Is "Farm Strong" Really Good Enough?

    The Strength and Conditioning world has been meeting a lot of resistance from self-proclaimed tough guys lately. Here's the argument: "I can't squat or bench, but I can sure sling bricks and lumber around with the boys. That's all I need."

    While there is a great deal of ignorance in this statement, it seems to be a mantra that is regurgitated by many. My first question is, why would any man be against getting stronger? Do they not realize that, especially if they have an active job, getting stronger would just make their job a lot easier? Does a 10-brick Tong not feel lighter if you are stronger? Does climbing a ladder on the job site all day not feel easier if your squat numbers are up? If you are moving furniture all day, who do you think will perform better, with more ease: the guy who never lifts, or the guy who has a decent deadlift? One more: when you have to move 65 wheelbarrows of concrete that day, which person do you think will have an easier time: the bigger, stronger guy, who has big squat and deadlift numbers? Or, the skinny guy who is only "worker strong?" How simple logic goes over the heads of so many is simply beyond us in this field.

I believe these anti-strength arguments come from two places:

1. The 1970s myth of "if you lift weights, you'll become big and bulky."

2. Instead of admitting that they are embarrassingly weak, most of these men would rather hide behind these cult-like statements because it sounds cooler than going to the gym and putting in actual work.

    The first argument is easily destroyed after anyone attempts to get big and bulky for a few months, or even a few years. As it turns out, even the most genetically gifted, drug-using pro bodybuilders must still put in decades of work. For many, they will spend 10+ years working hard, doing all the drugs, but are still never big enough to even step on stage. Despite what your aerobics-loving mom told you, just lifting a few weights does not make you big and bulky. In fact, if anyone could benefit from getting stronger, it would be both you and your mom.

    The second argument seems to stem from whatever is trendy online. A decade ago, Crossfit helped demonize actual strength training and got most people on board with performing highly technical lifts, to failure. It seemed cool because it was different, the "athletes" (who are also on drugs) looked normal. It also mocked anyone who performed basic strength training. You know the type: the average guy who performs the compound lifts year-round, eats right, and actually has the physique you have been pursuing for years. Yea, screw that guy; he doesn't know anything. Another version of this "farmer strong" argument comes from the rough and tough workers, or at least the men who think they are rough and tough. Then the younger kids get ahold of that, and it goes on and on...

    I could simply point out the logical error that if working on a farm or construction site made you jacked, we'd only see jacked tradesmen, and there would be no fat farmers or ranchers. We could also point to the actually jacked workers, who do train for strength, and mention their physique and job performance. You know that jacked pipe fitter on your crew? The guy y'all pick on for bringing eggs and protein to work? Yea, he's in much better shape than all of you. But why? Notice, after your 12 hour shift, you are crushed and only have the energy to hit the drive through and then your couch, in front of the TV. What about the jacked guy on your crew, the one you pick on for not joining in on poker night? He's drinking his pre-workout while walking to his truck, then he heads to the gym. Not only does the work day not crush him like it does you and your buddies, but he even has the energy to go train afterward. Is he crazy? Is he on drugs? Did the job make him this strong and energetic? Or, did him putting up some standard man numbers in the gym make him this way? 

    Don't get me wrong; a man who has an active job is much better off than someone with an office job. The problem is the ignorance that the active job makes someone strong. So, let's break it down in knuckle-dragger terms:

"Strength:" Overall force production. It is measured by force generated against the environment, or an object, i.e. - a barbell. How do we measure strength? Easy: we measure the weight on the bar.

    Now, some might argue the following: "I load 100, 75 lb bails of hay everyday. Let's see your average bodybuilder do that." A strong argument, but does it hold any weight? Of course, if you start that job completely fresh, moving such weights all day will absolutely break you off. You will be sore for a few days; maybe even a few weeks. However, after a while, your body adapts, and this job, that was once training, now has  simply become an activity. Unless you add an extra pound or two to each bail of hay each week, you will never get stronger doing this work. Of course, you are stronger than the average male who does nothing. You might even see the bodybuilder, the fake argument you have created, struggle in this environment. However, what you fail to recognize is that, once the bodybuilder adapts to this type of work, he will actually become better at it than you. As long as his strength numbers in the gym continue to improve, and he continues bailing hay, he will continue to out-perform you. Why? Because he is stronger!

    I could offer 100s of examples as above, but we don't have all day. The bottom line is that being stronger improves literally every aspect of one's life: performing at work, performing in the field, and performing in daily life. We all have to sit down and get back up eventually, right? We all carry groceries and load our trucks with equipment. We're not telling you to become obese and only care about a 600 lb deadlift. For some reason, that's what everyone jumps to: the mythical, obese power lifter. Here's a simple test for all of you. First, turn off the TV and stop watching other people live. Second, spend two months simply performing the compound lifts, progressively getting stronger in each. Then, observe how you feel doing literally anything afterward. As long as you train for strength and train properly, you should notice a drastic increase in performance, both on the job and in your personal life. Afterall, we do want to be strong, manly men, right? 

