimidating, so I was reading blogs about OCRs and came across one where the guy raved about HDT training. I don't remember exactly what it was that made me sign up the first time, but I am glad now I did!

I struggled so much at the beginning - workouts sometimes would take me 1.5-2 hours to get through. At the start I was SO sore ALL the time. But I've always loved pushing myself and I could tell I was getting stronger. I did some rounds off and on for a while, and knew that I felt better when I did it, but I rarely did 100% completion rate and soloed all those rounds (didn't sign up for a battle buddy). I think I felt like doing something was better than nothing, and I still listened to excuses I came up with too often. But it helped me get stronger and have the confidence to do a local OCR, the Gladiator Assault Challenge, and then a Spartan Stadion.

At the end of 2021, after some self-reflection, I had a better sense of the type of person I wanted to be. The type of strength I wanted to have and feel. The types of things I still wanted to try and get after. I didn't have all 100% completion rounds in 2022, but I had more than ever before and ended the year on a strong 100% completion streak. And during this year I started signing up for a battle buddy and have virtually met a lot of incredible people through that experience, and enjoyed another level of accountability and connection. 

I've had strength and rep gains, of course, but most important to me has been the gains in physical confidence, the gains made in better planning and sticking to the plan (i.e. fewer weekends of multiple workouts that have to be done!), and the way I feel on a daily basis. I feel like I am building a very solid foundation now in my mid-40s for the second half of my life, and I plan it to be full of activities and experiences and not becoming someone who is happy sitting on the sidelines as they get older.

Things I've gained: successfully completed multiple OCRs and started Brazilin jiu jitsu after feeling I had the strength to try them; have committed to doing the Camino de Santiago with my mom this year, as I know I have the preparation needed to carry her gear and mine, if needed. And I just plain feel stronger, because I am stronger. 

I'm on the quiet side and don't post much during the rounds, but thanks to Bryan Singelyn, and thanks to all the members of this community that inspire and push me each round. I appreciate the difference you've made in my life!

I really don't even know where to begin with my HDT journey. I started back in 2020, like many, when we were stuck at home with no gyms. I'd done Pathfinder and that was great but the workouts were only what I made them. I thrive on being told what to do for a workout so HDT was perfect. It forced me to work areas I didn't like to or wouldn't do on my own.

My main goal, in the beginning, was to be able to survive a tough with the ruck PT. I can ruck easily, the PT always tried to kill me (some of it still does). As I went through the program my goals changed many times. Through injury, running, crossfit, travel and just a busy life, each round was different for me. Sometimes the BB was great, others, I knew I'd just let someone down so I flew solo.

Now that I've completed my 10th round, I've not only survived a tough but at least 2 T/B, a LLL and my latest goal was a Spartan Ultra. Yep, you heard me, not all goals have to be ruck related. Rucking made that Ultra easier! I trained with a 30# ruck so on race day I was 30# lighter.

I've lost 40# over the last year and part of that was the dedication to the Ultra training. I am stronger and more confident in events after my HDT rounds also.

I still scale where needed. I'll never be the strongest or fastest and my pre/post numbers are all over the charts...BUT...HDT is for everyone at any skill level. It can all be modified or adapted to needs and as long as you put in the work, you'll see gains and rewards!!

I recommend HDT to most everyone I chat with that is looking for something new and different.

My 10-round review:

I came into Heavy Drop Training in 2020 with the goal of becoming a Team Assessment Finisher. I had been using CrossFit training and regularly rucking prior to HDT, but finally decided to incorporate HDT into my training in 2020 when everything shut down. HDT was exactly what I needed to keep accountable and targeted in my goal.

Regularly testing fundamental movements meant that I could track whether:

1)     I was making the minimum standards that would be required during Team Assessment

2)     If my movements had improved as the round progressed

Having a battle buddy kept me accountable – it’s one thing to let myself down, but to let another person down… nah, I think I’ll just grind through the movements. After all, a bad workout is better than no workout.

