how do the navy seals or high ranking military train

[nclifter6feet6]

ive seen some of those dudes in the upper ranks and they stay pretty riipped. i know they do alot of cardio but how much exactly per day? i wouldnt mind sacrificing some muscle to stay ripped year round. i was thinking of doing AM and PM cardio everday and hitting the weights 2 times a week, working one bodypart a week reps about 4-8. and eating whatever i want.. suggestions, ideas???

 

[CrimsonKing]

Those guys don't lift at all its all about calisthenics (push-ups, chins, dips, etc) and cardio.. lots of cardio… and a very very clean diet

 

[Longhorn85]

ive seen some of those dudes in the upper ranks

I think guys tend to get soft as they go up in rank, but yeah, lots of special ops dudes are ripped up pretty good.

Rare individuals who can do intense cardio daily and hit the weights a few times a week and still retain max muscle. I think the guys selected for special ops tend to have good genetics.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Yeah, and a hell of alot of stamina, and motivation. Seals go through that entire Hell Week thing. It's pretty wicked, I know I couldn't last. I've always wanted to try when I got older though, just to test my physical capability.

 

[Longhorn85]

Those guys don't lift at all

are you speaking based on experience or hearsay? Most special ops guys I know are dead serious about weight lifting.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Hm, I like the idea of callisthenics though. I think I'll try doing alot of that for awhile. Anyone know any other good body-weight exercises besides:

Push-ups, Sit-ups, Pull/Chin-ups, leg raises, dips

I've been looking for a website but I still can't find one with a list of callisthenics. I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[BigRedCat]

Well I can tell you that my close friend is ex-Delta Force(before that Green Beret,Ranger) and he and all his Delta buddies lift. Oh and as far as "hell week"- that isn't shit in the overall scheme of things. I am so tired of hearing how great the SEALS are. My buddy was telling me that there were 3 SEALS in his Ranger class and they were talking all this big shit about how great they were and how great there training was compared to the Army, well after 30 days 1 finished and the other two recycled thru the program. Apparently most people think hell week makes SEALS the toughest guys in the world or something. Do some research and you will find that although SEALS have some tough training(which I personally would not want to go through) there are tougher Spec Ops guys. SEALS are overhyped in my opinion. Its like peope aren't aware of all the other Spec Ops units or something. Shit, after seeing Combat Missions last year with Scott Helveston I would say allot of SEALS are jerkoffs. He gave them a bad name. Guy was ripped though. Back to the point- most of those guys do lift and they do cardio 7 days a week. As for diet I wouldn't call it "clean" since they eat MRE's fairly often during training and they are far from "clean". Most of these guys have the gentics for it to begin with. Some people just stay ripped all year long without doing much. They are constantly active so I'm sure that helps keep them lean.

 

[nclifter6feet6]

yeah i meant the speacial operation people not upper ranks. and they are ripped. they do hit the weights also. but mainly cardio from what i hear. they can run 10 miles a day at like a 7 minite pace ive heard. i just wish i could have like a full routine of what they do. im shure the military has the best training (maybe not to be a bodybuilder but to be in best shape). ive seen some of those guys there about 6feet tall and about 190-200 pounds but ripped to shreds!

 

[Longhorn85]

I've been looking for a website but I still can't find one with a list of callisthenics. I'd greatly appreciate it.

try this one:

http://155.217.58.58/cgi-bin/atdl.dll/fm/21-20/toc.htm

 

[BigRedCat]

Exactly, just like Scott Helveston- he does some SEAL training videos, maybe you should check it out. He was a SEAL trainer for 4 years.
Go here and do a search on his name:
http://www.collage-video.com/

 

[CrimsonKing]

are you speaking based on experience or hearsay? Most special ops guys I know are dead serious about weight lifting.

http://www.sealchallenge.navy.mil/workoutswcc.htm

 

[nclifter6feet6]

thanks crimson, very helpful. i think ill just try to do the amount of cardio they do but trash the calesthics...i lll just try massive amount of cardio and weightliftin

 

[Thaibox]

Most high speed guys do lift, and they lift hard. I don't know where you pulled that shit from Crimson. Just because they aren't huge? No one, no matter how hard you lift will be massive under the constraints they have.