Give strength a chance

Carry on

Minuteman Combat Fitness Test

 

The Minuteman Combat Fitness Test

STRENGTH (1ST EVENT)

1. Barbell Squat: 1RM | 1.2x Body Weight

2. Bench Press: 1RM | Body Weight

3. Deadlift: 1RM | 1.4x Body Weight

4. 5 Strict-Form Pull-Ups

ENDURANCE 

1. 1-Mile Run:  < 9 Minutes*

2. 6-Mile Ruck:  < 1 Hour & 50 Minutes**

*Run is performed in PT clothes

**Ruck is performed in full patrol kit with weapon, pack, and in boots. Pack must weigh minimum 15%  of Body Weight. Route should have no more than 150 ft total elevation gain

BACKGROUND

    Strength, as measured by total force production (weight moved), is the foundation of all human activity. Without doing any other form of training, improving one's strength leads to an exceptional improvement in everything we do. This is especially true for men in a combat role. Carrying a 40-50 lb. kit, over varying terrain, for hours or days, is extremely demanding on the body. Patrolling in kit, as an example, is however a sub-maximal load. That means if an individual becomes stronger over time, all sub-maximal loads become even more so, meaning that those activities become easier to perform. By training for strength, we improve our efficiency in every activity we conduct. Also, an often over-looked benefit to improving one's strength is overall resilience: to the weather and variations, against sickness, as well as during times of extreme mental stress. This is why men must be strong, and we must test their strength. Be advised, however, that these numbers are minimum standards, and individuals should always strive to exceed them. Why squats, deadlift, and bench press? Why not the kettlebell or bodyweight exercises that the "functional fitness" gurus promote? The answer is fairly simple:

• These normal movement patterns can be progressively loaded over a long period of time. Neither KBs nor bodyweight exercises meet this criterion
• These exercises are the most objective displays of strength

    Cardio-vascular endurance, or "cardio," is also a critical during combat operations. Combined with strength, an individual with excellent endurance performs better in the field. Despite how Hollywood and video games portray combat operations, we should view this activity as a sport that's similar to baseball: a very long, mostly aerobic event, with inter-dispersed, short bursts of aerobic performance. One must be able to "go the distance," as well as perform an action, such as a 3-5 second rush or flanking maneuver, very quickly. Units must also be able to perform these actions repeatedly, over a long period of time. 

LEARN HOW TO TRAIN HERE

References & Background

This is a large collaboration with input from many different groups:

• Combat Veterans
• SOF Veterans
• Strength and Conditioning Experts
• Current civil defense group leaders
• SAR Members
• National Forest Firefighters
• LEOs

Starting Strength & Crew

Infantry Small Unit Mountain Operations

US Army Battle Focused Training (FM 7-1)

Physiology of Sport & Exercise, Kenney

Basics of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

This is straight from the Joint Publication (JP) 3-31, Joint Land Operations: 

"The Army SOP is designed to standardize the way units operate, ensuring that tasks are performed consistently and efficiently. It is a critical component of the Army’s operational planning and execution process, as it provides a clear understanding of the procedures and protocols that must be followed in various situations." 

SOPs can be at any level, for any group, or any specific task. An SOP can also be different between different units for accomplishing the same task. Basically, imagine if you are 60 years old, and are writing a book about kicking ass in life. At some point you have figured out a few tasks that can be solved by using a simple problem solving approach. Your SOP might include planning stages, equipment requirements, what you are doing while out performing the job or activity, and maybe even a follow-up at the end. Your SOP might simply include basic procedures on how to navigate from point to another in your vehicle. Then, you'll make a separate SOP on that same trip but while on foot. Pretty simple, right? So what is the point of an SOP? 

While we may think everything we know and do are just "common sense," it may not be common sense to everyone you are leading or working with. But, the fact remains, you know the correct or most efficient way to accomplish a task, and you need your team to be able to do it your way. So what if you are sick or injured, or just not around? Can you trust your team to perform the task, by your standards, without you being there? Most likely not. You can, however, enable them to pull out the SOP for said task, and follow those instructions. As leaders, we cannot expect our team to know everything that we know, or to perform everything exactly like we can. However, we can teach them as much as possible and then, when you are not around and they become ignorant, the SOP will become their default. Lastly, SOPs can be used as assisting people through basic tasks during times of extreme stress. This is where unit training and battle drills come in to play. 

We build our tactics and battle drill SOPs by evaluating our unit capabilities, combined with analyzing the operational considerations of our environment (METT-TC). What is our job, and what are we capable of accomplishing? So first, we develop our SOPs. Next, we must test those SOPs. This is where training and sometimes, real-world testing comes into play. Hopefully we are testing our SOPs in training before the real-world does it for us, because that can suck. 

