Taking fitness tests in the military is a regular occurrence. Thousands of people take their first fitness test every year; unfortunately, many fail due to poor preparation. If you think you can pass your fitness test without practicing, you are setting yourself up for failure.
Your optimal performance lies in a few basic things: training and practice of the testing events, along with recovery.
You cannot expect to be competitive or perform well if you do not train properly, and that means a cycle of training specifically for the test. This cycle could be as little as a few weeks if you already are used to training regularly. But this cycle could take a long time, depending upon your ability and specifics of your future fitness test.
For instance, if you have to take a swimming test and you do not know how to swim yet, the harsh reality is that you need to take lessons first; get into swimming shape, which could take a year; then join the military branch in which you want to serve that requires swimming.
Reality of fitness test training (special ops specific)
Many people join the Navy and want to go to SEAL training. They first must pass a Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL physical screening test (PST) in order to get to the training.
If you do not pass with competitive scores, your dreams of even attending SEAL training will not come true. But if you only prepare by taking a PST over and over, you will not be prepared to make it through the training. So learning how to master this fitness test is critical, and you must start out with the basic scores, keep training to elevate your scores into a competitive zone, then join the Navy.
Crush the PST the first few times you take it, so you can focus more on getting through the training than just getting good at PSTs.
Too many people think the SEAL mentor is going to prepare you for BUD/S, and boot camp will help you get in shape for BUD/S. That is not the case.
The mentor/scout team is responsible for a recruiting district, and you actually may see them only once every few weeks, depending upon the size of your recruiting district. Training on your own is critical. See the difference of training to the training and through the training. You have to master Phase 1 of tactical fitness (*to the training) before you can start to build on Phase 2 of tactical fitness (*through the training).
Perfect world of fitness test training
In a perfect world, if you join the Navy and spend six or more months in a delayed entry program by taking a PST every week and attend boot camp, then the BUD/S prep course would prepare you for BUD/S. But unless you see your mentor every day, six days a week, you have to be capable of high-level training on your own if you really want to prepare for what lies ahead after the fitness test.
For the BUD/S student, scoring optimal scores on the PST is mandatory: eight- to nine-minute 500-yard swim, 80-100 push-ups and sit-ups, 20 pull-ups and nine- to 9:30-minute 1.5-mile run are considered the zone of "good enough." But eventually, you also need a window to focus on not just maintaining the PST scores, but getting better at two-mile swims with fins, four-mile timed runs, load bearing (rucking, log PT, boat carries) and obstacle courses.
For those active duty looking to ace the biannual fitness test
For those of you focused on staying in the regular military and passing the fitness standards every six months, you need to train. Ideally, the job you do in the military would keep you in shape enough to pass the basic level fitness test. However, most often, many military jobs are becoming increasingly sedentary and less active.
The reality of this world is that you will have to train regularly at a basic level to pass the basic military fitness test. Where people go wrong is, they start training two weeks prior to the fitness test after several months of inactivity, only to hurt themselves while exercising or running.
Inactivity does not prepare you for anything but sitting still. Fat gain, muscle loss, strength and endurance loss often result from skipping training. As you age, this equation of calories in vs. calories out becomes more difficult as you work to lose weight. You will find that it is much easier to gain weight after 35 years old than it was at 20.
When you make the military a career, you will be older longer than you are younger in this job. Maintaining physical readiness is even more important as mobility and flexibility are compromised, and aches in muscles and joints cause the inactive body not to want to build new habits of physical fitness. (See build habits articles for help)
Proven methods to build good habits -- We are products of our habits.
Basically, you just need to get into the habit of training on your own. Get good at keeping the habit of daily fitness activities. Otherwise, you will get good at skipping workouts and become deconditioned for your job of being in the military.
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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