Sections

SpecialOperations.com

The Definitive Spec Ops Resource

THE DEFINITIVE SPEC OPS RESOURCE FOR FITNESS AND SELECTION

Norwood

Do you have to stay in the military forever? (Part One)

I met someone recently who spent twenty years in SOF and was more or less kicked out. He was an asset then and still is today. He’s just not normal.

I was in for eight years of active duty, total. No that’s not as long as some. But longer than most. However, in SF and SOF, generally, these are careerists and eight years isn’t long enough, not at all. I’m just teetering on the cusp of seniority and left the Green Berets. I may re-emerge as a reservist but unless a larger war breaks out I might not see time on active duty again. It was so hard transitioning it would be equally frustrating going back.

The other day I met an ex-Green Beret who somehow managed to become a sort of technologist, specifically computer science, at SOCOM. He eventually retired, happily. He now questions why he stayed in for so long in the first place. But, he does retirement pay – which is very nice folks. Because in today’s marketplace you’re retirement is a blessing while you start your second career, which you will. He harbored mixed feelings with his final years in SOF.

There’s a common cultural problem in SOF to constantly henpeck one another. This guy told me that he didn’t realize he might be intelligent until many years later when he began to code and design software. Now, he’s a software engineer and a CTO of a software engineering and big data firm that’s doing some very interesting things. Those skills are still used for national security as well as our economy in the private sector. Despite his accomplishments, I’m sure there are any who refer to him as a “$h*tbag”.

For this part of the blog – I wanted to say that you don’t have to serve forever. It all depends on what you want from life. The operator I mentioned had a unique career within SOF and continued to do so after. Even though, his uniqueness and intellect made him a pariah. He still volunteered and gave 20 years of his life something greater than himself. That being said, enter and leave the military for your own reasons – not someone else or what the group think at your unit believes, it’s your life.

Featured image courtesy of Businessweek.com

 

 

 

SOF SELECTION PT PREP 2.16.2017

Training:

Since we’re planning to run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday I think it’s best to use today as a rest day. If you want to go to the gym and lift weights, that’s fine (just don’t overdo it on the legs).

Winter Soldier: Prepare to Shiver during Winter Training.

There’s little worse than sitting at a collection point in the dead the winter, barely awake, waiting for the fake raid to end. You get in trouble if you nod off – but, since training isn’t real – it’s easy to just drift away. In the cold weather, I felt like it was even easier. You’re going to nod off, regardless.

Training can be miserable – that’s for sure and in Small Unit Tactics (SUT) – in the Q course, it’s no different. Because the odds that you’ll be well rested the entire time are slim. Slim to none is the reality. You’re best case scenario is a couple of nights of sleep that are wholesome in a week or two-week period.

I wish I had tricks of the trade to keep you warm. Except to say the obvious – keep your core warm. Make sure your armpits, head, ears, and groin area are covered. You lose a lot of eat from those areas.

Wrap up your face and neck. It’s important to keep your neck warm because it can affect your bodies perception of its own warmth. Just realize it’s going to be cold and there’s little to nothing to do about it.

Physical Fitness

It is important, however, to make sure you’re doing something out there in the winter for PT. Even if it’s 50 push-ups a day, 10 pull-ups in the morning, if you can. A stupid, short jog in the morning. Whatever it is it’s incredibly easy to get fat and happy in the winter.

Featured image courtesy of RossTraining.com

SOF SELECTION PT PREPARATION (2.15.17)

Training:

Run 6 miles. Drinks lots of water.

Break down of 6 miles run:

Moderate pace out to 3 miles – and return like someone is chasing you and/or you’re late for the most important interview of your life!

SOF SELECTION PT PREPARATION (2/14/2017)

Training:

1) Row 1000m on a Concept 2 Rower

2) Run 2 miles, casual pace

3) Work up to 1 rep max Back Squat

4) 5 rounds: 3 x 70% 1RM Back Squat (take time to breath 2-3 times between reps)

5) Row 500m – as fast as possible

 

 

SOF SELECTION PT PREPARATION (2/13/2017)

Training:

(Assuming you went for a longer ruck Sunday)

5-mile repeats – equal rest to mile time.