BigRedCat is right about the SEALs. Although I mean no disrespect for those who have completed the 3 phases, because it takes plenty of nuts. BUDS has become politically tainted, and therefore easier. I know several SEALs that are complete wimpy shitbags and have no place in a fast moving environment unless its at disneyland. There are more elite dudes(Delta, AF PJs, SAS, etc) Look at the drop out rate of BUDS, then look at it for Delta selection, PJ trainig, etc. No comparison.

Oh yeah, 6foot6...if you're wondering how they(some) can stay ripped, remember how close Coronado is to TJ

 

[p0ink]

i downloaded some 16meg pdf file of some manual they give to the SEALs that has their training info on it.

 

[BigRedCat]

Everytime I take my girl to Coronado beach I see SEAL's jogging, most are in good shape obviously but not usually ripped per se. After hearing enough stories from my friend that was Delta I just dont look at SEAL's like most people do. Delta has done some hairy shit. PJ's are bad ass too. I would say Delta is the most elite of them all(of the US spec ops anyway)-Col. Beckwith got the idea for Delta from a tour with the SAS. Got an assasination you need done, call Delta. They do allot more than counter-terrorism that is for sure. SEAL's mostly just train. Delta officially dosen't exist which I find humorous. Also the Delta guys all know how to fight damn well- my bud was a hand to hand trainer with them and he is big into Gracie Jiu Jitsu(He taught me for awhile). Spec Ops train similiar to fighters- lots of cardio,calisthenics and weights. Emphasis is on endurance. The ultimate warrior would be strong,muscular and have excellent endurance and agility. He would look like Thaibox's avatar but wearing camos! hehe.

 

[CrimsonKing]

Most high speed guys do lift, and they lift hard. I don't know where you pulled that shit from Crimson. ..

Why are you going off on me?

I pulled the info from the Navy Seals recruitment site. Check out the link.

I don't care if they lift or not. NClifter asked what the program is and that is what is published

 

[Thaibox]

Why are you going off on me?

I pulled the info from the Navy Seals recruitment site. Check out the link.

I don't care if they lift or not. NClifter asked what the program is and that is what is published

Sorry bro, I guess it did sound like I was going off. I swear way too much, so people think I'm speaking strongly when I'm simply speaking.

Anyway, think about it...If you were a fast mover, and lived as such, lifting would be part of life. You obviously aren't going to be bodybuilding, but you're damn well going to be lifting hard to get as strong as possible. Its just part of the mentality as well. I know several team guys that lift harder than I do, then go out and slam pitchers and pitchers of beer. Crazy shit. The hardcore of the SEALs are like Triathletes on 1g/week of test. My buddy didn't make a qualifying run time in BUDS, but finished the run with 104.5 degree temp. He passed the second time with a 106 degree temp. Thats some fucking heart.

BigRed, I think its because SEALs have become so dramatized and well known. The most exposure Delta has gotten is Black Hawk Down. PJs have never gotten exposure. Not to mention that "Air Force Pararesuemen" just doesn't sound as cool as "Navy SEAL." The general public will never know the hell that PJs go through that makes BUDS(hell week) look like a fucking day at Chucky Cheese.

