Thanks for the refresher on this, it's been years since I was seriously athletic. Been in the pool in zones 3/4 for a year to strengthen my ligaments and overall fitness. What about old guys with the latent disc issues, how does calisthenics or bag work for SHTF fitness?
I’m a two time cancer survivor, two fractured back incidents, and other assorted injuries. I was rucking 10 miles a day with 25 pounds at a 15 minute pace two years ago. Tore hip ligaments due to the chemotherapy. I’m finally starting to walk again, 4 miles a day is where I’m at right now. At 58 years old it will just take time. On the bright side, I still have plenty of trigger finger strength. Semper Fi and Carry On.
Damn. Broke my leg almost two years ago now and it’s a pain getting back and going. I have to hand it to you I’m not anything close to that yet and should be.
Im a 51 year old infantry veteran 2 years ago I was smoking weighed 270 lbs had high blood pressure and could barely walk. I quit the smoking started watching what I eat , started stretching and walking 5-6 days a week and doing a lot of the same exercising i did in the army. and now Im down to 229 lbs and feel 20 years younger. No more high blood pressure and no more blood pressure medication.
I’m glad people like you are making this type of content. A lot of people have fitness at the bottom of their priorities. The first time you sprint under fire you realize you can always be faster and stronger
So many preppers can't even climb 2 flights of stairs without being out of breath and developing shakey jelly legs, but of course they've still got the biggest tactical bergen, tactical beanie hat, tactical watch, tactical socks, tactical boots, tactical trousers, tactical belt, tactical shirt, tactical torch, tactical this and fuckin' tactical that.
Wrestling/Grappling, boxing, Muay Thai and other combative martial arts are also very good for fitness. Combine this with other stuff such as rucking, running and functional strength training and you have an amazing fitness program.
Just did my 4 miles in 56 minutes. Working up to keeping that pace to the full 11.5 miles that makes up my neighborhood (country) block. Spent the last 15 years getting destroyed by the construction industry and a new family. At 45, it's time to get it all back.
Was 170lb in the army. Got out Covid lockdown hit got to 310lb it was bad I’m 5,8 by the way so as you can tell I was an obese mother ducker. Try getting back into working out but at that weight I struggled. You know what was the best advice given to me. Just start walking. When your huge and super fat you can’t just go back to running 2 miles and benching 290lb every day it doesn’t work like that z you gotta crawl walk run. I started off just walking half a mile every day soon a mile then two then five stared adding weight started running again it all came back now I’m 195lb and feeling better then ever. Don’t quit and don’t go full balls to walls. Just start off walking and you get there
I agree and disagree. You may not need to specifically run 2-5mi, but the improvement to aerobic fitness can be applied to many modalities. The same goes for bench press. You may not ever specifically do a bench press type of movement in combat, but the upper body strength gained from it can be applied. Carrying a 240 + spare barrel + ammo + plate carrier + helmet + water source through uphill and marsh for MILES sucked ass. Strength is important, no doubt, but if I wasn't as conditioned as I was, I would not have carried it for long. Didn't matter how much I could've squatted and deadlifted. That being said I swear by Tactical Barbell. Best strength and conditioning program I've ever used.
60th birthday I did 60 pushups. Deadlift 350 at 59yrs. You inspire to do rucking. Thanks for the motivation. Seven miles this past weekend, looking for ten in a week. I'm still at 3mph on mountain logging roads, but all components to my ruck are improving, everything on the up and up. Your content is being pushed on all my Bro's.
I completely agree with one caveat. I’m 42 and in great shape both strength and cardio. Best shape of my life but that says more about my previous habits than anything. I have a lot of friends my age asking me how to get in my shape and frankly, it’s almost impossible for them. I haven’t missed more than 2 weeks of working out in almost 20 years. Most of these dudes were, at one point, in way better shape than me. The difference is I kept at it. It’s harder to get in shape than to stay in shape.
I've had guys say, I hope I'm in half as good of shape when I get your age. I just grin and say thanks, but think, You better get started cause your not there even now.
I agree it's MUCH harder to get in shape than stay in shape. I'm 41. Hit the gym HARD 4-5 days a week and eating right for the first time in my life for 7 months or so. I've put on 20 pounds, probably 8-10 muscle the rest dirty bulking fat and am literally twice as strong as I was 7 months ago. Everything in my life is better and easier but it shows me I won't be 'in shape' for another year or so. I'm light years ahead of most my age because I was already a back country hunter, but we are capable of so much more than we realize. I'll never stop working out again. It's way, way too hard to earn it at this age. Youth is a cheat code for fitness that gets erased after playing the game too long. The TLDR version is this: There is a fight coming whether you want it to or not. It's your choice to be in shape when it happens or die. No more excuses.
There is no "one size fit all" physical routine. Everyone's physiology is different and weight training needs to be tailored for that. You need it all. There is a reason operators completing their pipelines are all 170-200 lbs. Cardio and strength have to be combined but age is a factor. The mantra "train as you fight" is a good guideline. Now we haven't seen what WW3 physical demands would call for. Ukraine a great example though. GWOT was high tech military against PJ's, sandals and small arms. Hardly the go to theory for the combat fitness for the future. In addition to any training you're doing now I recommend rucking, sprinting with a weighted vest, cardio calisthenics with a 20-30lbs vest including push ups and pull ups and flat range work with kit on. I do these exercises for 30 seconds and then engage targets. That's a reality check. That will show the flaws in your other training. Good video.
FWIW regarding gear weight for rucking... Helmet...3 lbs Rifle...7lbs Ruck...35 lbs NBC mask... 5 lbs Load Bearing Equipment...5 lbs water...4lbs ammo...7 lbs miscellaneous...5lbs 71 lbs starting. Now be the guy that carries the machine gun or the radio or spare batteries or extra belts of ammo Just pointing out that soldiers start out saying 35 lb ruck...but add 35 lbs of extra gear quick. And as reality hit those numbers climbed quickly. Not bragging. Just want people to understand the standard against which they may have to compete. Best of luck Phil
@stevescuba1978 2 quarts was the minimum. And quite frankly, it was the most water I generally needed for the ruck. We were after all, marching/running with packs in the heat. All that sloshing would make guys sick. If it helps we also carried a 2 quart canteen on the ruck...but, we're highly encouraged not to count that weight towards the 35 lbs minimum. just in case we used it...we didn't want to be accused of cheating.
@@philliplopez1501 oh I get it. For just a ruck, you have different variables to consider. If doing it with a team, if you are a bit short on water, someone may have some extra. I'm coming from the perspective of a person heading into the woods alone or with just one or 2 buddies, and for the purposes of getting in or maintaining good condition. If I were headed into the woods for a fight of unknown length, I'm taking more water. If I'm going into the woods in a small group for recreation, I'm taking more water. If I'm rucking with a team as a pt event, I'm hitting the weight requirement on the nose
I completely disagree. Me being the 220lb guy in the platoon I always felt concerned that if I get hit I’m screwed. Stay lean and mean and you will be way better off. I normally agree with this dude but don’t buy this crap. Find a balance. Be strong enough to move my fat ass but quick enough to do it again and again and again……
This is very good information but I will disagree on this point. If YOU HAVE NOT DONE ANY STRENGHT TRAINING, then you should start out with weights in the 10 to 15 rep range to strengthen your ligaments and tendons. They take much longer than your muscles to strengthen and will keep you from getting hurt. Newbie muscles adapt much quicker to progressive overload. I believe that after two or three months in the 10-15 rep range with progressive overload throughout, THEN you can do a more aggressive program like STARTING STRENGHT progam. Do heavy compount lifts in the 3-5 rep range for 3 sets, and any accessory work in the 8-10 rep range after the compound lifts. Take it from someone who had several setbacks from injuries. Experience is a tough teacher. 😅
I love rucking. I did 4 miles with 25lbs in 1 hour 32 minutes. Not bad for a 44 year. I’m an E6 in the Air Force, I’d rather ruck as part of my pt test than run. I also train jiu jitsu which is an excellent workout. Great video brother! Keep them comin! 🇺🇸🫡🤙🏼
Excellent advice! I am 68 years old have been walking 5 km with a 45lb pack 2-3 times pre weak for years. I will start going out with boots now I love you common sense advice and gear reviews. Thanks
I'm lucky I. The fact that I have a physically demanding job that has kept me in shape over the years. I'm 44 and still have the same body I had at 22. I usually have to run a multiple times a day at work, too. I can still run 150-200 yards and not be wheezing and barfing. I know a lot of people would say screw all that but I'm grateful for it. Edit: I build and repair concrete swimming pools and do everything from digging the hole to plastering and setting up the filter system.