Then, go to Gym…

1) Find 1RM Back Squat

2) 1 round:

20 x 70% Back Squat 1rm (2-3 long and deep breaths in between)

3) 5 rounds:

Bench Press x 6

Bent-Over Row x 5

4) 5 rounds:

5 x Pistols

5 x Handstand Push-ups

25 x “V”-ups

 

SUNDAY RUCK TOMORROW (2/12/17)

Hey Ruckers,

Last weekend a small cohort of about three guys showed up. There were more but the early time and travel restriction kept some of you from making IT. But, there’s much more to come, every week in fact. I’ve set up a meetup.com page for the group.

Here: https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-soChnNNb/events/237475348/

Please visit and sign up! Even if you aren’t in DC – I may be traveling some and can organize ruck marches as I travel the country.

Last week was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed the March. The National Mall is a beautiful sight first thing in the morning, and there’s a sense of accomplishment rucking 5+ miles before 9 am.

Here’s a breakdown of our movement:

Total distance: 5.38 miles

Pace analysis:

1: 16’01”

2: 15’09”

3: 14’59”

4: 14’13”

5: 14’52”

5-5.38: 15’12”

In all, it was about 9,700 steps, and I was in a fat burning cardiovascular state the entire time. Rucking is good conditionally and for those of you on the fence, good for your beach body.

As you can see from here, it took us a minute to get going and round off a 15 minute pace. You have to settle into rucking, and it’s tough to come out swinging right out the gate. Plus, it was cold and very early in the morning. Although, quite a few runners were scurrying all around D.C. The level of fitness in the city is impressive and motivating.

Also, Rucking kind of sucks – and it seems to suck more as the day progresses. I felt good about the effort and being in a small group it was easier to ruck and maintain the right pace. On the topic of speed – we kept a 15:05 minute per mile pace. I had a 45lb. Pack and wore Nike SFB’s. After that, I went to a grad school class for the rest of the day. Frankly, that was the best part of my day because listening to a professor on a Sunday isn’t something I’d usually opt to do.  So, thank you – whoever is coming tomorrow in advance – and to the fellas who came last Sunday.

Featured image courtesy of Core Performance.

SOF SELECTION PREPARATION TRAINING (2/10/2017)

Special Operations Forces Selection is tough, and the training is unique, running and rucking based with required upper body physical stamina, which is why I’m asking you to do so many pull-ups and push-ups. We have to mold our bodies to hump long distances and then be able to hump more.

Training:

100 x Push-ups

50 x Pull-ups

250 x Crunches

5 mile ruck

Then, take off your ruck – 1 mile as fast as you can, rest for 10 minutes, and repeat for a total of two mile repeats.

 

Staying fit on a team can be tough

Staying fit when you’re on your team, after you’ve made it through selection and training isn’t easy. You’re going to be easy. You’ll often be gone and when you’re gone there won’t always be a gym near you. You’re going to have to learn how to eat right if you’re going to try and salvage what fitness you’ve gained. Sometimes you’re stuck in a hotel. Other times, you’re on a small base without the freedom to go for a run.

The only gameplan is to get comfortable with the uncertainty and learn how to get yourself back in gear. Because when you’re back at the unit, on the base, you’ll have access to great gyms and trainers. That’s when you need to work hard and then, when you take off for whatever training you get a reasonable plan, even if it’s body weight from your THOR3 (Tactical Human Optimization and Rapid Recovery and Rehabilitation) trainers. THOR3 can’t be underutilized and is a golden resource, especially if you weren’t an athlete growing up or in college.

Also, some advice I received when I first arrived in the group was fitness related. A sergeant major told me to figure out what I was good at and double down. Meaning if you’re good at lifting or that’s your thing – be the best at it, whatever that means. I guess, also, ignore the haters. If you’re into biking, bike more than anyone. If you’re into rucking, ruck more than anyone in your company. Same goes for running, except it’s an interesting exception. Running must be a part of your training. You’re expected to run for the PT test, and there’s no dodging it. Also, cardiovascular strength is paramount to compensate in a firefight. Finally, you’ll have to embrace body weight workouts and if you can live off of pull-ups. Because there’s almost always a pull-up bar and from that bar, there’s quite a bit you can do.

However, the bottom line in SOF is endurance. You need to work long hours, little sleep and you’ll carry heavy things. This has been the nature of war for as long as we’ve been recording it in history. So, make sure you’re back is strong because you’ve probably already heard from virtually every older man that their backs hurt. In the army and the military, you’re expected to run; you can’t blow it off. But it’ll pay dividends abroad from your on patrol in Afghanistan, and you’re able to compensate for the increased pressure, and weight of your loadout and others are not. Above, the most important thing to keep in mind is mission performance, not gym performance.

Featured image courtesy of Military.com