In summary, we should establish SOPs for basic tasks that we can expect our team to be able to accomplish. Can we conduct a reconnaissance patrol? If so, how do we actually do it? It could come down to a simple word document with task, conditions, and standards, or just a word doc with a step by step instruction. Many unit SOPs for radio communications and first aid applications will be step by step. However, when we are talking about battlefield tactics, the SOP will become lengthier and more complicated. The bottom line is that we have to build the SOPs in the first place, and then test them to improve them.

A few examples of necessary SOPs:

1. TOC setup, organization, and duties

2. Small Unit Tactics: Patrolling, OPs, Reconnaissance, Battle Drills, etc

3. Unit training and planning

4. Communications and Radio Etiquette

5. Team structure and equipment (MTOE)

Simple Diet Advice For Everyone

Here's the crazy secret: every diet works for nearly everyone, always

Why? Why does everyone seem to have the magical secret, or "super food" that, not only allows them to easily burn through fat, but that diet also cures all their ailments? Also, there seems to be extreme polarization between dieters: Keto, Carnivore, Vegan, High-Carb, Low-Carb, Intermittent Fasting, Raw....If you look closely, all groups have multiple "science-based" claims and personal stories proving that they hold the secret to fat loss and godliness. The answer actually simple:

All these people, for the first time in their lives, have finally started to train or exercise, and are also paying attention to what goes into their mouths. That's all it is. These people went from being extremely inactive and eating everything, to moving around like a human, and simply trying to eat less. They don't understand that because of this, literally anything and everything they do will work....for a while.

NEWBIE GAINS: If you are a beginner, you can do literally any exercise program, and follow literally any diet, and it will 100% work.......for about 4-6 months.

That's the kicker: the great majority of these people never make it past the 6 month mark. We all know that one person in our circle who has been large for a long time yet, every few months they are yelling at everyone at the BBQ about the newest magical diet, and how everything everyone else is eating will make them obese and kill them. Meanwhile, the average-sized, semi-fit people at the party are all thinking the same thing: "dude, you're fat; you've always been fat: and every year you're on a different diet and seem to know the secret, but you never actually get fit or lean."

Even worse, the average large person seems to embrace conspiracies surrounding our food and lifestyles: plant seeds, chemicals in the water, carbs/sugar, fats, this fat, that fat, meat, beans....In the 90s, you could be shot for putting pure butter on someone's toast. Today, you would get the same treatment for giving someone toast bread. Why are people so easily convinced that everything else is the problem, except for themselves? That's the key. By over-complicating everything, and finding an enemy to blame, these people can easily remove the onus from themselves and their own choices. The classic victim mentality. They can eat and live however they want, because they will always be the victim of a major conspiracy that keeps them fat and weak. The most interesting aspect of this behavior, however, is that they never look around to see the millions of other people who somehow have been able to avoid the obesity-inducing demons. And if you were to point that out, they would have a preloaded argument: "well they have good genetics," or "they just train a lot more than usual." You can basically insert your own excuse here, because we've heard them all.

So, how does one rule out all the misinformation and straight up lies, keep things simple, and just get in shape and lose their fat? That's the point: keep it simple. The calories in, calories out formula is hated because it is deemed as "too simple." Many women prefer to reverse the formula, and simply starve themselves. All the while, they are all spending more time "researching" and being neurotic about things that don't actually matter, instead of just putting in the basic work. As Mark Rippetoe (Starting Strength) has stated numerous times, "stupid people love complexity." Instead of admitting that they actually don't follow the basics, people always revert back to their victimhood. What if we just expended more calories than we consumed? What if we focused on protein and, for the rest of our macros, we just ensured that they come from actual FOOD? What if we stayed active and trained properly? Sounds too easy, and it is. And, as far as training goes, people disagree on the forms as well. Of course, there has to be a hidden boogeyman involved there as well. 

The most barebones, simplified method for getting fit is below. Caution: this advice is not complicated; there is no hidden bad guy; it works for 99% of humans; it is agreed upon by all actual experts: Physiologists, Nutritionists, and coaches and trainers.

1. Expend more calories - not starve yourself because you never move

2. Strength Train (lower reps, heavier weights), minimum 2x per muscle group, per week. Everyone, at all ages, and both sexes should being trying to get strong

3. Get in your daily activity: anywhere from 8-12k steps per day. That is much easier and more efficient than sitting all day and then running a marathon once per week, or conducting brutal HIIT workouts to compensate. Act like a human: MOVE!

4. Emphasize protein:

Strength training and athletes = 1g per pound of bodyweight

Most people = minimum .5g per pound of bodyweight

5. For carbs and fats, just make sure they come from actual food (you know what "food" is, and you know it is not Taco Bell). Do any ratio you like and what feels better for you: low fat, low carbs, who cares? Just don't demonize any specific macro or source. 

