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Aftermarket Rucksacks for Selection Preparation, Hiking

We’ve gone over the rucking tips quite a bit and everyone preparing for selection should be very comfortable with a ruck on their back and be humping long distances. It goes without saying that rucking and land navigation is the bread and butter of special operations forces. If you can show the intestinal fortitude needed to keep driving on and keep your head about you, the rest will come with training.

I’ve gotten a few emails about gear. Like I’ve said before, when it comes to personal gear, it is all a matter of taste and what works best for you. However, in one of the emails that I received from a brother from 12th SFG(A), Jeff M. he asked for my opinion on some aftermarket rucksacks and what would work for some training and weekend type hikes.

You’ve come to the right place, Jeff! As my wife would tell you, I collect(ed)…boots and 3-day rucksacks like some guys had trading cards. Just couldn’t get enough of them and would always be testing out another new one. That’s why when it comes to boots, I love Merrell’s because they work for me, and Under Armor workout shoes. Those two brands fit my feet perfectly, why I have eight pairs of Merrell’s and three pairs of UA workout/running shoes. But again, whatever works for you.

I’ve had tons of backpacks/3-day packs and will go over some of the ones I’ve had and still had. Now as a caveat before we go any further if you are heading to a selection course, you’re going to have to use what they issue. And if you can’t stand ALICE packs as Jeff M. and myself or the MOLLE, you’ll have to suck it up during training. There’s no way around it.

I too hated the ALICE, to me it was as my Brit friends call “shite”. I had a couple of them. One courtesy of someone in the 20th Engineers who didn’t attach his lowering line to it on a jump on Holland Drop Zone and I found it in the treeline. I guess someone skipped over that on their JMPI. But I had an aftermarket frame and a few different accessories put on by a guy right outside of Ft. Bragg that made it tolerable. For issue rucks I liked the British Bergen much better. But if you’re doing your own personal training and want comfort while embracing the suck…read on.

These are listed in no particular order but I’ve either owned or tried these out and think you’d be pleased with the results.

5.11 Rush 72 Backpack

This one was my favorite it has so many features we could do an entire piece just on it. It was one of a series of 5.11 tactical packs, the Rush 12, the Rush 24 and the Rush 72. You can pack enough stuff in there to easily get by as a weekend backpacking ruck and it works outstanding in for rucking around during physical training prep.

The internal frame support keeps it rigid and distributes the weight well, there are four areas of padding in the back and ventilation to keep you cool. The contoured yoke for the shoulder straps was comfortable and wide. One feature I really liked for hiking was the chest straps were adjustable so your height was never a problem.

Another great feature was the waist straps that folded up and stowed away when I used it as carry-on luggage when flying. It had a padded pocket at the top that could carry sunglasses or a cell phone. The inside was roomy with plenty of mesh pockets that come in handy finding smaller items.

For rucking or hiking, it comes with a large hydration carrier with a hanger that will accommodate a large bladder. The top of the ruck has ports on either side for hydration hoses and a heavy-duty grab handle.

The one time the airline made me check it because some guy just HAD TO carry a trunk that belonged on the Titanic, it never made it to the baggage carousel. Someone either in JFK or Dakar got themselves a helluva nice backpack. Not to mention a pair of the stretch fabric 5.11s, my favorite running shoes and other stuff including my favorite Patriots hat.

GORUCK Rucker

I haven’t owned one of these, but I got to try one out and am sold…this is a great ruck and is a perfect day ruck or for the weekend bugout back. These babies are tough and built to last…no wonder the company is owned and operated by Special Forces vets. They’re constructed out of 1000 denier CORDURA, which is heavy duty and holds up well.

They put on their website that the stress points are sewn to withstand 400 pounds and I believe it. The ruck just has an extremely well-made quality to it. This too can accommodate a good size water bladder with a hanger at the top. It has a pouch that they advertise for their ruck plates which fit in snugly and take up little room.

It is rainproof and the day I test drove it, it showered hard for a few minutes. The water beaded up perfectly and everything stayed bone dry inside. A neat feature is the YKK silent zipper pulls made from 550 cord that are glove friendly when rucking in the colder months…something we can appreciate here in New England.

Extra padded straps and handle, MOLLE Attachments and the fact that it opens nice and flat make this a very attractive, tough customer.

