The Navy Seal Workout
May 9, 2011 by Jamin Thompson
Filed under Recent Posts, Training
With so much excitement surrounding Seal Team 6 taking down the infamous terrorist Osama Bin Laden last week, everyone has been jumping on the Navy Seal bandwagon.
Seems like everyone wants to be a Navy Seal now, and with good reason. They kick ass. Serious ass.
Fact is, these dudes are badasses. They are at the top of the food chain when it comes to elite training and they are probably the most lethal group of warriors on the planet.
Due to all of the hype from TV lately…I’ve gotten a bunch of questions from readers asking me ‘how does a Navy Seal train’?
Today I’ll try to answer that question as best I can.
I’m not a Seal myself, but I have trained with some former Seals and done a few of their workouts. Here’s what I can tell you from those experiences.
Seals have a different approach to training than do bodybuilders, they are more concerned with strength and endurance, not who is the “most ripped” or “most symmetrical”.
And honestly, if you have ever do a Seal workout…you will get a new found appreciation of just how tough their training actually is. And how weak yours probably is. (No offense, just keeping it real)
If you ever thought your training was hard, or if you ever bitched about your morning “cardio” while training for a show, a Navy Seal would put you to shame.
First of all, basic Seal training (First Phase) starts off with Hell Week, which is a grueling 5 and a half day stretch where rookies only get to sleep for about 4 hours during the duration of those 5 and a half days, but will run over 200 miles and train for over 20 hours per day. And that’s only Phase 1!
Commitment? Check. Dedication? Check. Will? Yes Sir!
These guys do everything from Olympic powerlifting, to gymnastics drills, to long swims, to sprints. There is nothing that’s left out. No training stone left unturned.
No offense to the great bodybuilders out there, I have nothing but respect for bodybuilders…but bodybuilding workouts just can’t compare. The level of intensity, mental strain, and physical pain of Seal training exceed bodybuilding workouts by 1000%.
One of the key aspects that separates a Seal’s training program from a bodybuilders is the Seal training mantra, which states: A strength training program should not detract you from pursuing competency in running and swimming.
Last time I checked, most bodybuilders are too big to run, climb up a cliff, or much less swim. Their physiques just aren’t all that functional.
Bottom line is, Seals train for mission specific performance, and their objective is to develop the ability (through intense training) to perform at a level high enough to complete any mission – no matter what. There is no room for error, as even the slightest mistake could cost a Seal his life.
The Navy Seals have 3 general standards for fitness:
1) The The Ten Physical Skills
2) Energy Systems Efficiency
3) Mission Related Tasks Performance Ability
The Ten Physical Skills are comprised of strength, stamina, power, flexibility, accuracy, coordination, agility, balance, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory endurance. An elite Seal warrior focuses on improving speed and power through consistent training and practice. He also engages in the regular practice of movements and exercises that stimulate the nervous system enough to radically improve accuracy, agility, coordination, balance, control, precision, and overall performance.
Energy Systems Efficiency. The Seals believe that elite fitness requires competency and training in three pathways. The oxidative pathway, the glycolytic pathway, and the phosphagen pathway. These three pathways make up the three energy systems that provide energy for all human activity. The oxidative pathway is important because it powers activities that last for several minutes or more. The glycolytic pathway powers activities that last up to several minutes. The phosphagen pathway powers short burst activities that last less than 10 seconds. An elite warrior is one who has learned how to balance the effects of these three pathways and has fine tuned this process through tough physical training.
Mission Related Tasks Performance Ability. This is a general standard which implies that any individual Seal should be able to efficiently perform at a high level on each and every mission related task both known and unknown. Due to the fact that Seals will inevitably face unknown and unforeseeable challenges, exercise order, reps, exercises, rest periods, sets, training schedules, etc are always be rotated and changed and are therefore never routine. A Seal must ALWAYS train for the unknown; so most Seal training consists of variable high intensity functional movements that are focused primarily on strength, endurance, durability, flexibility, and stamina.
Here Is The Basic Navy Seal Fitness Test
Swim 500 Yards. Swim 500 yards in under 12 minutes, 30 seconds using only the combat swimmer stroke. Elite Seals finish in 8-9 minutes.
Max Push-ups. Finish 42 push-ups in 2 minutes. The average Seals typically do 100 push-ups in 2 minutes.
Max Sit-ups. Finish 52 sit-ups in 2 minutes. The average Seals typically do 100 sit-ups in 2 minutes.
Max Pull-ups. Finish at least 8 pull-ups in a row without touching the ground or letting go of the bar. Average Seals do 15-20 in a row.
1.5 Mile Run. Finish a 1.5 mile run in less than 11 minutes, 30 seconds wearing your boots and pants. Average Seals finish in 9-10 minutes.
Wait you thought your 10 minute mile time on the treadmill last week was good? Not so fast my friend. A navy seal would smoke you in his boots & pants.
Navy Seals don’t care what they look like with their shirts off, even though 99% of them are shredded to the bone. They don’t care what they look like in front of the judges because their only stage is Mission Impossible. They live by the creed that they will never quit, and will always do their best to perform the mission to the best of their ability, regardless of the situation.
Trust me, if you only trained 25% as hard as a Seal you would eventually develop a world class physique.
If you want a workout that not only burns fat, but builds up your functional strength AND your endurance level, look no further than basic Seal workouts. You don’t need any fancy machines, you won’t need to do any “new age” movements. All of this stuff is OLDSCHOOL.
So for all of you wannabe Seals out there, download the free workouts below and see if you’re up for the challenge.
CLICK HERE to download the Naval Special Warfare Physical Training Guide (right click, save as)
CLICK HERE to download the US Navy Seal Physical Fitness Guide (right click, save as)
Before I get out of here I would like to give a big shout out to my cousin Keisha (Naval Officer) and all of the Navy Seals out there who are kicking ass all over the world, making America a safer place. Hooyah!
As always, thanks for reading, my friends.
Stay strong.
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