*note: if you are strength training or are a serious athlete, a higher carb diet has been proven to be best for performance

6. BE CONSISTENT. Consistency has been proven time and time and again to be the most critical factor in driving long-term results. Remember the "newbie gains" fact? The great majority usually fall off the wagon within that 4-6 month window. Do your best to NOT be that guy

7. Don't have an "all or nothing attitude." Just because you miss a few workouts, that doesn't kill your entire plan. Remember that you're human, and things happen. If you usually train 3x per week but can only make one, that's fine. Get back to it as soon as possible

That's all there is to it. KISS = Keep It Simple, Stupid. If you'd like to read more behind the nutrition and training, you can read that article HERE.

Get out there and make things happen!

Randall, Grunt Proof

Mission Analysis: Understanding the Local Terrain & Environment

 

OAKOC

    If you've watched the recent videos on tactics, you've probably seen this acronym pop up a few times. What hell is it, and why is it so important? Let's dig in! Land navigation is simply getting to one point from another. Tactical navigation, something we practice every time we step out of friendly territory, for any reason, brings in a whole other level of considerations. Now you have to think about bad guys, ambushes and dying. Dying is not good. So what considerations should we have when planning our routes and rally points? Where do we set up our Objective Rally Point (ORP)? Do we use roads? Is it all just METTT-TC? What about Observations Posts (OP)? How do we build one, and what considerations do we have when setting in a defensive position? 

ENTER OAKOC:

Observation 

Avenues of Approach 

Key & Decisive Terrain 

Obstacles 

Cover & Concealment 

    When planning for almost anything, this simple decision making aid can save you lots of headache and even death. Seriously, us Grunts use it for everything we do in the field. So, what does it all mean, and how can we use it? Let's take the OP and mission scenario: 

MISSION 

    You are a 9-man squad and must conduct a tactical movement to MB 1234 5678, establish an OP, observe vicinity MB 666 555 and report all activity to higher. We're going to follow the Troop Leading Procedures to get our guys moving, and start planning the mission. We need to know which routes to take and where to establish our OP. This is where OAKOC comes in. We'll make decisions based on our map reconnaissance. 

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Why Bodybuilding is Gay

Bottom line up front:

• The only people who care about your abs and "striations" are other dudes
• Unless you are paid to step on stage and WIN, you are wasting your time and we are all short enough on time
• If you're in the gym for 2 hours every day, you're wasting your time
• Everyone, especially young men, are better off training for strength
• To add endurance, especially for the combat world, go Ruck

   

 I know, this will be hated by many, but it needs to be said. I remember getting into bodybuilding and caring about every little detail on my body. Hell, I was even that genius who was trying to train my calves directly. I know...pathetic. Like many, I had no idea that silly isolation workouts could do nothing against genetics. In addition, training any single-joint movement is a waste of time. So why aren't young men interested in getting stronger overall? Do they not know that strong people are harder to kill, and are generally more useful in life?

    The fitness industry has done nothing but sell abs and monster workouts, created by drug-using men, to young men. Little do these misled kids know that no one, especially women actually care about your abs. As a matter of fact, look at all the comments on literally any "physique" dude's Instagram or Youtube Channel. Will there be comments from women oohing and ahhing? Or will most of the comments be from other men? The latter is a lot more accurate. Those "men" in the comments will either be trolls hating on the dude in the picture, or they will be fanboys of that dude's abs or muscles. Being obsessed with another man's abs and muscles....are you sure you're actually straight?

    Let's look at bodybuilding as a "sport." Guys like Reg Park and Arnold Schwarzenegger were probably the last "good looking" men in bodybuilding. These days, everyone who steps on stage is a walking big pharma commercial. And who even likes these physiques? Seriously, I need to know: who thinks this looks good? Regardless, men have been chasing those dreams for decades. The dream of stepping on stage wearing a man-thong, which is essentially just a beauty pageant for men. Why did we ever think this was a good use of time? What happened to learning about motors, homesteading, farming, and being self reliant? Does being a man require being able to step on stage in a man-thong, or should we be strong enough to pick up things and fight, as well as cover ground? Well, that's what this is all about.

    The term "functional fitness" has basically been applied to everything from yoga to people doing jump squats with 220 lbs on their back. As it turns out, in life, none of what you see in that world is truly functional. What is functional? Strength training, daily activity, rucking, and patrolling as you would on a mission. If we're talking about being a useful man in life, plus being useful on a team, you must be strong, and you must be able to move especially while wearing gear. That does not mean go running for miles in shorts and tennis shoes. While that is endurance "training," it does nothing to train us for what a warrior should be able to do. Read more about that HERE.

