
| Heroes of Tomorrow Fitness Center |
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Combat Conditioning by Stew Smith |
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New - Combat Conditioning Workout Combat Conditioning or Fitness Testing? There are two different types of training you must be prepared for in order to become a member of special operations of any branch of service. First, the entrance fitness test, which is typically a test of calisthenics, running and maybe swimming depending upon the branch of service. Statistics show that scoring well above the minimum standards on these type of "physical entrance exams" increases your chances of graduating from 6% up to 85%. Second, there are follow-on training cycles which were commonly referred to as Combat Conditioning Courses that are more job related tasks such as shooting, rucking, swimming with gear, obstacle courses as well as running for speed and distance. In SEAL training as well as in the Teams, we had some great Combat Conditioning Courses. These combat conditioning courses were a bit difficult to prepare for thoroughly as many required shooting, running with gear, swimming with gear, obstacle courses, and some other job related tasking. One of my favorite events was like a "military triathlon" which required cardio-vascular endurance, strength, power, agility, precision timing, and firearms accuracy. See related article on a another version of the military triathlon. The COMBAT CONDITIONING COURSES where we ran
with our gear (about 75lbs dry) for at least 5 miles, had to shoot expert
on a firing range after navigating through an obstacle course, and then swim
two miles towing all the gear and weapons as well. Then, we ran another 5
miles but one person in our group of five had to be carried as the “injured
man drill”. That is combat conditioning! Having the ability
to conduct certain skills while under physical stress and exhaustion is what
I call combat conditioning. This is the type of fitness and mental
toughness required to be successful in most sports, martial arts, and
military Special Forces. It is not needed as a daily exercise, but you
can definitely add this type of "monster mash" PT once every 2 weeks to
properly prepare your body for the grind of training. Having developed programs that assist people
in martial arts, athletics, and military and law enforcement for the past 15
years, I have found that cardio-vascular endurance and muscle stamina
through PT supplemented with weight training is the number one and two focus
area for success. Running, swimming, biking, cross-country skiing are great
cardio vascular endurance activities and weights and
high repetition calisthenics / rope climbs are best for muscle stamina. Though weight
training can be used to develop muscle stamina, it is not necessary and
should be used to balance out auxiliary muscles groups. So learn how to
train effectively with and without heavy weights too.
Prepare for any military service / law enforcement program and ensure you
are in top physical shape with this advanced fitness program. This workout
features high rep weight training, hardcore PT, running, swimming, ruck
marching, 8 count pushups, and many more challenging exercises. If you purchase something from the store your email automatically gets placed into the Newsletter list and you can opt out at any time. No emails are sold or borrowed for other newsletters. Feel free to email me if you have any questions at stew@stewsmith.com __________________________________________________________________________________________ Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He specializes in military and law enforcement fitness, particularly Special Operations units. Please feel free to email him at Stew@stewsmith.com with any comments or questions. |