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La Sierra Fitness Standards

Torin

Torin

Level 6 Valued Member
Lately, I find myself thinking about the La Sierra fitness standards.

At some point in the future, I may add in a recurring cycle working on these calisthenics goals.

Level 1 Standards:

Screenshot_20240314_202658_Drive.jpg* Man Lift and Carry is carrying a individual about the same weight as you on your back while you walk the required distance: I would use a ruck sack with my weight in it

Level 2 Standards:

Screenshot_20240314_202703_Drive.jpg
* Extension Pushups are Lalanne Pushups

Level 3 Standards:

Screenshot_20240314_202708_Drive.jpg

I wouldn't mind building up to the level 3 standards once or twice a year.

By that I mean that my score on each test would fall somewhere between the minimum and ceiling performance at the end of the cycle.

What are your thoughts about these tests?​

Most importantly, how would you choose to train to meet the standards?​
 
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They have another level that I'm not interested in because the standards are way too high, but I may as well post it:
Screenshot_20240314_202712_Drive.jpg

Here's an interview with a kid that achieved the standards for this level:


Finally, here is a StrongFirst article about a school following in La Sierra's footsteps that uses Strong Endurance Protocol's to improve performance on some of the their fitness standards:
www.strongfirst.com

Strong Endurance in Schools to Strengthen the Next Generation | StrongFirst

Incorporating Strong Endurance, the Fighter Pullup Program and Grease the Groove have been an enormous success at Prescott. We have seen noticeable physical improvements throughout the year and a half we’ve been implementing these programs.
www.strongfirst.com
 
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I guess I always look at it, what am I training for? Anyone who could achieve 22 pullups, 3 minute half mile, 32 dips, etc would certainly be physically fit, but why would someone need to be able to meet those standards? Are they trying to win a competition, get in the special forces, fireman? I think doing a dozen pullups, 20 dips, and an 8 minute mile, etc. would be impressive enough. What does being able to do more of everything do, except stroke the ego? But everyone should be free to train however they want. Female heavyweight bodybuilders don’t train for the approval of men, it’s to win a contest. If you want to train to do hundreds of pushups, chins, and run a 4 minute mile go for it!
 
Really interesting stuff. I think it could be fun to attempt some of these.

That last one.. 5 miles with carrying someone on your back!? Wow that's impressive.
 
Birddog said:
Really interesting stuff. I think it could be fun to attempt some of these.

That last one.. 5 miles with carrying someone on your back!? Wow that's impressive.
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It is just 1.5 miles not 5 so easy peasy :)))
 
Thanks for sharing, I did not know about this. I wonder how they were training towards these goals what were their recommended protocols. I could not find it with a quick search.

I found the original hand book apparently, B and above from all grades and a short trim hair cut was also required :) I like it honestly, I wish I was pushed or motivated for exercise when I was at that age.
 
Ege said:
I wonder how they were training towards these goals what were their recommended protocols
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Here is a podcast with the producers of a documentary on the La Sierra method (I queued it to the portion that starts talking about how they trained):


There is a YouTube video of the entry level strength endurance warmup they used:
 
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Torin said:
Lately, I find myself thinking about the La Sierra fitness standards.

At some point in the future, I may add in a recurring cycle working on these calisthenics goals.

Level 1 Standards:

View attachment 24264* Man Lift and Carry is carrying a individual about the same weight as you on your back while you walk the required distance: I would use a ruck sack with my weight in it

Level 2 Standards:

View attachment 24265
* Extension Pushups are Lalanne Pushups

Level 3 Standards:

View attachment 24266

I wouldn't mind building up to the level 3 standards once or twice a year.

By that I mean that my score on each test would fall somewhere between the minimum and ceiling performance at the end of the cycle.

What are your thoughts about these tests?​

Most importantly, how would you choose to train to meet the standards?​
Click to expand...
Things I like: pull-ups, pushups, dips, jumps, sprints, runs, swims, and climbs are the core.

Things I don't care for: agility run (not sure what this exactly is?), pegboards, man lift and carry, and extension pressups, the odd medium distance sprint (880 yards/0.5 mile, 1320 yards/0.75mi).

As for training...

3-4 runs a week, with an off season (all LISS), pre season (LISS + 1 threshold run), and in season (LISS + 1 threshold + 1 sprint interval). Might need to drop one run for a swim, so 2-3 runs + 1 swim.

Start every session with some kind of ballistic/plyo as part of the warmup. Base the strength training around squat-push-pull-hinge-carry. Pull would focus on pull-ups and rope climbs. Push would focus on dips and overhead presses.

My problem with most standards are - what are the standards for and how does this inform my training. These standards were for something specific - making all Americans "fit enough" to serve in the military. Maybe that's a fine goal, but it might not be my goal. (This is ironic...)

As for informing training, I think it is more better to focus on movements/qualities you want and then train them progressively over time. For instance, Dan John's Famous Squat-Push-Pull-Hinge-Carry. Who cares if I meet some arbitrary standard, unless that informs something about my training - such as hitting a squat "standard" but I can't do a single pull-up, now I know I can put the squat on the back burner while I work on deficits.

