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Other/Mixed Suggested programm or book for special forces

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
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Hello,

To keep going with this topic, the French Foreign Legion now present some of its training. There a different style of video (drills for rope climbing, conditionning, core, etc...). With this post, I'll give details for the core.

This is in line with the "philosophy" of my previous post: more volume oriented. The routine comes from the officer in charge of physical preparation. He created it, based on the field requirements. The guy did all the FFL conflicts in the 90's, so he knows his stuff and what the needs are:
- doable anywhere, anytime (no material needed)
- will work the entire core chain (transverse, obliques, front, etc...)
- will create some strength if done with full intensity and contraction (we have to contract as if we were to get a punch)
- will build endurance (necessary for wearing the gear)

I tried it once or twice (but not on a regular basis). This is way harder than it looks if we focus on full contraction and good form, and if we reduce the rest.

There are two circuits, with 3 minutes rest between them. It should last 15-20 minutes. It should be done twice a week.

Circuit A : 3-4 rounds, no rest between exercises, 1 minute rest between rounds
- Rower (20-30)
- Russian twist (10 each side) (a small weight can be used)
- Sit up (20-30)
- Crunch (until almost failure)

Circuit B: 2-3 rounds, no rest between exercices, 45s rest between rounds
- Plank (30s)
- Side plank (30s)
- Side plank, other side (30s)
- Plank (30s)

Bonus (for aesthetics) (2 rounds)
twists with a broomstick behind the shoulders while leaning forward (no rounded back), neutral position, leaning backward. 40 reps per position

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
So, if I got it right, I do circuit A, which consist of 3-4 round, than I rest about 3 mikes and do circuit B 2-3 times? And this training should be repeated 2 times in a week?
 
Hello,

@mikhael
I may also give it a second shot as it does not last long and seems efficient. It would be a nice addition to my HLR routine to make it more well rounded'.

Did you already train that way with a significant volume ? (Far from StrongFirst's party line we could almost say !)

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
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pet' said:
Hello,

@mikhael
I may also give it a second shot as it does not last long and seems efficient. It would be a nice addition to my HLR routine to make it more well rounded'.

Did you already train that way with a significant volume ? (Far from StrongFirst's party line we could almost say !)

Kind regards,

Pet'
Click to expand...
I'm guessing if StrongFirst published a book on SF Selection Prep, there would be some high volume days in the split.
 
Pavel's Force Recon Workout:

Day 1: 5x5 weighted pull ups
rest 1 min. then
5x5 CP 2x24kg
rest 1 min.
5x5 FS 2x32kg ATG, pause at bottom and top.
rest 2 mins. then
5 sets 32kg snatches, alt. with hanging leg raises, 1.5 -2 mins rest btwn sets, go hard but not to failure.

Day 2; ( 48 hours later ) 32kg cj's ( single ) for 10 minutes.
5x5 Heavy ab's ( I did toes to bar )
100 pull ups, alt with 2x24kg front sqts. 10 reps, so if the pull ups take you 10 sets, you will be doing 10x10 fronts. etc
24 kg snatch or swing 10-20 reps, alt with 100m recovery jog, go until smoked and/or cough a hair ball.

48 hours later, Day 1 etc. 3x a week for 3 weeks then back off 50% for 1-2 weeks, start over.
Have not seen any info. on activities for other days ( lots of running I'm guessing ) or rest btwn sets. other than end of Day 1.
 
pet' said:
Hello,

On Instagram, today was published the weekly routine of a former French Commando Marine instructor. I translate:
Session 1:
Cycling or running (20km), 150 pull ups, 10 rope climb (arm only), 500 reps of a core exercise

Session 2:
450 press ups, 150 dips, 150 squats with body armour, 500 reps of a core exercise

Session 3:
150 box jumps, 150 squats with body armour, 150 pull ups, 500 reps of a core exercise

Session 4:
450 press ups, 150 dips, 5x 1 minute of wall sit with body armour, 500 reps of a core exercise

Session 5:
Cycling or running (10km), 150 pull ups, 10 rope climb (arm only), 500 reps of a core exercise
Click to expand...

Pretty hardcore endurance routine...any of you done this? Does he has one day rest or he just do this 5 days a week and have 2 days off? (as session 1 and 5 are the same)
 
Hello,

@Don Fairbanks
I forgot this program ! Thanks !

It seems excellent, meaning fairly well rounded. But it also seems fairly "brutal". I guess it should require proper recovery. Did you try it ?

Considering the different protocols we are sharing, I think we nonetheless can see some commonalities:
- Fairly reduced reduced rest period between either exercises or sets
- Fairly high volume, even for the grinds like presses
- Tendency to focus on "basics" (no fancy moves): push, pull, core, legs (using DL / Sq)
- Not that much focus on drastically increasing the 1 RM as most selection processes do not test it
- Usually, the first elements of focus are endurance and strength endurance

Of course, we have to perform these "basics" because they transfer - at least to a certain extent - to other areas but this leads me to another point: we are always limited by our capacity to transfer our raw strength to a very specific move. Then we may have the ability, but not the skill.

