Training Before You Get Into the Military with Vets in the Business

I often get emails from people young and old about getting prepared for military training, and also from veterans who want to be in the shape they used to be when they served in the military. Here is a list of just a few of the many former military officers and enlisted who train civilians to not only lose weight and get healthy, but prepare for military training too. 

Boot Camp programs are popular. In fact many former military personnel of all ranks and services are now getting into the fitness business - myself included. Check out the list of veteran-owned fitness businesses around the country:

The Sergeants Program -- Patrick Avon opened one of the first military group training businesses in the U.S. Patrick is a former Navy enlisted man who has created a military fitness empire in the DC/Virginia area, catering mostly to overweight executives -- he also gets several students per year who seek a career in the military. He has over 45 instructors in 35 locations, all certified with a nationally recognized program. He also has his own outdoor boot-camp certification program. Check out his site for his annual Jolly Fat Man’s run/party.

SEAL Training Academy -- SEAL Adventure Challenge -- Former Navy SEAL Don Mann and Navy enlisted reservist Dr. Steve Earle have created a week-long advanced training program (as well as a 24 hour SEAL challenge) that takes place 2-3 times a year in Virginia Beach, VA. Everything from mission planning to log PT and instruction on Combat Swimmer Stroke, diving, and free-fall all get taught in the SEAL Training Academy. This is a tough vacation! I often go and work as a guest instructor for the Academy and SEAL Challenge.

Extreme SEAL Experience - Former SEAL Don Shipley puts on a great training program complete with shooting, survival, mission planning training in the Chesapeake VA area.  See his youtube channel for great footage of the training they put on for civilians and wanna-be's.

Platoon Fitness.com – The folks at Platoon Fitness located in Philadelphia PA and throughout Pennsylvania and New York City was founded by Todd Scott, a Navy veteran.  They have been in business for over 10 years and have indoor and outdoor training facilities with over twenty fully certified trainers who train everyone from working men and women, stay at home Moms, and kids too.  They also offer franchising opportunities and training for instructors.

The SEAL PT Course  -- Jack Walston -- former Navy SEAL in Houston TX and Central Park Manhattan NYC -- has been doing SEAL PT for over a decade as well. He has weekly workout plans for locals as well as a SEAL Training/Special Forces mini-camp that will test you to your limits. This program actually mimics many of the events experienced in Hell Week at SEAL Training, including a 24 hour non-stop period of training.

SEALGrinderPT.com - Brad McLeod, born in Thomasville, GA, grew up in Tallahassee, FL. He is a former Navy SEAL and graduated from SEAL training in BUD/S class  132 against all odds.  Despite having no athletic background and having life long asthma Brad climbed his personal Mount Everest and made it through BUD/S the second time and went through Hell Week  twice.  

Training Philosophy for Spec Ops: Our philosophy on workouts is to try to keep as many functional movements as possible that have carry over to your day to day sport or occupation. SEAL grinder PT is dedicated to working out and improving your mind and body to unleash the inner warrior in you.   The grinder PT is a mixture of the same exercises that SEAL recruits perform on a daily basis at the BUD/S training camp  in Coronado, California.  We are also throwing in a few CrossFit style drills, some exercises from SEALFit, Mountain Athlete, Gym Jones and a few others you may not have seen before.

The beauty of www.SEALGrinderPT.com is that you can do it at home, in your driveway, at the barracks, on the flight deck of your ship, at a CrossFit  gym, at a Globo-gym (gasp!), in your driveway (your own grinder) or just find a local grinder (basketball court at at playground) and make it your kingdom.  Wherever you are – you can make this workout happen and move towards your goals of being fit both physically and mentally.

Boot Camp Fitness, Inc. -- Created by former Army sergeant, Jay Johnson of Dallas TX, who has become the Official Fitness Trainer of The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Enough said! THAT is a success story in the fitness business!). He has been featured on many television shows and magazine publications for his creative workouts that garner great results.

The Health Colonel -- Bob Weinstein, LtColonel, USAR, (ret.) can be found on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, FL conducting early morning workouts with his students. Training many out of shape and overweight people per year, he also prepares young men and women for the physical demands of the military. If you are looking for a motivational/health speaker, The Health Colonel is your man. He motivated me by telling me that “the United States has enemy soldiers within its borders -- they kill more than 3,000 people a day, their names are cancer, heart disease, and stroke.” I immediately responded, “yeah and over 20 million people are being held hostage by diabetes in America.”

