train your body

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 8, Day 4

Shoulders and back day in the gym before heading off to do a 5-mile rucksack march. Conduct the ruck over varied terrain and remember to hydrate throughout. After the ongoing and heavy rains here and dealing with a muddy mess on the trail, your times may suffer as the ruck becomes a slog thru the mud. Get used to it, the weather is rarely perfect for Selection.

It is a good habit to get used to hydrating while rucking and a needed one for the time when you’re in the course. Even in the rain. Mark your time down in your workout logbook.

UBRR Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

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

3 x 12 Lat Pull downs, front

3 x 10 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

5-mile Ruck sack march (45-lb minimum) over varied terrain, 75-minutes maximum

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 8, Day 1

Happy Easter to everyone. Time for our Sunday morning ruck march. Do a quick warmup of pushups and sit-ups before heading out. Stretch well both before and after the event. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated out there.

Today would a great time to wear your second pair of boots for the Selection Course. Don’t wait until then to get another pair broken in. Check for hot spots and blisters, by the time the Selection course rolls around, you’ll be an expert at this and shouldn’t have as many issues in that area.

UBRR Training:

Warm up

2 x 20 Pushups

2 x 20 Sit-ups

6-mile Rucksack march over varied terrain with a 45-pound minimum. And mark your times in your workout log book. The standard is 90 minutes, you should be looking to better that.

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 7, Day 6

It is Friday, so yes, you know it also means Leg Day at the gym. Begin with some Squats – front, and barbell. This builds up the strength in your legs that will help propel the rucksack.

Then some lunges and after the weighted sled push or an alternative if your gym doesn’t have one. Then finish the workout off with a 4-mile run. Get out and enjoy the rain today.

Remember to stretch well after the workout and to hydrate.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

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

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Romanian Lunges

3 x 10 Leg Extensions

3 x Weighted sled push or Fireman’s Carry

4-mile run (32 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 7, Day 5

We are heading back to the gym today as we prep for the UBRR with a Chest and Triceps workout. This workout will build your upper body strength

Then a 4-mile ruck march with 45-pounds minimum. 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, 60 minutes maximum) over varied terrain, note your time

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 7, Day 4

Shoulders and back day in the gym before heading off to do the SOF (Special Operations Forces) Triathlon. A 3-mile run, a 3-mile rucksack march, and a 300-meter swim with fatigues and boots.

Aim to go as fast as you can in each event. Get used to swimming with fatigues and boots. It is much harder than normal swimming and is an often-overlooked part of the Selection preparation.

If you can do all three of these things well, you will have the physical aspect for most of the Selection courses checked.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

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

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

3-mile Run (24 minutes maximum)

3-mile Rucksack march (45-lb minimum, 45 minutes maximum)

300-meter swim in fatigues and boots

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 7, Day 2

Some good pretest work for the Upper Body Round Robin (UBRR) with many of the exercises that will be tested. Always go for perfect form 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, the standard is 24 minutes, we’ll look to do better than that. Mark the time in your workout logbook

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)

3-mile run (24-minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 6, Day 7

Back to the gym on Saturday for some shoulders and back work. The towel pull-ups are for those who don’t have access to climbing ropes. We’ll finish off today by running some speed (sprints) work for cardio.

Ensure you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water, stay in the habit. Log your numbers down in the workout notebook

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

3 x 10 Lat Pulldowns, rear

3 x 10 Barbell Dead Lift

3 x 10 Wide Grip Pull-ups

3 x 10 Towel Pull-ups

3 x 10 Seated Rows

3 x 10 Seated Bent-Over Delt Raise

3 x 10 Dumbbell Shoulder Press

3 x 10 Arnold Dumbbell Press

4 x 25-meter Shuttle Run

10 x 50-meter sprints

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 6, Day 6

Friday morning at the gym means that it is Leg Day our favorite day of the week. Start off with some Squats – front, dumbbell goblet, and barbell. After the weighted sled push, and some lunges mixed in there as well, we’ll finish off with a 4-mile run.

The leg training is very important as it will help your strength and endurance during the ruck marches and will prepare you for life in the operational units where the rucks and gear get heavier.

UBRR Training:

Continue to prep for the UBRR.

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

3 x 10 Deadlifts

3 x 10 Barbell Squats

3 x 10 Dumbbell Lunges

3 x 10 Leg Extensions

3 x Weighted sled push of substitute Fireman’s Carry

4-mile run (32 minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 6, Day 5

Back to the gym on Thursday morning for a Chest and triceps workout to include some pushups, sit-ups. Then a 5-mile ruck march with 45-pounds minimum.

After some cold, wet mornings around here, the weather is supposed to warm up a bit but still dress accordingly and despite the cold, remember to hydrate. And mark your progress down in your workout log book.

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

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

5-mile rucksack march (45-pound minimum, 75-minutes minimum) over varied terrain, note your time

Stretch well after completion

Special Operations Forces Selection PT Preparation Week 6, Day 4

Happy Hump Day, it is back and shoulders day at the gym. Then a 5-miler rucksack march. Ensure that your second pair of boots are well broken in and wear them today.

Remember to stay hydrated while on the march, and mark your progress in the workout log book.

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 10 Deadlift

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

5-mile Rucksack march (45-lb minimum, 75-minutes maximum)

Stretch well after completion