Military and first responders have to remain ready to respond to challenges when they arise, often making decisions and taking action with only seconds to process the situation and react.

It’s their duty to forge physicality that is available on demand. Right here. Right now. Whenever it is called upon.

That’s why our mantra is that we “train for our hardest day.” However, this can be perceived to mean every training session is a soul sucking sweat session that pushes you past your limits. Not true – this will leave you broken and inconsistent.

While I think it’s appropriate to test your limits occasionally, hardest day training is more about what you do every day.

Do you get up when your alarm goes off?

Do you stay consistent on a training program or are you always chasing the new thing?

Some of the most dangerous people I know are the ones with a quiet dedication to the process they’ve established. They aren’t the ones always looking for a new method or the latest hack.

They’re the ones that you see in the gym every morning going about their business, consistently eating the right thing, and paying attention to the small details of their process.

I’m totally confident that on any day I could pick up a grown man wearing full kit, put them on my shoulder, and be able to sprint with them to cover. No preparation required. Just tell me when.

I don’t say that to be boastful. I say that to illustrate the point that it’s not because of some secret training method or because I break myself off every morning in training.

It’s because I’ve been waking up at the same time and going to train for YEARS. I’ve incrementally added weight to the barbell over time. I’m not constantly changing how I train or looking for something new.

The real secret is that there isn’t one. Fine if you enjoy them – but a Spartan Race or GoRuck isn’t going to develop you into some elite warrior. You know what will build your discipline though? Not hitting snooze, passing on the cookies in the pantry, and going to the gym even when you don’t feel like it.

Mental toughness isn’t just about doing hard things once. It’s also about not caving into easy things every day.

So, what exactly does hardest day training look like?

Sprinting, compound lifts, jumping, building endurance, climbing, moving over terrain, and mastering the fundamental skills of your job.

And then waking up again and doing it tomorrow…and the day after…and after.

You stack days until they become months. Months become years.

The house is built brick by brick.

Every 6 months or so, go compete in something. Hit your race, strongman competition, whatever it is, to push past your limits. But remember, this isn’t a substitute for what is done every day. This is an azimuth check that what you’re doing is working and pushes you outside of your comfort zone.

Hardest day training also looks like not specializing in one aspect of fitness.

Sorry, but if you wear a uniform your organization probably isn’t hoping you become a fat powerlifter. No disrespect to the lean powerlifters that still run and ruck just fine…but you get my point.

You can’t specialize in building maximal strength at the expense of conditioning. The strongest guy in the gym will turn into a f*cking coward if conditioning is tested and he isn’t prepared.

At the same time, the endurance athlete that’s incapable of moving a grown man without assistance is a liability.

Hardest day training is knowing how to balance the two and fighting the urge to over specialize in one area.

If you’ve ever heard us talk about “simple, not easy,” this is exactly what we mean. Relentless consistency, balanced fitness attributes – all very simple to tell you. But it’s hard to stay disciplined every single day. It’s hard to not bias your strengths in training and ignore the things you enjoy less.

But if you truly want to fortify yourself into somebody who can perform when it counts – this is what you must do.