As such, we have to thoroughly assess the moves we are required to do during the selection, because we also do not want that our "basics" negatively alter our technique. For instance, I do not want to be able to DL or Sq 300kg, but being enable to run efficiently (even if science says that some lifting remains good for running). Obviously, the same goes for bodyweight. There is no point being able to do 10 OAOL PU if you can not do only 1 proper OVH press or carry a log / buddy on your shoulder or overhead.

I guess I am wrong or partial, but IMHO, this is why gymnasts are able to adapt so quickly to other sports: overtime, they built this ability to learn a lot of pattern, to always use their body as a whole (not as a succession of parts), while perfectly managing tension.

There is no "we have to train using weight only" or "we have to train using body weight only". I guess the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Eyetic said:
Pretty hardcore endurance routine...any of you done this? Does he has one day rest or he just do this 5 days a week and have 2 days off? (as session 1 and 5 are the same)
Click to expand...
As far as Commando Marine guys are concerned, these are roughly the exercises they are required to perform.

Session 5 is 10km, whereas Session 1 is 20 km. This is a 5 days a week routine then.

On a daily basis, I still do using GTG (so this is not on a single session) at least 100 pull ups a day and between 300 and 500 press ups. By the way, there is this article on SF blog:
www.strongfirst.com

Strength in Numbers: A Case for Pushup Endurance Training | StrongFirst

With push-up endurance training I maintain absolute strength without having to train it on a regular basis. This keeps us strong without the risk of injury.
www.strongfirst.com
It makes me feel good, and I do this for years.

For the core, I usually use lower reps, with "hard variations". But I am going to add higher repetition training to see how it goes.

@mikhael
This afternoon, I tried the French Foreign Legion core routine. I thought my HLR training would have made it easy but...it was at least as tough ! I ended up quite shaking. It seems that a core training based on low rep training does not mean having endurance in the core. That is strange because low rep training for push ups (OA / OAOL) provide great endurance for regular push ups. Same goes for pistol squats and regular squats.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
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@pet' , my thinking on this subject is to do what you are doing. Find SF Instructors/Authors and do what they do.
I did both work outs, day 1 two days prior to , and day 2 on the day of my 50th birthday, with all appropriate weights and reps. That was the goal. I would not have been able to perform 3 x a week for 3 weeks, but felt that people who could would be seriously squared away.
 
pet' said:
Hello,

@mikhael
I may also give it a second shot as it does not last long and seems efficient. It would be a nice addition to my HLR routine to make it more well rounded'.

Did you already train that way with a significant volume ? (Far from StrongFirst's party line we could almost say !)

Kind regards,

Pet'
Click to expand...
I train with higher volume from time to time, though I'm a big fan of SF approach to endurance.
After completing first session (I did it yesterday) I must say that it is tougher than it looks. I wasn't able to do more than 10 Crunches, and contracted at about 80% in Plank positions. Not to mention that I could barely get up from the floor.
 
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Hello,

@mikhael
I do 5 sets of 5, everyday, 5 days a week. My main routine is as follows:
- Superset A: 5 x (2 HSPU - 2 Pull up @24)
- Superset B: 5 x (2HSPU - 5 HLR)
- OA Swings @32: 10 x 10r

Up to yesterday this was the only core isolation work I have done. From now on, I will tackle the FFL routine.

While writing it I realize that I did not update a slight change because I also do a pistol in the two supersets.

On the top of this routine, there is rucking, running, sprinting, carrying.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
pet' said:
Hello,

@mikhael
I do 5 sets of 5, everyday, 5 days a week. My main routine is as follows:
- Superset A: 5 x (2 HSPU - 2 Pull up @24)
- Superset B: 5 x (2HSPU - 5 HLR)
- OA Swings @32: 10 x 10r

Up to yesterday this was the only core isolation work I have done. From now on, I will tackle the FFL routine.

While writing it I realize that I did not update a slight change because I also do a pistol in the two supersets.

On the top of this routine, there is rucking, running, sprinting, carrying.

Kind regards,

Pet'
Click to expand...
Bookmarked. Thx.
 
@pet'
I would like to incorporate some core/abs routine into my weekly schedule from Monday. I'm also getting back to S&S with main goal Timed Simple. I don't have a heavier bell than my 32, but maybe I will be able to attache some additional weight to it.
 
Hello,

@mikhael
You can put ankle weights around the vertical parts of the kb handle. It works well because it remains stable, while being easily and quickly removed.

Kind regards,

Pet'
 
pet' said:
Hello,

@mikhael
You can put ankle weights around the vertical parts of the kb handle. It works well because it remains stable, while being easily and quickly removed.

Kind regards,

Pet'
Click to expand...
This would give max 36kg, but such weight should be sufficient...for a while....until I'll buy the Bulldog (40kg kettlebell).
 
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