The only drawback is that it is a bit price at $195. And that is without the padded MOLLE Hip belt, and the MOLLE Sternum strap, which for rucking or hiking, I’d add. That being said, the next ruck I buy will be this one or the GR Bullet.

BLACKHAWK! S.T.R.I.K.E. Predator Hydration Pack

Another favorite bug-out bag, hiking bag that grew feet, this one was my own fault. Don’t go to Wal-Mart and leave it in the back seat with the car unlocked…even for a 5-minute shopping trip.

This is an outstanding, comfortable, versatile ruck. It has enough room (830 cubic inches) to cram enough stuff in there for a day hike. Like all Blackhawk products, it is rugged, well-constructed and had several nice features.

It has a nice molded back channel that gives plenty of ventilation with either a shirt or with a light jacket in the fall months. I loved the contoured shoulder straps, that along with the sternum strap makes this a very comfortable fit.

The hydration system works easily although they didn’t come with filters, so clean water has to be introduced. The ruck has a heavy duty reinforced drag handle, YKK zippers with silent glove friendly pulls, and a ton of MOLLE straps for lashing down any extra gear in a tactical situation.

The only drawback for this ruck that I remember is that it didn’t open all the way. But for a smaller day-type ruck it was a small issue.

                                                                            SPEC-OPS Assault Pack

I’ve had this one for the past 13 years and it has taken a beating and keeps on ticking. At the time I got this, I was working as a contractor on a training job and one of my friends just bought it in ACU and then was heading home and gave it to me.

It is heavy duty, very well constructed and very comfortable. It is made from the same 1000 denier CORDURA that lasts, wears well and is water resistant. The ruck unzips and opens flat with a high visibility yellow lining that makes it easier to find items.

It has two large outside pockets that are easily accessible and a large main compartment that is roomy for plenty of storage for a weekend hike or as a weekend bag to travel in.  The ruck has a comfortable shoulder harness with a sternum strap and padded waist belt. SPEC-OPS also has those heavy-duty buckles that secure the pockets.

There is a ton of MOLLE loops for lashing extra gear. Dual ports on the top of the ruck allow for hydration tubes as well as a heavy-duty carrying strap. Compression straps make everything tight when carrying it on a plane or rucking through the woods.

Thanks for the question Jeff and if anyone else has anymore, feel free to email me [email protected] or at my Twitter account @SteveB7SFG

Photo courtesy of DOD

Prepping For Selection, the Right Way is the Only Way

This is the time of year when the Selection courses are in full swing and the guys…and gals who want to be part of Special Operations units are deciding to get ready and give it their best shot at becoming members in the best fraternity in the world.

The US military has embraced Special Operations Forces after many decades of hating on “elite units” and the services have a unified command structure to ensure they all work well with each other as well as conventional units. The services have plenty of specialized units with varying missions and each has their own specialties carved out thru years of intense training. Whether it be the Army, Navy, Air Force, or the Marines, each service has their own Special Operations Forces. And all of them are excellent.

For our purposes, we’re going to deal with the US Army Special Forces, popularly known as the “Green Berets.” Having been in Special Forces units for more than a decade in the military, it is easy to say, there’s no place better to be. But the rest of what you’ll read here will serve you well regardless of your choice of unit.

Some of you’ve may have already decided that Special Forces is for you and you’re getting ready to prep for SFAS and a chance to attend the Special Forces Qualification Course or “Q” course. Good. That’s the easy part.

First and most importantly, Is your head screwed on straight? Are you wanting to be SF to be a part of the best and willing to put everything into your choice? If so, then you’re definitely on the right track.  

Now to dispel some myths. We’ve all heard the wives’ tales and myths of the Special Forces soldier, right? “You have to be 10-feet tall and bulletproof.” LOL, don’t laugh. “SF guys have to have the athletic ability and look like NFL players.”  Having gone thru the Warrant Officer Candidate School at Ft. Rucker with a former defensive lineman for the NY Giants (but in a different MOS), I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, we looked nothing alike.