 

[BigRedCat]

Not only that but most people dont understand that allot of the training schools are integral. That is why SEAL's go to ranger school and other training schools. Of course Navy SEAL's was a great movie! NOT! Yeah they get all the hype but thats fine. Its what makes kids join up- "I wanna be a Navy SEAL!!". Like I said, Delta dosen't officially exist so they dont want exposure. My buddy was telling me about being over in Iraq looking to assasinate Saddam before the gulf war. They couldn't get him- he said he had too many body doubles and they were told to pull out. I have some great stories of Delta doing some crazy shit in S. America. You'd be surprised the kind of wacked shit they have to do. The fucked part is that my friend is getting his masters because he cant really make good money with what he knows, at least not legally. He was in the military for 12 years, most of which he spent in a Delta A team(funny right, A Team- hey BA Baracus!!) and so he really is just an expert at sneaking around and killing people which is not that called for in civ life. He did some civ training and teaching cops etc. as well as running a tactics school and doing some high line bodyguard work(he was Julia Roberts bodyguard for awhile-he says she dont look that good in person) but now he is just working on college and trying to go pro as a boxer. What a crazy ass life those guys live. I asked him if it was all worth it, he said hell no. All 3 of his brothers are also Army, 2 in Delta 1 is a Ranger. I guess you just have to if your in a family like that. I would hate to piss that family off!

 

[Spiral Traveller]

Here's how I trained to prepare for the SEAL challenge contract...

Monday: 6 mile run (steady). Swim twenty lengths in the afternoon
Tuesday: 4 mile jog. HIIT in the afternoon
Wednesday: 5 mile jog. Swim twenty lengths in the afternoon
Thursday: HIIT. 5 mile jog in the afternoon
Friday: 5 mile jog.
Saturday: 10 mile run or 8 mile best-effort run
Sunday: Orienteering in the hills. Aim to cover 20 miles with a 45-pound pack (this is a march, not a run...), or rest -- depends on the weather and my schedule.


I did calesthenics every day, and lifted twice a week. My training program was:

Bodyweight deadlifts for maximum reps (preferably in the 50 rep range rest-pause style. I weigh about 210 at 6'2")

Sandbag clean and press-5 singles (Go heavy as you can here)

Sandbag Carry for maximum distance (Don't drop it, but if you do, pick it back up and repeat 2 or 3 more times)

Farmers Walk (use two preacher bars if you have them. Load em' up to 100 lbs or so, go for maximum distance and repeat)

1 heavy, higher rep set of thick bar or Hammer Curls


I did this for 3 months before I came down with fucking stress fractures in both my shins. I can't join the SEALs (or run AT ALL!) until they heal. So I'm totally fucked, obviously...

 

[CrimsonKing]

Here's how I trained to prepare for the SEAL challenge contract...

I did this for 3 months before I came down with fucking stress fractures in both my shins. I can't join the SEALs (or run AT ALL!) until they heal. So I'm totally fucked, obviously...

Not flaming you bro but didn't you just outline the your plan that led to overtraining and stress fractures? After all, that is what happened ?

 

[nclifter6feet6]

i was thinking about instead of jogging every day doing something like this instead........

all sprints will be 10-15 ,100 yard sprints

monday- am sprints pm sprints and lift weights
tuesday- am sprints pm 3 mile run
wednesday-am sprints pm sprints
thrusday-am 3 mile run pm 4 mile run
friday-am sprints pm sprints and lift weights
saturday- am sprints pm 4 mile run
sunday-am sprints pm sprints

sprints would give you less stress factures because when you run you land MUCH harder then when you sprint. when you sprint your kinda floating in the air and there isnt much IMPACT. i feel you can build a good endurance with the runs and great speed with the sprints.

 

[Spiral Traveller]

Not flaming you bro but didn't you just outline the your plan that led to overtraining and stress fractures? After all, that is what happened ?

Yeah, that's just what happened. I was very overzealous and overdid the jogging, which was the primary reason I got the stress fractures. I didn't really overtrain per se, though; before I had to stop training I was making progress both in my run times and in my strength-endurance...

nclifter6feet6, your program looks good. I would factor in some orienteering (- marching around a set route with a map and compass), though... When you are pushing yourself to the limit, both mentally and physically, being able to navigate as if it were second nature is a must. Not only will it help you through your selection but it will stand you in good stead for the rest of your military (esp. spec-ops) career.