Maybe my goal is to compete in BJJ, or some sport, or go on a backpacking trip... and maybe that means I need a different set of standards. Or maybe I don't even have standards per se I have qualities I need to develop - who cares if I can squat 405 if my goal is a 100 mile backpacking trip through the Rockies? I need leg strength for backpacking, not for powerlifting. Does that 405 squat contribute to that, or does it add unnecessary training stress? Are there qualities I feel like it is important to have even if they don't contribute directly to my goal?

To be clear, I think it is a good thing to be able to do things like sprint, run, swim, jump, carry, climb, and do calisthenics. And your training should probably be improving or maintaining those qualities in some way.

But standards like this are more for comparison, and my main comparison is my past self. Something like this might be great for a team if you want to develop competitiveness, but it might also be a good way to isolate, exclude, or even bully people that aren't already athletic. What some people find as incentivizing others find as demoralizing or reinforcing a pre-existing negative self image - e.g I can't do these/I'm not good at them because I'm not athletic.
 
BillSteamshovel said:
4th item ............. 26 1 arm burpees in 30 seconds !! Wow ...... I am not interested either.
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If you look at the video, they seem like pretty sloppy squat thrusts rather than burpees. I'm not impressed with these since in the form done here, they don't serve neither the original military purpose (getting to the ground and back up quickly) nor any other that I can see.
BTW, in wrestling there is an inofficial standard for sprawls (basically "squat thrusts with a purpose") - you should be able to do 40 in 30 seconds.
 
Torin said:
They have another level that I'm not interested in because the standards are way too high, but I may as well post it:
View attachment 24267

Here's an interview with a kid that achieved the standards for this level:


Finally, here is a StrongFirst article about a school following in La Sierra's footsteps that uses Strong Endurance Protocol's to improve performance on some of the their fitness standards:
www.strongfirst.com

Strong Endurance in Schools to Strengthen the Next Generation | StrongFirst

Incorporating Strong Endurance, the Fighter Pullup Program and Grease the Groove have been an enormous success at Prescott. We have seen noticeable physical improvements throughout the year and a half we’ve been implementing these programs.
www.strongfirst.com
Click to expand...

I like this last chart. I have never tried carrying somebody for 5 miles (typically, people start squirming around way earlier than that), and I think the highest reps I have ever done in HSPU is something like 40 (with a very wide grip), but I think they could have gone for 05:00 in the mile run to balance things out more. Overall, I'd say this is one of the more balanced tests for physical fitness I have seen in the army, and more applicable than some of the stuff they seem to do these days. Apart from the swimming (which I never really trained), I think there was a time I would have done quite ok in this, maybe I'll give it a shot for a month or two of specific training ;)
 
Torin said:
That is impressive.

Yikes!
I'm off to YouTube to find a video of someone doing this.
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I'm not sure if you will, I learned about this in a tape by two Russian wrestlers back in the early 2000s. The idea is to do a functional sprawl that would actually stop a dedicated single or double leg and come back to the wrestling stance each time, so the idea is doing it more as a drill than as a conditioning exercise (but of course, the line is blurry, just like when doing suplexes for reps). It's actually easier than a regular squat thrust if you're used to the technique.
 
Period said:
I'm not sure if you will, I learned about this in a tape by two Russian wrestlers back in the early 2000s. The idea is to do a functional sprawl that would actually stop a dedicated single or double leg and come back to the wrestling stance each time, so the idea is doing it more as a drill than as a conditioning exercise (but of course, the line is blurry, just like when doing suplexes for reps). It's actually easier than a regular squat thrust if you're used to the technique.
Click to expand...
fairly common wrestling drill. I believe this is similar to what you are referring to. I didn’t do the circle but i think makes sense if you’re training for wrestling.

 
LarryB said:
fairly common wrestling drill. I believe this is similar to what you are referring to. I didn’t do the circle but i think makes sense if you’re training for wrestling.
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I may have been unclear: the sprawl itself is of course common, just someone sprawling as fast as possible for 30 sec isn't something I remember seeing on youtube. The drill mentioned is sprawl and back to stance (lead foot forward, weight on the balls of the feet, hands in defensive position), not circling up, since in practical application, repeated sprawls happen in a scenario with fakes, re-shots etc. With circling up, I'd gladly pay an entrance fee to watch someone do 40 in 30 seconds ;)
 
Youtube just spontaneously included a heap of videos about La Sierra High School in my sidebar. Would have been amazing to go to a school like that.

I even learned a new bodyweight exercise at 1:45 on this video.
 
Abishai said:
Imagine if this would be a school standard these days.
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I don’t think military-style phys ed classes are going to get people “into” being physically active. The real problem is that a long time ago our society chose Sports as THE physical activity for people to do, and if you’re not good at Sports or you Age Out (e.g graduate high school or college) you Stop Being Active.
 
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