SWAT Personal Training -- Ron Holland (former USAF) out of Tucson AZ, created an outdoor and indoor fitness business in 1991 after a career in the military and police department. He has a one week in-residence boot camp where they create a military indoctrination environment (0500am wakeup!) He has recruits run, PT, eat a well balanced and nutritious chow, and hike 2 -12 miles in the Tucson area desert. Also water skills, aerobics, yoga, stretching, and other anti-aging programs are taught in a teamwork/military style program. It is very informative and positive feedback and teamwork is highly encouraged.    

SEAL Team PT -- Former Navy SEAL John McGuire has translated his experience into a one-of-a-kind, non-military fitness program, offering the dual benefit of world-class fitness and team-building to people of all ages and walks of life. Offered in the Richmond, Virginia area since 1998, SEAL Team PT has legions of satisfied, fit, and fulfilled graduates of all ages. To date, SEAL Team PT has graduated over 175 basic fitness classes, conducted more than 50 custom-tailored corporate team-building programs, and led more than 40 SEAL Teen and SEAL Pup classes for youth and children.

StewSmith.com -- My website/fitness business has evolved since 1998 when I resigned from the Navy SEAL Team Community. At first I had a fitness boot camp business with as many as 40-50 hours of group PT and personal training a week. Now, after writing everything down for four years, I created generic programs that have helped thousands prepare for military, special forces, and law enforcement physical fitness tests. I still do some online training and local group training in the Baltimore/Annapolis MD area, but my group workouts during the week and weekend are free to those who want to join me on my swims, runs, PT etc. Once on month, we test with a variety of PFTs. These workouts now give me ideas which to write as I see issues, troubles, and ways around personal obstacles with a variety of students.

Products Invented by Vets - SEALS Specifically:

The Perfect Pushup and Pullup - My former SEAL buddy Alden Mills has created awesome fitness products that capture the most beloved and most hated exercises we do in the SEAL Teams and at BUD/S.  The rotational motion of his products challenge the best pull-up and pushup performers.  In fact, his products cut my reps in half and after a year of using the Perfect Pushup, they still work like new and continue to make my pushups tougher.  For $39.95 you cannot beat the price for an actual fitness product that you will actually use several times a week.  With him I created the Perfect Pushup Bible that challenges the pushups, pullups, abs, running and swimming workouts of old.  Supplemented with some weights, the Perfect Pushup and Pull-up are great additions to a home weight room.   See The Perfect Pushup Workout

The TRX - Fitness in a Bag! Former SEAL Randy Hetrick has created another device that is easy to carry and so versatile I still cannot name all the exercises you can do with this thing.  My latest count is over 200 exercises.  In an article, I compared his TRX to a Universal Weight Machine and for a 1/10 of the price it easy outperforms the machine tenfold!  This is great for travelers as the straps are easy to pack and unfold in seconds.  See some of the videos on his site at www.fitnessanywhere.com.

      The Fit Deck - Former SEAL Phil Black is probably the most genius of the bunch to take an idea and turn it into a successful business.  When on a deployment or just bored, the SEALs as well as other military groups, do a workout with a deck of cards.  Usually it required some imagination:  face cards = 10 pushups, aces = 25 pushups / 25 abs, jokers = 50 reps of anything...BUT what Fit Deck does for you is take out the mystery and when you shuffle the deck and start to flip the cards you get told what you need to do.  Now he has Pull-up Decks, Kettlebell Decks, Navy SEAL Decks, Combat Sports Decks and so many more - even some for kids.

                                            

Any of these make great gifts for your fitness guru in the family or those seeking a profession that requires some form of fitness test.

After a brief discussion with the veteran trainers we all agreed upon a few things. We focus on teaching on a basic level of fitness, habit building, and just adding basic fitness as stretching, walking/running, light PT, and drinking water to people’s lives. Let them see and feel the progress they are making. Take them as they advance and PT them harder, but you have to give them a plan that works.

The plan I have here works...it will help people lose up to 25lbs if they just following the simple directions:

1-  Stretch Daily! This is very important if beginning a fitness plan. See Stretch article.
2 - Drink more water -- up to a gallon a day
3 - Do something everyday for 45 days straight -- even if that is just walk after dinner. This plan shows you how.
4 - Repeat above -- do not worry about food intake yet, but if no results are seen in 3-4 weeks then focus on a food plan as mentioned in plan above.

Look up one of the above veterans and try a boot camp workout program this year.  If you know of another veteran operated fitness business that is not listed, please send the website address/contact information and I will place it in an updated article archive so I have close to a comprehensive list. Please email me at Stew@stewsmith.com with your questions.