Running benefits help burn the calories consumed in the E club from the night before so there are no fat bodies busting out of your uniforms. That's it. Optics.
The being able to run 3 miles in full gear thing is more or less (I know it'll get flack because people with chime in with outlier exceptions but...) it's more or less for more niche units, not necessarily SF or SOF as this'll mostly be Americans here but just units that are small and get into a contact and need to huff it away very, very quickly over a long distance because they're mostly on their own for whatever reason. One thing about training long distance runs with 50lbs of gear though is that it's very easy to injure yourself, you need to know how to do it because you may need to do it but practicing it can also fuck you relatively easily and it's a long recovery.
@@kingqw3rty-_-982you would firstly need a good trail/track that won’t have you falling or tripping. You will also need good rucking technique and there’s lots of info on UA-cam for that. You should also be doing steady state cardio and strength training to be sure that your physically able to handle the load and work capacity
I hope that people understand this. Your gear wont replace fitness. Your skill wont replace fitness. Your bravery wont replace fitness. Get your body in the best shape you possibly can. Become a little bit harder to kill.
What happened to the lean and mean soldier? "Lean" doesn't mean "skinny". Skinny is frail and weak. Lean is strong and conditioned. Train both. IMO, being a runner who lifts would be preferred over a lifter who runs. Concurrent training works as does periodization. Pick one and grind it. You only need to be strong enough.
"if you overpacked, i dont blame you, i blame your leadership". WELL SAID. Flashback to 94' in Hohenfels when i was an RTO, I was chosen to carry one of the anti-armor rockets, and i got chewed out on a LRRP by my squad leader for humping a zleeping bag in my ruck, when i was young and still new and my TL just watched me get chewed out.... I learned.
I heard long steady state cardio actually helps the heart more then HIT cardio where the heart kinda is twitching. I love doing my burpees and jumping jax with bodyweight deadlifts tho as unnecessary as it is. I really need to ruck tho, never done it yet.
I added an inch to every muscle group besides my calf's. And the conditioning was amazing. Add in some pullups to the routine it's just endless what you can do. After a few months you will see results.
You know what’s also really good and so basic, yet very difficult? Planks. I remember they’d always punish us with a nice 5 minute plank at the end of wrestling practice.
Like a lot of things in life, we tend to over complicate things. Especially when it comes to fitness. We dont incorporate new ideas: we add them into our current ones, and make them longer, and more difficult. The human body, for all its complexity, is simple. Move heavy things. Walk long distances. Its not rocket science.
I'm so freaking happy somone else has the same concept I have had regarding military PT. I was an 11B and quite honestly a shitty runner, but strong as hell. I caught so much crap about my running and same thing when deployed OEF 11-12 not once did we run more than a few meters at a time. But what we did is climb freaking mountains and lift heavy shit all damn day. So yeah all those PT studs running 11 or 12 min 2 miles couldnt keep up with any sort of weight on their backs. Im not saying that we shouldnt incorporate running into out programs but it needs to be more realistic, short fast sprints of long drawn out runs...
Did 9 in the Corps. My favorite PT was ruckin it. I ran frequently in boots and flack too, usually three 1.5 hr 45lb rucks a week. Here i am at 43 with significant spinal arthritis and four bad disks. Be careful guys, know your limitations and dont push to hard.
I thought I was decently fit until I did some boxing. You get in that ring and some of those three minute spars have been the longest 3 minutes of my life. Never knew the term “gas out” before. Every man should do some boxing in my opinion
Really good video overall! I'm a physical therapist and run my own clinic working with athletes and you're pretty on point with this. I would say that some muscles benefit from the higher rep range BUT when talking about the major strength building compounds, 3-6 reps for 3-8 sets works wonders for strength. When I use higher reps is for when we want to target hypertrophy for a targeted reason and / or the muscle group is a stability oriented one and fiber makeup dictates that higher reps and endurance are more important vs maximal strength. You've consolidated a lot of information that are commonly in the darkness for field and tactical athletes alike. Former 0311 that graduated from crayon eating to getting a doctorate and having a passion for fitness and performance. Get some!
I've always been active with physical activities or sports from grade school to high school. Spent over 30 years in the Navy pounding asphalt, steel decks, and desert sand. Spent 12 years as a contractor on the flight line and flight decks. I retired over 2 years ago and still hit the gym 5 days a week with my wife. I still lift heavy because I still can. I do 15-20 miles of cardiology each week. Despite all my ailments, aches, and pains, I still push through it. I still got $hit to see and do.
Hello gruntproof have you ever heard of hard to kill fitness? I’ve been using their elite operator program and I seen a lot of gains especially in endurance.
After a lifetime of contact sports, MMA, a bad motorcycle accident, and years of work in physical labor I'm in rough shape at age 37. I need a total shoulder replacement in my left shoulder despite having a pristine rotator cuff. I have plates, screws and rods in both legs. And, after going to graduate school and having three kids in 3.5 years I'm out of shape which pisses me off. The conclusion I've come to is fitness starts with diet. I lost 50 lbs last year by just intermittent fasting. Now I'm able to walk and hike comfortably. For strength training I can only do light weights and exercise bands without risking injury. Now I focus on cardio, flexibility and high rep low impact strength training. I may be past my prime, but I'm slowly rebuilding a respectable baseline.
Ive been doing powerlifting for years and have done CrossFit off and on (I like it). Started doing rucking late 2023, ruck every week or every other week now and man it's a game changer in terms of what it's done for me physically
@@haveaniceday7950 I don't run. Don't like running in general. Rucking has been my main cardio driver and decided few months into rucking to test my run times which I haven't done in a decade. Ran a 9 minute mile and 17 minute 2 mile at a steady manageable pace. HR averaged 120s. Could of got way better times if I ran faster. But for not running in over a decade for time I'll take it.
I did bigger leaner stronger for about 8 months before covid. Mike Matthews does a great job making things dummy proof. I have since gained a disgusting amount of weight. Thabks for this video. It was the kick in the ass I needed. Im restarting that program today.
I have been going to the gym since I retired last year at 62 years old. I was told repetitions since High School, I do fifteen to twenty, so that's what I've been doing. I also do two miles on the treadmill after the weight machines. I will try this different approach. I am an active person, besides going to the gym, I farm, and like the outdoors. Thanks for the info
Very simple and effective training program. Many thanks for these impulses. I will try it out next week. You have very interesting videos and topics. Greetings from a former paratrooper from Germany.