After 7 rounds with HDT, it was time to put my training to the test. I became one of 22 finishers (1 of 4 women) to complete Team Assessment Class 002! Mission accomplished!

Since then, I’ve come back to HDT with additional goals in mind (I’m not a big fan of broadcasting, so I’ll keep this a secret lol). HDT has been wonderful in keeping me familiar with various ruck and sandbag movements, working out on my own patio on my own time, and building strength.

In my time with HDT, I’ve achieved the following accomplishments:

-  Sub-2H30M 12-mile ruck with 30# (02:15:42) – I could have done this with 20#, but why not challenge myself even further?

-  5 min burpees: 102

-  2 min sit ups: 85

-  1 min butterfly sit ups: 55

Finally, body composition. I’m not a big fan of using this as a measure of fitness success – I believe numbers are a better indicator of the successes of a program. Nonetheless, if you’re the kind of person that wants to see aesthetic gains, I’d say that I’ve leaned out and bulked up a little since starting.

Bryan is a wonderful coach who will listen and adjust to your needs. Are you having a big event this weekend? He’ll set you up with a taper week. Did you recently hurt yourself? He’ll give you alternative movements so you can still go after the work. I highly recommend HDT and look forward to continuing with the program!

My first round was X-19 where I finished first with my first battle buddy, Blake. I had completed the 2018 Pearl Harbor Tough a few months prior to my first round of HDT (followed by rucking a marathon 24 hours later). I was looking for something to improve the non-rucking components of my fitness. HDT has been the answer to that for me. I had signed up for another GRT in Spring 2019, which was canceled. The Army moved me that same summer. I continued training into the winter, COVID struck and more events were canceled. While I teleworked for a few months, my children also stayed home with distance learning for school. That gave me the opportunity to do a few rounds of HDT and HDT Kids with my son. COVID restrictions eases up, I returned to the office and also spent more time traveling for work. Now I am preparing for another Army move and phase in my career with retirement coming over the horizon in a few years.

My main goal coming into HDT was to be better conditioned for events like another Tough; to do as well during the PT as I do with the rucking. Events were canceled; my work and family requirements changed. So my goal changed to staying ready for opportunities that come my way. I competed for and was selected battalion command; part of that assessment included more than merely passing the APFT. I challenged myself to complete HDT combined with the Pathfinder programs (currently putting in the work for HDT and Pathfinder Advanced). Finished Pathfinder Endure last month and competed with my battle Buddy Melanie for HDT leader board top spot. My schedule also aligned last month, giving me the opportunity to complete a night trail half marathon (my first in almost three years).

Now, I am staying ready. The next six months will be turbulent professionally and personally. So I am eyeing fall and winter events.

I've owed this to Bryan for a long time now, Sep 2021 when I finished Round XXVI-21 specifically, it's been a challenge trying to boil down what to say, which has also changed over the last few months. *Spammy Long Post Warning*

My roots might be quite different to some folks here. I've never served in the military, and have always been involved with deskwork involving mice and keyboards. As a kid, I've never been the sporty type, more akin to the slowest kids in PE class, not wanting to stick out. Certainly excelled at video games a bit through my teen and young adult years though 😃

I happened across Goruck via a smart phone game called 'Ingress' back at the end of 2015 in Okinawa, Japan. Ended up doing a bunch of Ruckgress events over the next couple of years, and we finally got an actual Goruck Challenge in Tokyo, with Cadre Jesse H. It was rough...PT was largely my weak point, and I probably couldn't even do a single proper push-up, and rucking with 20# was just manageable.

Spartan also came into Japan about the same time, and in 2017 I started to get more active in OCR, which also took on a journey into trail running.

