Do you have any other suggestions? Maybe try and swim once a week?
If you have access to water I would swim as much as you can.
Alot of people will say that by combining elements you are shooting yourself in the foot, but it really depends on what your goals are. I run Starr/Rip inspired 5x5ās and do stone lifts/carries/throws on the weekend. I also do training for 1.5 mile runs because , wait for this, i feel like it. NO you will not get the most strength you can get out of a strength training program possible, BUT you will still gain strength, just not at an optimum pace. By most peoples ideas of combining elements we should never work labor related jobs and quit sports to pursue strength gains. If you want to run, do it and adjust as your goals change.
On the other hand if you want to get good points in the Military do a freaky amount of body weight training, carries, and run and swim
When it comes to my strength, Iām just looking to keep it in a similar range to it is now. Improving it would be lovely and all, but itās not the priority. Doing the powerlifting lifts is something that I have so much passion for, itās not just a hobby for me. I love training and being physical, but nothing is as satisfying or as fulfilling to me as doing those lifts. I donāt even mind just training two times or even once a week. As long as I can do them, Iām a happy bunny ahah
I keep writing IMO for every thing so just take all of this as my Broscience Opinion:
Ok, you mean like treadmills and elipticals (both are near worthless except in extreme examples) or HIIT (which I think strongman falls under and is far superior) or jogging which you mentioned you wanted to do?
Benefits of Cardio were mentioned and I think the benefits are fat burning and increased workload capacity? Strongman is the ideal form of all training not sport specific and this includes the benefits reaped from doing cardio. Training based around the Big 3 and other compound movements come in 2nd with all other forms I can readily think of in the far off distance.
So to answer your question yes I think that Strongman would be a great form of or substitute for cardio (or any training really).
2 More Cents:
I want to start off by saying combining 5-3-1 and strongman would be brutal for people already in really good shape. Recovery should be considered your main workout.
Follow 5-3-1 Verbatim maybe substituting Log Clean and Press for Military Press
Do Strongman Implements after 5-3-1 on same day
EAT EVERYTHING (clean), sleep a lot and often
Take 2+ days off
Post videos of lifts constantly to learn form, technique and make sure to heed the advice
Better yet start a training log
In the beginning I would use the strongman work as assistance work to the 5-3-1 because 5-3-1 will be very structured comparatively and Strongman training can easily be adjusted for energy levels that day.
Later if you wanted to un-structure the Big 3 work a bit and use it as assistance work for strongman I think that would also work great.
My Thoughts on Weekly Programming:
Monday: Squat + Loaded Carry (Yoke, Farmers, Sandbag)
Tuesday: Bench+Rows (Kind of an āeasierā day)
Wednesday: RECOVER
Thursday: Deadlift + Atlas Stones or Loaded Carry
Friday: Log Press + Rows
Saturday: Jog 3-4 Miles (or RECOVER)
Sunday: RECOVER
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Iām not going to do gown the strongman route as of yet, I really want to. Like im twitching bad for it haha, I might put in a few throws or loaded carryās, but probably not too much. just focusing on general fitness like push ups and pull ups etc.
Brian Alsrushe put up a good looking program on youtube the other week? Month? I dunno, but he put it up there.
Itās something like 4 days a week. First section is something like squat or bench, second section is accessories (db bench or pull ups or something) and then a strongman section to finish the whole thing off. Then the intensities of the training sessions cycle. It seems legit tbh, I probably wonāt do it. But maybe sometime in the future Iāll use it.
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I see these threads a lot. I donāt feel like anyone takes the military seriously. Itās always something about I love lifting, but I have to run fast so Iāll add a couple miles at some point. Your job comes first. The military is a full-time, all-consuming job (at least combat units). The standards you mentioned above are not easy. If you want to succeed, that needs to be your priority. Priority doesnāt mean fit it in with other stuff you like doing when itās convenient. It means it is the only thing that matters, and if you get to do some of the stuff you enjoy too then thatās a nice bonus. I donāt think lifting and BW/ running are mutually exclusive, but I think the way you (and every one of these Iāve read) are thinking about it is probably backwards. Also keep in mind: initial entry training/ selections are not the same thing as operational time (which is not the same from unit to unit and deployment to deployment), and you need to adjust your physical training accordingly.
I led some combat teams and ran some initial entry units for infantry/ SF contracts, just for point of clarification on experience.
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Couldnāt agree more.
