First off, excellent job. What took you so long? That's a pretty good vertical, better than I would have thought, you being rather slug-like and all. We may have to try that under non-government test conditions in the gym.
This is completely consistent with what we normally see, every time, especially in much younger men.We then moved to the push-up test. My goal here was to conserve energy for the upcoming run so I would only complete the minimum number required on push-ups or sit-ups. I completed the required 40 push-ups right around the 30 second mark. The push-ups were easy to say the least. But I stopped at 40. I did the same on the sit-ups, which were also easy and were completed around the 40 second mark. I noticed that my hip flexors weren’t tired. I have always noticed tight, tired hip flexors after a number of quick sit-ups in the past. We then moved to the 1.5 mile run. Several of my teammates believed that this would be difficult at my heavier weight and since I haven’t ran in a year. At the halfway point my time was 5:30. I was not winded or tired at all. I decided to slow down to save energy for the sprint. I finished right at 12 minutes and felt great. I had plenty left to give and could easily have stayed on my original pace. We then moved to the 300 meter sprint. I ran a 50 second 300 meter. I felt great on this run but I paced all wrong. I had plenty more to give on the 300. At this point I wished I would’ve gone all out in all areas just to see what I could’ve done. Another interesting note is that I ALWAYS get shin splints after the 1.5 mile run and the 300 meter sprint. I did not have a single issue with this during or after the test this time.
This is extremely important, and we've been saying this for years while absolutely no one listens but us. For a "fit" person, running is just not that hard. It's putting one foot in front of the other and continuing to do so, even if it hurts a little. Strength training makes you "fit" and therefore improves your running. Unless we have decided that we are taking cars away from the cops and the military, running 5 miles is neither necessary from an operational standpoint nor productive from a training standpoint: running makes you better at running and that's all, while lifting makes you better at running and everything else too.We have all been conditioned to believe (I think some of this is due to marketing) that in order to perform well on tests such as these you must be doing “cardio”, be lightweight, be doing push-ups, and “core” work. So conditioned that I believed that I must really conserve to pass the runs. As there is no way to pass a measured run if you haven’t been running right? It appears that my newly developed strength has benefited me more than anything I have done in the past. Not to mention I am a bigger stronger man for someone to deal with in general. What do you believe generated the results I saw on the 1.5 mile run? Does the heavy lifting of the 3 x 5 program build a certain level of “cardio”? Is it just easier to push my body through space now that I am measurably stronger than I once was?
Let's repeat this: running makes you better at running and that's all, while lifting makes you better at running and everything else too. And since we don't run more that short distances in the field anymore -- which lifting improves too -- then preparing to run long distances while failing to implement a systematic approach to getting stronger is a waste of time, money, and physical potential.
Situps are a silly thing to test if a guy can squat 405. Silly, stupid, pointless, inefficient, and ineffective, and this is precisely how governments do things. You have risen above this. Guys like you assuming a leadership role are the only way this paradigm will shift.The push-ups are obviously a result of my bench and press but what about the sit-ups? Is this a direct result of my core putting in the work during my squat sessions? And what about the shin splints? A result of stronger bones, muscles, and tendons?
For more information:
Tactical Athlete Radio - Episode 7: Interview with Mark Rippetoe | Listen via Stitcher Radio On Demand
Are you Strong Enough? An interview with Mark Rippetoe - | @TheRhinoDen | Home Of All Things Military