Fast forward to 2019 and Tokyo was due to get its first Goruck Heavy in October. My PT was better, primarily through Spartan Training, but I knew I needed something more to survive the event. Preferring outsdoors stuff, and simply not being a gym person, I signed up for Pathfinder Advanced and paired that up with HDT round XIII-19, having seen some recommendations on the PF community as well as the bundle option. It was time to figure out how to actually use that GR Sandbag sitting around doing nothing.

Totally...kicked...my bottom...I remember lying on the floor in a daze after Sandoom with 40, and wondering what the hell just happened...

Long story short, I finished both courses in time for the Heavy...which was incidentally canceled from the biggest typhoon ever to rock Japan in 50 years. That was a shame, but I wasn't mad. I was fit as I'd ever been.

It was about then that the Covid Pandemic start winding up, and I came back to Japan from Australia where I'd been working remote for about 2 months just before the world started locking down, just in time for March Madness 2020 when it popped up in my FB feed. Rolled straight into XVIII-20, and from there, it was 9 straight rounds of HDT SB & R, with the pandemic happening in the background, all the while making the most (and staying sane) with Work from Home (Both Job/Fitness). I'm signed up for XXX-22, so will see you guys again soon 🙂

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So what did I get out of (now 11 rounds) of HDT?

Goals: I'd really just intended to train for the 2019 Tokyo Heavy. I think my improved physical fitness might have gotten me through part of it, but there's been so much happening since then. Just the way in which I see challenges of sorts through now compared to then has changed a lot. I just finished Path Finder Stirling, and am onto Path Finder Compete now. I couldn't even dream of rucking consistently with 45/50# 2 years back. I smashed all my Spartan events that I signed up for last year, better than any of my performances before in fact, so that was definitely a bonus right there 🙂

Injuries/recovery: I've noticed that I get less injured now (previous wrist/ankle injuries from OCR/running) as I'm stronger overall (esp core/upper). I also recover faster from injuries, especially with the mindset of keeping moving, rather than just stopping activity altogether.

Form: Bryan's always spoken about Form over Everything. I didn't even know how to clean a sandbag without using detergent and water before. It's been great to have not just him, but also you guys, the community, weigh in on the embarassing videos that I post here and there on how to get an exercise done properly 🙂 Just knowing when to drop weight/take a break when grinding before injury creeps in too.

Grinding/Mental Conditioning: Related to the last point. It's not just about tolerating pain, but being smart about it. Knowing more about when something can lead to a strain, as opposed to just pushing harder to get through no matter what the cost. Never thought I could carry my own BW in weight for a mile...Well- that's happened 🙂

Accountability: This is one of the big ones. The Buddy System works. With a week to get the 5/6 workouts in, it's just flexible enough (for most I imagine) to work your life schedule in, but not to the point where you might find yourself with a 50% to catch up in a month. It's been great to just have someone to check on you to keep things going, be able to chat about Bryan's latest brutality, or tips on some part of the course. There's been times that I've been faced with getting two workouts and a CP done in a single day, just to close out the week. Having that buddy silently cheering for you from the un-checked on the webpage might just make the diff. I've also learned something new from everyone of my BBs, book recommendations, workout tips, nutrition advice...whichever!

Nutrition: This was another major gamechanger for me (and don't worry - will do another sep review for you Kimberly McGrath), but the nutrition program gave me info about calories and macros which I never understood before, and just how different food affects my body. I initially dropped weight as I leaned out, then have actually put on more muscle since as the scale numbers came back up (nothing to worry about). More importantly, have shifted more towards whole foods with a lot of my fridge being filled with veg, and biscuits on the counter being replaced by bananas/oranges, and also, find this to be quite sustainable.

Community: This is by far the biggest one, and that's you guys 🙂 Just going through the posts on the current round, even if I've never met any of you f2f before, has just been the best thing. Whether it's for a little laugh with the latest workout, a bit of inspiration on someone going hard, videos of pets and kids on workouts and rucks...it's just made for such a nice global team, and personally, the lockdowns/restrictions so much easier to get through this last couple of years. A few of us were even doing occasional zoom CP meets (you know who you are 😉 ), and I can't wait for March Madness to roll around again to see some of you beasts in action again!

