Military Athlete

[Bryan55]

I know y'all have covered this in this thread and many others but I guess I'll try and get a little more information. I have a little over a year until sfas if all goes well. I've been doing tf black for the last few months, not as consistently as I should have (spent a month at ntc recently).

I know that no matter what I do, tf black, ma, sofwods, if I do it regularly i will get in decent enough shape to compete at sfas. I also know that throughout the thread I noticed people going with ma but recently switching to sofwods etc.

I guess I'm just looking for opinions on the best program that I can stick with that will prepare me the most for sfas. I'd be sold on ma if I didn't read about the certain aspects of fitness it doesn't cover enough. I know a lot of you program your own workouts with sofwods and 5/3/1 for example, but I'm not comfortable enough doing that, and rather not learn from the mistakes I will make with the limited amount of time I have until sfas.

So, all in all, ma, tf black, or sofwods? Also, running is probably the one thing I need to improve the most.

 

[Bryan55]

Couldn't figure out how to edit my post.

I guess my main issue is fear of committing. I want to ensure I commit to the best program I can.

 

[Bryan55]

I keep forgetting to add stuff, last post, I promise. I figured if post some stats to help narrow down options. I currently weight 215 at 6'. Passed ranger school about a year and a half ago, run was the hardest pt event for me during rap. Ran around a 38 min 5mi at 195lbs. Completed the 12mi ruck in 2:46.

In terms of pt numbers:

Apft-recently
Push-ups- around 75
Sit-ups: consistently low to mid 80s
2 mi run: ~15

Bench: 275
Squat : 305
Deadlift: 455
Push press: 215

So improvement is definitely need in most areas.

 

[CDG]

Whichever program works best is based on you and what your strengths/weaknesses are. They all have their merits. Military Athlete is the most established and has a lot of great reviews for their specialty plans, particularly the Ruck Based Selection plan. It seems like a lot of guys have successfully used that plan to complete SFAS. TF Black and SOFWODs are also great programs. I've done all 3. I would say I think Military Athlete is probably the most technically sound program. That's not a slight on the other two, but the system has been around longer and had a lot of tweaks made to it over the years based on input from a lot of guys that do a lot of different things. You can't go wrong no matter which program you choose. Remember that dudes have been passing Selection courses since long before all these specialized programs popped up.

 

[Bryan55]

Awesome, thank you for your input. I guess i just need to choose one. Besides the Ruck based selection program, I'm guessing your answer would be the same in terms of using the operator sessions compared to tf black and sofwods?

 

[CDG]

Awesome, thank you for your input. I guess i just need to choose one. Besides the Ruck based selection program, I'm guessing your answer would be the same in terms of using the operator sessions compared to tf black and sofwods?

Yes.

 

[Bryan55]

Solid, thank you!

 

[SkrewzLoose]

As you start with one program and then switch to another, you will find where the shortcomings are. I was doing MA for quite a while and thought my core strength was pretty solid because my PT test numbers were increasing. Then I switched to SOFWOD and found some of their core stuff to be brutal. This is just one example and my brother CDG brought up a lot of good points in his post.
The other thing I will say is incorporating any kind of METCON training with 5/3/1 should be very easy to do. 5/3/1 takes all thinking out of the equation and involves a very simple and linear progression. If you want to get stronger, do 5/3/1. There's no reason you should be in the gym for more than 30 minutes on any given day following that programming.

ETA: If your run sucks, guess what you should be doing 3-4 times a week?

 

[Bryan55]

Right. I think my biggest concern now would be picking a program that wouldn't fully prepare me for SFAS. Im sure there will be shortcomings no matter what program i go with; however as long as they aren't hurting my chances at selection its not the worst thing. I definitely understand the benefit of 5/3/1. I was doing westside for about two years. All my lifts shot up pretty dramatically. My strength goals would probably be:

Bench: 315
Squat: 405
Deadlift: 500
Press: BW

If i could choose right now i would do 5/3/1 or westside, as i love weight lifting, but as much as i want to focus on strength, i don't want to focus so much on it that it takes away from SFAS preparation. Do you feel that 5/3/1 routine with SOFWODs everyday would be up there with MA? I think no matter what programming i go with, i will do MAs ruck based selection the 8 weeks prior to my date.

