What is Gritty Soldier?

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What is Gritty Soldier?

A military and hybrid fitness brand. We build day-by-day training for a specific goal, then give you a way to test it, track it, and move to the next one.

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The short version

If you searched “Gritty Soldier review” or “is Gritty Soldier legit,” here’s the straight answer. We’re a real store, with real programs, a training app, and official challenge events. There are three different products. Don’t mix them up.

Dan Fahey founded Gritty Soldier Fitness in 2020. He’s a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and a U.S. Army Ranger School graduate. The full background is on our About Us page.

Three parts of the brand

You can use one, two, or all three. You don’t have to.

02 · The app

NO EXCUSES Training

The Gritty Soldier app, delivered through Playbook. Start a 7-day free trial, then it’s $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

See the app

1. PDF programs

Every fitness program on the store is delivered as a PDF download right after purchase. You can use it on your phone or computer, and you can print it. That’s spelled out on our FAQ.

These are complete, day-by-day plans with a start and an end. Most run 6, 8, 12, 13, or 16 weeks. You get the workouts, the structure, and in many programs, a way to log and track the work. Prices today are $34.99 or $39.99, depending on the plan.

Bodyweight Warrior I and II can be stacked at 15% off from either product page. Hybrid Warrior I and II have the same 15% stack. Those are the live bundles today. There is no end date on them.

Bodyweight Warrior 8-week fitness program

Bodyweight Warrior

8 weeks · $34.99

21 reviews

View program
13-Week Ranger School fitness program

13-Week Ranger School

13 weeks · $39.99

73 reviews

View program
Bataan Memorial Death March 16-week fitness program

Bataan Memorial Death March

16 weeks · $39.99

View program

See the full catalog on All Fitness Programs. If you want the recommended order, read How Gritty Soldier programs progress.

2. The app

NO EXCUSES Training is the Gritty Soldier app. It’s for people who want a fresh weekly schedule, follow-along workouts, and a complete program library in one membership, plus a way to ask questions.

What’s on the public app site today:

  • New weekly NO EXCUSES training you can do at home, outside, traveling, or in a gym.
  • Complete multi-week programs you can start anytime, including Bodyweight Warrior, Hybrid Warrior I and II, Max the AFT, Ranger School Prep, Embrace the Ruck, and others.
  • Quarterly in-app challenges (six-week training challenges included with membership). These are not the same thing as Gritty Soldier Challenge events.
  • Follow-along workout videos.
  • A community, progress tracking, exercise videos, offline downloads, and reminders.
  • A weekly member Q&A, where training questions get answered directly: programming, running, rucking, strength, recovery, substitutions, and training around a busy schedule.

Start here: 7-day free trial. After the trial, the Playbook checkout lists $14.99 per month or $99.99 per year.

If you already bought a PDF, you don’t automatically get the app, and an app membership is not the same as owning a downloadable PDF you can keep forever. Pick the format that matches how you actually train.

3. Gritty Soldier Challenges

Gritty Soldier Challenges are virtual endurance events you can complete from anywhere. You register, do the work to the published standard, submit proof, and get a verified result. That’s a different product from a training plan or an app membership.

Open events as of November 9, 2026:

  • LEGION MARCH (3rd edition): November 26 to December 6, 2026. Entry is $40. The standard is 18.4 miles with a 45 lb ruck, in 6 hours or less.
  • GRIT 100: April 1 to April 30, 2027. Entry is $40. The standard is 100 miles in 30 days.

A challenge entry is not a 6-week or 12-week training program. If you want a plan to get ready, pick the program that matches the event, then come back and test yourself.

How the three pieces fit

A lot of confusion comes from the word “challenge.” Inside the app, quarterly challenges are six-week training blocks included with membership. Gritty Soldier Challenges are separate paid events with a published standard and a verification process. Different products, different checkout, different outcome.

A simple way to use the brand:

  1. 1

    Get a baseline

    Use a free tool like the AFT Calculator, or the test built into your program.

  2. 2

    Follow a plan

    Pick the plan that matches the goal and run it as written.

  3. 3

    Retest

    Check whether the work moved the needle.

  4. 4

    Move forward

    Take the next program, recycle the same plan, or take on a Challenge if you want a public standard to hit.

That’s the full ladder, with every live program mapped, on How Gritty Soldier programs progress.

Free tools

FAQ

Is Gritty Soldier legit?

Yes. Gritty Soldier Fitness has been operating since 2020 at grittysoldier.com. You can read the founder’s background on About Us, browse live programs with prices and reviews, and contact us at contact@grittysoldier.com. Digital programs are delivered immediately, and because of that they are not refundable. That’s in the FAQ and the refund policy.

What is a Gritty Soldier review going to tell me?

Start with the product that matches your goal, then read the reviews on that page. The 13-Week Ranger School program, for example, currently shows 73 customer reviews on its product page. Bodyweight Warrior shows 21. Max the AFT shows 36. Get Selected shows 9. Reviews are specific to the plan, not a generic brand score.

Does Gritty Soldier have an app?

Yes. NO EXCUSES Training lives at grittysoldierapp.com, with a 7-day free trial, then $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year.

What’s the difference between the PDF and the app?

The PDF is a one-time purchase of a complete plan you download and keep. The app is a membership with weekly training, included programs, follow-along workouts, community tools, and a weekly Q&A. Some of the same program names appear in both places. The checkout and the access are still different.

What are Gritty Soldier alternatives?

If you’re comparing brands, read the facts, not the marketing. We published a sourced, non-defamatory breakdown here: Gritty Soldier vs Combat Fitness. Pick the system that matches how you want to train and what you’re willing to pay.

Do I need to be in the military?

No. A lot of the plans are built around military tests, schools, and events. Plenty of people who never put on a uniform use them anyway. If the goal fits, the plan fits.

Ready to train?

Start a 7-day free trial of the app, or pick a one-time program and download it today.

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Prices, dates, and trial terms are current as of November 9, 2026 (America/New_York). Confirm the live checkout before you buy.