Why We Built It:
The Post Season Strength 2.0 program addresses a key need for backcountry hunters and athletes: rebuilding strength after a physically demanding season. Many lose muscle mass due to intense cardio, and this program provides a strategic strength progression to replenish and elevate baseline strength while maintaining optimal function and athleticism.
Drawing on five years of insight and testing in the MTNTOUGH Lab, this comprehensive regimen helps athletes feel strong and healthy within its approach to traditional strength training. By intentionally focusing on lower-risk, high-reward movements like hip thrusts, heavy step-ups, and Bulgarian split squats, we prioritize resilience and reducing stress on the spine after a long season of carrying heavy loads. The program takes a step away from Barbell Back Squats and highlights Barbell Deadlifts as one of the primary compound lifts each week. Other primary lifts include Military Press, Weighted Dips, and Weighted Pull-ups. Whether you're a hunter or someone looking to build resilience, this 16-week program is designed to boost strength while keeping you healthy for long-term performance.

What and How:
MTNTOUGH Post Season Strength 2.0 is an incredible 16-week program built in 3 distinct phases to help you rebuild strength and proper function after a taxing hunting season. The program is also accessible to non-hunters looking to get stronger and feel better. Here’s how it’s structured:
RAMP UP Week: This week is designed to ease you back into basic fundamental movement, range of motion, balance, and stability. It will also help you determine your “starting point” in the program (general strength level, conditioning level).

Phase 1: After your official Ramp Up week, you begin Phase 1, a four-week phase using bodyweight, dumbbells, and bands to reestablish movement patterns, improve joint health, and focus on balance and stability. Minimal barbell work ensures you start with strong, healthy foundations. You will see basic Sled pushes and pulls to start challenging your strength and endurance.

Phase 2: A nine-week progression through compound lifts—deadlifts, military press, weighted dips, pull-ups, and hip thrusts – paired with functional iso lateral strength movements like Bulgarian Split Squats and Step Ups. You will also see a deliberate increase in your Sled load. Approximately every 3 weeks, your accessory movements, prehab exercises, conditioning intensities, and rep counts will deliberately shift to offer new stimulus and adaptation patterns.

Phase 3: The last two weeks of Postseason Strength 2.0 are meant to put your strength to the test. The weekly flow and primary lifts remain consistent, though we implement alternative rep schemes and structures to increase volume and challenge your strength endurance.

Primal Days & Conditioning: Every week includes a primal day, designed to help your active recovery and keep your joints feeling mobile. You will see a Turkish Get Up progression built into these primal days, as well as moderate intensity conditioning. Your conditioning days occur 1x week and are strategically designed to test your mental toughness and grit.