So I was talking to the guys in S&P and they referred me here about something. I am considering joining ROTC in college in the fall and I was curious about something. This is a two-part question. First, would a circuit consisting of 5 exercises (upright rows, snatch, squat press, bent over rows, snatch) of 6 reps with a minute rest done three times a week be good for muscular endurance? Second, besides the usual pushup, pullup, abs type of exercises, does anyone know any other challenging routines that are relevant for preparing for military fitness?
Hmm....I think that 6 reps constitutes strength training as it's still "low" reps. That circuit will probably help you with conditioning, but I'm not so sure about muscular endurance. For that you need high rep numbers, I'm guessing at least 15. Since you're going to ROTC, you probably want to focus on bw exercises- pushups, pullups, situps, squats, lunges, etc... I think it's also a good idea to start running LSD and go on hikes while carrying a heavy backpack. I know a lot of the military people use crossfit, so you might want to check into that program. I'm guessing that swimming would also play a role in your training sooner or later so building a decent foundation in that will prove useful.
Hey bro, a lot of the military is moving towards Crossfit-type workouts. Check out this site, it's geared towards tadpoles heading to BUD/S but covers most of what you'd need: cals, running, rucks, with some Oly-lifts and other fun stuff in there as well. SEAL Fit Workout of the Day | NavySEALs.com - Experience the SEAL Edge
wow thats really intense I will def have to consider that. do you have any personal experience with it?
In a military or law enforcement program (basic, academy, ROTC or whatever), your regular PT and quals are going to be with body weight exercises, running and the like. Your campus may not even have an o-course with ropes, towers, logs, etc.... If you want to prep for a body weight intensive type of program, do those types of exercises. Unless you have a need to pre/re-hab something, minimize the weights. Some good pre-packaged programs that may interest you include (but not limited to): Ross Training, Stew Smith, and Navy SEAL workout - how to get fit the Navy SEAL way If you are already training in a MA with a good conditioning component (i.e. boxing or muay thai), you may only need to add in something like running to your current program.
Yeah, I switch between that and the Crossfit main-site WOD's. The NS.com WOD's are rough and more geared towards GPP as opposed to strength. They're rough, make sure you take it easy at first: 3 on/1 off and then maybe add the 2 a days.
I have tried the Navy Seal Workout before and it wasn't bad I'll have to work parts of it into my program.
The navy PT test is a 1.5 mile run, push ups, and sit ups for time ( I think 1 min each event). As long as you do each aspect of that at least twice a week, you'll be fine. Other than that, base your workouts around your other fitness goals. I like to run twice a week and warm up all my workouts with push ups and sit ups, but thats my preference.