There isn’t any big secret about passing selection, in fact to those of us who worked out there the saying used to be, “the answer is so simple that it is hard.” It is all about you the individual. Selection is 70 percent mental and 30 percent physical. And not the reverse. You don’t have to look like an NFL linebacker to pass the course as I mentioned above. I certainly didn’t and the vast majority of guys I finished with didn’t either.

In fact, most of the guys who looked like that passed by the wayside, it becomes simply a matter of mind over matter. You will have to want it and won’t let anything stop you from reaching that ultimate goal. That may sound a little simplistic but that is it in a nutshell. So, after getting several emails about Selection and the tips of the trade to be selected…here they are…(Cue the Dating Game music and spin the board around. OK, I dated myself there.)

#1 – Don’t Ever Quit: There will be times when you are exhausted beyond belief, between either selection or the Q-course and that is when the SF guys get separated from the other guys who thought they wanted to be there.

Selection is a test of will, nothing more. Don’t let your mind play tricks on you and focus only on what you’re doing today. Get thru the day and don’t worry about what comes tomorrow. That doesn’t exist. Sometimes and during some training events, you can’t even look past the next few hours or smoke sessions. Be standing there when it is over, that may be your goal. Survive until lunch, if you get it. Be there at sundown when guys are dropping like flies all around you.

You’ll get no feedback from the cadre other than the stock “do the best you can”, and I for one think that’s the best way. Special Forces doesn’t want or need guys who must have constant reassurance. They want soldiers who will go the extra mile and keep on going. If the cadre members don’t tell you anything, then you’re good to go. When you think you’ve reached Hell…keep going. It WILL get hotter.

#2 – Prepare, Prepare, Prepare:  Don’t come to Selection fresh from being a couch potato. There are plenty of guides on how to properly prepare for the rigors of the course and they all will get you into the arena. You don’t have to be the fastest runner, but it certainly won’t hurt. But the biggest obstacle in your path is your rucksack. Soldiers who can strap the big pain pill on and continue to drive on are what the cadre are looking for.  

Soldiers who came from a light infantry or a Ranger battalion will have already mastered that art. For soldiers coming from a different background, that is where they are sailing into uncharted waters. And that is where the will to continue comes in. Even the most hardened troops get worn out and tired, that is what the course is designed to do.

If you want a good PT program, there are plenty of great ones on the internet. I am no professional physical trainer, but I did work at Selection so I believe I know what works. And this being our site, I will recommend our PT Training Program here:

I recall the adage that fatigue makes cowards of us all is quite telling but not entirely true. The Special Forces soldier won’t give in to his fatigue and keep on going. If you allow doubt to creep into your mind, you are already defeated. So tip #1 ties into tip #2. In my post-SF life, I’ve had the privilege of covering the NFL and one of the most intriguing people I’ve met is Bill Belichick the coach of the New England Patriots. He has stated that if a player is thinking about retiring, then he’s already retired. It is the same thing. If you allow doubt to creep into your mind, that little voice will screw you every time.

#3 – Don’t Worry About What the Instructors: As soldiers, we’ve been weaned on immediate feedback. As basic trainees or boots, everything you did was wrong. Forget all that. It’s over. Time to use your head, that is that lump three feet above your ass. Give it your all and when the event is over, forget it, it is in the past. Focus on the next one and try to do even better.

Too many times I saw candidates withdraw because of the lack of feedback from the instructors they took as a sign that the instructors want them to fail. Nothing could be further from the truth.

They’ve been where you are and experienced all the same things. They want to see you succeed. But only if you meet the standards. Then they’ll be happy to be standing next to you in the Regiment. You may not think so today, but you will see soon enough.

#4 The Gray Man: My views on this run counter what you’ll read everywhere else but here it is. And this is one of those subjects I feel strongly about so my take on this is a bit biased. So, you can take it for what it is, ignore it, or tell me to GFY.

You’ll hear many people tell you to be the “Gray Man” in SFAS, and if that means to you, just keeping a low profile while doing the best that you can, then that is fine. But to others it means trying to purposely fly under the radar, to hide behind the masses. You know who those types are, and you’ll find some in your class. Whenever as a Selection Cadre member, I’d see someone trying to ghost during team events and do just enough to get by while some guy was in the spotlight in being assessed in a leadership position, I’d evaluate that guy very poorly.