    Unlike bodybuilding, true strength training is actually useful. We don't do bulks and cuts; often, we don't even care about diet, so long as you are eating enough to recover. Instead of dieting like bodybuilders and women, we want to use food as a fuel for our workouts and activity. If you get too fat, then cut out some of the extras. Otherwise, we are eating to get bigger. Bigger and stronger - not bigger and fatter. In addition, unlike bodybuilding, we conduct simple strength training using the compound movements (squat, deadlift, overhead press, and bench) to use as much muscle as possible in one movement. We don't care about biceps or quads training. We don't have time to spend two hours in the gym, trying to "sculpt" our calves. Also, we are training for strength, that means implementing a lower rep range. 4-6 reps, shooting for 5 reps, or even the 5, 3, 1 method is the goal. What about 10-15 reps? Well, that's silly bodybuilding, and it's endurance training. Those rep ranges do not make men stronger. Sure, if you're just coming off the couch from doing nothing, any rep range, with any exercise will give you results. However, after your "newbie gains" phase (4-6 months) that progress will slow and completely halt. So why not train in the proper ranges in the beginning? "What about the jacked bodybuilders who do those rep ranges?" I'm glad you asked. If you're taking drugs (and all of them are) basically any kind of program, any exercise, and any rep range will work. On that note, are you a drugged up, competitive bodybuilder? No? Then why train like one? Train for strength, not for bikini poses.

    What about endurance? Shouldn't I run for that? We've already covered that HERE. For 99% of people, training strength 2-3x per week is more than enough of a fitness program. For people just beginning (the great majority), they see amazing results within a month, and will continue to see results over a year down the road. So, why do anything else, when you don't need to? If you like running and doing aerobics, and you are young enough to still be able to recover for your next strength training, then have at it. But if you complain about lack of time, then stop wasting your time and work on getting strong. Lastly, we have to address the warriors. If you have to perform a heavy physical job, then you made need some extra endurance training but, I let me ask: do you jog for miles in shorts and tennis shoes for your job? If not, then why "train" endurance that way? If you are a soldier, you should be rucking. Ruck at least once per week. That will be your sport-specific endurance training. Once you get out and do your combat training, such as battle drills and squad/platoon maneuvers, that will be a lot more specific in training than any jogging program you could do.

So, let's summarize:

• Train for true strength 2-3x per week
• Eat to fuel those demanding workouts and subsequent recovery
• Perform your actual sport on non-strength days for your specific training

GO TRAIN

SOURCES

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Brooks & Fahey Exercise Physiology

BMR Calculator

 

No, You Don't Need to Run for "Conditioning"

 

Bottom Line Up Front

• Running is not required to build endurance, even for warriors
• A Program comprised of strength training, daily activity, and weekly rucks or patrols is the best conditioning for warriors
• "Conditioning" sounds cooler than "aerobics," but they're the same workout
• The most common excuse for skipping training is "lack of time," so we should train with the greatest efficiency

    Crossfit, and all of its copycats have sold you on the idea that you have to complete multiple "movements," at high intensity to trick your body and be prepared for the combat world. Even worse, the average Box sees complete beginners being forced to perform highly technical Olympic lifts with too much weight. It's all marketing, and it works. Doesn't it look cool to see an extremely fit dude performing creative and fun workouts? Doesn't it seem like those exercises match the challenges of combat? Afterall, we do have to jog and sprint every now and then in the combat world. We do need endurance to survive the long days full of miles, while wearing gear. The military practices this by simply running, in shorts and tennis shoes. But is running in shorts and tennis shoes really the best way to condition yourself for those challenges?

    The answer is quite simple: NO. I can't tell you the last time I had to run 2-3 miles in PT clothes in combat. In fact, that never happened. For context, I was a Grunt during the Battle of Ramadi (05-06). In one of the most brutal fights of the entire Global War on Terror, our deployment was combat-intensive. Every time we went out, something happened, and usually many things happened. Then, we spent about 11 days storming the city to begin building the first Combat Outposts. It was non stop, street to street, house to house fighting. Despite all the low-intensity cardio demands, I did not run for miles in shorts and running shoes. So why do we train "endurance" that way in the military context? Is it the lack of understanding the demands we are facing? Is it simply institutional-inbreeding?

      So how should  we train for combat endurance? We have to begin by defining endurance or conditioning. Endurance is simply your ability to perform a lower intensity movement for an extended period of time. Simple. How do we measure endurance? The most reliable method is by using Heart Rate Zones, combined with your age. There are five zones: 1-3 are your aerobic zones and 4 and 5 are your high intensity, shorter duration zones. Zone 1 would be more along the lines of just casually strolling around, while zone 3 would be the upper limit that you can perform for an extended period. For me, zones 1-3 are around 90 to 153 bpm. That is my endurance training zone. Now, what can we do to work in that heart rate zone, that will also mimic what I would do on a mission. Well, if you've listened to me for a while, you are already doing it: you should be rucking. In addition, actually patrolling with your gear a few times per month is also more realistic than jogging in shorts. In addition, your daily activity (10-12000 steps per day) will also cover a lot of your zones 1-2.

