How hard was this:
the last time you did it?75 Push-ups
76 Sit-ups
16 Chin-ups
Run 2 mi @ 6:09 min pace
Run 5 mi @ 7:00 min pace
Ruck 5 mi, 40 lbs @ 6.25 mph pace
Rope Climb 20 ft, +25 lbs
Member
Programming Theory: When Arbitrary is Necessary
Rip,
For military or law enforcement, who may have long periods of time with no access to a gym, I know the typical answer is usually to get as strong as possible while you can (read and understood!). Even one workout a week of 5x5 Squats, Bench and 2x5 Deadlifts would go along way towards maintaining strength by providing a decent stressor of volume and intensity. I also am aware of the issue of pushing things too far with regard to running or rucking.
Normally, for civilians, this would be fine, but these arbitrary events and standards are a part of soldiering and policing whether we want them to be or not. A layoff might help, occasionally, as was covered in a recent article, but it would not be uncommon to be in this austerely equipped environment for more than a week or two. I've tried to figure out something, find something or try something that would provide sufficient volume to elicit improvements in events we'll have to chalk up to "testable skills." Even the various military "programs" for SOF communities are essentially P90x with two-a-days and without the DVDs and yoga. I am dissatisfied with this, and I also want to do well on the arbitrary testing.
Here's what I've got to work with:
Testable:
- 75 Push-ups
- 76 Sit-ups
- 16 Chin-ups
- Run 2 mi @ 6:09 min pace
- Run 5 mi @ 7:00 min pace
- Ruck 5 mi, 40 lbs @ 6.25 mph pace
- Rope Climb 20 ft, +25 lbs
Also available:
- 55 lbs Ruck
- 95 lbs Sled (nylon)
- Dips
What would be your recommendation for working on the "skills" side while minimizing unnecessary total strength loss? What do you recommend for sources that aren't complete BS? I understand this is a soup sandwich, but I refuse to do this without a least a little methodology similar to NLP/Intermediate progressive overload.
What I'm considering:
- Alternate intensity and volume by weighting Chin-ups, Dips and Push-ups with the pack (volume per the next bullet)
- Accumulated volume days for Chin-ups, Push-ups and Sit-ups. (i.e. 150-250 reps split up in smaller sets throughout a day.)
- Limiting Running to HIIT Sleds/Sprints x1/wk and 2 mi/day x1-2/wk.
- Limiting Running 5 mi. once every 1-3 months for "inventory" assessment.
- Limiting heavy Rucking to 5 mi/wk in 1-2 sessions under full load. Conditioning mostly for feet, shoulders and working on pace. (no running unless during an assessment)
If you're interested, this is what I was given to work with: https://goarmysof.com/documents/sf/SFAS-PT-handbook.pdf If you're not interested, well, I don't blame you.
TMPHBITEU
How hard was this:
the last time you did it?75 Push-ups
76 Sit-ups
16 Chin-ups
Run 2 mi @ 6:09 min pace
Run 5 mi @ 7:00 min pace
Ruck 5 mi, 40 lbs @ 6.25 mph pace
Rope Climb 20 ft, +25 lbs
Member
After a significant cutting period to meet the arbitrary body measurements:
43 Push-ups
56 Sit-ups
7 Chin-ups
Run 2 mi @ 7:58
Run 5 mi @ 8:53
Haven't timed a full 5 on Ruck, and I don't have access to a rope. I'm honestly not too worried about those during an assessment. If my strength and conditioning are up to par and my feet are good to go the ruck should just be a pain tolerance event because I'll likely run the down-hills and part of the flats. Rope is 95% technique. With regard to the cut, the runs didn't go down, but everything else did.
TMPHBITEU
We'll ask the forum.
Member
I'm retired military and may or may not have something useful to add, but I'm not fully understanding the question...
Are you going to be attempting SFAS or some specialized school like Airborne/Ranger/Air Assault/EFMB?
Member
Yes. Potentially more than one. Maybe three or four of those.Originally Posted by mikiekimi
The question is: what to do, as a 35 year old, to manage arbitrary testable skills when all I'm trying to do is be strong and conditioned and leave some tread on the tires (knees need cartilage, too)? I know from experience that being strong and conditioned can get me 60-70% there, but I'm also without access to a gym at the moment and that will likely be a common occurrence. It will also not change the fact that 5 miles in 35 minutes is a minimum, and that will require specific training.
Member
Here's kind of how I carved it up during the year...right after an annual test or event, I'd run SS NLP with little to no conditioning in an effort to quickly regain strength (1-2 months).
The bulk of the year I'd refocus on strength + conditioning using something like Justin Lascek's CFWF template or the one for military/LE types in the book Fit (8 months)
During test/event train up (2 - 3 months) I'd focus on body recomp and the specific event I was prepping for. I always liked to use the Naval Special Warfare Physical Training Guide for pushups, situps, and running progressions. Much better IMHO than the SFAS UNLESS you need to ruck. The only way to get used to rucking is...well, rucking. There was also a book called Get Selected for SFAS prep that is a pretty bare-bones simple guide and not overly complicated.
In the course of a year I could run a sub 10:00 mile and a half (usually around 9:30 - 9:45), get 70 pushups/situps, and work my way back to getting 5s in the upper 300s on squat and ~405 on deadlift. Not super strong, but pure strength wasn't what I was being paid for. I'm 5'7" and would hover around 170 during PT testing time, and 185 'off-season'.
Member
Do you feel like those running programs have too many junk miles? Running fast, even for 5 miles, seems like a lot of miles per week wouldn't help. My time in the Corps doesn't help much, because we just kind of ran all the time, and not on any program other than: run faster until you puke. Regardless, thank you... I'll read up on those other programs and try to wrap my head around them.
✓ Member
David - retired military here, too. While I didn't find SS until after I retired, I spent a lot of time working on eliminating junk miles so that I could beat the hell out of myself in other ways. For all of my folks, I leaned heavily on Jack Daniels Running Formula and the programs that Dr Daniels lays out are very effective for everything from the sprints to the marathons. For your 2 & 5 mile tests, he suggests no more than three workouts a week (sound familiar?). Those workouts are very efficient and very effective.
Good luck!
Member
Awesome, thank you. The NSWC guide is pretty close to that, too. Basically a little distance, intervals and sprints. I'll read up on this.
I didn't find SS until after I got out, either. I realized, in hindsight, that the most gains I made on performance were from doing proto-Crossfit stuff on a little-ass firebase in Afghanistan. Zero running for 18 months. We didn't know the Olympic lifts well, so we basically were doing strict strength versions of them. And even being sub-optimal... THAT worked.
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