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Originally Posted by NousDefionsDoc
Functional strength is the key. Not asthetic or any other type. If I was a TS looking at the Box, I think I would be concetrating on training my team to run 100 yards in full kit as opposed to 5 miles in shorts. Climbing low and high walls in full kit instead of gym biceps. Things like that.
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If I had a nickel for every time I said that.................
SO, now that I am a TS and I am in the box......I have realized that I've done some things right and some things wrong in preparation for this type of environment.
Here are a few observations that I'll implement upon return to tailor my PT program to the current environment:
Functional movment in body armor/kit is whats important. Everybody wears all of their kit mounted to body armor now. Level IV Armor with everything (12 mags, 2-3 pistol mags, pistol cross mounted to chest, trauma kit, MBTR, Camelback). Just standing around for an hour in this configuration is taxing. Taking a knee is downright painful. Much time is spent inactive in tactical vehicles traveling from point to point. Rapidly deploying out of the vehicle is required to secure the area dismounted. The only way to get used to this is to do common activites in full kit. In addition to PT events, range time, and vehicle movements add time in the gear that prepare your body for periods of static inactivity wearing kit broken apart by rapid movements (dismounting and mounting vehicles).
Everyone must be able to pick someone up in full kit and carry him. Carry back to a vehcilce or longer distances to HLZ for CASEVAC. I normally do buddy carries as a finish to uphill sprints. 100-200 meters uphill 2-4 times following 8-10 sprints.
General fitness (running, swimming, biking, rucking) and strength training should be maintained for general conditioning.
Pullups in full kit (set up as you wear it).
Dedicate Gym time to endurance type lifting with as much weight as you can manage. I look toward 10 sets of 10 repititions of any major muscle group exercise. Bench for Chest, Pullups for back, Curls for Bi/tri, Military Press for shoulders, and squats and lunges for legs. You'll not get huge or enourmously strong, but you will get rapid strength and enduracne, (and sore as hell).
Not that it has anything to do with PT, but you need to be able to do all of this stuff under NODS too.
just my .02
mp