    "Dude, there is no way just walking, rucking, and patrolling can replace running for my endurance." Why not? You're training in zones 1-3, right? Even better, you are wearing most of the gear you will actually operate in. Again, are you patrolling and fighting in tennis shoes and shorts? Are you wearing light clothing and jogging for 2 miles on a mission? No? Then why are you "training" for endurance that way? How does that training modality match the effect you want to achieve? It just doesn't make sense. "Well we do have to actually run every now and then in combat." Absolutely; but, again, you're not doing that in shorts and tennis shoes - you are maneuvering in your boots and combat gear. In addition, the most you will be running in combat will be possibly for 1/4 to 1/2 a mile. That is about it. You may have to perform a few sprints at a short distance; this could include your "3-5 second rushes." So what about sprint training? Fair enough. However, are you arguing that a big, strong guy with a 400 lbs deadlift, who rucks and patrols in his gear every week, cannot perform a sprint? If you believe that, you may want to revisit where sprint "power" or just power in general comes from. How do we train power? By getting stronger. A strong man who also patrols and rucks often will have no problem sprinting. He will definitely have no problems with a bit of light jogging in his gear. Even better, the big strong (not big fat) will have a much easier time in those conditions than a skinny, weak guy, who does none of the recommended training.

    Now, let's put it all together. Do you still think running in shorts and tennis shoes for miles is the most effective way to train for combat endurance? It will work, sure. But does it resemble what you will most likely be doing on patrols and missions? No. So, if you just enjoy running and, in addition to the strength training, patrolling, and rucking in your gear, you still have the time to go run, then do it. Go run. Some people just need to run. For the rest of us and especially for those who are short on time, combining strength, patrolling, and rucking should be the go-to method for combat fitness.

SOURCES

Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications

Tortora & Derrickson's "Introduction to the Human Body..." 9th edition (http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Human-Body-Gerard-Tortora/dp/1118129199)

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength 

No BS Guide to Men's Fitness

 

Alright, so I've made many posts about fitness, strength, and nutrition, and I've heard all your questions. Many are still confused; they don't want to read long-winded essays; they just want to be told what to do. So here ya go: a step by step training and nutrition guide. If you do long for the detailed explanations, follow the Combat Fitness playlist

Methodology

A good Soldier must be strong, able to carry loads, and be aerobically fit. We can cover all those components with a simple program:

1. 2-3x per week strength training

2. 1x per week rucking

3. Daily activity: minimum 10k steps, sports, etc.

4. Eat for fuel - not for beauty pageants

THE WORKOUT

Monday: Full Body Strength, Starting Strength Novice Linear Progression*

3-5 Warm-up sets | 3 working sets of 5 reps | Add 5 lbs every workout

1. Squats

2. Bench (Replace bench with overhead press 1x per week)

3. Deadlift 1x5

*Extremely deconditioned or older people may benefit from 2x per week

*Once per week perform a few sets of chin-ups at the end

WARRIOR-SPECIFIC CONDITIONING

Ruck at least once per week

• Wear boots or it's not rucking
• No crazy mileage
• No crazy weight (20-25% of bodyweight)
• You don't need to run
• Example: 20% of body weight, 4 miles
• Increase mileage OR weight ONLY when you can hit the designated distance with a 15/minute mile. Example: 4 mile ruck in less than an hour

NUTRITION

• 1g of protein per pound of body weight
• 25-35% of calories from fat
• Remaining calories from carbs
• Eat for your activity level, which almost everyone messes up and under eats. I am currently 188 lbs and eating 3500 calories daily. If my activity increases, so will my food. I am not training for a beauty pageant - I am training for performance, and so should you.

SOURCES

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook

Brooks & Fahey Exercise Physiology

BMR Calculator

The Warrior's Diet & Training Guide

FACTS UP FRONT

• All diets work for everyone at first. For long-term success, you have to drop the fads and "hacks," and fuel yourself properly

• You cannot out-train a bad diet; you also cannot out-diet a poor lifestyle

    Low-carb diets do work......for the right people........for a short amount of time. Bodybuilders and professionals use low-carb diets SHORT TERM to trim extra fat and boost their metabolism. If you are just starting off, you don't need to take any excessive measures. Low-carb diets rob your body of fuel and almost all of the lost "weight" is water and muscle glycogen. Wait, but muscle glycogen is important, right? Exactly. Think about eating food to fuel your activities, instead of being active to counteract your food. You don't have to suffer and avoid foods you love. In fact, you should be feeling full after each meal and even enjoying a few cheats every now and then. You actually don't have to be obsessive about it at all. You should already be training 3-4 times per week, and be mostly active daily anyway. If you're doing the right things during the week, it should all be relatively easy.

WHERE TO BEGIN

1. Determine How Much You Should Eat Find one of the many FREE Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculators online and figure out what you should eat every day. But don't get too wrapped around the numbers game. Afterall, many people underestimate how much they eat and over-estimate how much they train. But we do need a baseline for what you SHOULD be eating daily. After a few weeks you can adjust those numbers based on your habits and activity. Now what about those macros?