Do some activity in uneven terrain at least once a month in shoes that don't support your ankles. No high intensity or high load stuff, just something to keep the stabilizing muscles and tendons in shape.
I am a 10 year vet never did any deployments, I was combat adjacent but I took the Mantra of every soldier's a riflemen to heart. Never was a 300 pt stud but I knew I could move in full kit effectively, short or long distances. I trained strength and my endurance was running with a weighted vest.. worked for me but I have no imagination when it comes to working out so I talk alot from these videos. Stay safe everyone
Good information on the basics and not so good information about the rep ranges and warm ups and whatnot but still better than probably what 95% of people are doing. Overall appreciate the content and the effort to put together videos like you do.
For the record not wrong but also not fully right, there’s more nuance and context dependence on the fitness aspects. But the need for fitness and general physical preparedness can not be understated.
Former Army here. I weighed myself before a mission in Afghanistan once and I was carrying 150 lbs of gear for a year. I carried the 240B a lot of the time and sometimes my ammo in my assault pack. I lost 50 lbs and I didn’t really have it to lose. Fitness is important.
Out tabbing With or without a 40 kilo Bergen over Brecon Beacons mountains where I live and train , Thai boxing instructor , mountain biking and circuit training and kettle bell and battle ropes isometric excises HIT training variety is the key , and enough time to go hunting , lucky I come from a family that loves hunting and fishing , I’m 56 now and just keep going and most of all enjoy it sometimes I have easier workouts and harder workouts just go with way you feel 👍
Im 59 and lifted weights , started at about 14 years old until about 55 years old....at 49 years old benching 250lbs. 11 times at 214 bodyweight...got into kettlebell lifting at about 42 years old... Now all i do is jog about 27 miles a week, decline pushups with stands, pushups with suspension straps, kettlebell swings, and some inverted rows, i can tell you at 59 old i can run circles around most men half my age, not trying to compete with them of course too old for that but I feel very strong and have plenty of endurance...if you can handle your bodyweight exercise and jog , hike, walk, believe me its all you need....i eat to many sweets and need to loose about 12 lbs but other than that I feel very good....no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no joints problems, i take joint pills due to my age and want to continue to jog...
I learned the lesson about the benefits way too late in my life as well as the effects of zone 2 cardio training. Once lesson learned, now I am doing it consistently and am up 50% and more in some training weights ("newbie gains" ;-) ) But I like the "Tactical Barbell" series for training. Just a suggestion. Oh, I forgot walking the dogs. Usually I end up at 15000-25000 steps and about 200-250 km a month.
Just hit 60, still do my 4 hrs road work with my dog. Not as strong as I was when I was in the Corps but can hold my own and be useful to others when need. Semper Fi
Excellent information brother. As a 11C we would ruck ridiculous amounts of weight. But they wanted us to be able to handle 40lbs more that what the maximum weight actually carried into combat by the experienced guys that had already deployed multiple times. Great information brother.
I live in the burbs, but near a beach. I have a civilian black back pack with 30 pounds of water and other stuff innit. I hide a pistol belt that weighs around 12 pounds hidden under my shirt. I walk 3.5 miles once a week on sidewalks and sand. I walk in regular tennis shoes a mile or two everyday. I run in shorts and tennis shoes in the sand for 3 miles. I do a shit ton of pushups and pull ups. I'm strong AF from doing it for 50 years, mixing in some heavy sometimes just for a change. LIkewise with martial arts. Do a lot of stuff everyday for a long time and your body adapts. What I do different from civilians except for hikers is a carry heavy stuff for an hour or so. It's hard. Choose your hard.
Rucking is a lot of fun even when tired. Go on a boardwalk by the beach and people watch. A 15 min mile (for 6 miles or more) is challenging but not crazy and will make your legs rock hard. With good boots (I like Rockys), you'll get over the blisters, as long as you let them heal. First time I rucked 6 miles, I was hurting the next day. Now a 6 mile ruck is like a nice walk on the beach lol. Eventually I want to try the Ranger standard, max I've done is 14, but 6 miles is good for a weekly ruck.
What crack have you been smoking?!?!? Rucking is fun??? Everyone I knew when I was in the infantry hated our weekly PT ruck marches. I don't think rucking should be fun, it should hurt and it should suck. I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic or not. Rucking is a great workout though.
My movement consists of BJJ drilling and sparing twice a week, basketball for 2 hours once a week, and strength training 2-3 times a week. It has been a good mixture of movement and will be adding more rucking in the future. Love the topic and really challenges me to think practically.
Dude, the fact that you acknowledge that 50lbs is about the limit of practical load for movement gives me so much fucking respect for you. It's one of my biggest pet peeves hearing people say they rucked 12 miles with 120lbs or whatever bullshit.
That’s because their was a huge difference in real world load outs and training load outs and apparently some of yall forgot that not didn’t really do grunt shit. 50 lbs of gear and weapons and ammo and then a ruck is easily 100 lbs on your body. I have a hard time believing this guy was even a grunt with some of the asinine shit, he says to be honest.
I put a hiking backpack on. Then put some weights, to mimic a load out in my bag, since I cannot wear my gear when training outside in public. I am 46 and strength training 4 days a week.
this good stuff. Ive been training for about a year to get back in shape. I've lost 120lbs with diet, walking, strength training, and eventual running. ive slowed myself down several time due to lack of allowing recovery time. Ive found that combat fitness reminds me alot of my time playing football and training for that. sprints, strength training ect. 3 sets of 5reps was always the go to with heavy compound movements. ect...
What I used to do for long backpacking trips that I would have more weight than normal, is I would start training weeks of ahead of time, I would pack my pack and go to the distance plus more at a quick Pace, with more weight than what I was going to carry on my backpacking trip. That way when I went backpacking i was stronger and used to MORE weight, so it was super easy, I'm talking going up and down Hills and everything, like your backpacking but with 20 pounds more, just more weight than what you would carry with you normally as you do your walking and moving in your body will get used to it. So as soon as you put on the pack with 10 or 20 lbs less weight it was nothing going that distance with that amount of weight
When I was in the 101st (MOS 11C30), we did an NTC rotation and some intellectuals from the Pentagan came out to the box to study the soldier's load. They weighed everything, including our boots and BDUs. My load was the heaviest in the mortar section (I was the old guy and section leader). My total load was 138 pounds, and I weighed about 180 back then (1993). One of the skinny guys in my section was carrying less weight, but his load represented a higher ratio of load to body weight than mine did. Of course we were gassed by the time we made it to the objective. Now that I am 61, I am feeling all the mileage, but I am still trying to stay somewhat ready to respond to SHTF
Just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they can fight or are a warrior. Martial arts is a necessity. Striking and grappling. I recommend Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. I work out Monday and Wednesday and train martial arts Tuesday Thursday and Friday. With this split 5x5 will be too taxing. I recommend heavy sand bag carries Monday and core work on Wednesday. There are guys 100lbs heavier than me that I can hold down at will and they can’t escape.
These are great points and I love the channel. With age comes longer recovery times because the metabolism slows down. Injuries sustained throughout our highspeed youth never fully heal so us old guys seem to have to carry those as well. I'm no guru so I don't know which training is more beneficial to increase metabolism, faster recovery and enduring the aches and pains from youthful stupidity. I imagine that's where low impact cardio would help?
great vid, very informative. helps me a lot with the program i've been trying to put together in preparation for a 14 mile ruck with my brother (infantry vet 3 tours) in the rockies next summer to spread our fathers ashes (Navy SpecWar Group 2) . love the no nonsense content. keep it up.