Everybody’s different. Certain guys (Many SF guys) are Type-A personalities and are demonstrative, take charge guys. Others are more quiet, low-key and lead by example types. Be yourself. The cadre will know by then which type you are. If you are a guy who by his nature is one of those personalities who motivates people by being a stud or by making people laugh (which we’ll get to), then do it. That is WHO you are. Every team needs those kinds of people and you won’t be judged harshly if that is who you truly are.

You came to Special Operations to be part of the top 1 percent in the military. That doesn’t mean to go beating your chest every time you accomplish anything. That will put a bullseye on your back quickly.  And if you’re looking to slide under the radar in training, then you’ll do it on a team. As a cadre member, I didn’t evaluate too kindly on those trying that either. Screw the gray man, be yourself.

#5 Laugh Every Day and Find the Humor in Everything: One of the things we preach all the time is and #5 could easily be called “Embrace the Suck”. And that follows along with everything else  It is going to be hard, it will suck. You WILL be tested and no doubt, you’ll have your dick (metaphorical, I know we have women now), dragging into the dirt at some point. But it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun or at times even funny.

There should be times every day when you find the humor in the crazy shit that you’ll be asked to do. And it will accomplish a couple of things. One is that it will break the tension that builds up during the course, especially as things progress. And it will surprisingly build your morale up, more than you’d believe…time for an SF anecdote.

Carrying some very heavy shit one day, I believe it was, by the weight of it, a section of a high-rise skyscraper, we slowly heaved it up and placed it on our rucks and immediately shrunk an inch. Yours truly wasn’t having a good day, I was sick with the flu, still had the remnants of dysentery from my last deployment and felt like a horse apple.

One of my buds looked over and said, “Steve, you just made a great face when you lifted that. You missed your calling bro…you should have gone into porn.”

Tension broken, we all laughed our butts off, and the rucks got lighter. The rest of the day was much easier.

Photo: US Army

Passing SFAS – Team Week, Be Prepared to be Tested

So, you’ve volunteered to be in Special Forces and you’re getting ready to go to SFAS. This is the time to prepare yourself for the grind that is to come. There are certain tips, such as the PT program which will help you attain the level of physical fitness that you’ll need to not just pass the course but to excel.

Well now we’re on to Team Week, you’ve passed the Land Navigation course, and while it wasn’t easy, you learned that you are pretty good at navigating after all. And if you can navigate in Hoffman, you should be able to do it anywhere.

But now we’re here at Team Week and you’ve no doubt heard the nightmarish stories about it and what a smoker it is. Well, it is true that you are going to be tested this week. The tasks are difficult and you’re going to be worn down and smoked like a cheap cigar with some of them, especially if the weather doesn’t cooperate and the trails get muddy and slow. But again, like Land Nav, thousands of guys have passed it and so can you.

Here are a few things to keep in mind.

What is Team Week Anyway? Well, the school response is that Team Week is a series of tasks that the candidates must accomplish within a set amount of time. Sounds fairly innocuous, right? No one is better than the military at making something sound so bland.

The Special Forces cadre members will watch and evaluate the candidates on their ability to solve problems, work as a member of a team and lead a group of peers while under physical and mental stress. All of these are extremely important in your SF career but nothing will get you to be non-selected quicker than the second.

You can be a physical stud and smoke every ruck, run and PT smoker in the pit, as well as find all of your points on Land Nav, but if you’re a non-team player, you’re done. sayonara, adios, auf wiedersehen, ciao. SF can’t use you.

Team Work Essential: And trust me, the cadre is ALWAYS watching! During team week as an SFAS cadre member, I not only watched the candidate who was put in the leadership position of the event, but also his teammates. Are they supporting him to the best of their ability? Or during a break are they just doing the rucksack flop?

If you are really good at lashing, be prepared to be busy during Team Week. Normally the successful teams identify the team members that are good at that skill right away. Because you must build some funky conveyances during Team Week. The better that they are lashed together and engineered, the quicker you’ll get to your finish point for that event.

When it is your time in the barrel as a leader on an event, be a good one. Remember you’re not going to be the smartest guy in the room. You have a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst your teammates. Use them. Listen to their ideas, because you are all going to have to cross the finish line together. Get everyone involved and pulling together.

