"Everyone has a great plan until they get punched in the mouth." ~ Mike Tyson

In this second installment with MTNTOUGH COO Ara Megerdichian coaching a special warrior mindset workout in the Bozeman Lab, Ara walks us through the importance of mission focus. This mental toughness workout was not for the faint of heart and many teams made the fatal mistake of taking their eye off the mission, allowing themselves to be distracted by the wrong details.

MTNTOUGH is continuously researching human performance in “The Lab”, our Bozeman location where on any given day you will see some of the worlds most committed backcountry hunters strolling in for a workout alongside elk hunting guides, SEALS, Bozeman locals, city cops and firefighters.

In "The Lab" we spend a lot of time with first responders and military athletes that are required to be in top physical and mental shape or else lives could be lost. They also must prioritize their mission over all distractions to avoid disastrous consequences.

This mindset takes training and lots of reps and this is why we do these warrior mindset drills.

A very common mistake we all make in life in general is getting distracted when our plan falls apart. When problems arise we tend to focus on the problem and lose sight of the mission.

Teach yourself to think when you are tired and you will find yourself starting to perform better in every aspect of your life!

MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab located in Bozeman, MT, has established itself as the elite source for improving mental toughness, physical preparation, and performance research for the backcountry hunter, military, and first responder athlete.

They have assembled an impressive team for this task, including Alex Fichtler (Former US Navy SEAL), Ara Megerdichian (US Army Ranger, Lieutenant Colonel and former West Point Instructor), and Jimmy Alsobrook (Mountain Training Legend & National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer).

Lifelong backcountry hunter and MTNTOUGH’s founder, Dustin Diefenderfer, explains, “ We strive to find out what makes the excellent tick, and what gives them the indomitable, never quit, next ridgeline mentality and strength. We study it, measure it, test it, unpack it and then teach it to others.”

Ara is a retired military officer and Army Ranger. He's led some of the toughest and best soldiers in the world, trained Rangers and paratroopers, and taught physical education at the United States Military Academy. He believes in pushing the limits of physical, mental, and emotional endurance to find the strength to turn walls into hurdles: "Every time you find a ceiling…it becomes your next floor – so break through it, stand up, and get ready to drive further."