This is a difficult subject for me, because I'm in the group suffering rapid physical decline due to chronic disease and I'll admit, ignoring my physical health for far too long. At 64, that's hard to accept. Just developed 3rd Degree Heart Block a little over a month ago. Walked around and drove around for 5 days with a condition that could have been fatal. So now I've a pacemaker, and a new lifestyle change to adjust to. The simple fact is though, due to Degenerative Joint Disease, there's no running, jogging and even a fast walk is painful. Lifting weights, good luck. So if crap ever hits the air distribution device, I'm going to be sitting on a point somewhere, with a 12 pack and a rifle, covering you all's Tactical Withdrawal. I know I won't survive it, and have accepted that.
ON RUCKING IN SUBURBS: I ruck in multicam with my plate carrier and issued rucksack on roadways in a Northern California county of over 400,000 people 1-2 times a week. Other than headgear, everything else is what I would wear overseas. I see state, county, and local LEO vehicles pass me all the time. How many times have I been stopped by them? Zero. Yes I carry no weapons or ammo, but civilians still react. I carry a dumbbell to replicate the weapon weight. Don’t know why I’ve never been stopped, but perhaps it’s how you carry yourself and how legit your gear is. I have multiple red lights and a VS-17 panel on me for visibility. Little details matter, and LEOs use that to determine “Friend or Foe”. Help them out. Look like a good guy. Act like a good guy. Be responsible. Have ID just in case.
i always told gys to train for the thing you aren't built for. Big guys have a lot of strength just by virtue of their mass and density. Little guys like me at 5'9" 160 (5'9" 130 in college) need to focus on strength. We are built for speed and endurance. That said, don't ignore your gift but def focus on balancing the equation. 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼😎
Thanks for putting these videos out. I am working on better fitness, but I know I can do better and these videos help a lot in the motivation department.
I herniated a disk in the army and eventually was medically discharged. A couple years later I did starting strength and I gained a ton of muscle in just 3 months. It only takes 30-40 min three times a week. My bench nearly doubled. My backs so messed up I can’t squat with weight or deadlift anymore. Right now I’m starting to lift weights 3 times a week MWF and hit the punching bag twice a week T,TH. I have wanted to start rucking again for years.
Slightly better than Rippitoes Starting Strength, especially when you hit a plateau, is Josh Bryant's "Jailhouse Strong" and "Rucking Gains" program that incorporates some more variation to the the "5x5" strength training; or Dan John's "Easy Strength" (squat movement, press movement, hip hinge movement, loaded carry, abdominals) at a 2 sets of 5 five days a week for strength; then do your sport specific training (i.e. rucking for grunts, running for running athletes, basketball for ballers... etc).
Almost EVERY and I mean ALMOST EVERY, person I've met that is heavily into crossfit (I know about 10-11) are players, looking to f around. Married or not.
It's interesting why you chose low bar vs high bar squat? How come you didn't consider Front Squat as an option? It's more in line with having to push things up, for example putting things onto a vehicle. I use my training from Tactical Barbell. You should check it out, it's very similar to your mindset.
Nope, nope, nope. I'm not special or have any hidden talents, but you can combine heavy weights and endurance. Heavy and high seed. Too many examples in the history to mention hear. Point is, training for speed, endurance and weight doesn't involve heavy weights at first. I pumped out 1,000 reps on 5lbs dumbbells in 10min. That's 100 reps per minute. Then up'ed that to 10lbs, 15lbs, and eventually to 25lbs. I could lift up a 250lbs man with one arm in 2 seconds(real story). I even ran a 150lbs box up 4 flights of stairs, and carried a 350lbs engine lift on one shoulder, out of a fedex truck up to a guy's door. Start with endurance, get a max rep count, and add weight till you get up there. Your body can do it...
For building strength, lifting weights is only a fractiin of the work needed. Body builders lift every pound they can lift. Strength builders lift what they lift while retaining as perfect form as they can. Lift that weight for a couple of weeks, then go up a little while retaining perfect form, so you don't hurt yourself and to maximize your workout. You will not get stronger without prooer fuel for your muscles to rebuild and proper sleep which is when your muscles rebuild themselves. Without proper fuel and proper sleep your muscles, and strength with keep tearing down with no rebuild. Equal thirds for lifting weights, diet and sleep will build strength most effectively. You are what you eat. Nothing more Nothing less. Too many people neglect this.
I'm 62 and just had a Triple-Bypass in February. Stay healthy guys, cause the only real endurance I have for the next few months is putting on my clothes. Carry a pack or gun ? NOPE, not for a few months still.
Detailed list and explanation
www.gruntproof.us/
Thanks bro.
Thanks for the refresher on this, it's been years since I was seriously athletic. Been in the pool in zones 3/4 for a year to strengthen my ligaments and overall fitness.
What about old guys with the latent disc issues, how does calisthenics or bag work for SHTF fitness?
Also is training for an 800m sprint (1000 m max) on the track and anaerobic hill work effective?
I’m a two time cancer survivor, two fractured back incidents, and other assorted injuries. I was rucking 10 miles a day with 25 pounds at a 15 minute pace two years ago. Tore hip ligaments due to the chemotherapy. I’m finally starting to walk again, 4 miles a day is where I’m at right now. At 58 years old it will just take time. On the bright side, I still have plenty of trigger finger strength. Semper Fi and Carry On.
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am 56 and trying to get where your at. Gives me motivation and sense of urgency. Thanks for not giving up.
Love the testimony! Never give up. Semper Fi! God bless you!
Hell yeah marine
Hang in there man
Damn. Broke my leg almost two years ago now and it’s a pain getting back and going. I have to hand it to you I’m not anything close to that yet and should be.
Im a 51 year old infantry veteran 2 years ago I was smoking weighed 270 lbs had high blood pressure and could barely walk. I quit the smoking started watching what I eat , started stretching and walking 5-6 days a week and doing a lot of the same exercising i did in the army. and now Im down to 229 lbs and feel 20 years younger. No more high blood pressure and no more blood pressure medication.
Glad to see such a great comeback, keep going !
That could be called a miracle cure.
@@stevecochran9078 not a miracle cure but it was a mental and physical gut check
Proud of you keep it up 👍🏽
Keep going
I’m glad people like you are making this type of content. A lot of people have fitness at the bottom of their priorities. The first time you sprint under fire you realize you can always be faster and stronger
Or patrol on rough terrain for hours
So many preppers can't even climb 2 flights of stairs without being out of breath and developing shakey jelly legs, but of course they've still got the biggest tactical bergen, tactical beanie hat, tactical watch, tactical socks, tactical boots, tactical trousers, tactical belt, tactical shirt, tactical torch, tactical this and fuckin' tactical that.
@@CoffeeFiend1 yup
@@GruntProofor when your kids got bigger and you get winded chasing them
@@CoffeeFiend1 tactical beer belly
Wrestling/Grappling, boxing, Muay Thai and other combative martial arts are also very good for fitness. Combine this with other stuff such as rucking, running and functional strength training and you have an amazing fitness program.
The wrestling grind gave me a work ethic that’s difficult to beat!
Been rucking and hitting the gym for the last six months it fucking helps so much...
Just did my 4 miles in 56 minutes. Working up to keeping that pace to the full 11.5 miles that makes up my neighborhood (country) block. Spent the last 15 years getting destroyed by the construction industry and a new family. At 45, it's time to get it all back.
Walking, running, rucking?
Same here, man. Ditched processed foods and went full paleo and the fat melted off, joint pains went away and I feel 20 years younger.
