Consider this!  New Rules for Fitness Over 40 Are you over 40 years old with a burning desire to get started again and progressively build up your fitness from beginner to advanced levels? Do you want to be who you were yesterday (20 years ago) and not have to be in pain or experiencing the pain of failing? Step 1: Drop what you're doing and read this tactical fitness article about the New Rules For The Person Over 40 right now! Step 2: Get all the details you need in the four part series Tactical Fitness 40+ on how you can easily be who you were yesterday ... Read more about ..read more

 Well...Not Everyone is Ignoring It But Nothing is Getting Better (steady downward trend since the late 1980's) There are a number of reasons why people cannot serve in the military. Besides those who are just disinterested is service, a growing number of recruit aged (17-24) men and women would not meet a range of requirements. See the 2020 Qualified Military Available (QMA) Study shows the following in graph form: Throughout our history there has been a recruitment issue of some type. Medical issues (manual labor work injuries, deformities, tuberculosis, etc.), education, and criminal ..read more

Recovery: Training Systems, Periodization, Rest, De-Stress, Mobility, Nutrition, and Sleep Recovery: There is more to being well-rested and ready to go than a good night's sleep. That is a big part of recovery for sure, but when you are training hard, you also have to train smart, add rest / easy days, eat well, and relax. In my opinion, recovery is represented well in the unscientific chart below:  Sleep, Rest, Relax 50% Nutrition 40% Ice, Heat, Stretching, Mobility 5% Gear, Massage, other Services 5% Once You Realize That IT IS ALL ABOUT RECOVERY - You Got It... Optimal Performance is ..read more

Another Way to Add Elements of Teamwork, Communication, Thinking/Strategy to Your Training.. Ask These Guys How Important Teamwork is... You have to push yourself—YES, but programming smartly so you see improvements in your self-assessments (PST, runs, rucks, swims, lifts, etc.) is the goal of your training. Obviously, this is relative to your athletic history, as someone's "beat-down" could be another person's warmup. But there may be elements of training you could be improving WHILE you work on your fitness ability. There is more to military training than physical beatdowns and toughness. Yo ..read more

      RUCK: A Challenging Adventure in Backpacking If you've never embarked on a hike with a backpack weighing 50+ lbs for many miles, the term "ruck" may be unfamiliar. The definition of ruck can be as simple as strolling with a backpack on a hike or as demanding as swiftly navigating rugged terrain with all your military gear. However, the key concept behind ruck, hump, or forced march is the act of carrying your gear from point A to point B in a backpack. You may be wondering, what exactly constitutes a ruck? How should you incorporate it into your workouts? Your question h ..read more

All roads to becoming a Navy SEAL, end at BUD/S - Basic Underwater Demolition / SEAL Training. There are many routes to get to sunny Coronado, California where BUD/S is located, but the only way to become a Navy SEAL is you have to finish BUD/S first. You have to get TO BUDS in order to get THROUGH BUDS - learn the difference.  Below are the several options SEAL wanna-be's struggle with and definitely should know before signing any paperwork with the Navy: First Option - Join the Navy by Enlisting... This is the route that will give you the best chance of attending SEAL training as ther ..read more

Bridging the Gap: How to Prepare Mentally and Physically for the BUD/S Physical Screening Test In preparation for any Special Operations training program, it is common to question whether you have what it takes to tough it out. The minimum standards for the BUD/S Physical Screening Test (PST) are a hot topic of discussion this week. The previously accepted minimum standards for the BUD/S Physical Screening Test (PST) required candidates to meet the following criteria, with the updated standards highlighted in red: -- Swim 500 yards. Maximum time allowed is 12 minutes, 30 seconds (12:30 ..read more

Running Programming is NOT One Size Fits All If you're looking to improve your running for military special ops training, you've come to the right place. Running is a vital component of the physical demands of special ops, and it's essential to be well-prepared for the variety of running challenges you'll face. First and foremost, mastering sprinting and agility is crucial for navigating the short obstacle courses you'll encounter during your training. Incorporate a mix of sprinting and agility drills into your training regimen to improve your speed, quickness, and coordination. Additionally ..read more

Running, Swimming, Lifting Athlete Defined (more clearly?) I received this question the other day. I realize I use a variety of terms that I thought go without explanation but let me give a few details when I use the terms "running athlete", "swimming athlete" or "strength/power athlete." All of these athlete types have inherent strengths and weaknesses. An undeveloped weaknesses will be exposed on the first day of spec ops training, basic training, police/fire academies too. In fact, your weakness will be your toughest event when going through any tactical fitness program. Ignore training yo ..read more

The Steps to Making It To and Through Selection: What You NEED to Know I can usually see the answer to this question when I ask a few questions of recruits / candidates who tell me they want to become a ________ special operator. If any of these issues below are you, you have more work ahead of you than you realize and may put yourself on a timeline that will not work for you: - When I ask you your fitness test scores and you do not know the test events or competitive standards.  - When you do not know your own PT scores, have not trained for it, do not know how to run, swim, etc...for t ..read more