train your body

SOF Selection PT Preparation 8.5.2017

Saturday we’ll hit the legs in the gym and then hit the trail for a three-mile run over uneven terrain. The squats help build up the strength needed to carry the rucksack over long distances and overall strength. They will also improve your running as well.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

First, head into the gym:

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

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

3 x Hungarian Lunges 20-15-12 reps light weight

3 x 10 Pull-ups

3 x 10 reps Standing Arnold Press

3 x 20 Push ups

30 x “V”ups

3-mile run over uneven terrain

Stretch well after completion

Nasty Nick Obstacle Course, “Navigate the Apparatus and Move Out”

Ah yes… the Nasty Nick Obstacle Course. If you are an aspiring Special Operations soldier in the Army, you will become intimately familiar with this obstacle course. It is one of those Rite of Passage gated events that you have to do.

Part of the reason we do so much upper body training in our PT Prep sessions that we put out daily is that you’ll need that upper body strength to make it through Selection and especially the obstacle course out at Camp Mackall. And not just for the course, to be an “operator” what we used to call “team guys”, you will find you need a lot of upper body strength.

The “Nasty Nick” is named after Special Forces Colonel James “Nick” Rowe. Rowe was a 1LT who was captured in a Viet Cong ambush and was held as a POW for five years before escaping his captors as they were bringing him to be executed.

Rowe used his experiences, lessons learned and knowledge of being a POW into creating the SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) course at Camp Mackall. All Special Forces personnel must go thru the SERE course in the qualification course.

The Nasty Nick is a smoker of the nth degree, nearly every obstacle requires some kind of rope climb and will test a candidate’s will, especially if they have a fear of heights or small confined spaces. Besides the requisite rope climbs there are rope ladders, tunnels, a cargo net and assorted other wonderful ideas that someone thought up. It covers about a mile and change of distance and there are more than 20 obstacles to overcome.

Not so, coincidentally, the obstacles get harder as the course progresses…. You didn’t expect anything else now did you? One of the most underrated ones was (at least when I worked out there) was the one where a candidate had to walk across a narrow ladder. Because there was nothing to hold onto like a rope, that used to freak out a lot of candidates, especially the ones who were afraid of heights. Many don’t even realize this phobia until it hits them square in the face. And if you begin to linger too long on any particular obstacle, the cadre will offer encouragement (sarcasm). “Navigate the apparatus and Move OUT candidate! Was the frequent sound heard over the pines in those days.

Prospective Special Forces soldiers have to accomplish this as an individual. This poses a mental and very physical challenge that the prospective candidate must overcome. It is just another in the many ways the candidates are assessed constantly. Other units in SOCOM will send their troops thru Nasty Nick as a group to build esprit de corps and teamwork. But if you want to be SF, you do this alone.

I haven’t been out to Camp Mackall in a bit and understand that they’ve changed a few of the obstacles but overall the course remains the same. We would walk a class thru the course in the morning before the candidates ran it in the afternoon. The cadre would explain how each obstacle had to be negotiated. If a candidate asked for a demonstration, the cadre member assigned to each group would correctly demonstrate how each obstacle needed to be done. Of course, there were always a few wise guys in every class that would ask the cadre to demonstrate each one. When that happened, my answer was, “since there is some confusion here, each one of you will now attempt the obstacle on your own. If there aren’t any questions, we’ll move on to the next one.” It didn’t take long for the candidates to realize that it was best served by them to save their energy for the course itself.

Some of our cadre members were awesome rope climbers. Lee K. a stud from 10th SFG would demonstrate by climbing the 30 ft. rope feet first in a head-down position. And do it faster than I ever dreamed of going the “normal” way. My buddy Doug P. had the wild idea of making the candidates do it with rucks. Go figure. So one evening to test out his idea, he ran Nasty Nick in the dark with a 45-lb. ruck. And he completed it. But the command element at the time decided (and wisely so) that it was best to leave the candidates running it as it was designed.

