Get Fit For Selection In The Armed Forces

With cut backs in armed forces regiments it's now even harder to standout against the competition when meeting the requirements needed to pass their fitness tests. If you want to get fit for the selection tests and aren't sure where to begin or what tests will be involved then Home Improvement Fitness are here with the intel and basic training to get you started.

Many armed forces require a very high standard of fitness for you to make the grade depending on your gender, age and position applied for. In many cases it wont just be the regulation fitness tests outlined in black and white before you apply. You may also be required to do more specialised tests for specific roles which may only be revealed a weeks before they commence. These forces aren't trying to be sneaky here, it is just the way it goes; they may be trying to fill the position as soon as possible or they may be catering for the fact that the tests can vary from vacancy to vacancy even if it is the same role.

It is a good idea to train for all eventualities and to keep up a decent level of fitness even before you enter the application stage as you could be called for such tests at a moments notice depending on the nature of them. The tests mostly involve some form of cardio vascular (CV) exercise or task that applies enough strain on your aerobic system so that you reach your V02 maximum. Basically this means you will be working up to your maximum oxygen intake, which could come a lot sooner than you think if your fitness is average or below this level. There will also most likely be upper-body and abdominal strength exercises too, and there could be tests to evaluate your competence with swimming/treading water and even tests for you motor skills.

The particular armed forces you are applying for should have the proper technique they require for your upper-body (most likely press-ups) and abdominal region (sit-ups) on their website. For example here is the link for the RAF's correct techniques http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/canijoin/fitness.cfm
so first get accustomed to the technique before trying to drill too many in and picking up bad habits, for example bouncing back up too quickly on the sit-ups as these may not be counted towards your total on the actual test day.

In the Royal Marines they will also test you on pull-ups (AKA chin-ups). This will be performed on a wooden beam with an overhand grip (knuckles facing towards your body and palms facing away) to a set of beeps that will sound for both the upward and downward portions of the movement. The reason for this is to stop you cheating and using momentum from the previous rep to bounce back upwards for the next one. So when practising your pull-ups you want to also be using a wooden beam and ensuring that your repetitions aren't with the use of momentum to simulate how they will be performed on the actual day. If you can't find a sturdy wooden beam that can take your weight and wont give you splinters (if you have a garage the beams in there might be ideal but ensure you check they are safe first) then try using the frame of any gym equipment that has a sturdy beam that can take your weight. The best example here is probably a conventional cable-cross machine.

Purpose-made chin-up handles may seem more comfortable and are fine when your first starting out, but it will not place as big of a burden on your grip and will not simulate what will be required of you on the test day. Therefore it's best to ditch these handles as soon as you possibly can to switch to a beam. If you are having problems performing the basic entry level of eight quality pull-ups (more senior roles will require higher amounts) then you may need someone to spot you, raising you up from the legs to assist you until you are able to do them on your own. Similarly if you have a gym membership or have a multi-station at home you can perform lateral pull-downs loaded with a stack that is less than your body-weight to help train the muscles that are used during a pull-up, as it is an extremely similar motion for your body to perform and it will help you build up towards using a beam. You may have seen assisted chin-up machines, where you can place your knees on a padded platform that moves up and down to help you perform a similar action. This basically means that you will feel lighter, but you will be performing the same motions required to complete a chin-up (only it will be easier). Just be aware that most conventional assisted chin-up machines become easier with the more weight you select because it is used as a counterbalance to your body-weight.

Once you have got your technique down for all the required exercises it is time to start seeing how many press-ups and sit-ups you can do in a minute (or two minutes in the case of the Royal Marines). Start with the exercise you feel weakest at first and take a 30-45 second rest between sets. Alternate between the two exercises for a total of 3-4 sets of each. If you get more advanced at this try only resting after doing a set of both exercises (AKA super-sets). If you need a rest during the actual set (a rest-pause) do this during the upward portion of a press-up and the downward portion of your sit-ups. Do not put your knees on the floor during a rest-pause for your press-ups, because on the test day no further repetitions will be counted after you put your knees on the ground (even if there is time left during your monitored minute). You should be doing these exercises within your programme every other day, allowing those muscle groups to recover. Allowing time to recover by no means indicates you should be slacking off and you should be adding an element of very intense CV work into your workouts on almost every occasion. You should be aiming for hitting that VO2 maximum mentioned earlier and working to reduce the amount of recovery time needed and lactic acid build up in the muscles.