Was 170lb in the army. Got out Covid lockdown hit got to 310lb it was bad I’m 5,8 by the way so as you can tell I was an obese mother ducker. Try getting back into working out but at that weight I struggled. You know what was the best advice given to me. Just start walking. When your huge and super fat you can’t just go back to running 2 miles and benching 290lb every day it doesn’t work like that z you gotta crawl walk run. I started off just walking half a mile every day soon a mile then two then five stared adding weight started running again it all came back now I’m 195lb and feeling better then ever. Don’t quit and don’t go full balls to walls. Just start off walking and you get there
Keep up the good work.
Proud of you, brother.
Similar story, I just put on a ruck and started a mile at a time. Now I'm beast mode again and did a 26.2 mile last month! Keep on brother!!
Wow impressive! Keep going!
Videos are great Randal. No stupid filler crap. Very professional. Straight to the point.
I agree and disagree. You may not need to specifically run 2-5mi, but the improvement to aerobic fitness can be applied to many modalities. The same goes for bench press. You may not ever specifically do a bench press type of movement in combat, but the upper body strength gained from it can be applied. Carrying a 240 + spare barrel + ammo + plate carrier + helmet + water source through uphill and marsh for MILES sucked ass. Strength is important, no doubt, but if I wasn't as conditioned as I was, I would not have carried it for long. Didn't matter how much I could've squatted and deadlifted. That being said I swear by Tactical Barbell. Best strength and conditioning program I've ever used.
60th birthday I did 60 pushups. Deadlift 350 at 59yrs. You inspire to do rucking. Thanks for the motivation.
Seven miles this past weekend, looking for ten in a week. I'm still at 3mph on mountain logging roads, but all components to my ruck are improving, everything on the up and up. Your content is being pushed on all my Bro's.
Awesome! Don't over do the rucking miles or weight
I completely agree with one caveat. I’m 42 and in great shape both strength and cardio. Best shape of my life but that says more about my previous habits than anything. I have a lot of friends my age asking me how to get in my shape and frankly, it’s almost impossible for them. I haven’t missed more than 2 weeks of working out in almost 20 years. Most of these dudes were, at one point, in way better shape than me. The difference is I kept at it. It’s harder to get in shape than to stay in shape.
I've had guys say, I hope I'm in half as good of shape when I get your age.
I just grin and say thanks, but think, You better get started cause your not there even now.
I agree it's MUCH harder to get in shape than stay in shape. I'm 41. Hit the gym HARD 4-5 days a week and eating right for the first time in my life for 7 months or so. I've put on 20 pounds, probably 8-10 muscle the rest dirty bulking fat and am literally twice as strong as I was 7 months ago. Everything in my life is better and easier but it shows me I won't be 'in shape' for another year or so. I'm light years ahead of most my age because I was already a back country hunter, but we are capable of so much more than we realize. I'll never stop working out again. It's way, way too hard to earn it at this age. Youth is a cheat code for fitness that gets erased after playing the game too long.
The TLDR version is this: There is a fight coming whether you want it to or not. It's your choice to be in shape when it happens or die. No more excuses.
They're probably all still eating processed slop, too.
There is no "one size fit all" physical routine. Everyone's physiology is different and weight training needs to be tailored for that. You need it all. There is a reason operators completing their pipelines are all 170-200 lbs. Cardio and strength have to be combined but age is a factor. The mantra "train as you fight" is a good guideline.
Now we haven't seen what WW3 physical demands would call for. Ukraine a great example though. GWOT was high tech military against PJ's, sandals and small arms. Hardly the go to theory for the combat fitness for the future.
In addition to any training you're doing now I recommend rucking, sprinting with a weighted vest, cardio calisthenics with a 20-30lbs vest including push ups and pull ups and flat range work with kit on. I do these exercises for 30 seconds and then engage targets. That's a reality check. That will show the flaws in your other training.
Good video.
73 and can still ruck up a mountain with 20 lbs and a rifle at 5 AM in the dark. Wearing boots and long John’s. Do it every year in deer season
MC....good for you. You are an inspiration.
FWIW regarding gear weight for rucking...
Helmet...3 lbs
Rifle...7lbs
Ruck...35 lbs
NBC mask... 5 lbs
Load Bearing Equipment...5 lbs
water...4lbs
ammo...7 lbs
miscellaneous...5lbs
71 lbs starting.
Now be the guy that carries the machine gun
or the radio
or spare batteries
or extra belts of ammo
Just pointing out that soldiers start out saying 35 lb ruck...but add 35 lbs of extra gear quick. And as reality hit those numbers climbed quickly.
Not bragging. Just want people to understand the standard against which they may have to compete.
Best of luck
Phil
You only take 4 lbs of water? That's a 1/2 gallon. I wouldn't take that little water even for an afternoon hike.
@stevescuba1978 2 quarts was the minimum. And quite frankly, it was the most water I generally needed for the ruck. We were after all, marching/running with packs in the heat. All that sloshing would make guys sick.
If it helps we also carried a 2 quart canteen on the ruck...but, we're highly encouraged not to count that weight towards the 35 lbs minimum. just in case we used it...we didn't want to be accused of cheating.
@@philliplopez1501 oh I get it. For just a ruck, you have different variables to consider. If doing it with a team, if you are a bit short on water, someone may have some extra.
I'm coming from the perspective of a person heading into the woods alone or with just one or 2 buddies, and for the purposes of getting in or maintaining good condition.
If I were headed into the woods for a fight of unknown length, I'm taking more water. If I'm going into the woods in a small group for recreation, I'm taking more water. If I'm rucking with a team as a pt event, I'm hitting the weight requirement on the nose
@stevescuba1978 FWIW On longer trips we would often carry 5 quart bladders on our rucks. They make padding between your back and the ruck frame.
So is @Grunt Proof lying? Why were you carrying at the minimum where Grunt Proof was maxing out at?
I completely disagree. Me being the 220lb guy in the platoon I always felt concerned that if I get hit I’m screwed. Stay lean and mean and you will be way better off. I normally agree with this dude but don’t buy this crap. Find a balance. Be strong enough to move my fat ass but quick enough to do it again and again and again……
lol after listening to the entire video, he’s got some great info. Grain of salt my dude
This is very good information but I will disagree on this point. If YOU HAVE NOT DONE ANY STRENGHT TRAINING, then you should start out with weights in the 10 to 15 rep range to strengthen your ligaments and tendons. They take much longer than your muscles to strengthen and will keep you from getting hurt. Newbie muscles adapt much quicker to progressive overload. I believe that after two or three months in the 10-15 rep range with progressive overload throughout, THEN you can do a more aggressive program like STARTING STRENGHT progam. Do heavy compount lifts in the 3-5 rep range for 3 sets, and any accessory work in the 8-10 rep range after the compound lifts. Take it from someone who had several setbacks from injuries. Experience is a tough teacher. 😅
I love rucking. I did 4 miles with 25lbs in 1 hour 32 minutes. Not bad for a 44 year. I’m an E6 in the Air Force, I’d rather ruck as part of my pt test than run. I also train jiu jitsu which is an excellent workout. Great video brother! Keep them comin! 🇺🇸🫡🤙🏼
Loadout depends on mission and mission length. Ive carried anything from 55-100lbs worth of gear in country.
Excellent advice! I am 68 years old have been walking 5 km with a 45lb pack 2-3 times pre weak for years. I will start going out with boots now
I love you common sense advice and gear reviews. Thanks
Nice work, old man!
Awesome! Now I'm embarrassed. 😮
I'm lucky I. The fact that I have a physically demanding job that has kept me in shape over the years. I'm 44 and still have the same body I had at 22. I usually have to run a multiple times a day at work, too. I can still run 150-200 yards and not be wheezing and barfing. I know a lot of people would say screw all that but I'm grateful for it.
