The Transition from Winter to Spring is the Best!
After a Winter Lift Cycle, you may be ready for a change? Are you ready to get outside and run, PT, and swim more? Every year at this time for the past 22 years I have been doing Seasonal Tactical Fitness Periodization, it has been one of the best changes to our routine - not only for over all attitude but for our performances increases in muscle stamina (calisthenics tests) and endurance events (timed runs / swims).
We have one more 3:1 Lift Cycle before we move into a more Spring Calisthenics/ Running Progression. This year we focused on three weeks of strength followed by 1 week of PST / weight vest / calisthenics based training in these block periodization months all Fall and Winter. They have been very helpful with not only building strength, but maintaining all of the PST scores needed for crushing PT tests and getting contracts. Some even got faster and added reps to their tests as well as got stronger on bench press, weighted pullups, dead lifts, and other strength / power events that are tested in many Tactical Athlete programs especially in the Spec Ops Community. See link on Tactical Fitness Tests
There is a transition period in the Spring when we are down shifting the lifting events, adding weight vests - like our Weight Vest Wednesday Workout: basically a calisthenics workout with a weight vest with supplemental dumbbell movements
PT Pyramid 1-10-1 (with WV)
One of my Favorite Weight Vest or No Weight Vest Workouts!
CLASSIC Spring Training
It was the classic PT 1-10-1 Pyramid of working your way up to level 10 and back down to one with the exercises of Pullups x 1, Pushups x 2, and Situps x 3 in 19 sets. I remember my goal with this first pyramid was to just hang with the upperclassmen that were leading the PT. They ran through each set so fast that I think I was still on my way up and they were wrapping up their final set. The pyramid worked like this:
Set 1: Pullup 1, Pushups 2, Situps 3, Dips 2
Set 2: Pullup 2, Pushups 4, Situps 6, Dips 4
Set 3: Pullups 3, Pushups 6, Situps 9, Dips 6
Set 4: Pullup 1, Pushups 2, Situps 3, Dips 2
Set 5: Pullup 1, Pushups 2, Situps 3, Dips 2
- Every 5th set of this 19 set pyramid do the following:
- Run 1 mile slick or 800m with weight vest
- Db rows 10/arm
- Db bicep/military press 10
- Db or 45lb plate hold extended overhead 1 minute
...Keep going up to set 10: with Pullups, 10,pushups / dips 20,variety of abs/ situps 30: After set ten, repeat the run and dumbbell movements again.
THEN repeat in reverse order (from set 9 to 1) and this will give you 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 situps. (Though I have found that mixing in some hanging knee ups or plank poses / second every other set is a good way to add variety to just doing situps at that volume). So mix it up!
Dips x 2
Specific Training Programs That Focus on This Transition / Elements of Fitness
Stew Smith's Spring / Summer Pt / Cardio Cycle for the Tactical Athlete
This book holds the secret to building muscle stamina and cardio endurance (run / ruck / swim and others) in the upper body, legs, heart and lungs. The program emphasizes cardiovascular activity and high repetition resistance training to crush military / police / spec ops fitness tests. The supplemental weight training workouts will be quick and fast, focusing more to engage muscle groups that balance the high repetition calisthenics.
Special Deal 50% of Pyramid Workout This Week While Supplies Last
The Weight Vest Workout is also a good Spring Training Transition from Weights into more running / calisthenics focused training! Crush the PST!
The Weight Vest Workout mixes calisthenics, some weights, cardio with a weighted vest as desired to add more challenge to a home PT program. Adding a weight vest to your training plan can enhance basic calisthenics, simulate protective gear carry, and replace a ruck for some of your distance training.
This program is a 12 week plan that features Week 1-4: Basic Calisthenics / Cardio Phase. The Weight Vest addition will make this phase an advanced level start.
Weeks 5-8: Weights, Calisthenics, Cardio options with speed / agility drills.
Week 9-12: More Weights, mixed with harder calisthenics movements, longer cardio options (run, ruck, swim and non impact options like bike, row, elliptical if needed).
IF you prefer the book version, see BOOK LINK here at The Weight Vest Workout BOOK. Or download the EBOOK now!
Two Week PST Phase - See the Classic PST Training Week and Double PST Workout week article for FREE workout details. Or if you prefer you can do any of the PST based training programs for 2 weeks I have created.
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 1 Beginner Weeks 1-9
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 - 3 - Intermediate Weeks 1-12
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4 Grinder PT - Four weeks before Hell Week
Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness Book
Who Is The Coach, Trainer, Author Stew Smith?
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I'm the former Navy SEAL that military recruits and special ops candidates and regular people who like (or need to start) to train 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 |
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