all posts post new thread
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)

cfencel

First Post
Hey everyone,
this is my first post on the forum. I just finished Pavel’s interview with joe rogan and I’m extremely interested in learning more and adapting my training. I saw that Pavel
has taught marines training styles and that’s the branch i’ll be going into through an officer program. I plan to branch infantry or field artillery and looking towards joining the raiders later down the line. I’m currently 20 years old, male, 5’11’’, guessing somewhere between 12-16% body fat, and about 180 pounds. I was an endurance athlete in high school (cross country, swimming, track, some basketball) and played a couple years of club water polo at school but that’s finished. I’m currently just weightlifting with a standard body building split and routine, and doing 30-45 minutes of cardio a day that’s either a cycling class, a distance run, sprints, or basketball. Prepping for the military, i’m joining a mma gym this week to begin to learn martial arts. I would like a training program that can incorporate and improve my cardio, weight lifting, and allow me to do mma. There’s so much information on this website and I just don’t know where to begin to formulate a program for myself.
 
Al Ciampa is the resident expert on this. Id read some of his threads and check out his website. Sorry dont know it off hand.
 
I would do some 3x5 for the big 3(squat 2/week, bench 2/week, deadlift 1/week), and "grease the groove" for bodyweight exercises, if I were you.

For cardio, 2/week sprinting or hiit, and 1/week jogging.

I think something like this would make stronger, improve your endurance, and allow you to do your sport, without messing the recovery.
 
Last edited:
I think for all military, training should be segregated into preparatory and operational. I think operators have a different set of requirements and constraints than at schools and selections.

Schools and selections are physically demanding in a different way than operations. Strength will equate to durability and aerobic conditioning will equate to recoverability.

I think the powerlifts and assistance lifts are where the majority of preparatory training should focus to build the most durable tactical athlete. I think kettlebells are better suited to operational athletes. S&S makes a great warm-up for powerlift training days.

Rucking can be hard on feet, hips, and low back and I would probably spend a decent amount of my aerobic time with a pack on. Other aerobic training I would try to have be low impact like swimming or rowing instead of running. Any running I would probably have no more than once per week and it would be 1-3 min intervals with a plate carrier on. Plate carrier compress the chest different than a pack.
 
Hello,

Nice post from @Bro Mo There is a difference between selection and operational life.

The more you get close to the selection, the more specific the training has to be. For instance, if the test calls for x sit ups, then do sit ups the weeks before. Otherwise, more general training such as StrongFirst programmes are great for preparation.

Once admitted, maintenance is another story (westside barbell, tactical barbell, etc...)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
I didn't mean specificity for a PFT. I mean the frequency, volume, and intensity of training during schools and selection is higher and should be developed. It would be like training to not only do a PFT but then do it again in the afternoon, and then again the next day. Schools often train the mind by breaking the body. They take the body to failure, and often. The ability to keep taking those punches needs to be trained with its own appreciation.
 
For the most part I agree with @Bro Mo , we both had long careers in the Navy in different fields. Your training for completing basic training in my opinion needs to be basic, GPP. Since you are looking at the Army I would suggest rucking alternated with running on different days. S&S would serve well as well as a steady diet of push ups and pull ups. You'll need to pay attention to lower body injuries as your rucking and running times increase.

After basic there's time to add in heavier weight training if that's your thing.
 
Read the Tactical Barbell books. It's all in there. The bonus is that their approach doesn't apply to military/LEO, but that is how it's all framed.
Yes, TB is a great read and the templates are awesome. Very clear structured and yet flexible.
However, personally I would disregard the sample sessions in TB conditioning and use Strongfirst ballistic protocols instead (S&S, later A+A or Q&D). But then again I am just a desk worker and cannot speak for military/LEO.
 
Unintentionally, after trial, error, and modification, my training looks a lot like Tactical Barbell. If I had more time to train and do 2/days again, it would look like Matt Wenning's Tactical Manual or Alex Viada's Hybrid Athlete. Those two are able to do a lot of volume without injuring. Mountain Tactical is good but now that I'm older, Rob's programs usually injure me somehow. Jeff Nichols programs at Performance First are good too but similarly injure me now.
 
I tried TB Operator last winter, and despite losing the plot somewhat toward the end, made good strength progress. TB and Easy Strength have been what I've been looking for for years, a way to get stronger without beating myself up. Both programs leave me plenty of time, energy, and recovery for my primary pursuits outdoors.

This year I'm running TB Fighter Bangkok variation for Jan-Mar. Two days a week of max strength work on SQ, BP, PU, DL and one day for strength endurance work. The SE sessions will vary month to month, based on KB/BW stuff, maybe a sandbag. Maybe I'll finally build my gada.

The TB conditioning stuff is beyond me, but I need MTB specific conditioning anyway. But for someone who wants into the world of military and LEO, everything is explained that way. Who it's for, why it works, how to program it. The personal anecdote of the value of low intensity aerobic base building is fantastic and complements nicely the explanations in The Uphill Athlete.
 