Edit: I build and repair concrete swimming pools and do everything from digging the hole to plastering and setting up the filter system.
Nice man. Im the pumper and nozleman. The gym is still necessary though
Running benefits help burn the calories consumed in the E club from the night before so there are no fat bodies busting out of your uniforms. That's it. Optics.
@@guacamole_kid3187That sounds…. Wrong. You’re the pumper?! Hahaha
Kettlebell swings squats and pushups does wonders and takes little to no space to do so in
Mark Wildman, Dan John, Pavel
I did my doctoral thesis on this.
Sprints and burpees. Definitely worth doing.
The Sandlorian from Tacticon said basically the same thing about training like you would shoot when questioned about shooting in flip flops
It’s called sports specific training. Training for a particular sport necessitates doing the actual sport.
The being able to run 3 miles in full gear thing is more or less (I know it'll get flack because people with chime in with outlier exceptions but...) it's more or less for more niche units, not necessarily SF or SOF as this'll mostly be Americans here but just units that are small and get into a contact and need to huff it away very, very quickly over a long distance because they're mostly on their own for whatever reason. One thing about training long distance runs with 50lbs of gear though is that it's very easy to injure yourself, you need to know how to do it because you may need to do it but practicing it can also fuck you relatively easily and it's a long recovery.
What would I look up to find the correct way to do that?
@@kingqw3rty-_-982you would firstly need a good trail/track that won’t have you falling or tripping. You will also need good rucking technique and there’s lots of info on UA-cam for that. You should also be doing steady state cardio and strength training to be sure that your physically able to handle the load and work capacity
@@Stevonater thankyou that was very informative.
I hope that people understand this.
Your gear wont replace fitness.
Your skill wont replace fitness.
Your bravery wont replace fitness.
Get your body in the best shape you possibly can.
Become a little bit harder to kill.
What happened to the lean and mean soldier? "Lean" doesn't mean "skinny". Skinny is frail and weak. Lean is strong and conditioned. Train both. IMO, being a runner who lifts would be preferred over a lifter who runs. Concurrent training works as does periodization. Pick one and grind it. You only need to be strong enough.
No matter what I do burpee every
"if you overpacked, i dont blame you, i blame your leadership". WELL SAID. Flashback to 94' in Hohenfels when i was an RTO, I was chosen to carry one of the anti-armor rockets, and i got chewed out on a LRRP by my squad leader for humping a zleeping bag in my ruck, when i was young and still new and my TL just watched me get chewed out.... I learned.
Hohenfels..... Nice..... 🥃🍻🪂😁👍🏻🇺🇸
Just put on your gear and go for walks and hikes. You'll get there.
I heard long steady state cardio actually helps the heart more then HIT cardio where the heart kinda is twitching. I love doing my burpees and jumping jax with bodyweight deadlifts tho as unnecessary as it is. I really need to ruck tho, never done it yet.
the lean mean infantry man can soldier all day the big muscle bound weight lifter wont last an hr humping gear in the field thats just fact
And we thank you for the information Sir.
Burpees equals strength and conditioning. Add weighted vest do 100 to 200 at a time. Prision style and you will be in the best shape of you're life.
You made me cringe thinking about those, they do make you strong
"Train like a convict". 🥃🍻🪂😁👍🏻🇺🇸
I added an inch to every muscle group besides my calf's. And the conditioning was amazing. Add in some pullups to the routine it's just endless what you can do. After a few months you will see results.
You know what’s also really good and so basic, yet very difficult? Planks. I remember they’d always punish us with a nice 5 minute plank at the end of wrestling practice.
You really gained mass from burpees? Were you not lifting before?
Like a lot of things in life, we tend to over complicate things. Especially when it comes to fitness. We dont incorporate new ideas: we add them into our current ones, and make them longer, and more difficult. The human body, for all its complexity, is simple. Move heavy things. Walk long distances. Its not rocket science.
I'm so freaking happy somone else has the same concept I have had regarding military PT. I was an 11B and quite honestly a shitty runner, but strong as hell. I caught so much crap about my running and same thing when deployed OEF 11-12 not once did we run more than a few meters at a time. But what we did is climb freaking mountains and lift heavy shit all damn day. So yeah all those PT studs running 11 or 12 min 2 miles couldnt keep up with any sort of weight on their backs. Im not saying that we shouldnt incorporate running into out programs but it needs to be more realistic, short fast sprints of long drawn out runs...
Did 9 in the Corps. My favorite PT was ruckin it. I ran frequently in boots and flack too, usually three 1.5 hr 45lb rucks a week. Here i am at 43 with significant spinal arthritis and four bad disks. Be careful guys, know your limitations and dont push to hard.
Rucking was the only enjoyable PT ….
Men are not meant to run, we're meant to ruck.
Cardio is a must as well combat art like boxing/wrestling mix.
I thought I was decently fit until I did some boxing. You get in that ring and some of those three minute spars have been the longest 3 minutes of my life. Never knew the term “gas out” before. Every man should do some boxing in my opinion
@@TheBiggE. Control that breathing my guy. I been boxing for 7 1/2 yrs trust me when I first started my boxing coach said enforced that.
@@johnj8840 most infantry guys or former especially SF i seen were not as in shape when they came to boxing gym
Really good video overall! I'm a physical therapist and run my own clinic working with athletes and you're pretty on point with this. I would say that some muscles benefit from the higher rep range BUT when talking about the major strength building compounds, 3-6 reps for 3-8 sets works wonders for strength. When I use higher reps is for when we want to target hypertrophy for a targeted reason and / or the muscle group is a stability oriented one and fiber makeup dictates that higher reps and endurance are more important vs maximal strength.
You've consolidated a lot of information that are commonly in the darkness for field and tactical athletes alike. Former 0311 that graduated from crayon eating to getting a doctorate and having a passion for fitness and performance. Get some!
You could also start with those adjustable weighted vests.
a lot of people can't handle high altitude you should train for that also, good video man
Wouldn’t calisthenics be the best approach since it retains functionality strength?
To a degree, a lot of traditional calisthenics exercises make you do motions that you basically will never do in a practical sense.
Weighted calisthenics for the upper body no doubt. Lower body should be leaned toward barbell lifts. Squat and deadlift.
I've always been active with physical activities or sports from grade school to high school. Spent over 30 years in the Navy pounding asphalt, steel decks, and desert sand. Spent 12 years as a contractor on the flight line and flight decks. I retired over 2 years ago and still hit the gym 5 days a week with my wife. I still lift heavy because I still can. I do 15-20 miles of cardiology each week. Despite all my ailments, aches, and pains, I still push through it. I still got $hit to see and do.
Hello gruntproof have you ever heard of hard to kill fitness? I’ve been using their elite operator program and I seen a lot of gains especially in endurance.
After a lifetime of contact sports, MMA, a bad motorcycle accident, and years of work in physical labor I'm in rough shape at age 37. I need a total shoulder replacement in my left shoulder despite having a pristine rotator cuff. I have plates, screws and rods in both legs. And, after going to graduate school and having three kids in 3.5 years I'm out of shape which pisses me off. The conclusion I've come to is fitness starts with diet. I lost 50 lbs last year by just intermittent fasting. Now I'm able to walk and hike comfortably. For strength training I can only do light weights and exercise bands without risking injury. Now I focus on cardio, flexibility and high rep low impact strength training. I may be past my prime, but I'm slowly rebuilding a respectable baseline.
