How To GET SELECTED - AEROBIC CONDITIONING - RUNNING + RUCKING

Regardless of which special operations career path you aspire to join - whether it’s Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Army Rangers, or Air Force PJs, the process will be long and grueling. To be successful, candidates must be in peak physical shape across the full spectrum of fitness - a big base of strength for carrying heavy loads, muscle mass for injury prevention to enable that strength, muscular endurance to perform repeated bouts of exercise, and endurance to run and ruck for miles.

Video Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
1:12 - Aerobic Conditioning
2:01 - The Goal
3:19 - How to Build an Aerobic Base?
3:43 - Don't do THIS
4:09 - Running + Rucking Program

1 on 1 Coaching:

Whether a candidate is training for BUD/S to become a Navy SEAL, or Air Force Special Warfare Candidate Course to become a Pararescueman (PJ), Combat Controller (CCT), Special Reconnaissance Operator (SR), Special Tactics Officer (STO), Combat Rescue Officer (CRO), or going to selection to become a Marine MARSOC Recon/Raider, or even preparing for the long walk to join CAG/DELTA, they will be surprised to learn these statistics.

Video Credit - 519SFG

[jacktoy]

Lifting weights should include strengthening the calves and Tibialis anterior muscles. Other leg muscle strengthening exercises should also be part of the focus, especially for forestall any knee pain.

[IffyEdem]

Zone 2 running; helped me improve my 2 mile in 5-6 weeks and got me to 14:07 for my last ACFT in basic training. Have contact with an SF officer that gave me the same zone 2 information

[ms]

Where were you all in 1988 when I was going through…lol. SFAS had not begun in early 88….great information

[mritaci]

YESS!!! thanks for uploading again missed your videos

[andrewlohr]

Currently running 5x a week. Yesterday's run 7 miles: first mile 10:43, second mile 9:56, third mile 9:19, fourth mile 8:42, fifth mile 8:03, sixth mile 7:40, seventh mile 7:43.
I am at 30 miles per week. Currently hitting 55 perfect form pushups in 2 minutes, 10 perfect form pullups without dropping, 60 situps perfect form in 2 minutes.
I am currently stuck in a limbo when it comes to calisthenics. I can crank out pushups, situps, and pullups for over an hour session. However when it comes to performing the 2 minute sessions I hit a brick wall. not sure what to do. 5'7'' 24 years old 150lbs. Not too concerned about my running.. as time keeps falling off and i am currently in only week 2 of my new 10 week plan. Should be right around 45-ish miles per week by the end of the 10 week plan. Looking to go officer. Need to gain a few pounds as well. One thing in my favor is volume. I can hit a 7-10 miler, swim, and lift in a day for consecutive days.

[tyroneli]

Great video! What would the weekly routine look like once an athlete has hit that 9 min mile for 90 min @zone 2 ability and you want to dial back aerobic training? What workouts would you cut out or replace to get to that maintenance schedule?

[BoomBoomChicky]

As a tall fat guy trying to change careers through the vehicle of the military, I have been using C25K, two ruck days, and one sandbag/calisthenics day per week. The progressive overload comes from following the C25K progression, adding reps or using harder variations of the sandbag/calisthenics, and for rucking one day is short 1/4 sections for pace, and the other is a half hour out, half our back distance check. Both ruck days are with a 40# sandbag in my Alice ruck.
Trying to eat under 2200 calories a day, some days I am able to eat under 1500, and being a former extreme fat fuck of 415 pounds, now in the 340s, some weeks I can manage to lose four pounds, some one to two.
My big thing is, aside from the weight, is that I am 28 and will be an 'old man'- how much above the standard for an 18 year old will I have to perform to show whatever eyes are looking that I am worth it? And how could I train for that using sandbags (40, 50, 100, 150), kettlebells (25 and 50) and my ruck?

[ck]

Also, if I’m new to rucking is there anything wrong with my long run day consisting of 30-60 min of rucking followed by around an hour run?

[MrBenjamess]

Hi, love the vid, really useful info for any aspiring elite athlete! To prevent worsening a minor posterior tibialis injury/shin splints, I have recently switched some of my cardio to a bike as you suggested. I was wondering what you'd suggest as good time/distance goals on the bike? As I'm unlikely to actually run 30 miles per week at the moment but would like to continue to develop. Thanks and looking forward to the next videos!

[kylehouston]

Could you give an example of dropping to 3 hours running per week when you hit that 9 minute zone 2 1:30 goal

[KingLee-cn]

2 weeks out from basic training…. Running a 8 min mile…. What type of training should I focus on to improve as much as possible before I ship out.

[Smogytho]

Do you think it would be possible to do the weightlifting program and the running program together? If so, how would you incorporate both in the week.?

[cliffcox]

Sir, im a 58 year old cyclist, andbwantbto win races. But need my aerobic fitness UP. The bike alone is not doing it for me. Many fast cyclist are runners, that is what brought me here. I tried runningvfor 30 min and had to stip twice. Felt like i was dying. My pace was 9.5 min

[Proeliator]

How quickly would you expect to see aerobic conditioning/pace to improve before you'd say the training is inappropriate/ineffective? Say, using your example of the candidate with no physical training background running a 10min/mi, how many months/years would you think it would take them to run a 9min/mi for 60+mins easily?

[hotmetal]

My last ruck was 8miles In around 2hrs. My Achilles tendon was sore for two or three days after. Should I drop ruck weight, slow my pace, drop mileage, or continue as is until my tendons are used to the workload?

[FigFirearms]

Number one thing to pass os SARMs... performance enhancements are used by 99.9% of guys at selection, dont be the only one who doesnt get an unfair advantage. It is a competition after all.

[kadamalein]

May I ask somebody who knows their way around how important is agility in the armed forces? I am generally not a very flexible person and I was wondering whether that may be an issue. (I am doing just fine with running, rucking, strength and any other discipline.)

[CodySiesta]

Recommendations for someone who is 60 lbs overweight with terrible capacity, but has decided that special operations is what they want to do with their life? Like where to even start?

[mjp-bire]

I have had some Achilles tendon issues lately. However, I am able to do weighted stair carries with 75 lbs.in a vest. I simply take full and proper steps for 30 minutes. After a few weeks, my mile time dropped. Any thoughts are appreciated.

[tyler.g]

Ive been running 40 miles a week for a while, 32 are slow easy aerobic runs (10:00 or 10:30 pace) while the other 8 miles are intervals and goal pace work.Will I eventually get faster if I keep doing this?