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I may just be simple but I always found (keep in mind a base level of fitness that was fairly high) a running program and body building style training Ala stew smith worked well for entry and career advancement training because the focus was injury prevention so you didnāt have to start over. operational was like you said performance based off whatever your needs were which you usually found out in work up training but it wasnāt rocket science. if your slower then everyone else move faster if your too weak get stronger but donāt make everyone else make up for you. if dude signs up heās gonna find this out REAL fast like everyone does.
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Correct me if Iām wrong, but having a combination of lifting, running and bodyweight exercises in your training is surely a better idea than just bodyweight and running? Fixing my general conditioning/endurance is the priority here. I never said it wasnt. Fitness isnāt just one or two components, my weakness is my endurance, so thatās why Iām replacing my usual accessories of barbell/dumbbell movements with the bodyweight training I suggested earlier, with the addition of the 5 total miles of running that I will be doing. A greater percentage of my training will be focused on the endurance and conditioning components, with less of an emphasis on the main lifts. Iām not adding in pause work, or anything to improve those lifts. Just doing squat, bench, deadlift and OHP. I thought it was the bare minimum. I want to keep my strength training because itās still useful, itās still a component of fitness.
Do you have a recommendation for this training schedule?
Monday: Squat
Tuesday: Bench & 1-mile run
Wednesday: 2 miles
Thursday: Deadlift
Friday: OHP & 1 mile run
Saturday: 1-mile run
Sunday: Rest
I might add another mile run after my squat, but not sure.
Monday:
Squat
Bench
Pull ups - 5 negatives (5 seconds each)
Push ups - 10
Sit ups - 10
Squat - 30
Pull up hold - 10 (10 seconds)
Dip - 10
Leg raises - 10
(Repeat 4x )
Tuesday:
1 mile run
Wednesday:
EMOM
3 pull up negatives
10 push ups
10 sit ups
1 mile run
Thursday:
Deadlift
OHP
Pull ups - 5 negatives (5 seconds each)
Push ups - 10
Sit ups - 10
Squat - 30
Pull up hold - 10 (10 seconds)
Dip - 10
Leg raises - 10
(Repeat 4x )
Friday:
2 mile run
Saturday:
1 mile run
Sunday:
Rest
What about this template?
I agree with all that. I liked Stew Smithās stuff (even though I never actually swam that much). There was a site called mountain athlete or something like that the guys really enjoyed because it was so varied. I donāt really think the āthis many of this and this many of thisā matters, itās just the focus (Iāll give an example when I reply to the OP), which I think is exactly what you said.
Iām not trying to jump down your throat or anything, and of course weight training is great. Like I said above, the perfect template doesnāt matter and youāll probably figure it out as you go. When you look at what you wrote, though, youāll see what I mean about priority. You laid out all the steps youāll do of your lifts (even your leg raises), and then have āon x day Iāll run a mileā. Thatās not really prioritizing your running, which is your weak point. Even just your test is actually 3 miles long, and you only intend to run 5 miles a week training (and no indication of how youāll run that). I am not on the end of the spectrum that thinks soldiers should be marathoners, but part of entry/ selections is seeing how professional you are - if youāre told what a requirement is, are you mature enough to prep specifically for that requirement?
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So what would you suggest? After a month, I was thinking increase everything by either a 0.5 or 1 mile, depending on how I feel Iām progressing. Thatāll put me up to 7-10 miles a week
I could always run before the workout? Get it sorted before I can do the things I enjoy slightly more, probably motivate me abit more to be hnest
I donāt really think there is a perfect program. I always defaulted to 3 runs a week: 1 short/ repeats (so multiple 400m -800m runs would fit here; 2-3 miles total), 1 tempo ~goal distance (2-3 mi. for you), and one long: your long should probably be ~5-6 miles, but I think you need to get comfortable jogging 45-60 minutes any time youāre asked. Again, this probably isnāt perfect (I had a base when I did this), but it just doesnāt matter. Itās mindset: if you care about your run the most, that is what will improve. You also need miles under your belt - basic will test you, you will never do anything rested, and itās not the time to deal with the added stressor of many more miles than youāre used to.
Running first is probably a good idea. Warm up and finish with pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups. Just do these frequently and youāll get better. Earn your weightlifting. This is not your forever plan, itās to meet your goal. Itās like dieting: when you are too fat, you eat less until you are not; once youāre lean you can earn some more cheeseburgers.
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so using that, what would the weekly template look like?
Dude, not being sarcastic at all, I think you should get off the Internet right now, put on your shoes, and:
- Do 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups
- Run 25 minutes without stopping
- Do 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups
- Reassess
All the better if you feel like crap right now and donāt want to.
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And what does that achieve?
Lol exactly.