Men: Consume 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body weight; 20-30% of your calories are from fat; the remaining calories are from carbs. If you are trying to cut extra body fat, simply cut the dietary fat slightly. This should place you into a slight deficit, while still fueling your workouts with the carbohydrates. That's right, cutting carbs first is actually the wrong way. Well, that is, if you want to continue training and not lose all your strength.

For the hard-gainers: the absolute best way to pack on bodyweight is Mark Rippetoe's Gallon of Milk a Day. Milk is the most affordable and efficient "weight gainer" on the market. Save your money on the powders - drink milk!

Women: Consume .8 grams of protein per pound of  lean body weight; maximum 25% calories from fat; the remaining calories are from carbs. Same as men, if you are trying to cut or get leaner, you can cut a bit of the fats but do not go crazy and starve yourself.

2. Eat the RIGHT foods. Believe it or not, most people know what food is good or not. It's built into us. Do I really need to tell you that potato chips and cupcakes are bad? Do I really need to tell you to drink water, instead of soda all day? Thought so...you know what to do; just do it.

Seek out nutrient dense foods and avoid calorie dense foods. It's that simple.

3. Eat for YOUR Fitness Level & Activity

Once you have established your BMR, you can then adjust your macros accordingly. If you are having a heavy day, add 150-300 extra calories. Try to eat a large breakfast to give you plenty of fuel until your next meal. If you cannot eat breakfast, try to eat a large dinner the night before. There are zero legitimate studies showing that large dinners promote unhealthy weight gain. On that note, there are zero legitimate studies showing that "intermittent fasting" leads to long-term healthy weight management. These are just little tricks influencers will push on you. Stick with the basics and you will be fine.

If you find that you are starving by dinner time or late at night, that is a good indicator that you did not eat enough during the day. Make a plan to eat more, earlier, the next day, and that should help. You shouldn't walk around feeling full all the time, but you also should not have endless cravings, with low energy. 

4. Stop Demonizing Carbs!

Seriously, this nonsense has to stop. Carbs are not your problem - over-consuming them, in junk-food form is your problem. Carbs are fuel. 

Carbohydrates are our primary source of energy. Glucose is the ready source, while your muscles and liver store them as glycogen. Glycogen is easily used by the body during activity. Forget about the gurus and pseudoscience for a minute. Your body wants to utilize carbs so much that when you cut off the supply it will make them from other sources, known as gluconeogenesis. Sure, you can force your body into Ketosis, where it must utilize other nutrients as glucose, but why would you make your body go through all the extra work? All this low-carb, keto crap is just that: crap. Notice that your friends who praise it always seem to get off it at some point. They also become extremely weak and lethargic during their cuts. The only way professional bodybuilders and fitness models are able to continue training, or even functioning, at such a low bodyfat percentage is because of the heavy drug usage. 

5. Know What Training is, and Actually Train

People tend to confuse activity or "exercising" with actual training. "Training" is a specific activity designed to induce an exact effect. Example: strength and power training, a 5k running program. Going for an unloaded, leisurely walk is activity, or exercise. Training makes you grow, get faster, while demanding a ton of energy. Activity, while extremely beneficial for overall health and longevity, will not induce specific results, and do not require a lot of energy. Examples of training, with links to videos:

• Strength Training, especially programs like Starting Strength, is KING
• Sprints (specific to your sport)
• Rucking 
• Over 30 minutes of "zone 2" or steady-state cardio (especially if you're new)

You should TRAIN for at least 3 days per week as a beginner, and around 5 times per week as an athlete. You should conduct basic activities EVERY DAY. This can be as simple as an hour walk, or 6 10 minute brisk walks, or an hour of light sports. Most experts agree that getting in at least 10,000 steps per day has an amazing health benefit, and will also assist in fat loss on the long run. Go look up your favorite body builder. The great majority spend the first hour of their sessions walking on a treadmill. 

What if you don't have a smart watch? 10,000 steps for most people is just around 5 miles. If you cannot do this all at once, split it up throughout the day:

• Six, 10-minute brisk walks
• Park far away and walk
• Walk if you don't have to drive
• Always take the stairs
• Stand more

So let's put it all together

Here is my typical day of eating:

(below is my typical week of training)

Breakfast

• 8 whole eggs, either on a cheese sandwich or scrambled with shredded cheese
• 16oz of whole milk
• Some fruit or juice to stimulate the liver

First Snack

• 4 hard-boiled eggs OR
• PB sandwich with another 16oz of whole milk

Pre-workout (1 hour before training)

• Peanut butter sandwich and some coffee OR
• A few bananas and some coffee

Post-workout

• 32oz of whole milk with 1 scoop of protein 

Afternoon Snack

• A few hard-boiled eggs OR
• Another 16oz of whole milk

Dinner (all self-made)

Options:

• Biggest ribeye I could find with either potatoes or rice
• 2 big burgers with some cheese, lettuce, and fried onions
• Chicken breast and potatoes or rice
• Spaghetti Bolognese with extra ground beef added; homemade sauce
• Ground beef mixed with BBQ sauce for homemade Sloppy Joe

Late-Night Snack (if training day)

• 32oz of whole milk OR
• PB sandwich and 16oz of whole milk

My Typical Week of Training

*10k steps, or and hour of walking daily

Monday, Wednesday, Friday:  Starting Strength Program

Tuesday: Recovery

Thursday: Recovery

Saturday: Recovery

Sunday: Rucking: usually 4 miles in under an hour @20% of bodyweight

    Recovery Days do not mean laying around, doing nothing. Between my job and lifestyle, I am still quite active. The point is that I do not do anything with high intensity that would interfere with my strength training recovery.