The Nasty Nick will be run in just about any weather condition save for hurricane force winds or lightning. Rain, snow or shine. On those rainy days, some of the obstacles can get slick and muddy. There are no safety lines, ropes or nets. Candidates fall and although the pits under the tall obstacles have sawdust or mulch padding, guys get hurt. That adds to the stress level of the candidates. But hey at least now the candidates run Nasty Nick with those cool hockey helmets. Us dinosaurs didn’t get that “luxury” back in the day. Maybe that’s why we all have CTE now? Just joking.

While we get the questions on our social media pages about Nasty Nick and the best way to prepare it. The answer is simple. Do our PT Prep program that will get you ready for Selection. There is plenty of upper body exercises and rope climbing in there to get you ready. Then it is just a matter of approaching each obstacle one at a time and negotiating it correctly and moving on to the next one. There’s no magic formula. It is simply, mind of matter. While hard, Nasty Nick has been successfully negotiated thousands of times. Now “navigate the apparatus and move out smartly candidate!”

Photos and video courtesy: US Army

SOF Selection PT Preparation 8.4.2017

Continue to prep for the UBRR and focus on some speed work today with the runs. Speed work will help with your endurance and explosion. Work on perfect form when doing your push up and sit-up exercises. The cadre members at Selection are meticulous at grading form. The time to get it right is now. Then the graded test in the course will be a piece of cake. Remember, everyone gets graded the same.

Training:

5 x 1-mile run Go as quickly as you can with a minimum of 5-minute rest between runs. Record your average mile time.

5 x 30 seconds of Pushups.

5 x 30 seconds of Sit-ups

1 x 20 Knees-to-Elbow hanging from the pull-up bar, or until muscle failure

2 x 10 pull-ups or until muscle failure

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 8.3.2017

We’re going to do a smoker this morning of pushups, sit-ups, and crunches that you can either do at the gym or on the ground and then head back out on the rucking trails. Let’s pump these out as quickly as possible, understanding that there isn’t a time limit but to build up your endurance.

Training:

More Preparation for the UBRR:

100 pushups (no time limit)

100 sit-ups (no time limit)

100 crunches

Rucksack March: Go as hard and as fast as you can for 1 hour. Do this without running. See what your distance is and make a notation. This will give you a goal to achieve in later training sessions.

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 8.2.2017

Back to the gym today, with our Wednesday work out and then practice our shuttle run to build up some explosion and lateral quickness in your legs. It will improve your overall running times. Try to limit the time between sets to 30 seconds or less.

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 Barbell Deadlift

3 x 10 Dumbbell Side Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Front Raises

3 x 10 Dumbbell Arnold Shoulder Press

3 x 8 Shoulder Shrugs

4 x 25-meter Shuttle Run (x3)

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 8.1.2017

How did everyone do on their UBRR Test from yesterday? If you passed but have some weak points, you now know what needs to be worked on. If you failed any portion of it, then you have a lot of work to do.

What we’re going to do now is start back from the basics and get everyone back on the same sheet of music. Stick with us and we’ll get thru this.

Training:

Preparation for the UBRR:

Run 3 miles (record your time) “Do the best you can.” Get used to hearing that.

Then, head into the gym:

3 x Front Squat 10 reps (heavy but doable weight)

3 x Goblet Squats 10 reps (heavy dumbbell)

3 x 10 Pull-ups

3 x 10 reps Standing Arnold Press

25 x Push ups

30 x “V”ups

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 7.31.2017

Today we’re going to see where our fitness level is at by using a test using the new Special Operations Upper Body Round Robin (UBRR) Fitness Test. It measures functional fitness for the Special Operators much better than the traditional PT test.

Pushups: (1min) 40 minimum +2 points for each additional rep.

Sit-ups: (1min) 40 Minimum +3 points for each additional rep.

Pull-ups: (not timed) 6 minimum +3 points for each additional rep.

Dips: (not timed) 6 minimum +2 points for each additional rep.