Plyometrics (Jump Training & Shock Training) is often neglected yet highly effective
Ive been doing powerlifting for years and have done CrossFit off and on (I like it). Started doing rucking late 2023, ruck every week or every other week now and man it's a game changer in terms of what it's done for me physically
What have you noticed?
@@haveaniceday7950 I don't run. Don't like running in general. Rucking has been my main cardio driver and decided few months into rucking to test my run times which I haven't done in a decade.
Ran a 9 minute mile and 17 minute 2 mile at a steady manageable pace. HR averaged 120s.
Could of got way better times if I ran faster. But for not running in over a decade for time I'll take it.
I did bigger leaner stronger for about 8 months before covid. Mike Matthews does a great job making things dummy proof. I have since gained a disgusting amount of weight. Thabks for this video. It was the kick in the ass I needed. Im restarting that program today.
Yup, great programming!
Fitness plan for minute man: "Do farm work and ruck you assholes" Gotta love this channel
I have been going to the gym since I retired last year at 62 years old. I was told repetitions since High School, I do fifteen to twenty, so that's what I've been doing. I also do two miles on the treadmill after the weight machines. I will try this different approach. I am an active person, besides going to the gym, I farm, and like the outdoors. Thanks for the info
On heavy days. Would it be ok to do squats,bench pressing, and military press in one day 3 days a week.
Very simple and effective training program. Many thanks for these impulses. I will try it out next week. You have very interesting videos and topics. Greetings from a former paratrooper from Germany.
Do some activity in uneven terrain at least once a month in shoes that don't support your ankles. No high intensity or high load stuff, just something to keep the stabilizing muscles and tendons in shape.
I am a 10 year vet never did any deployments, I was combat adjacent but I took the Mantra of every soldier's a riflemen to heart. Never was a 300 pt stud but I knew I could move in full kit effectively, short or long distances. I trained strength and my endurance was running with a weighted vest.. worked for me but I have no imagination when it comes to working out so I talk alot from these videos. Stay safe everyone
Good information on the basics and not so good information about the rep ranges and warm ups and whatnot but still better than probably what 95% of people are doing. Overall appreciate the content and the effort to put together videos like you do.
For the record not wrong but also not fully right, there’s more nuance and context dependence on the fitness aspects. But the need for fitness and general physical preparedness can not be understated.
What is your opinion on obstacle and confidence courses and why do you think there aren't at least a few in every state?
Former Army here. I weighed myself before a mission in Afghanistan once and I was carrying 150 lbs of gear for a year. I carried the 240B a lot of the time and sometimes my ammo in my assault pack. I lost 50 lbs and I didn’t really have it to lose. Fitness is important.
This is great info. I'm a civilian with no military experience so the video is very beneficial for me. I appreciate the info.
Out tabbing With or without a 40 kilo Bergen over Brecon Beacons mountains where I live and train , Thai boxing instructor , mountain biking and circuit training and kettle bell and battle ropes isometric excises HIT training variety is the key , and enough time to go hunting , lucky I come from a family that loves hunting and fishing , I’m 56 now and just keep going and most of all enjoy it sometimes I have easier workouts and harder workouts just go with way you feel 👍
Im 59 and lifted weights , started at about 14 years old until about 55 years old....at 49 years old benching 250lbs. 11 times at 214 bodyweight...got into kettlebell lifting at about 42 years old... Now all i do is jog about 27 miles a week, decline pushups with stands, pushups with suspension straps, kettlebell swings, and some inverted rows, i can tell you at 59 old i can run circles around most men half my age, not trying to compete with them of course too old for that but I feel very strong and have plenty of endurance...if you can handle your bodyweight exercise and jog , hike, walk, believe me its all you need....i eat to many sweets and need to loose about 12 lbs but other than that I feel very good....no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no joints problems, i take joint pills due to my age and want to continue to jog...
I learned the lesson about the benefits way too late in my life as well as the effects of zone 2 cardio training. Once lesson learned, now I am doing it consistently and am up 50% and more in some training weights ("newbie gains" ;-) )
But I like the "Tactical Barbell" series for training. Just a suggestion.
Oh, I forgot walking the dogs. Usually I end up at 15000-25000 steps and about 200-250 km a month.
Just hit 60, still do my 4 hrs road work with my dog. Not as strong as I was when I was in the Corps but can hold my own and be useful to others when need. Semper Fi
3-5 reps ... to failure! Needs to be pushed. Don't slack!
Only time i ever ran a long ways in country was to the chow hall before it closed, 😂😂😂
Excellent information brother. As a 11C we would ruck ridiculous amounts of weight. But they wanted us to be able to handle 40lbs more that what the maximum weight actually carried into combat by the experienced guys that had already deployed multiple times. Great information brother.
I live in the burbs, but near a beach. I have a civilian black back pack with 30 pounds of water and other stuff innit. I hide a pistol belt that weighs around 12 pounds hidden under my shirt. I walk 3.5 miles once a week on sidewalks and sand. I walk in regular tennis shoes a mile or two everyday. I run in shorts and tennis shoes in the sand for 3 miles. I do a shit ton of pushups and pull ups. I'm strong AF from doing it for 50 years, mixing in some heavy sometimes just for a change. LIkewise with martial arts. Do a lot of stuff everyday for a long time and your body adapts. What I do different from civilians except for hikers is a carry heavy stuff for an hour or so. It's hard. Choose your hard.
my wife makes fun of me for caling them tenny shoes.... thanks for being on the same side, shes german lol
Good job, it makes a lot of sense . Back in the 70s, we trained in our BDUs and combat boots. Shorts and tennis shoes weren't even a thought. 👍🇺🇲
Rucking is a lot of fun even when tired. Go on a boardwalk by the beach and people watch. A 15 min mile (for 6 miles or more) is challenging but not crazy and will make your legs rock hard. With good boots (I like Rockys), you'll get over the blisters, as long as you let them heal. First time I rucked 6 miles, I was hurting the next day. Now a 6 mile ruck is like a nice walk on the beach lol. Eventually I want to try the Ranger standard, max I've done is 14, but 6 miles is good for a weekly ruck.
What crack have you been smoking?!?!? Rucking is fun??? Everyone I knew when I was in the infantry hated our weekly PT ruck marches. I don't think rucking should be fun, it should hurt and it should suck. I'm not sure if you were being sarcastic or not. Rucking is a great workout though.
@philjimito7250 not military rucking. Military anything sucks cuz they make everything suck. I mean on your own.
Good stuff! Yeah, in iraq we just ran block to block, building to building or back to the Stryker.
They have you run to keep your endurance up so you stay active and healthy
My movement consists of BJJ drilling and sparing twice a week, basketball for 2 hours once a week, and strength training 2-3 times a week. It has been a good mixture of movement and will be adding more rucking in the future. Love the topic and really challenges me to think practically.
Ya know, I know this stuff and I should train myself this way, but I need someone to remind me sometimes. Much appreciated.
Dude, the fact that you acknowledge that 50lbs is about the limit of practical load for movement gives me so much fucking respect for you. It's one of my biggest pet peeves hearing people say they rucked 12 miles with 120lbs or whatever bullshit.
That’s because their was a huge difference in real world load outs and training load outs and apparently some of yall forgot that not didn’t really do grunt shit. 50 lbs of gear and weapons and ammo and then a ruck is easily 100 lbs on your body. I have a hard time believing this guy was even a grunt with some of the asinine shit, he says to be honest.
alot of great tips in short time
I put a hiking backpack on. Then put some weights, to mimic a load out in my bag, since I cannot wear my gear when training outside in public. I am 46 and strength training 4 days a week.
this good stuff. Ive been training for about a year to get back in shape. I've lost 120lbs with diet, walking, strength training, and eventual running. ive slowed myself down several time due to lack of allowing recovery time. Ive found that combat fitness reminds me alot of my time playing football and training for that. sprints, strength training ect. 3 sets of 5reps was always the go to with heavy compound movements. ect...
