SEAL training with starting strength

[bud/s or bust]

Mr. Rippetoe

I'm currently pursuing a commission in the US Navy after graduation in 1 year and vying for a SEAL contract after. I've been using a modified starting strength programming and crossfit mainly for preparation with inclusion of running and swimming. I read on another post regarding the same matter that you said heavy lifting twice a week with endurance based training twice a week and i just wanted a little clarification if at all possible to be most productive with my time.

For lifting days would i follow the A/B schedule from starting strength with a 5x5 rep scheme? What would you recommend on endurance/calisthenic days as to not deter strength progress sicne alot of pushups and pullups would seem to tax me for lifting? Obviously i'm trying to get as many dense calories and rest as i can to facilitate my recovery but college doesnt always lend itself to such good conditions. My lifts currently are 240 squat, 180 bench, 135 press, 170 clean, 335 dead, all at 5x5 and deads at 1x5. I'm currently 170 lbs and 5'9, 20 years old, and have only been weight training for about 3 years total (not with starting strength until recently). My current lifting schedule is press 5x5 sunday, deadlifts 1x5 monday, tuesday is usually 2 crossfit wods or a run (4-12 miles), wednesday is training in the morning with a seal mentor, cleans, 5x5 and maybe a wod, thursday is bench 5x5, friday is squats 5x5, all days with a wod after lifting. Im making consistent progress on squats and press, slowing down on deads and cleans, and not moving a whole lot on bench. My only concern with more calories and gaining weight is speed in the pool and beach runs. My best 1.5 mile was 9:30 and my best swim was 9:45, both of which need about a minute taken off to be competitive. I read the article "why does the army want to make me weak" which made a lot of sense to me, but i think bud/s has more of an endurance bias than most soldiers are subjected to and i feel like i need to prepare myself for it but do not want to at the expense of strength loss or progress halting.

I want to be the strongest person i can be and i'm very serious about that, but i'm just as serious about getting this contract to serve my country to the best of my ability. Any help would be greatly appreciated sir.

Thank you Sir

[Mark Rippetoe]

SEAL training is outside my area of experience. We'll ask.

[scoppi]

Strength isn't super important at bud/s. You'd be better off focusing on running, swimming, and calisthenics. And as much as I don't like saying it, crossfit style work outs would also be beneficial. But if you're serious about making it through, swimming and running are most important. Also, I hope you have a kick ass immune system, lots of determination, and a fuck ton of luck.

Note: once you make it into a platoon, you can start putting on some muscle like everyone else.

[John2336]

I'm not a SEAL, but I know one. He's about 155 pounds soaking wet and strikes an unimposing figure. I'd say that mental toughness is what you need to train for, while improving strength levels to make everything less challenging.. How you go about that, I have no idea.

[big eddie]

Sealfit takes crossfit style metcons and adds more direct strength work to the program: http://www.sealfit.com/

I know a few xfit refugees who are a lot happier with this program.

[Mikhaile]

Seems to me that SEALs have done more to recruit young impressionable kids than any Navy recruiter ever has. Back when I was in highschool every kid that had military aspirations was convinced they were Special Forces material. It almost seems unfair how skewed these kids perceptions are versus reality. So they enlist, washout repeatedly, then get cycled in with the rest of the fleet.

[Bloodninja666]

Have you seen the BUDs miniseries the discovery channel ran about 7 years ago? It seems like a lot of the info you're seeking would be contained in there. Also, there is an internet forum for literally every topic...you need to find the one where former SEALs are advising hopefuls.

What I took away from the show:
The major strength-oriented progressions included:
-holding logs over your head and/or racing with these heavy logs.
-Doing the same with boats.
-Endless Pushups and Dips

Obviously massive strength would be a huge asset here, but in terms of getting through the program it doesnt seem you need to dominate here... just don't be among the weakest 2 guys on your boat crew and you will not draw a lot of attention from the instructors.

Scoppi's observation about running and swimming be of the upmost importance jives with what I saw. Ending up at the rear of the pack is disasterous.

Other than that, the process seems to be all about luck and mental toughness. Luck to be blessed with a body that doesnt get injured or sick easily. The mental toughness seems to be committing to the decision that the instructors will have to kill you before you quit.

