Tactical Fitness: Advice for Teens Considering a Future in Special Ops

I often get questions from teenagers who do challenging things, with the goals of building mental toughness and preparing for a future in special operations. Let's just say there is a fine line between being mentally tough and being stupid.

Hey, Stew,

I am 15 years old and want to be a Navy SEAL one day. I was wondering, how can I replicate Hell Week? I hear it is the toughest week at BUD/S, and I want to prepare myself as best I can. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Billy

Billy, I am all for getting comfortable being uncomfortable as a way to build mental toughness, but trying to replicate Hell Week is a waste of a good week of training. There are many other things besides kicking yourself in the nuts that you should be focused on before joining the military, with the goal of becoming a special operator. 

Here is a list of dos and don'ts for someone your age.

Do Not Do the Following

DO NOT test yourself by doing potentially dangerous training like underwater swimming, soaking in ice water, staying up for days running and moving, or attempting a crazy workout without progressing properly. All of these events will be tested in some fashion during BUD/S and other special-ops programs and are done with the strictest of safety procedures.

Medical professionals are standing by in case something happens. Every year, a pre-special ops student dies from testing his breath-hold ability or seriously injures himself by suffering rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which proteins and electrolytes are released from damaged muscle tissue, affecting the heart or kidneys; stress fractures; or joint damage.

DO NOT get into trouble. Getting arrested, DUI's and other criminal offenses can make your ability to join the military terribly difficult.  When the military can be selective with their applicants, they will be.

Do the Following

Now is the time to build your ability to be a part of a team. Learning to be a team player through sports and other activities is an absolute must. If you cannot work together with others and earn people's trust in your abilities, you will never make it. 

PST Events: Between seasons of athletics, start preparing for events that will get you to training. That means acing the physical screening test (PST): Swim 500 yards, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and 1.5-mile timed runs. You need to be in above-average condition to score well on this test. Not taking it numerous times is setting yourself up for failure. So when in doubt, work on your PST events.

Work hard in school; maybe even learn a language. Do well in math and science. You will be using basic algebra and physics during Dive Phase, as well as geometry and math with navigation on land and sea. You need to be smart to do well at BUD/S and in the teams. In fact, most enlisted are college graduates in the teams or have some years of work experience after high school.

So while you're a young teenager, enjoy it. Be a kid but work hard, play sports and have fun. Use these times to gain useful skills for the rest of your life, not just to try to help you endure one week of training.

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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