    That's all there is to it, folks. Being fit and healthy certainly does not mean starving or restriction. Hang out with me for a day and you will see just how much food I can destroy! The fact remains that as long as at least 80% of your diet comes from good foods, then you really can do whatever the hell you want with the other 20%. As you become fitter and leaner, you will learn how to do all this naturally, without having to count. Even better, you'll be so fit that you'll have to introduce some "junk" food, just to be able to fuel your body for those long days. Example: Super skinny backpackers who live on absolute crap for months, but it doesn't show one bit. So do you want to keep counting every calorie, starving yourself everyday, and dying to eat just one piece of chocolate everyday? Or do you want to train, be active, eat like a maniac, and still have room to enjoy some of your favorite treats every now and then?

Randall, Grunt Proof

SOURCES

BMR Calculator (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/)

Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook (http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp)

Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength

Insulin Index of Foods (clinical study) (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/66/5/1264.full.pdf+html)

Tortora & Derrickson's "Introduction to the Human Body..." 9th edition (http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Human-Body-Gerard-Tortora/dp/1118129199)

Sport Medicine on "Post-Workout Nutrition." (http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa081403.htm)

Clinical trials on high fat diets and health risks (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19828712)

Clinical trial on high cholesterol and health risks (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16549459)

Clinical trials: Cholesterol and Atherosclerosis (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14623804)

Clinical trials on low-carb diets and obesity (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12761365)

The science behind caloric measurements and inaccuracies (http://www.livescience.com/26799-calorie-counts-inaccurate.html)

Dietary fats http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/fats.html

EVOLUTION OF THE SERE CHALLENGE

Compared to its beginning in 2020, the SERE Challenge has evolved into a complex, extremely demanding event. In addition to the real-world event on the ground, the SERE Challenge has also become the most authentic survival show on any platform. How did it begin, how has it evolved, and what is coming in the future?

    Back in 2016, I purchased what would be my first set of properties deep in the Sierra Nevadas. A truly remote location, complete with extremely rugged terrain, peace and quiet, and tons of public land where one could freely roam for days. Missing my connection with the veteran and outdoor communities, I immediately began contemplating methods to get like-minded people out to the area in order to enjoy the area like I do. I had many ideas, but the first one that stuck was a survival competition, where youtubers would test their own skills against other survivalists. Utilizing the over 3200 acres of public land near me, the Survival Games was solidified as a full concept, and in November 2020, we hosted the first event. Watch Season 1

    Bill (Stokermatic) battled Eric (Coleman Outdoors) in the first Survival Games. The concept in Season 1 was simple: Each contestant is dropped at an unknown location in the area. They have 24 hours to evade the "hunters," and reach an extraction point. Whoever reaches extraction first, or does not get captured wins. Once a contestant is captured or reaches extraction, the roles are reversed, and the event starts over. Eric evaded Bill for just over 11 hours, but was eventually hunted down and captured. Bill evaded for over 16 hours, reached the extraction point, and won. Season 1 set the tone for the show, and set a high standard for survival "reality" shows. The most appealing aspect is the realism and authenticity: there is no Hollywood budget, no camera crews, and no high-end production. Everything is real; nothing is staged or reshot, and the contestants have no idea what is coming until it happens. No other "survival" or outdoor show has done this, nor will they even try. The big-budget productions simply cannot operate or market themselves without over-dramatization. SERE Challenge Season 2 introduces the full concept of SERE in 2022. Watch Season 2

    Brent (Brent0331) battled Jared (2 Alpha Solutions) in the first full concept of SERE Challenge. Building on the original concept of Season 1, now each contestant is first captured by an enemy, and spends up to 6 hours in below-freezing temperatures, in uncomfortable positions and situations, and is interrogated. Once the "captivity" portion is complete, the contestant escapes and begins to evade. Using a stolen radio and equipment, the contestant is then given a course in order to navigate to his extraction point. Limited guidance to the "survivor," combined with bolstered support for the "hunter" made Season 2 even more intense and challenging that the original concept. Watch Season 2. But the crew, led by Randall (Grunt Proof) is not even done improving the event and show. SERE Challenge Season 3 will be even more challenging for the contestants, and will include many improvements such as a full-blown real-world scenario: The Crisis.