Welcome to selection Prep
We congratulate you on your decision to prepare for selection. Unfortunately, this is the easiest part because you have all of the control to moderate and alter your efforts. You can rest when you need to, eat extra, and make time for increased recovery. Make no mistake, the selection process is designed to break you, first through the sheer volume of physical work, and then through the psychological doubt that will inevitably build as selection goes on.
To understand this program, you have to understand where you sit on the spectrum of qualifications. The first test is accurately identifying your short comings. This is where most of the work will happen. We split this into 3 major categories: Aerobic efficiency, calisthenics, and structural strength.
Aerobic development in our program uses the MAF method taught by, Dr. Phil Maffetone. All paces for runs, swims, and efforts (even in the gym, unless otherwise instructed) are to be done at this pace, which can be described as “zone 2”. Understand that the rate of effort will remain the same throughout the program but the speed will change as you adapt to more and more volume. Find instructions to calculating and testing your MAF score in the next chapter. The basis for this program is on selection for BUD/s and therefore includes swimming. Even if your selection does not have swimming, we recommend it as a way to increase aerobic volume with low impact. However, we also offer prescription for similar volume through cycling, but this could also be a blend of varying cardiovascular machines like rowing or skiing ergs.
Calisthenics are the category of body weight exercises that make up the majority of physical work that is required by most selection processes. This is mostly based on the tested movements: push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and flutter kicks, but we include a vast amount of: air squats, lunges, step-ups, burpees etc. The danger of these movements is in overuse injuries and the common tendinopathy or imbalances that occur. We must build to a significant volume that sometimes has upwards of 1000 push-ups a week and this means that the musculature becomes unbalanced. Most who do not actively counter balance the exercises will feel shoulder pain from pushups, elbow pain from pull-ups, and knee or ankle issues from lunges, squats, and step-ups. We can only recommend you take our advice seriously and watch these sensitive areas as they flare and try to remedy them as soon as possible by not continuing to do the exercises that cause them until you alleviate the issue. Getting beat up in selection in inevitable, beating yourself preparing for selection is dumb.
Structural strength is used as a way to balance the amount of volume, it is not applied in the traditional sense of increasing performance in classic lifts like the deadlift, squat, or bench but instead, used as a way to increase contraction rate and solidify positions that keep you healthy. In other words, we use strength in this program to reinforce and improve mobility.
This is not a military cosplay training program. Replicating popular military training with various loaded movements like excessive rucking are highly discouraged. Some selections DO require rucking or the use of weighted vests (which you will see in Phase Two, but the overuse of this modality is common and can lead to a chain of overuse injuries. Other oddball training methods like running in combat boots, fatigues, or the use of gas masks or other gimmicks is also highly discouraged. It is fine to “try'“ certain things but using these constraints artificially devolves performance, slowing running times, causing unnecessary wear and tear on the skin and joints. Choose equipment that allows for the highest performance possible. Good, durable training shoes and clothes will allow you to accurately assess your fitness and focus on the most important aspects.
How to use this program
Read through testing criteria and take the requisite exams to establish what you will need to work on the most.
Complete Phase One: The first 4 weeks are meant to introduce the volume and style of this program.
Test Week: Testing week will establish which protocol to follow for Phase Two
Complete Phase Two in your category
Retest
Repeat Phase Two as many times as is necessary to achieve a high Delta or Alpha score
Take rest week between phases and taper before selection
Most of the time we do not prescribe loads or paces. This is a function of the player trying to assess what is appropriate for their specific scenario. When we say load “heavy” we mean something that will require the focus being on moving the weight. When we say “fast” we mean the focus is on the pace and the aerobic limitation. All of this should be done in the context of the day and week of the progression. Looking ahead at what needs to get done and looking back to understand why you might feel fatigued.
All standardized programs will have limitations because we cannot know who you are and what your specific needs are. Please reach out with any concerns or questions. Godspeed.