Starting Strength is solid. 100%
Many years ago I read a book written by a mercenary on combat fitness and he mainly stressed the importance of anaerobic and strength training.
What I used to do for long backpacking trips that I would have more weight than normal, is I would start training weeks of ahead of time, I would pack my pack and go to the distance plus more at a quick Pace, with more weight than what I was going to carry on my backpacking trip. That way when I went backpacking i was stronger and used to MORE weight, so it was super easy, I'm talking going up and down Hills and everything, like your backpacking but with 20 pounds more, just more weight than what you would carry with you normally as you do your walking and moving in your body will get used to it. So as soon as you put on the pack with 10 or 20 lbs less weight it was nothing going that distance with that amount of weight
When I was in the 101st (MOS 11C30), we did an NTC rotation and some intellectuals from the Pentagan came out to the box to study the soldier's load. They weighed everything, including our boots and BDUs. My load was the heaviest in the mortar section (I was the old guy and section leader). My total load was 138 pounds, and I weighed about 180 back then (1993). One of the skinny guys in my section was carrying less weight, but his load represented a higher ratio of load to body weight than mine did. Of course we were gassed by the time we made it to the objective. Now that I am 61, I am feeling all the mileage, but I am still trying to stay somewhat ready to respond to SHTF
Just because someone is strong doesn’t mean they can fight or are a warrior. Martial arts is a necessity. Striking and grappling. I recommend Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu.
I work out Monday and Wednesday and train martial arts Tuesday Thursday and Friday.
With this split 5x5 will be too taxing. I recommend heavy sand bag carries Monday and core work on Wednesday.
There are guys 100lbs heavier than me that I can hold down at will and they can’t escape.
This was a good video....good pep talk...excellent motivator to keep from getting complacent! Thank you and look forward to more of your content!!
Hellyeah brother great video!!! Practical functional fitness. Nice IMT's in the beginning there too :) ya love to see it.
These are great points and I love the channel. With age comes longer recovery times because the metabolism slows down. Injuries sustained throughout our highspeed youth never fully heal so us old guys seem to have to carry those as well. I'm no guru so I don't know which training is more beneficial to increase metabolism, faster recovery and enduring the aches and pains from youthful stupidity. I imagine that's where low impact cardio would help?
great vid, very informative. helps me a lot with the program i've been trying to put together in preparation for a 14 mile ruck with my brother (infantry vet 3 tours) in the rockies next summer to spread our fathers ashes (Navy SpecWar Group 2) . love the no nonsense content. keep it up.
This is a difficult subject for me, because I'm in the group suffering rapid physical decline due to chronic disease and I'll admit, ignoring my physical health for far too long. At 64, that's hard to accept.
Just developed 3rd Degree Heart Block a little over a month ago. Walked around and drove around for 5 days with a condition that could have been fatal. So now I've a pacemaker, and a new lifestyle change to adjust to.
The simple fact is though, due to Degenerative Joint Disease, there's no running, jogging and even a fast walk is painful. Lifting weights, good luck.
So if crap ever hits the air distribution device, I'm going to be sitting on a point somewhere, with a 12 pack and a rifle, covering you all's Tactical Withdrawal. I know I won't survive it, and have accepted that.
ON RUCKING IN SUBURBS: I ruck in multicam with my plate carrier and issued rucksack on roadways in a Northern California county of over 400,000 people 1-2 times a week. Other than headgear, everything else is what I would wear overseas.
I see state, county, and local LEO vehicles pass me all the time. How many times have I been stopped by them? Zero. Yes I carry no weapons or ammo, but civilians still react. I carry a dumbbell to replicate the weapon weight.
Don’t know why I’ve never been stopped, but perhaps it’s how you carry yourself and how legit your gear is. I have multiple red lights and a VS-17 panel on me for visibility. Little details matter, and LEOs use that to determine “Friend or Foe”. Help them out.
Look like a good guy. Act like a good guy. Be responsible. Have ID just in case.
i always told gys to train for the thing you aren't built for. Big guys have a lot of strength just by virtue of their mass and density. Little guys like me at 5'9" 160 (5'9" 130 in college) need to focus on strength. We are built for speed and endurance. That said, don't ignore your gift but def focus on balancing the equation. 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼😎
Thanks for putting these videos out. I am working on better fitness, but I know I can do better and these videos help a lot in the motivation department.
I herniated a disk in the army and eventually was medically discharged. A couple years later I did starting strength and I gained a ton of muscle in just 3 months. It only takes 30-40 min three times a week. My bench nearly doubled. My backs so messed up I can’t squat with weight or deadlift anymore. Right now I’m starting to lift weights 3 times a week MWF and hit the punching bag twice a week T,TH. I have wanted to start rucking again for years.
Do you count water weight in ruck weight? Sprained my ankle recently and can't run, but I want to get back on aerobics.
I really enjoy your fitness series. You obviously use the kiss method. And that's what I appreciate about you.
Slightly better than Rippitoes Starting Strength, especially when you hit a plateau, is Josh Bryant's "Jailhouse Strong" and "Rucking Gains" program that incorporates some more variation to the the "5x5" strength training; or Dan John's "Easy Strength" (squat movement, press movement, hip hinge movement, loaded carry, abdominals) at a 2 sets of 5 five days a week for strength; then do your sport specific training (i.e. rucking for grunts, running for running athletes, basketball for ballers... etc).
Almost EVERY and I mean ALMOST EVERY, person I've met that is heavily into crossfit (I know about 10-11) are players, looking to f around. Married or not.
It's interesting why you chose low bar vs high bar squat? How come you didn't consider Front Squat as an option? It's more in line with having to push things up, for example putting things onto a vehicle. I use my training from Tactical Barbell. You should check it out, it's very similar to your mindset.
Nope, nope, nope. I'm not special or have any hidden talents, but you can combine heavy weights and endurance. Heavy and high seed. Too many examples in the history to mention hear. Point is, training for speed, endurance and weight doesn't involve heavy weights at first. I pumped out 1,000 reps on 5lbs dumbbells in 10min. That's 100 reps per minute. Then up'ed that to 10lbs, 15lbs, and eventually to 25lbs. I could lift up a 250lbs man with one arm in 2 seconds(real story). I even ran a 150lbs box up 4 flights of stairs, and carried a 350lbs engine lift on one shoulder, out of a fedex truck up to a guy's door. Start with endurance, get a max rep count, and add weight till you get up there. Your body can do it...
For building strength, lifting weights is only a fractiin of the work needed. Body builders lift every pound they can lift. Strength builders lift what they lift while retaining as perfect form as they can. Lift that weight for a couple of weeks, then go up a little while retaining perfect form, so you don't hurt yourself and to maximize your workout.
You will not get stronger without prooer fuel for your muscles to rebuild and proper sleep which is when your muscles rebuild themselves. Without proper fuel and proper sleep your muscles, and strength with keep tearing down with no rebuild.
Equal thirds for lifting weights, diet and sleep will build strength most effectively.
You are what you eat.
Nothing more
Nothing less.
Too many people neglect this.
I'm 62 and just had a Triple-Bypass in February. Stay healthy guys, cause the only real endurance I have for the next few months is putting on my clothes. Carry a pack or gun ? NOPE, not for a few months still.