By the way, would either of you know if GH can speed stress fracture repair?

 

[nclifter6feet6]

yeah im not looking to go in the military...i was just motivated by this type of training. because there is a paratrooper that went to my gym a few times and hes big ripped and natural, the same thing goes for this guy at the gym that is about 5 foot 7 and weighs about 170 with 5 percent bodyfat year round that can deadlift 600 plus with only a belt, he does am and pm cardio he runs the stairs at the stadium and does alot of sprints and bike

 

[Thaibox]

Spiral
How old are you? There's probably plenty of time to recover and strengthen those. My buddy had a stress fracture just below his knee at the end of phase 3. Yes, like a week before graduation, and was rolled the maximum of 3 times(as it would not heal), then was dropped. He waited a full year recovering and strengthening and re-entered BUDS. He did it ALL over again and made it. I saw him after the second roll and he could not walk without a crutch. After the third he was on a cane for a while. If he could do it in a year with that serious of a fracture, then you are good to go. I know what its like to lose an ops dream. I crushed 2 discs while I was in and am permanently disqualified from any active military service now. Don't stress bro, you got it made.

If you want it bad enough nothing(nothing) can stop you.

If you want, I can have a couple team guys e-mail you with what you should do. This will be first hand info from the dudes that made it, not from a recruitment page.

BigRed,
We should exhange stories over e-mail. I love to hear that shit.

Your buddy's family sounds pretty fucking cool, holy crap. I bet thats one proud damn father. I could just imagine someone threatening their mother, then wondering why she's laughing her ass of at them. God help whoever fucks with that family. Why doesn't your friend just go into law enforcement(swat) or the private security sector? Or does he want to live a slower speed life now? I know a few former operators that are facing the same problems. One was Delta for a little longer than your buddy. He wanted to join LA swat at a pretty old age. The vet cops on his oral board said he needed to actually have kills in the line of duty(metro?) first. I suppose that would gaurantee non-hesitation. The vet cop said he had about a dozen personally and asked my Delta friend if he had any. He said "well, a few more than that." He actually has well over 30 confirmed. Who knows how many non. He still had to put in metro time. He's having a hard time adjusting to civilians. A couple other friends that were team guys for only a little while hate civilian life and joined SAR reservist units to keep it in them. I wasn't in long enough to have to adjust, but I understand that it sucks for them.

 

[revexrevex]

wow

must be exciting to live that kind of life. Spend most of 20's and 30's in such a rollercoaster. Sounds honorable too.. don't know how many would sacrifice their lives like that.. must be really passionate

 

[BigRedCat]

No, not exactly honerable nor passionate. He comes from a violent family and that is why he and all his bros are in Spec Ops. It is in the blood. It isn't like the movies. These guys aren't doing great things and saving people- quite the opposite. They go down and kill drug leaders to implement new more US "friendly" ones, how is that honerable. It is mostly shady shit you dont want to know about. My buddy has no interest in being a cop nor law enforcement- he knows its all bullshit. Chasing drug dealers is a waste of time he says. He says he was in essense a personal tool for whatever politician needed them at the time. Like I said, he convinced me to get out of ROTC which I did. I was in Army ROTC then Air Force(I was slated for flight school when I bailed out). I went and lived in Australia for awhile and then I said screw the military I am going to get my band going. So, it isn't like the glamorous life you think it is. You have to do whatever they tell you no matter how fucked up. Here is a little thing that happened to my friend. He was in S. America and they CIA put him up at a hotel for awhile before briefing him on the OP at hand. Well after a week these G men goons show up and tell him he has been "stealing" government funds. He was like WTF?? Turns out that what they were saying was since he wasn't paying for the hotel that he was stealing from the CIA- which really means we have you by the balls so do whatever we want, which he did. It was a setup of sorts. It ended up being a hit on a politico that needed to be "terminated". So he did it. Real nice eh? Either that or you lose your career and end up god knows where doing god knows what.

