If you are looking to join the armed forces, your weight training program should be carefully structured to help you perform well under the physical and mental demands of the army. There are five main characteristics of a specific weight training plan will help you develop and perform well in the many challenges ahead.
Muscular Strength
As the ability to generate force in any given situation is essential for army life, it is key for a prospective soldier to make improvement of muscular strength a high priority. Exercises that will benefit whole-body muscular strength are the big, compound lifts, such as bench press, squat and deadlift. Compound moves are multi-jointed exercises that work many muscle groups. This will help you prepare for the whole body work of army challenges. It is also important to develop a good strength to bodyweight ratio, so pull-ups and push-ups should be utilized. Perform one to five reps of the powerlifting moves for three to five sets. Performing the press-ups and push-ups to max effort for one to three sets will help you improve your strength in relation to your bodyweight.
Power
Life in the army means always being prepared to react to situations quickly. This is where developing power in the weight room will help you to combine your strength with speed. Olympic weightlifting moves work well with this training, such as the clean and jerk and power cleans. However, there are many types of exercises that develop power. Dan Baker, president of the Australian Strength and Conditioning Associatiion, says that true power training exercises entail acceleration throughout the entire range of movement. Using plyometrics is a great way to develop power, including moves such as clap push-ups, jump squats and power shrug jumps.
Strength Endurance
As you will be looking to be able to maintain strength for extended period of time, strength endurance is something to concentrate on. Train for this by adding timings to strength exercises. For example, do the maximum number of push ups in 2 minutes. This means you keep working through the onset of fatigue to overload the muscular system. The muscles will then repair stronger, allowing you to work harder for longer.
Mental Preparation
Life in the army means facing different challenges daily. A UK Military Fitness Website states that "fitness is the key to any challenge you may face in the field." Weight training is a way to do this due to the effect of putting yourself through work of high intensity, testing your body and mind. This will translate well to the Army Ethos. The U.S. Soldiers Creed states 'I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills." You will need to train to prepare yourself to the best of your ability, to install a confidence and a knowledge that you can push yourself to your limits.
Mental Toughness
A major part of your weight training for the army should focus on developing a mental toughness. This is where you will push your body hard. Certain exercises can be used specifically for this. Strongman work, such as"'the prowler," "'farmers walk" and "awkward object carry" is very task specific, as the main concept of the exercise is to complete a distance in as short a time possible, and you will use whatever form you can to complete the exercise. This is similar to Army training, where the focus is the goal, such as getting some equipment moved as quickly as possible, rather than concentrating on careful form. This training will translate your physical strength into the all-important functional strength.
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