 

[Bryan55]

To be honest, my overall goal would be to get to an elite level of military fitness. i.e. benching over 315, squatting over 400, deadlifting over 500, etc, 80+ pushups and sit-ups in 2 min, all while running 13 minute 2 miles, rucking 12 miles in less than 2:30, stuff like that. My issue is how do i get there? College and pro athletes have trainers programming everything personally for them. I know that if i attempted programming myself (other than just a lifting routine, such as adding in runs/rucks etc), my progress if any, would be minimal and slow and I'm sure id favor the lifting. I also know that most people won't be able to run as far/fast while maintaining high squat/dead numbers.

 

[CDG]

Right. I think my biggest concern now would be picking a program that wouldn't fully prepare me for SFAS.

You're setting yourself up for failure with this thought process. I haven't been to SFAS, but the TACP pipeline isn't a walk in the park. You're never fully prepared for a Selection, and trying to be so only increases your risk of injury, i.e. continuing to push when you're legitimately hurt or injured during your train-up, and sets you up for disappointment when the cadre have smoked your balls off within the first 10-15 minutes of the first PT session on the first day. Train hard, take care of your body, and go in with the mindset that it doesn't matter if you realize you wish you had done something different in preparation. I think everyone that completes a Selection and/or training pipeline can think of something they would have done differently had they known. That's the whole point though, you don't know.

 

[Bryan55]

I totally agree and understand, I didn't mean to convey that I expect to be fully prepared for every single event. I just wanted to see what people though the best program that allows them to maximize progress is.

 

[amlove21]

To be honest, my overall goal would be to get to an elite level of military fitness. i.e. benching over 315, squatting over 400, deadlifting over 500, etc, 80+ pushups and sit-ups in 2 min, all while running 13 minute 2 miles, rucking 12 miles in less than 2:30, stuff like that. My issue is how do i get there?

Well, when you figure out how to get to those stats, you let me know.

I dont have anyone on my teams that does that.

 

[Bryan55]

Hah, roger that. My intent was really just to discuss the best ways of getting into an elite level of fitness in the military. I completely understand that a lot of the weight lifting numbers will stay moderate if run & ruck times are to be above average. Honestly, for guys that care about lifting, i think the best way to go would be to have a strong powerlifting base then transitioning to more of an endurance focus. That way you'll have have strong base, know the proper way to perform lifting exercises, but still be good to go at runs and rucks and other military focused events or movements.

 

[SkrewzLoose]

You realize that as early as like 10 years ago guys were having to learn shit once they were in a pipeline? Want to be a SEAL, you're a good swimmer? Sweet, pass the PST and then we'll teach you the CSS when you make it to BUD/S and you're getting your shit pushed in all day long.
Like someone already said, guys have been passing Selection courses long before the interwebz and all these sites were around. At the end of the day, it comes down to the size of the balls in your pants. The guys that I saw get their pins were all different sizes and they probably all prepared differently.

 

[Grizzlystr]

Has anyone tried or know someone who tried the new "Fortitude" program from MA? I've seen good reviews and the setup seems good.

 

[yarles87]

I'm in the middle of it now. Nothing super revolutionary, but I'm enjoying it. 1 ruck run, 2 long runs, and strength stuff. Good progression if you're not used to running longer distances or ruck runs.

 

[CDG]

Also in the middle of it now. Pretty much what yarles said. It gets a little monotonous, but that's probably because I'm not a huge fan of running. It's a simple and effective program.

 

[Grizzlystr]

That's cool, been lacking on the ruck side of the house. Just been having issues with shin splints. What distances does the program start with and how's the progression?

 

[CDG]

That's cool, been lacking on the ruck side of the house. Just been having issues with shin splints. What distances does the program start with and how's the progression?

The specific plan being referenced, Fortitude, starts at 4 miles and works up to 7. All with 45#.