Ask Stew: 4 Tips to Improve Your Running and Swimming Before the Navy PST

Depending on the athletic history of a military recruit, the process of preparing may be different from one person to the next. Endurance athletes tend to do well on calisthenics and cardio fitness testing, but not so well on strength, power, speed and agility. The opposite is true for the strength athlete, who tends to struggle with running, swimming and higher-repetition calisthenics ranges needed for good scores on fitness tests.

Here is an email from a Navy recruit who is preparing for the Navy Physical Screening Test (PST) to secure a contract in one of these fields -- SEAL, SWCC, EOD/diver, rescue swimmer or SARC (Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman):

Hi, Mr. Smith. I've got a question. Since I'm training for a PST, my weakness is mainly in running and CSS swimming technique, but I have solid calisthenics numbers (push-ups 90, sit-ups 95, pull-ups 22). Should I focus more on running/swimming workouts and stop lifting and doing calisthenics? Both my run and swim are over 11 minutes at this point. Any recommendations?

You need to focus on calisthenics and cardio training. Since you should work on running and swimming the most, do them first, then follow that workout with the testing calisthenics on upper-body days and squats and lunges on lower-body days.

Here are some rules I recommend if you make your own workouts:

1. Lay Off the Weights

If your goal is first to crush the Navy PST, make your workouts look like the PST. Focus on running and swimming first and maintain high-repetition calisthenics scores by doing upper-body calisthenics 2-3 times a week.

Instead of lifting heavy legs, consider running on soft sand or hills, or use a high-resistance bike or elliptical trainer to build the muscle stamina you need to get faster at running (and swimming with fins, too).

Another rule: Don't do daily pull-ups, push-ups or sit-ups. Every other day is fine.

2. Do Swim Workouts First if You Can

This way, you get used to swimming first and doing the rest of the test. You should swim 1,000-1,500 meters a day for five or six days per week, if possible. Use upper-body days to swim without fins and focus on the PST distance and treading.

Then on leg days, add in swimming with fins as you will want to prepare for that type of swimming as well. If you do not know what the 50/50 Workout is, you can find it here. This workout works well for people who are new to swimming and must improve their technique and conditioning training.

Also, you may think you have swimming technique issues, but all non-swimming athletes have conditioning and technique issues with swimming. You also have to get into swimming shape, which requires getting in the water almost daily.

3. Improve Your Goal Pace Running

Whatever your current run time, subtract one minute, and that is your new goal mile pace that you should strive to hit every time you do 400-meter, 800-meter and mile timed runs. So if you run over 11 minutes now, your next goal is to shoot for 10 minutes on the 1.5-mile timed run.

That means your new goal pace is 1:40 for 400 meters and 3:20 for 800 meters on a track or known distance. Your new mile pace is 6:40. Muscle-memory that speed by doing several intervals throughout the training week, and the next thing you know, you will drop a minute off your time. Then subtract another minute, and your new goal is a nine-minute, 1.5-mile run or a six-minute mile pace.

4. Build Your Aerobic Base Training

Given your athletic history, chances are that too much running will lead to overuse injuries, such as shin splints, knee tendinitis or stress fractures. Utilize the triathlon training method where two-thirds of your cardio training is nonimpact cardio each week, and only one-third is running. That means swimming more, biking, and running at a steady, logical progression each week.

Take the guessing out of your training and do a program designed to master all of the Navy PST events together. There are many out there, like one specifically designed to crush this test. The 500-yard swim (CSS, or combat swimmer stroke), push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, and the 1.5-mile timed run are not easy tests for someone who does not have an athletic history in endurance and muscle stamina training.

You may have solid upper-body PT scores for strength athletes, but the challenge will come when you work on getting a cardio base for running and swimming.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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