I agree with the author. In Afghanistan I didn't do any steady state running. My speed was either yomping at patrol speeds or sprinting from cover to cover.

I didn't do any push ups. I did a lot of lunge like movements taking a knee on patrol in a hair and bone.

However for the purposes of preparing for basic I think the approach does need to change to include running, swimming, push ups, pull ups etc. A long with other lifts that now I would class as key lifts e.g. swings.
 
Unintentionally, after trial, error, and modification, my training looks a lot like Tactical Barbell. If I had more time to train and do 2/days again, it would look like Matt Wenning's Tactical Manual or Alex Viada's Hybrid Athlete. Those two are able to do a lot of volume without injuring. Mountain Tactical is good but now that I'm older, Rob's programs usually injure me somehow. Jeff Nichols programs at Performance First are good too but similarly injure me now.

I use a mixture of Matt Wenning approach for tactical athletes for my main strength work and polarised training (aka the 80/20 method) for conditioning. I'll do an easy run (swim as well once the pandemic is over) for approx an hour monday to Friday. A brick session on Saturday. KB swings every day I don't have a strength session.

If I ak not training for an event then I'll do some boxing and BJJ on my non strength training days.

If I have a tri, cycle or a run/swim planned then I'll take out the fight training and insert my intensity sessions geared to my event.

My training has changed a lot over the last 16 years and this is just how it looks at the moment. I feel great and perform better than ever. However I don't think my approach would be best for someone going into basic.
 
Hey everyone,
this is my first post on the forum. I just finished Pavel’s interview with joe rogan and I’m extremely interested in learning more and adapting my training. I saw that Pavel
has taught marines training styles and that’s the branch i’ll be going into through an officer program. I plan to branch infantry or field artillery and looking towards joining the raiders later down the line. I’m currently 20 years old, male, 5’11’’, guessing somewhere between 12-16% body fat, and about 180 pounds. I was an endurance athlete in high school (cross country, swimming, track, some basketball) and played a couple years of club water polo at school but that’s finished. I’m currently just weightlifting with a standard body building split and routine, and doing 30-45 minutes of cardio a day that’s either a cycling class, a distance run, sprints, or basketball. Prepping for the military, i’m joining a mma gym this week to begin to learn martial arts. I would like a training program that can incorporate and improve my cardio, weight lifting, and allow me to do mma. There’s so much information on this website and I just don’t know where to begin to formulate a program for myself.

Congratulations on taking the first steps into a life in the military. Although I am not in the US military I have served since 2006 in the British military so I will give my suggestions and those with a better insight into basic training for the US army can refine my advice.

First and foremost. Basic sucks, however being competent at running, conditioning and in the bodyweight movements will serve you very well.

I would advise a GTG (grease the groove) method for push ups, pull ups, bodyweight squats and lunges. I used to have a pull up bar on my bedroom door and started by doing a pull up everytime I waking through that door. I upped it slowly over time. In hindsight I wish I applied this to MANY other movements before going into basic. My foundation and competence in the bodyweight movements would have been much better and I basic would not have been as much of a shock to my body.

Next I would advise aerobic work. For this I would advise starting with 3 runs at a conversational pace. So for example let's say you do your running on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Well Tuesdays and Thursdays start off with a 20-30mins easy run at the conversational pace. On Saturday do a 60min easy run. Increase duration slowly over time. Add a swim session once a week at 20-30min and again increase the duration slowly over time.

Things like boxing, BJJ and muay thai etc are great conditioning. They will test many different energy systems within a given training session. You will also gain skills that you wouldn't if you just did some hill sprints. Also because you are focusing on what you are being taught and applying new techniques it distracts you from the fact that you are getting conditioned. So big thumbs up from me.

Someone rucking was loaded march was mentioned. This is a good idea. A light sessions and a heavy session sounds like a good idea and something I wish I had implemented sooner. Alternate your long march with your long run. So one week you will do a long run and the next a long march. Do you heavy day on Wednesday. This will space them out nicely. On your long march pack plenty of water, a bit of food and take some time to really enjoy nature during this time too.

So now down to more serious strength work. S&S is what I would suggest. Kettlebell swings and get ups performed 3 times a week. Build up your proficiency and volume. It it a great way of building your posterior chain, building core stability, building static strength in the delts, as well as muscular endurance and explosiveness in the posterior chain. Unlike a heavy deadlift swings can be done numerous times a week. I can pull heavy from the floor on a monday and do swings Tuesday-Sunday. They are an invaluable, minimalist tool that I wish I knew about sooner.

If you have access to implements you can do farmers carry, front carry, bag to shoulder etc. They will be very useful in preparing you to carry kit and people. Again, start off light and progress slowly. If you are doing all of the above you will be doing a high volume of training and don't want to accrue any injury or get into a state of overtraining. Technique and perfect execution is king. As it is with everything listed.

With this you can build a great foundation of conditioning and strength that will make you one of the more dominant performers during basic. This will give you a wide GPP base that you can peak with the help of the PTIs at basic.
 
Status
Closed Thread. (Continue Discussion of This Topic by Starting a New Thread.)
Back
Top Bottom