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Kettlebell S&S for the tactical athlete

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GDove said:
What about LEO's? I feel, as tactical athletes, we need leg strength coupled with mobility in the hips and T-spine..

I've been practicing SS for about a year now and with a 32k for about 7 months. I recently started to "add" OS resets to the warm-up and feel it helps with the practice.

Occasionally, I'll GTG with pull-ups just to keep my numbers up; however, I believe it's better to just perform the PM as written (going as heavy as possible)..
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I've gone back to S&S because of 12 hour shifts and a new baby. Being able to split the training and do swings before a shift and TGUs after a shift makes it even more convenient.

OS resets have been my warm-up for years. I swear by them. They are the perfect counter to all that time spent siting in a patrol car.

I GTG w/ pull-ups also, as well as Armor Building on variety days and COC Grippers in my patrol bag for down times.
 
George Vrotsos said:
I've gone back to S&S because of 12 hour shifts and a new baby. Being able to split the training and do swings before a shift and TGUs after a shift makes it even more convenient.

OS resets have been my warm-up for years. I swear by them. They are the perfect counter to all that time spent siting in a patrol car.

I GTG w/ pull-ups also, as well as Armor Building on variety days and COC Grippers in my patrol bag for down times.
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I couldn't agree more. I have a 14 month old and one on the way..

Although I miss power lifting, SS is a perfect "go-to workout" between shifts for the time being.

I never thought about COC grippers in the warbag..good idea.
 
Steve Freides said:
This should be the goal of every StrongFirst trainee.

-S-
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Such an important concept! So many people miss this point. This couldn't be more true for tactical athletes. If you can get improvement without exhaustion, even better! That way you have the energy to do your job, and respond on a moments notice. Plus, the job is stressful enough without the constant stressor of frequent exhausting workouts. For the tactical athletes I have worked with, the most common mistake was either doing nothing, or doing too much. Hardly anyone is in the middle.
 
mprevost said:
For the tactical athletes I have worked with, the most common mistake was either doing nothing, or doing too much. Hardly anyone is in the middle.
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For the record, I despise the term; but, "doing nothing" fundamentally means that they are not "tactical athletes". Where/with whom have you observed this? I can personally report that much of the AF assumes that fitness doesn't go away just because you stop training.
 
It seems like to fit into the classification of “tactical athlete” (whether it is a good or bad label I’m not proclaiming) it would have to be a full time gig. IMHO no one in that realm would let things backslide. Not only because of the need to stay fit to be operational (for many reasons including the safety of your team members and ability to carry out missions), but because of the competitive nature of the A types involved. Even the older guys on my team (I’m now one I guess), are constantly pushing to compete with the young bucks. That type of environment drives commitment and discipline to keep up your fitness. Can’t imagine letting off the throttle and staying relevant.
 
This one is a bit off topic but it came to my mind: you might check out "Original Strength For The Tactical Athlethe"
 
George can I ask for more details on Armour building sounds useful , I am a cop also the weight of the body armour and sitting in a car is taking a toll
Cheers
 
If you've been following atomic athlete, be prepared for your body to feel amazing doing S&S. I was heavy into crossfit before I started S&S and my body started feeling so good I didn't realize how bad it actually felt from CF. Little aches and pains went away, energy much better, sleeping better, etc...
 
As a Marine I add in the Fighter Pull-Up Program and some runs as well. Since this creates a strong pull focus I add in some Ammo Can lifts (Testable) and Push-Ups just to stay balanced. Depending on how long you've been doing military life is the big question. I'm at the point I only train with my unit on Friday which is normally sports so I have lots of room to create my own training plans.
 
Good morning,

I work in a position where I don't have to do unit PRT and am able to experiment with things. Last year I worked up to the Sinister goal. I did not add anything into the training and I did not do any PRT, i.e. running, rucking, pushups, sit ups, etc... Prior to starting the program I scored a 290 on my APFT. Following the program I scored the same 290, BUT, my whole body felt way better, my grip was way more beast mode and interestingly enough I could sprint faster. Hope that helps.

-Mac
 
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As a "tactical athlete" (SWAT) over the years I've found my ideal balance:

1. A framework of submaximal barbell work, 2 to 3 days a week
2. Kettlebell finishers for strength-endurance, conditioning, and that WTH effect
3. Roughly 80% LISS and 20% HIIT for cardio conditioning

Barbells are my cornerstone for strength. Simply put, no other tool gives me as much bang for my buck for limit-strength. I use a 3 day Tactical barbell template, it suits me perfectly in terms of staying sub-maximal and manageable while improving strength significantly on a long term basis.
I keep the kettlebell work simple...5-10 x 10 swings as a finisher 2-3 x a week, immediately after a weight workout. More or less depending on how I feel and if I have anything strenuous on my plate for the week. Kettlebells are a staple in my conditioning work too, when I do HIIT style training. Sprints or hill sprints mixed with swings or snatches add an entirely new dimension to cardio and overall conditioning. The bells take care of my grip, I find I don't need any extra/specialized grip work.

One or two 6-8 week aerobic base building blocks a year. Maff-style running along with bodyweight/calisthenics and kettlebell circuits...no barbells. As a matter of fact, this year I'll be doing Base with S&S + Pull-ups.
After Base, a regular week of cardio for me looks like 2-3 Maff runs or 2 Maff runs and 1 HIIT.

I don't really have to change my training much come PFT. I use weighted-pull-ups in my strength work, and my cardio is taken care of year round. Those are the two toughest bench marks in our unit as far as PFT is concerned (total pull-ups, 1.5 and 6 mile). Push-ups stay relatively constant year round with very little training, so as PFT approaches I might add in a few sets every week or not.

By far my biggest lesson over the years has been to stay submaximal and consistent. I'm not sure who said it, but "stimulate, don't annihilate". That being said, it's a fine balance staying submaximal but still doing enough to improve. I fell into both traps; going too hard, balls-to-the-wall and a little too "submaximal". The hardcore approach just isn't sustainable for me long term...I can see it's use for selection prep or something similar though. Going "too submaximal" felt good, but honestly as a "tactical athlete" my times and fitness markers suffered. As always, it seems the answer is somewhere in the middle.
 
tangozero said:
As a "tactical athlete" (SWAT) over the years I've found my ideal balance:

1. A framework of submaximal barbell work, 2 to 3 days a week
2. Kettlebell finishers for strength-endurance, conditioning, and that WTH effect
3. Roughly 80% LISS and 20% HIIT for cardio conditioning
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That sounds like a great template for just about anyone.
 
Operators and tactical units train for both operations and for testing. Generally spend 50/50 but as the test date approaches focus specific to selection and ensuring you do well for requals.

Qualities:
strength and power with work capacity for the operations.............and then whatever your test is ensure you are nailing the physiological demands.

You will never go wrong with being strong...
 
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