 

[pushups84]

you guys dont know really wat ur talking about when it comes to training for the seals, most of u anyway. i was training for the seals and have spoken to an actual seal about it. my training program consisted of thousands of pushups, running, pullups, and other leg exercises. if u guys think that just weight training with running is gonna work u r not correct. you have to get your muscles used to endurance. if any1 wants a program i have enough, lol. email me at: [email protected]

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Thousands, huh? That's a little much. I'd trust the other guys before you, personally. After all, I'm not just going to take your word on it. They have sites with information on it as well. Could always be bullshit of course, but I doubt anyone does pushups and situps in the thousands.

 

[Thaibox]

and have spoken to an actual seal about it.

Golly, an actual SEAL?

 

[b fold the truth]

I don't know many greatly strong or large people in the military...strange...

B True

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Heh, if it wasn't for their combat training I'm sure most people, so long as their in shape, could take them out. But hell, they've gotta be pretty strong and tough to be able to go through the shit they go through.

 

[BigRedCat]

Golly an actual SEAL? HAHAH, that is funny. I guess he wasn't paying attention to anything I said again confirming my thoughts that most people have no clue of the Spec Ops heirarchy. Anyway, yeah thousands of pushups....oh boy. There comes a point where you cannot do any more. For example, my friend and I used to do 101 pushups for our PT test and then jump up and yell "Airborne Hooah!"- But that doesn't mean we are super tough or anything. The PT test is a joke anyway, very easy for anyone in decent shape. As long as you can run and do situps and pushups. All military training centers around these activites. No matter what you do you wont be "ready" for BUDS, it is more harrasment than anything else. How do you prepare for a guy spraying a hose at you while you run in place with your rifle?

Your right B-Fold, the vast majority of military guys are not at all big or even close to it. The average marine is a skinny guy. Only a few of the Spec Ops guys tend to be big fellas. It is all about endurance and mental condition as well as physical. Read up on some green beret training, that is more mental than anything. Damn SEAL's get all the press. They should be the Glamour Ops. LOL.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Kickass avatar, John.

 

[anonomoose]

If you want to train like us, a great place to start is www.crossfit.com , there are many affiliates that post a work out of the day(WOD) and they never ask for a cent, you can tailer these workouts to your needs and they can be very brutal.. I know i used to be a strickt bodybuilder and I started crossfit and changed my whole physique.

 

[balancefighter]

Holy shit that's a really old post bump! But yeah crossfit has worked its way into mma a lot to. A few of our guys go to crossfit gyms a few days a week

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

Lol ya this post is old and FULL of ALOT of bullshit.

I asked my coach who was an army drill instructor for years what he thought about SEALS and he had nothing, but respect for them. I then asked him about SEALS vs rangers or force recon and in his opinion having met many guys from these different spec ops groups that SEALS really were the "elite".

Granted, force recon, pararescue etc are all very badass, but SEALS are definitely there at the top.

Anyone bringing up DELTA should know that one of the first guy from the first DELTA team was a navy seal and they used alot of his knowledge along with an SAS guy to form alot of the core tactics for DELTA "if" I remember right.

DELTA is probably the absolute "elite" of them all since they pull people from SEALS, Force Recon etc. You already have to be one of those to even have a chance to be in DELTA.

Not sure where all these guys come off talking about how much more badass rangers or recons are than SEALS, but that's simply not true. I knew a marine recon pretty well and we talked about about Desert Storm and shit and he basically said don't fuck with SEALS.

So ya...

 

[Tblock1]

They all got different missions. SEALs primary mission is water, and that is what they are best at. However they do a kickass job on land too. If we were talking about talking down a large building complex though rangers are going to do better because they can send in 2 platoons just like that. SEALs do smaller stuff. And Special forces are the best at counterinsurgency. Different missions.