Exum Guide Christian Santelices gets in some old school strength training using a rock and sled.

Faster Farther. Stronger Longer. Mentally Tougher.

Mountain Athlete Strength & Conditioning strives to be the premier training gym in the world for mountaineers, climbers, big mountains skiers, adventure racers, snowboarders, explorers and alpinists.

We are on new ground here. There is little tradition for mountain athletes to seriously train in a gym setting in preparation for their sport or expedition. Traditionally they have "trained" by just doing their activity complemented by long slow endurance trail runs, bike rides or other endurance cross training.

Our hybrid and programming is designed to increase an athlete's work capacity. Using weight, interval and power training methods, we build horsepower and staying power, so our athletes can go faster farther, feel stronger longer and be mentally tougher.

Specifically, we strive to build the following attributes and capacities in our athletes:

1) RAW STRENGTH - Strength is king on the athletic field and on the mountain. We build strength through proven weight training methods using barbells, dumbbells and kettlebells. Further, we use strongman strength training methods and implements such as heavy rocks, sandbags, tires, kegs and sledge hammers to round out and enhance strength gains.

We work to increase strength without increasing bodyweight. We do not train body builders. We understand that mountain athletes must not only be strong, but light to move well on the rock and snow.

2) METABOLIC CONDITIONING - We use intense training events to stress our athletes' cardio vascular systems with the aim to improve cardiorespiratory capacity and stamina.

3) EXPLOSIVE POWER - The focus here is on speed and rate of force production. We strive to move weight and bodies fast and explosively and train power using classic Olympic lifts such as the power clean and snatch, as well as basic plyometrics.

4) STRENGTH ENDURANCE - Stronger, longer is the goal. Developing the ability to stay strong for extended periods of time can be as much a mental task as physical ability and stamina. Muscles burn. The mind grows weak. We train muscles to handle repeated and extended periods of submaximal stress. We train minds to feel the burn, embrace it, and push through.

5) POWER ENDURANCE - Extended bouts of cardiorespiratory and muscular stress at high, but submaximal levels perhaps best mirror mountain events. Power endurance is the ability to keep on moving, no matter what.

6) MENTAL TOUGHNESS - Where the mind goes, the body will follow. The best mountain athletes are also the strongest mentally. Mental toughness on the mountain means staying disciplined, thinking clearly and quickly under stress, accepting discomfort, suffering silently, never quitting. The gym is an inexact, artificial environment, but through phyisical stress inside we can and do test character and build mental toughness.

Superior strength and fitness achieved in the gym allows our athletes to be more efficient with their technical training on the mountain. Time formerly spent on conditioning can now be used to further develop and improve technical proficiency. Not only are our athletes stronger and more powerful, they are smarter too.

At our location in Jackson, Wyoming we train elite mountain athletes including athletes sponsored by Mammut, Marmot, Cloudveil, and The North Face, plus mountain guides employed by Exum Mountain Guides in Jackson and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.

In September, 2007, Mountain Athlete Strength & Conditioning entered into a partnership with Exum Mountain Guides to continue to provide strength and conditioning services for Exum's guides, and develop preparatory training programs for the Exum's clients.

In our methodology and programing we stand on the shoulders of coaching giants: Dan John (danjohn.org), Mark Twight (gymjones.com), Greg Glassman (crossfit.com), Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, JC Santana, Mark Versagen (Athletes' Performance, Louie Simmons (west-side.com), Ethan Reeve (Wake Forest), Greg Everett (cathletics.com), and countless other well known and well respected strength & conditioning coaches.

Rob Shaul founded Mountain Athlete Strength & Conditioning in February, 2007. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association. He has also earned certifications from CrossFit (Level I), U.S. Weight Lifting Association, completed a 1-week mentorship with Athletes' Performance, in November, 2007 attended an Athletic Development Seminar at Gym Jones in Salt Lake City.