Bench Press: (80% body weight) 6 minimum +3 points for each additional rep.

20ft. Rope Climb: with weighted vest or body armor, Pass/Fail

Kick-ups: (1minute) 6 minimum, +2 points for each additional rep.

25 Meter Shuttle Run: x 4, 24 seconds maximum. +2 points for each 1/10 sec. under

5 Mile Run: 40 minutes maximum +2 points for every full 15 seconds under max.
or 5 Mile Ruck March: w/45 lbs +2 points for every full 15 seconds under max.

To pass the UBRR, participants must achieve a PASS in all events with at least the minimum score, and Receive at least 1100 total points from all the events combined.

SOF Selection PT Preparation 7.29.20

With an Upper Body Round Robin (UBRR) Test on Monday, we’ll scale back the work over the weekend with just some stretching and a short run. Stay hydrated, stretched out and be prepared to be tested for Monday’s test to see where you’ll fitness level is.

Training:

Stretch well before the run

2-mile run

Stretch well after completion

SOF Selection PT Preparation 7.28.2017

Let’s get Friday started off right and hit the gym for Chest and Triceps day and then a 5-mile run. Remember to stretch well before and after and to stay hydrated. 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 (alternate sets with wide, narrow and shoulder width)

3 x 10 ‘V’ Ups

3 x 20 Sit Ups

3 x 20 Cable Push Downs (rope)

3 x 20 Dips or until muscle failure

5-mile run

Stretch well after completion

12-Mile Rucksack March Nothing To Worry About in Selection?

Well, this sounded like a good idea at the time… “Somebody” had the bright idea to conduct and then write about a 12-mile ruck sack march and then putting the results in our training blog with the whole encouraging headline for our prospective Special Operations readers, that it is STILL a piece of cake.

After all, since starting at SpecialOperations.com and SOFREP, I’ve had the pleasure of writing the “SOF Selection PT Prep” pieces every day. And not just writing them. It has been fun to strapping on a ruck again and doing some shorter distances with my fat bulldog keeping me company in the cool, pre-dawn air. It brought back many pleasant and some not so pleasant memories of carrying the pain pill while a member of a Special Forces A-Team and as a cadre member at Selection. And after following my friends and SF brothers doing the length of the Appalachian Trail, in a fundraising effort for the Green Beret Foundation, it got my motivation up to as high as it can get and I thought, a 12-miler for time with a 45-pound ruck shouldn’t be hard for this steely-eyed ole snake eater right? Hindsight can be a mother…

I had a couple of advantages that you kids in Selection do not. Number 1 is I knew where every mile marker was so I had instant feedback as to my time and distance. I had mapped a trail on flat ground along railroad tracks and a bike path so there was none of the element of the unknown as to time and distance. Which, is a part of the mind-fuck the course plays on you.

My second advantage is I wasn’t carrying a weapon on this, just a walking stick, my staff of Ra if you will. If someone had seen me in town carry a rifle down the road at my 3 a.m start time, you’d have read about the old SF guy being shot by the police for doing something shady, because no sane person goes out rucking at 3 a.m. for fun.

The author with his SFAS walking stick, the Staff of Ra, which a snapping turtle made the ultimate sacrifice for. Image courtesy of the author.

And my third advantage was having my iPod charged up. Having music blasting in your ear is a great motivator. And nothing kills the boredom of a long hike like music. Loud, metal. Metallica is a good choice, We’ll start off with S&M and then the Black Album.

Of course, I had a couple of disadvantages as well. Having blown my back out in SF, and having two surgeries that ended my career is never a plus, the resultant arthritis that crept in there is always a joy early in the morning. That and having two knees that the same. Two surgeries, arthritis…ain’t life grand? So things kind of evened out. Plus it has been ….. Ok, it has been a very long time since my days as a cadre member at Selection so that isn’t a plus…at all.