Obviously if your fitness test involves a run with a specific distance (usually within a time limit) you should look to replicate this in your workouts, especially if you want to see your current pace and progression. But you wont want to be doing this every session as you will most likely be over-training specific muscle groups. If possible, get yourself down to a gym or leisure centre and also try rowing intervals. Start off by doing 5 intervals of 500m aiming to do at least 3 of these in under 2 minutes with a 1 min rest period. Some modern indoor rowing machines will allow you to program these intervals at this pace before starting your workout. Doing this will also mean that you don't cheat with your rest periods, as the next interval will start the second your rest period is over.

Work your way up slowly adding an extra interval each week until you reach 8 or 9 intervals that meet that pace. If you begin to meet this pace comfortably and want to push yourself further then you don't necessarily need to increase the amount of intervals any further but do decrease the rest periods as this will improve your recovery rate. Your recovery rate will be essential for the types of tests during selection-weekends, where you may be required to perform multiple tasks with little time to rest in between.

One of the best tests for monitoring specifically how fit you are when it comes to CV fitness is the bleep/beep test. Which we will cover more closely in another article (LINK TO FOLLOW) which involves running between two markers placed 20m apart at a constantly increasing pace. This may seem similar to interval training but the distinct difference is there are no rest periods, once you drop below the pace of the beeps you are out. Many of the roles in the armed forces that involve a greater need for fitness will perform this test and will require you to reach a high level (sometimes not specified beforehand) otherwise they might be escorting you to the exit sooner than you might like. The scores you have obtained in other areas in testing probably wont save you if you don't perform well on this multi-stage fitness-test (MSFT).

If your role includes a motor skills test then you should already be doing things that improve this throughout your daily life. If not it might be time to dust off some sports gear like your football boots or maybe re-string that old tennis racket. Believe it or not one of the simplest ways for the armed forces to test your motor skills is to have you play sports like these and evaluate your performance. So getting some mates down the park for a game of footy, shooting some hoops or even adding a game of badminton in your training programs will be beneficial if your motor skills are to be tested. No need to up the intensity here really, so maybe use these as 'active rest' days if your not over-training or are feeling a little restless on your days off. While on the subject, once your training program is in full swing you should be looking to do at least five days a week of one hour's intense exercise each day. But each individual is different and after particularly intense days of exercise when you feel that you are over-training then you may wish to take a day off to recover or reduce the intensity for a couple of workouts so you don't get too burnt out.

There is so much to cover on this subject and any more information may leave you shell-shocked from bombarding you with too much at once, but hopefully now that you are armed with a guideline of the sorts of tests you may face and the sorts of exercises you should be focusing on you will be prepared for the gruelling selection days ahead. With that being said - don't be put off the idea all together - keep in mind most roles have its variety of tests and it pays to do your research on these as early as possible. You may dread one of the tests we have mentioned here and it might not be included on your selection weekend, so don't get too paranoid about it. However, it should go without saying that if you are dreading a particular test that you know you are going to take and it is your weakness then make that the focus of your training. Work hard on the aspect required to improve on that area and make it become one of your strengths. Normally when you are exercising to feel good and get healthy you want to be doing things that you enjoy, but if you are deadly serious about making it in the armed forces then you are going to have to do some forms of training that just aren't very enjoyable. If you train hard before the test day(s) and don't cheat yourself, you will thank the person staring back at you in the mirror for it.

Combat Training

http://www.homeimprovementfitness.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/michael-phelps-using-combat-training.html

The training

As mentioned in our article about Michael Phelps (linked above) many people are adopting combat training as a form of keeping fit, even if they don't intend on becoming a hardened warrior. But what are the benefits and why should you try and add such techniques into your workout schedules?

Techniques such as striking pads, circuit training between punch/kick bags and sparring help with so many aspects of fitness - in fact some would argue that it helps develop all aspects of fitness. It certainly helps with fat-burning, improving cardio, agility, balance and flexibility. With so many benefits from one focus of training its not hard to understand why so many people adopt this method rather than splitting their training up into these separate categories.

This does not mean to say that training focused on these and other aspects (long distance endurance training and powerlifting etc.) are not worth while pursuing, but it can be an excellent way to supplement these methods. Likewise these methods can be used to supplement your combat training. No offence to those that enjoy long drawn out slogs on the treadmill, but it's also not hard to understand how people often consider combat training a more fun approach to keeping fit. Chances are you will be focusing on how good your technique is and whether each hit was better than your last, so this may even take your mind off any natural discomfort you feel from exercising, such as the build up of lactic acid.