If I were in your situation I would focus on getting the run and swim times down, and hopefully add 100 lbs to yours presses and 200lb to your squat/dl. I also wouldn't be shy about using AAS if this were really a goal of mine...

[mikiekimi]

The USN's official site (sealswcc.com) has what their recommended workout program is. It involves strength training, run, swim, & PT stuff you'll need to work on. It's called their PTG (Physical Training Guide). Unlike the old 'warning order', it incorporates a strength training component with everything else and the Director of Fitness (or whatever his title is) Mike Caviston has commented on the 3x5 rep scheme as being effective during the strength component for your train-up to the SEALs. I'm an old fart, and have given it a whirl in the past, but it only overtrains me - I have pointed at least one AF Combat Controller wannabe in the direction before they shipped to Indoc and they said that the program had them more than ready.

It's the mental stuff that'll get you...

[mlentzner]

It's the mental stuff that'll get you...

Hm. The mental stuff is much easier if one handles the physical stuff easily.

I was an Army guy so I only have information about Ranger school and not BUDS. I saw the Discovery channel show and it seems similar in concept (not in skill).

In Ranger school, by far the most washouts happen in the first few days. The majority of these guys could not hack it physically. If you're a stud not only will you have less physical stress, but you will not be singled out as a weakling by the instructors and fellow students.

The second most likely way to wash out was through injury. It's easy to get hurt when you're exhausted and underfed for weeks. Once again, the strong tend to survive here. It was noted that the lean guys did not do as well as the bigger guys. The advice was to show up on the first day in a state of "fit fat" - ie no abs. Getting through the course without getting hurt at least once or having to repeat a section due to not passing was actually pretty uncommon. Maybe 10% made it all the way through.

Coming up far in the rear were guys who mentally quit. This was called LOM (lack of motivation). While uncommon, this was the worst way to go out. You could never come back to the school (washouts and injuries could retry the course) and it pretty much meant your career was ruined. From talking to people who went (I didn't) it seemed like the hardest thing was going back and repeating a section due to failure or injury. But everyone I knew did it.

At these schools it seems to me that the longer you stick around the less motivated the instructors are to kick you out. They really want to get rid of the guys who can't hack it in the first few days. Emotionally they don't want to invest themselves in someone they think will disappoint them later. At least in Ranger school it seemed like you had to survive the first week and then basically hang in there for the remainder - pass the course material and don't get hurt.

So get in killer shape. Find out what the physical standards are and make sure you can crush them. If you can just barely do them when you're fed and warm then you won't be able to when under duress.

Like I said, in my experience, mastering the physical makes the mental a lot easier. You pay your dues in practice and training and then that shows up as toughness when you are asked to perform.

Matt

[bud/s or bust]

The more information i'm finding regarding training preparation, the more i'm finding that the mental game is equally as important than the physical game. I've been reading a lot of books lately on breathing techniques, arousal control, mental imagery, etc. I think many times this goes overlooked and a physically qualified candidate looses his spot because his mental game isnt as refined as his physical and im trying to attack it just as hard as my time in the gym. Trying to eliminate "quit" from my vocabulary. 240 may not be a lot of weight to squat, but you feel a lot better about your ability to not quit after you finish your 5x5 for the day and im noticing time under the bar is starting to make me stronger outside and inside.

I'm still worried though my training isn't going to prepare me as well as i need, but i think thats the worrier in me. I may switch around my lifting schedule because im noticing alot of back pain after press on sunday (i guess due to layback) and with deadlifts right after its putting some nice hurt on my lumbar area and the last thing i need is a back issue before i have to haul logs and boat over my head. That being said, i'm not currently wearing a belt for any of my lifts because i figure i wont have one after i ship so i should probably get used to working with out it. Thoughts? I'm not entirely sure im working with loads heavy enough in my work sets to be at a great risk but this could be naive' or my ego talking. If my ego is getting in the way of proper judgement feel free to let the caps lock rip and tear me up creatively, Mr. Rippetoe.

I've tried sealfit but alot of times the workouts run about 3 hours and i dont usually have more than about 2 hours in the gym per day with college and 2 jobs. Also recovery from that stuff is pretty brutal and they dont program in alot of swimming or running either or really heavy stuff. I'm trying half a gallon of whole milk a day in addition to eating clean to try and facilitate recovery and maybe put a little bit of weight on.

I really appreciate the advice and the support. Thanks guys