Preparing for Alaska with MTN OPS
By Matt Wymer, Rokslide Prostaff
As I prepped for 2015’s sheep hunt, the logistics revealed that I needed to step up my fitness game. I’m not a fan of the gym, in fact it bores me to tears. I’d rather hike, bike, or climb—anything rather than hit the gym. This worked well in my 20s. I was active enough and had the time to make this work. As I got older and kids arrived, time became harder to find, and frequent activities became less frequent and intense.
I knew that I needed to add intensity with a focus on strength to be prepared to battle the mountains. My wife (a former college athlete and general all around fitness nut) helped me narrow down a few apps for my iPad. I focused on functional fitness and jumped into the program.
I’ve spent some time around endurance athletes and the one thing they all have in common is that they work their rear ends off, practically nonstop. I noticed that some of them use supplements to make their recovery easier, and to help fine tune their diet. I was skeptical of the concept until I saw the results. However, these guys worked out harder than anyone I knew. Was it their hard work, the supplements, or a combo of some sort?
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’ve probably heard about MTN OPS. As this company continued to hit my radar, and I noticed that a lot of fellow Roksliders were using their products. It made me wonder what the fuss was all about. To help with the final push before the August sheep hunt I decided to try the MTN OPS Conquer Strength Combo kit.
What follows is how I used the product and my thoughts on its effectiveness. I took a daily multi-vitamin and two OX after breakfast (if I took more than 2 OX it upset my stomach.) Around a ½ hour before my work out I pounded a Yeti. Yeti is my favorite MTN OPS product. It tastes good, and I can literally feel the energy surge. It’s a good surge, nothing like a caffeine-packed energy drink surge and the following crash. Yeti kept me on track for my workouts. I worked out mid-morning and typically returned to my desk to drink my Ammo shake and swallow two Phenix. Phenix is a recovery enhancer that also helps boost your immune system. I can’t swear that Phenix is all that, but I do know that I felt less sore, allowing me to work harder the next workout.
My goal was to get leaner and stronger, not bulky, so I took Ammo as my lunch substitute. My Ammo was in the new Chocolate flavor and took a bit to get used to. I figured out that you have to use water as cold as possible, utilize shaker cups, and then drink it as quickly as you can. It is designed to swell in your stomach, providing a full feeling. If you leave it sitting in the shaker for too long it will swell there, and make it hard to drink. Once I got that figured out, Ammo became my daily lunch supplement. However, it was not enough to get me through the day, especially on workout days, so I brought extra fruit, nuts, and the occasional salad to tide me over.
My one month kit lasted me about six to eight weeks, and I worked out four to five days a week. My program consisted of a functional fitness routine that involved two days of running, combined with three days of workouts. I focused on total body fitness and endurance. I started MTN OPS in July, and ran with it until I departed in early August for my sheep hunt.
The results? I lost nine pounds prior to the hunt, and am currently down almost 15 pounds from my July starting weight. In years past I have battled cramping during hard climbs. This year we had some steep, nasty climbs. No cramping! In reality, Ammo made me intentional about my diet. I ate healthier, and I ate less. Additionally, I was more focused on my workouts because I was “testing” the product (and I take testing seriously). I cut out the sugary carbs, I cut out sodas, and I worked out harder.
In the end MTN OPS helped me meet my fitness objectives. In September I went on another nine-day hunt. This one—while not as physically intense—was yet again another test of my overall strength and fitness. I was blessed to harvest a nice bull caribou, and again did not have any issues with cramping.
Next month my winter training regime kicks in. I will continue to use AMMO, YETI, and PHENIX. AMMO, to help with a healthy diet, YETI to help kick start my work outs, and PHENIX to help me work harder and fight off the winter bugs that Anchorage seems to pass around. I would have loved to have some of the Yeti Single Packs on my hunting trips. I think they would have been a great boost on some of the tough stuff we faced. They are on my must have list for next year.
This supplement skeptic is now a MTN OPS fan. However, you only get out of it what you put into it. You can’t procure and take, without adding the key ingredients of hard work and managing your diet. Both Black Ovis and MTN OPS are Rokslide supporters, and if you keep an eye out (watch the side banners) there is usually a sale or promo going on. If you are after that extra edge to get you going, I think it’s worth your time and dollars.
As a side note…I had my annual physical shortly after returning home from my caribou hunt. Despite being a rather slim guy, I have always struggled with my cholesterol. My doctor wanted to know what I have been doing as my cholesterol is the best it has been in the 10 year history I have with my doc! My good cholesterol is up, my bad cholesterol is down! Not sure if that is due to the MTN OPS or my increased focus on exercise, but either way it’s a great motivator to continue with my program!
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