Martial arts gyms

The gym method might not be for everyone, afterall this is why Home Improvement Fitness was first launched. Some may feel intimidated performing techniques amongst people who are more advanced or have different goals to themselves (such as becoming pro fighters). Similarly, advanced fighters may feel that they are not getting enough focus in group classes or that they are not allowed to work on aspects they want to. For example they may want to add weights into their routine, or drill their advanced moves more often and are forced to do less intense routines so the rest of the class can keep up. If this is the case, or you just want a personal focus then get in touch with someone who can provide personal sessions with padwork.

The martial arts gyms have their advantages over us too, such as the social element and bringing sense of achievement with their grading systems working towards a black-belt. However it must also be said that no matter how much these focused gyms assure you that there is no pressure for you to start fighting, they will do so. Once you have progressed from the earlier belts you will have to start competing in a set number of amateur bouts before they will allow you to do the next grading. As you may have guessed the grading also costs money whether you pass or not so the incentive for them for your progress may be purely in their financial interest.

Comprimising between costs and technique

Add up the membership fees, uniform, class fees, equipment, grading and fight entry fees and you could find yourself much more out of pocket than they initially claimed. Some martial arts gyms don't even have free parking with a sixty pound plus fine if you don't display a valid ticket. We are not saying avoid martial arts gyms like wildfire but please ensure that you weigh up all the costs before committing to them.

You might be more interested in free group classes at your current gym and we say if your already paying your membership fee go for it! Its a great way to stay in shape and socialise at the same time and employs many of the cardio elements that martial arts training does. Just be aware that more often than not such techniques have been watered down to make things more accessible to the masses and easier for the instructor too. By this we mean that the techniques have been altered to be a group training/circuit friendlier workout and will most likely not be correct form. So while these classes are fun and good for cardio be aware that they are rarely a substitute for self-defence or real training techniques used by combat sport athletes. Furthermore they can lack a sense of focus and adjusting/perfecting each technique for better results.

The moral of the story here is that anyone can benefit from combat training, but you should make sure that you know what you want from it. If your serious about becoming a fighter then join a martial arts gym. If your more interested in meeting and socialising with people then maybe try a group class in a gym or leisure centre. However, no matter what level of fitness you are at or skill level you are, if you prefer a personal session then contact our instructors. You wont find anyone more devoted to your progression at a competitive price and we wont charge you monthly fees and will provide all the equipment needed.

Michael Phelps Using Combat Training 2012

Swimming superstar Michael Phelps has started using combat training for better results in his sport, but how can training in a field that seems worlds apart be so beneficial?

Well, not only are some of the skills more transferable than you think it also helps him to fight the boredom factor when it comes to extensive periods of training. One of the training methods utilised by Phelps is to work some boxing skills with a trainer holding hand pads (aka focus mits). This will involve the trainer holding the pads in a variety of ways and calling out sequences of punches for the multi gold medal winner, who will perform striking techniques.

Some people might think of boxing primarily only working the hands and arms, especially with expressions like 'they have hands of stone' when referring to heavy-hitting boxers. However, most of the power generated from a boxing style punch comes from the core muscles - the twisting of the hips and the movement of the torso. Swimming also greatly involves the use of the core and therefore using boxing techniques will most likely prove to be a very useful tool in training for further success.

With such a heavy focus on fitness and extensive workout schedule Phelps says the addition of such training techniques keeps training fun and alleviates the boredom factor within his regime. Home Improvement Fitness encourages you to get involved with such training techniques so keep an eye out for more of our articles on the subject (such as Combat Training Continued), or if you have been in contact with one of our instructors from book a private session with them via the number provided on their business card to use similar pad-striking techniques or search for some of the martial arts gyms in the area if you prefer to train in a group.

Stretching (Dynamically)

You should always be stretching before and after a workout, but the type of stretching you perform is crutial. Before a workout you should be stretching dynamically, most likely after raising your heart rate with some very light exercise (such as a warm up on a static cycle or light jogging). Dynamic stretching involves stretching the muscles you are about to use in your workout and will most likely mimic the actions you are about to perform but in a more controlled manner.

The picture above is a good example of a dynamic stretch that could be performed before a workout that involved using your legs a lot (like running or football). Usually with around 10-15 repetitions for each stretch this is done as a controlled movement, rather than being held statically. This method is used to warm and prepare the muscles for the workout ahead rather than to progress your flexibility in the long term. Progressive static stretching should be left until the end of your workout.