19M, 6’2" 200lbs, in Army ROTC planning on branching Infantry.
I was planning on starting 5-3-1, but someone on my last post suggested Tactical Barbell, so I read TB1 and TB2. Now, instead of 5-3-1 I plan on utilizing TB since it adheres to my personal goals more. I plan on Base Building (conditioning) soon and doing the Fighter template (maximal strength) for the first 5 weeks then strength endurance for the last 3 weeks. After Base Building, I plan on using the Operator template since I’ll have PT 4 days a week I don’t feel I need to do much extra conditioning.
K. Black suggests 1-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight while base building, but other sources, mainly personal, suggest less which leads to my question. How much protein should I consume daily while utilizing the two templates I mentioned above? (Base Building and Fighter)
I planned on following K. Black’s 30% protein, 35% carbs, and 35% fat diet since his goals were similar to mine. I want to know mainly because I do not want to get much bigger and I was about to blow a ton of money on groceries that would help me maintain this way of eating.
I understand that everyone’s bodies are different, but any advice would help.
I actually tend to err slightly lower (like I wouldn’t worry about getting in 2g/ lbs) most of the time, but I think the 1g per lbs rule of thumb has stood the test of time for a reason.
It doesn’t have to be overly cost-prohibitive. Do you have a Costco?
I’ve been eating whatever, just been avoiding added sugars as best as I can, and no fast food. Sugar is really the biggest restriction. Money isn’t a huge restriction, I just usually try to stay cheap.
I asked him your question, and his answer was “Eat what you can, when you can, but have an empty stomach before a jump. The big guys never last. My trick was to start PT at the very end of the line and pretend I was racing the Daytona 500 and pretend I was passing cars so I could do a count, and end as the first so I’d be able to set an example to my troops. I’d didn’t give a shit about about what I ate, but about what I could accomplish.”
He also taught me how to catch, skin, and cook snakes, so I guess there’s the protein?
Also build as much as you can, but prepare to lose it if you want to go Ranger school.
Words of wisdom. I was about 190 (5’10”) by the end of my career, and I was one of the bigger guys. I don’t think it did my body any favors. It’s a tough balance, because the kit has become so heavy, but you do have to figure out how to play for longevity.
Former Marine Infantryman… 0331 Machine Gunner. Marine infantry is brutal shit. We humped the Ma Deuce 25 miles.
Looking back, I would’ve become fully fat adapted and used carbs strategically… i.e. before a long ass hump or some highly glycolytic training. We did a 33 miler on Oki.
Supplements, protein, etc… have advanced so much since then. I would always pack sardines, RTD, bars in my ALICE pack before going to the field.
At this point with the experience and knowledge I’ve gained I would use this protocol - Keto bricks when in the field. MRP packs. Definitely electrolyte supps… we’d be caked in salt after a hump or field training. Meat sticks.
It’s way easier to be prepared now than when I was in.