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Will let the numbers speak for themselves 🙂

XIII-19 (Jul-Sep 2019)

push ups: 36

sit ups: 50

burpees: 44

6 miler (30): 1:48

12 miler (30): 4:57:36

XVIII-21 (Nov-Dec 2021)

push ups: 60

sit ups: 68

burpees: 80

PR 6 miler (30): 58:05 - XXI-20

12 miler (50): 2:22:53

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Next Steps: I've still not been able to get to the US for events, as the quarantine returning to Japan makes that difficult. We're still in restrictions here, so am still mostly training by myself, though am looking to get more Coalition stuff happening with the local ruck club. If/When restrictions ease off, would love to attend a Throwdown session, some GBF events and maybe even a Cerberus with some of you folks sometime!!!

Finishing up my 10th consecutive round of HDT on February 20th. Here is a little bit about my self and my journey how I found HDT and how it’s affected me. Sorry for the lengthy post, hard to say everything I want in just a couple paragraphs.

A little back ground on me first. I have always been the athletic type, always looking for a physical challenge. I started playing football at 7 and continued into college. After football I focused on my studies and got into graduate school and didn’t have a lot of time to exercise (I now

know that’s a piss ass excuse). I ended up getting soft and had gained a ton of weight and lost a lot of my strength getting to 230lbs.

After earning my doctorate and graduating from pharmacy school I got back into a routine and started exercising and eating right and got myself down to 180. Then I got into running Spartans and long distance endurance races finishing multiple trifectas, finishing 4th overall in the Aspen Ultra in my age group and nearly qualifying for the Boston marathon completing a marathon in 03:32:03 coming in 7th in my age group. During all this I ended up loosing another 15lbs. At my lowest weight of 165lbs I was kinda sickly looking and skinny and wasn’t very happy with the way I looked and honestly how I felt.  Definitely a lot different than I was used to playing ball and lifting heavy.

I started to do Spartan hurricane heats as a change to the OCR world and stumbled upon GORUCK in 2019 and that’s how I ended up in the rucking world.

Now on to how I ended up here.

I  first heard of HDT from doing research on doing a GORUCK heavy in 2020. I came across a lot of AARs and packing lists and training ideas. Not looking into so much training at the time I didn’t think much of it. Fast forward to September 2020, I completed my first heavy and HTL and honestly, it was rough. Knowing I wanted to achieve bigger goals and do more events like this I then turned into researching training ideas like WOD workouts, ruck and SB exercises, and that’s when I again came across HDT. At the time, Bryan was offering a free round to front line workers due to the COVID pandemic. I figured what the hell, I’ll try it and see what the hype is all about cause,  what do I have to lose, right? I’m so glad I did, and haven’t missed a round since. My only regret is that I hadn’t signed up sooner. It truly is fit for anyone with any goal and not just rucking events. As cliché as it is to say that “I am in the best shape of my life”…it’s the truth, hands down. With me  approaching 40 next month I couldn’t be more happy with were I am at with my fitness and health.

The main goals I wanted to accomplish  through this program was to gain back my strength, put some good weight back on, all while staying fit and able to crush some events. And I have done both! Gaining nearly 20 lbs of muscle (up to 184) with a body fat percentage at approximately 11-12%. I absolutely feel amazing, and I haven’t lost much of my cardio endurance either. I also have done a few events as well, completing 2 HTLs, a Double Heavy at Bragg, several TLs and some star courses as well as attempting some big events in the near future like Cerberus in august and selection in 2023 is on my bucket list.

I have always said numbers don’t lie,  so I’m going to share some numbers comparing my first round and tenth round.

