Good Alternative to Tactical Barbell Strength Endurance Circuits?

Bigger Stronger Leaner
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19M, 6’1", 205 lbs.

I’m on my first six-week cycle of Operator after finishing the eight-week Basic conditioning this past summer, taking a week off between the two. I did my Tactical Barbell SE clusters during Basic Conditioning and feel like I could be doing something better and more effective. I plan on working on my strength endurance after one more six-week cycle of Operator and would like some good alternatives.

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I don’t know that program, so would need more detail and what metrics indicate effective for you. @T3hPwnisher showed us how it’s done and can probably help steer you. He’ll still need a bit of info, though.

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Appreciate the tag @TrainForPain . Biggest question I have for @cguap37 is why he picked Tactical Barbell in the first place if he feels like he can do something better and more effective than the SE Circuits. The program is kinda built to support those exact goals. I don’t think something needs to be done instead of the SE Circuits: I think the right program needs to be picked for the right goal.

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I’m in Army ROTC and I am aiming to branch Infantry. My long-term goals revolve around joining Ranger Batt or going Special Forces. I picked tactical barbell because it adheres to those goals best. When it came to SE circuits, they felt too quick and ineffective. I only did SE circuits for the last 3 weeks of Basic Conditioning, so maybe I did not do them long enough to actually see their true effectiveness?

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I would definitely give it a go as written, or take on Green protocol if you’re really trying to make that selection.

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I’ve done Tactical Barbell, and ran it exactly as written. This meant the exact protocol of Base Building with runs, SE circuits, and off days before moving on to Black + Operator. I was already in good shape when I started.

I think this is the route to take. Treat a new program with a beginner’s mind and milk it for what it’s worth. Trust fully in the author and the program and don’t deviate from the protocol at least for the first full run through. If you don’t like the protocol or the author and can’t fully commit, find a different program.

I made great progress in TB and rank it as one of my favorites.

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Having also run Tactical Barbell, i agree with the sentiments above.

Run the program as written for at least 3 months. If you want to mess with it after, by all means tailor it to your goals, but give the program a shot before you judge it.

Did you ever run TB Base Building? If not, I highly recommend it. It sucks, but I have never gotten so good at running with so little strain, really taught me the value of zone 2 work.

Also if your goals are infantry/sf, I would make sure you are a damn mountain goat with a ruck, and as a sailor, will 100% defer to @TrainForPain on rucking advice.

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The good old days! Always happy to pontificate on this subject.

@cguap37, let me know if you want to discuss anything more specific, but if you’re still in ROTC your two physical priorities should be:

  1. Max the PT test - this has a lot of weight on how you’re evaluated as a cadet, which determines how much branch preference you get
  2. Build a ton of endurance without accumulating chronic injuries as possible. You have a long time, so you want the rucking to just be automatic; injuries end careers. I’d build up mileage within a reasonable comfort zone and just slowly progress.

Just a heads-up, for officers (if it’s still this way, it may have changed since WW1 when I was in):

  • Ranger School is relatively easy to get a slot (for Infantry you basically have to go). As long as you can run the 5 mile and do the 12 mile ruck to standard, you’re fine. It’s just sucking up the school from here.
  • Ranger Battalion is an invitation based on performance for having done the job elsewhere. So go be a fantastic platoon leader, be the best in your brigade, and make sure your commander knows your next role needs to be Ranger PL.
  • SFAS has a couple runs and is pretty ruck-based. You’re not supposed to know what all is in it, but it’s all over the interwebz. Your opportunity to attend comes up when you’re a captain, so you basically make a choice to go the Ranger route or the SF route at that point.
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Be a little more specific, what didn’t you like about the SE Clusters?

“Too quick and ineffective” for what?

Or, what are you trying to get out of them that you’re not getting?

Maybe you could pick more difficult lifts, (or lifts more specific to body parts or areas you want to work on) or shorten rest times week to week or something to jack up the intensity.