Always be a Leader: In Special Forces, you’ll be expected to perform well above your pay grade in everyday work, so you must, must, must always be a leader in your attitude. It doesn’t matter if you are the Team Leader or the last guy in line. Always support the guy in charge to the best of your ability. Because that guy may be supporting you next.

Selection never ends by the way. You’ll move on to the Q-course, get your Long Tab and wear the Green Beret but you’ll forge your reputation every day and on an A-Team, everyone must pull together and put absolute trust in each other. You’re starting an entirely new career field here, get off on the right foot and never stop.

Cool Wins: Always remain calm, and trust me there will be times when you are ready to explode because you’re tired, worn down and physically exhausted. But a person who is out of control will make mistakes. Stay cool, calm and collected. I believe it was Kipling who said,

“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;”…

Gray-Man: I didn’t know whether to put anything down here on this subject because there are so many takes on this and they all differ. And this is one of those subjects I feel strongly about so my take on this is a bit biased.

You’ll hear many people tell you to be the “Gray Man” in SFAS, and if that means to you, just keeping a low profile while doing the best that you can, then that is fine. But to others it means trying to purposely fly under the radar, to hide behind the masses. You know who those types are, and you’ll find some in your class.

Everybody’s different. Certain guys (Many SF guys) are Type-A personalities and are demonstrative, take charge guys. Others are more low-key and lead by example types. Be yourself. The cadre will know by then which type you are.

You came to Special Operations to be part of the top 1 percent in the military. That doesn’t mean to go beating your chest every time you accomplish anything, but if you’re looking to slide under the radar in training, then you’ll do it on a team. As a cadre member, I didn’t evaluate too kindly on those trying that.

Final Thoughts: Team Week will test you, push you and is a big gut check. Take it seriously but always keep a positive mental attitude and you’ll be fine.

Don’t be afraid to inject some humor in there. Sometimes humor can be a stress reliever and will lighten the load a bit. But in moderation as in all things. You’ll find that on you’re A-Teams as well.

Team Week failures usually were because of lack of endurance, lack of tactical troop leading procedures, lack of being a team player and a lack of leadership by example. Those are easily preventable. Part of the reason you must be in such good physical condition is not only to pass the events of the course but physically fit people have a much better coping mechanism with stress. And Team Week will be stressful.

Don’t be Late, Don’t be Light, Don’t be Last. Above all else …good luck!

Photo courtesy of DOD

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 14, Day 7

Let’s kickoff this Saturday morning right and head back to the gym for a shoulder and back workout. Pulldowns, pullups and some shoulder work followed by a four-mile run. Log your numbers down in the workout notebook

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pull downs, rear

3 x 10 Barbell Dead Lift

3 x 10 Wide Grip Pullups

3 x 10 Seated Rows

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Seated Bent-Over Delt Raise

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 10 Arnold Dumbbell Press

4-mile run (32-minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 14, Day 6

Friday is Leg Day at the gym. Start off with our favorite, Squats – (Front, Dumbbell Goblet, and Barbell), then Lunges and the Weighted Sled Push. Follow it all up with a five-mile run.

Mark your progress down in your workout log book and stretch well after the session. Remember….keep hydrating, even in the rain.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

3 x Front Squat 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x Goblet Dumbbell Squats 20-15-12 reps (lighter weight)

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x Weighted Sled Push or Fireman’s Carry

5-mile run (40 mins. Max)

Stretch well after completion

 

Have You Attempted the “Murph Challenge” Yet? Now is the Time

For any of our aspiring Special Operations Forces candidates and anyone else that is constantly looking for a way to push yourself and test your limits, I submit to you the “Murph Challenge”.

Lt. Michael Murphy was well-known in the Navy SEAL community for his fitness and physical toughness. He was posthumously awarded the Medal Of Honor for his selfless actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.

From the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Foundation:  

Murphy was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element, tasked with finding a key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters.

A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, LT. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle. Murphy fought on, allowing one member of his team (Marcus Luttrell) to escape before he was killed.

The Murph Challenge is a simple but ass-kicking workout that isn’t for the faint of heart. It is supposed to be done wearing a 20-lb vest, however, unless you are in outstanding shape, and we stress the word outstanding… then try to do it and finish without it.

One Mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Pushups
300 Air Squats
One Mile Run

On the leaderboard for the Murph Challenge someone named Jennifer Rottkamp completed the entire challenge in 19:53 which is ridiculously fast and gets a huge amount of respect here.  Congratulations.

It was nice to see Hollywood action stars John Krasinski (13 Hours, Jack Ryan) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World) get behind the challenge and offer to take part in it. They both posted on Social Media.

“We got a big group of people doing The Murph Challenge this year to celebrate Memorial Day and to memorialize our fallen heroes, especially Lieutenant Michael Murphy,” Pratt said.

Pratt also thanked Murphy for his brave sacrifice and service. “Thank you to Lt. Michael P Murphy and the millions of soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We live this life because you laid down yours, gratitude and prayers for all of you,” Pratt added.

“On Monday, remember to stop at some point in your day, think and say, ‘thank you,’ to all the brave men and women who laid down their lives for you,” Krasinski said. “If you want to do something a little extra special on Monday, or before then, take the Murph Challenge.”

As we mentioned above, the challenge isn’t for the faint of heart, I didn’t need a stopwatch for my own time, but a calendar may have come in handier.

Kidding aside, much respect to Lt. Michael Murphy, RIP as on Memorial Day we paid homage to you and every other serviceman and woman who gave selflessly gave their lives for the rest of us in our country.

And if you’re looking for the next challenge, log-on to the Murph Challenge website and donate to the foundation and post your times. It is for a worthwhile cause.

Photo: US Navy

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 12, Day 2

A Monday morning pre-test of the Upper Body Round Robin (UBRR) with many of the exercises that will be tested. A few years ago, I spoke with a veteran NFL player about passing their conditioning test prior to starting the annual summer training camps. He said, “the only way to pass it, is to prepare for it and practice it.”

So, we’ll practice our UBRR and if you can pass this, the PT Tests at the beginning of Selection will be a piece of cake. Always go for perfect form, most especially when doing the pushups, it will be an area that is always looked at hard during the PT tests in Selection.

After the exercises, a three-mile run as fast as you can. Mark the time in your workout logbook. Remember the time limit on the run is 24 minutes maximum. Go thru the entire list of exercises, take a two-minute break for water and then go for the run.

UBRR Training:

More preparation for the UBRR

1 x 1-minute Pushups

1 x 1-minute Sit-ups

1 x 1-minute, Crunches

1 x 1-minute, V-ups

1 x Dips as many as possible to muscle failure

1 x Pullups as many as possible or to muscle failure

3-mile run (24 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

 

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 10, Day 4

Wednesday is a back and shoulder day at the gym followed by a 6-mile rucksack march. Look to better the time that is the standard (90-minutes).

And remember to hydrate throughout the march. Don’t forget to mark your progress in the workout log book, it would also be a good day to wear those second pair of boots.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, behind the neck (go as heavy as possible)

3 x 12 Lat Pulldowns, front

3 x 12 Seated Rows

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

6-mile Rucksack march (45-pound minimum, 90-minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 9, Day 2

We’ll kick off our Monday and work week and crush those weekend cobwebs with a mini-UBRR test. Start off with the basics of pushups, sit-ups, and crunches, then to the bar for V-ups, pull-ups, and dips before a 5-mile run. The standard says 40-minutes but shoot for something better than that.

Remember to stay hydrated and mark your progress in your workout log book.

UBRR Training:

More preparation for the UBRR

1 x 1-minute Pushups

1 x 1-minute Sit-ups

1 x 1-minute, Crunches

1 x 1-minute, V-ups

1 x Dips as many as possible to muscle failure (no time limit)

1 x Pullups as many as possible or to muscle failure (no time limit)

5-mile run (40-minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 8, Day 5

Back to the gym today as we prep for the UBRR with a Chest and Triceps workout. Then a 4-mile ruck march with 45-pounds minimum. This would be a great time, to wear that second pair of boots. Right? Remember to push the pace without running.

And also remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. Mark your progress down in your workout log book.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 12 Bench Press

3 x 10 Dumbbell Flies

3 x 10 Dumbbell Incline press

3 x 20 Pushups (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 Kip Ups

3 x 20 Sit-ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

4-mile rucksack march (45-pound minimum) over varied terrain, note your time

Stretch well after completion