Fitness is NOT a Destination, BUT it Requires a Starting Point

Every Expert Was a Beginner at Some Point

Do You Have a Performance Line or an
Arbitrary Timeline? 

You may have a timeline to get to where you want to go, but do you have a set of performance goals / standards you should be striving for and assess regularly to actually see if you are ready and meeting your timeline standards?  Because if you don't and simply follow a timeline, you may never meet the standards required of you and the time on your timeline runs out. 

I cannot tell you how many people I see and hear about each year who decide to join the military completely unprepared for what "they say they want to do" and never meet the standards before it is time to ship out to basic / bootcamp. YOu will now be doing your second choice ONLY because you were impatient and over-confident in your own abilities to learn how to swim, run, and do high reps calisthenics to a standard they have never achieved before. Reach a level of performance before joining and actually accomplish your goals you set out to do. 

Look - Here is the Deal...

We all start out on this journey with certain weaknesses that make us somewhat of a beginner in that area.  Maybe it is learning how to swim even though you are a D1 athlete in a contact sport or maybe you were a D1 swimmer and need to progress your running and strength training more.  Regardless, WE ARE ALL BEGINNERS and these weaknesses take time to develop.  Join too soon and you will expose these weaknesses in the first week of training OR not ever qualify to get TO the training in the first place. 

Even a somewhat developed weakness into "less of a weakness" may still require you to bring your A game to that event when tested each time throughout training and selection. That is how it was with me for running.  Running was never something I failed but passing at a high standard was always a gut check and something I had to focus on in order to be competitive.  There was no such thing as an "easy run day". 

In the end, you have to be honest with yourself and actually assess yourself so you truly know your abilities and limits. From there, your training (both mentally and physically) will grow.  Being a member of any tactical profession will require you to address these weaknesses as they are a liability to you and your team.  Be an asset and get GOOD at everything vs great at a few things and horrible at others elements of fitness than may help you live to fight another day one day.

Related Articles:

Fitness Failures / Mistakes

Recruiter Advice 

Don't Listen to Yourself - Talk to Yourself

3:1 Ratio Develop Weakness - Maintain Strength

Are You An Optimist, Pessimst, or Realist? Recruiter Advice 

Who Is The Tactical Fitness Coach / Author Stew Smith?

I'm the former Navy SEAL that military recruits and special ops candidates go to for books, ebooks and online coaching to prepare themselves to get to and through intense tactical assessment and selection programs and qualify for service in their chosen tactical profession.  See More at StewSmithFitness.com

Check out the Complete List of Training Programs (Spec Ops, Military, Police, Fire)

We Have Answers For Beginners to Advanced Spec Ops Level Training Programs (see below)

Fitness for Beginners - Get Started for Free!

- Run - Learn how to run and get in shape to run 2-3 miles without stopping.  See beginner / intermediate running plan.  But, you may need to start off with just walking depending on your fitness level. If you played sports that had a little bit of running in it (football) or no running in it like swimming, you need to practice running regularly to get over the growing pains accompanied with impact cardio like running and rucking. To do well on timed runs, you need to practice that distance at a goal pace. Learn about GOAL PACE Running. 

- Calisthenics - You will be doing calisthenics not only throughout the day in basic training, but as a fitness test as well.  Get used to exercises like pushups, crunches, plank poses, pullups, squats, and lunges to work the entire body.  If you need some ideas, see the programs below that address all the physical fitness challenges you will see in preparation, testing, and basic training and beyond. The Boot camp, PFT, Bible, and Cals and Cardio are all encompassing workouts that will prepare you for the challenges of Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard basic training and fitness tests as well. The Army and Marine Corps will require more challenging workouts and fitness testing.  See links of the books below to see more details of the Combat Fitness Test you must be able to accomplish when you join. 

DO NOT RELY ON THE MILITARY TO GET YOU INTO SHAPE AT BASIC TRAINING.  You will get into better shape for sure during your training if you arrive in lower fitness form, but you need to arrive with a foundation of physical fitness that is specific to your future job in the military / fitness tests / training. If you show up out of shape, you could end up failing standards or injuring yourself causing longer delays or removal from training altogether. 

For You Special Candidates (Get in Shape LONG Before You Join) 

High Intermediate Military / Advanced Spec Ops
Building Programming:

Which Program is Right For Me?
It Depends...Special Ops Candidates  

  

 

    

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