I got up, put on an old pair of fatigue bottoms from my days as a contractor with that god-awful ACU camouflage pattern. Whoever thought that shit was good? Stretched well and got ready to head out. My bulldog lifted her head and sensing it was much too early for this, looked at me with a “WTF” look and literally flopped over and went back to snoring. Maybe this was an omen…

The first mile wasn’t great as my knees were barking a bit with the cool, damp temps and they were a little bit stiff, but the last bit, I started to get loose and was feeling good. So far so good. Miles 2 and 3 were much better, I was loosened up and had a good sweat working and my stride was getting back to that nice, long, lope that eats up the distance and allows for a quick time. Going down one of the few downhill areas of the course, I stumbled for a second but kept my balance and turned it into a jog for a quarter-mile until the terrain flattened out. Those two miles went by quickly and a quarter of the way in, I had a very good time going, around 40 minutes which was better than I expected.

Having much more energy than I expected, I felt like it was a good time to kick it up a notch. Having nice flat, hard-packed terrain for the next few miles I set a pace that would have sufficed back in the day for the entire march, but for about two and a half miles the ground was falling by the wayside easily and I was making terrific time. Knowing where the mile markers were helped a great deal and having “No Leaf Clover” one of my all-time favorite Metallica songs made it a breeze.

Trying not to burn myself out too quickly, I backed off slightly in Mile 6, but at the halfway point, I still had a lot of energy and was feeling great. Hitting mile marker six, with “Until it Sleeps” blaring in the ears, I finished off one of the water bottles I was carrying. I took the time to do a bathroom break, take the rucksack off for a minute, and stretch out some more. Time at the turn around point was 1 hour 17 minutes and 40 seconds… I’ll take that all day long. That wasn’t a bad time back in the day, so I’ll take it.

Having a ton of confidence now and energy, I kicked it back into gear for the trek back.

Hitting the good hard-packed terrain for the two miles going back was another easy leg of the trip. I hit the eight-mile mark with still an excellent time, well under the standard and the weight of the 45-lb ruck, which was fitting nice and snug was negligible. That’s when things began to get tough. Stopping for a moment to catch my breath and taking a long pull from my water bottle, that old familiar ache in the knees began to kick in. Not good. Doing a couple of stretches with the ruck on didn’t help so I just continued to drive on.

The energy level was starting to taper off quickly, so to keep up the time, I lengthened my stride some more in an attempt to keep my time up. Between miles nine and ten, that downhill slope was now an uphill one. Going uphill the pace began to slow considerably. My energy was waning fast but I still hit Mile ten in excellent shape time wise. Between Miles ten and eleven, a couple of coyotes crossed the railroad tracks ahead of me about 75 to a 100 yards to my front left. They stopped and did a long take in my direction. After about ten seconds they bounded off into the woods near the highway.

Now it was a slog rather than a speed march. Knees aching, it was an effort to keep going. I was never so happy to see our town’s cemetery which meant I was a mile from the finish. The sun was coming up and I could hear the traffic picking up on the road to my right. After crossing the railroad trestle (thankfully no train was coming) I was on the downhill side. My feet were getting sore but no blisters (thanks, Merrell) but by now my pace was almost a crawl. I finished 12 miles (sans weapon) at 2 hours 48 minutes, 36 seconds to the perfect ending song of the Black album, “Wherever I May Roam.” Not bad for a former action guy, but a good 28-30 minutes off my old times, albeit many moons ago.

So for you young guys considering the course, many have asked questions concerning the 12-miler and other long range movements and have voiced concerns over them. If the old guys can still do it at this point, you can do it too. You may even see us out on the trail, look for the old greybeard with the big staff bouncing along to Metallica.

The biggest difference between now and then was back in the day, after putting my feet up for an hour or two and getting something to eat, I could do it all over again. Today, I’m beat and not embarrassed to admit it. The thought of crossing the room for the remote is a debate in my mind to which, as my wife leaves the room, sure Dr. Phil is fine. I think I’ll just nod off here for a while….who’s bright idea was it to do this stuff again anyway?

Featured image courtesy of DoD