2 min push-ups - 77 to 91

2 min sit-ups - 70 to 84

5 min burpees - 86 to 106

3 mile strict ruck w/60lbs - 38:59 to 30:04

60 sec butterfly sit-ups - 47 to 61

1 min hand release push-ups - 42 to 47

1 min 80lb SB Squat cleans - 17 to 21

sub 1hr 6 mile AFAP Ruck 45lbs - 57:52

Sub 2hr 12 mile AFAP Ruck 30lbs - 1:51:22

And so much more within the program

doing AMRAP workouts.

I sometimes think that this program was tailored specifically to me. I love the fact that I don’t have to think of what to do just do what I’m told. I am very much a check the box type person so the fact that you literally check off the boxes when you complete the workout is huge for me. To have that visual of completion is nice, for me at least,  which is probably why I have finished every round with 100% completion because it drives me absolutely insane if I don’t have a box checked off. I have done the personal trainer in a gym before and honestly, for me, it was a waste of time. I love being able to just go in my basement with my ruck and SB, choose my weight and be good. I honestly think the inter rounds are the best thing. It gives you a 2 week “recovery session” that is all body weight exercises and by the start of the new round you are ready to go without missing a beat while maintaining your gains. The program is seriously set up perfectly. It’s always changing and improving and no round is the same as another. Huge thanks to Bryan for putting in the work and effort evolving this program to what it is today.

The community and inspiration I get from everyone crushing their goals is something you don’t get from the gym, and is absolutely huge in maintaining accountability. The battle buddy system (while I mostly go solo) is awesome cause it makes people more likely to complete a workout cause they are in it with someone else rather than alone. This is something I think I’m going to do more of in the future. I have developed a really good discipline in my workout routine and would love to help others out more, so I will opting for the BB more in the future.  I have made a lot of new friends in this community, in fact, most of my friends today are people I have met from HDT.

With all that being said, I don’t see myself moving on anytime soon. Even after I stop doing events I will continue to use this program to keep my self fit and strong to take on life. Thanks again Bryan! 

Who knows, maybe you will find your bromance

#goheavy #lightrecovery #trainforlife

I started HDT 10 rounds ago at the recommendation of my steadfast and faithful Battle Katherine Hannibal. We did the HDT plus and pathfinder advanced and finished. Before I changed jobs I had the time to do that. Numerous events.

My two biggest accomplishments were a significant weight loss. When I started my fitness journey I weighed 210 pounds. I got down to 138 and have evened out at 155. A comfortable weight for me.

Work requires a 2000 meter row rest. For my age and weight I was able to finish the row test in the 99 percentile earning the Thor Fitness Award. I was the oldest patrol officer in the department. Since changing jobs my time has become very limited. Seems like I'm at work more than I'm at home.

Recently I had COVID-19. Missed work half the month of January.  Still dealing with some residual effects but doing much better. I also had to deal with some major anxiety issues from my time in the military and work. HDT has helped me alot with being comfortable with being uncomfortable. I'm still getting after it.

I appreciate having the accountability from Katherine.  I have no plans to quitting.  Quitting isn't even in my vocabulary. Thank you!! Let's get after it!!

My 10th round wraps up on 20 Feb. In order for me to explain my progress, you must first be aware of where i was at....

Unofficially i retired from active duty Marine Corps on 28 June 2012. My give-a-fuck about what i looked like, what i ate, and my physical well being was sky high. Seeimingly overnight i put on 25 lbs, at my heaviest i weighed 238 lbs. Only being 5'8"...i was a model for being unhealthy. I got winded walking up a flight of stairs, i was not sleeping well, i was pre-diabetic, my body hurt, and worst of all i lost my confidence in myself.

Eventually i began to take back my life. I began by walking between 5-7 miles three times a week around my neighborhood. Then i realized that if i put a kettlebell in a backpack that would probably be better. Eventually i joined a local GORUCK club and 14 Sept 2020 i did my first challenge, the GORUCK 9/11 Light. It was there i learned about this p