Weight Lifting for Special Forces
Introduction
The pipeline to become a US Army Green Beret is long and grueling. To be successful, candidates must be in peak physical shape across the full spectrum of fitness – a big base of strength for carrying heavy loads, hypertrophy for injury prevention, strength endurance to perform repeated bouts of exercise, and endurance to run for miles.
The 150lb Cross Country Running Shrimp
All too often, we see candidates who crush the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) with flying colors. They can jog a 12 minute 2 mile run and 33 minute 5 mile run and easily hit 80 push ups and sit-ups. But the problem is they are 5’10 and weigh 150lbs soaking weight.
These candidates easily run 12 miles at a seven minute mile pace. But when they put a 75lb rucksack on, they self-destruct – their lower back, traps, and legs can’t handle the additional load. Or when they perform team events with unimaginable weight on their back with heavy water cans in each hand, they can’t perform and no one wants to be on their team. Why? Their absolute strength is too low to carry the weight on their back, and their grip strength is too poor to carry the cans.
At the end of the day, Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) will exploit everyone’s weakness. And because there is no entrance requirement for max strength prior to SFAS, many candidates ignore it altogether. These candidates are in for a rude awakening.
The Strong Candidate
In contrast to the weak candidate, the strong candidate trains the entire spectrum of tactical fitness, including max strength. He’s often not be as fast as the 150lb shrimp, but he still crushes his 2 mile run in 12 minutes, and more importantly, he destroys log PT, 12 mile rucks, excels carrying water cans, and is the team favorite during group exercises.
Why does being stronger help with long rucks, carrying water cans, or log PT? It’s because all of these activities are fixed weight – the ruck, water can, and log weigh the same for everyone. Being stronger makes those exercises easier because he has strength reserves.
Let’s illustrate this with an example:
A candidate with a 135lb max effort deadlift struggles to walk a single mile with 75lbs on his back. What if we trained that same candidate in the deadlift for 6 months, and he can now deadlift 315lbs. If he were to put on a 75lb rucksack, it would feel a lot longer because of his increase in strength. Right?
Strength Standards for Special Forces
We recommend candidates hit the following minimum strength metrics prior to attending SFAS. Most trainees will hit these metrics within 6 months of dedicated strength training in the gym, although it may take longer for lighter candidates. The scores below will ensure a candidate’s max strength is high enough to handle the stress of selection and about average in the class.
Minimum Strength Standards
Deadlift – 315lbs
100lb DB (each hand) Farmer Carry – 25 yards
Back Squat – 225lbs
Standing OHP – 135lbs
Bench Press – 185lbs
Recommended Strength Standards
Deadlift – 385lbs +
Back Squat – 315lbs +
100lb DB Farmer Carry (each hand) – 75 yards
Standing OHP – 145lbs +
Bench Press – 175lbs +
The recommended strength standards would put a candidate in the top 25% of his class for max strength. These standards are often hit within a candidates first year of strength training, although some lighter candidates may require longer.
Special Forces Workout Plan For Strength
The foundation of a weight lifting routine for SFAS should be on heavy exercises to build strength in movements that mimic the needs of SFAS.
- Hip Hinge
Conventional Deadlift, Sumo Deadlift, Snatch Grip Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Stiff Leg Deadlift - Squat
Back Squat, Front Squat, Split Squat, Goblet Squat - Lunge
BB Back Lunge, BB Front Rack Lunge, DB Lunge - Upper Body Pushes
Standing Overhead Press, Bench Press, Incline Press, Dip, Push Up - Upper Body Pulls
Barbell Row, Pull Up, Cable Pull Down, Cable Row, Face Pull - Injury Prevention
Cable External Rotations (Shoulder Health), Tib Raises (Shin Splint Prevention)
Monday (Lower)
Back Squat 3×3-5
BB Walking Lunge 3×8-10 per leg
Romanian Deadlift 3×8-12
Weighted Pull Up 3×8-10
Cable External Rotations 3×15-20
Tuesday (Upper)
Bench Press 3×4-6
BB Row 3×6-8
Weighted Dip 2×8-10
Face Pull 3×12-20
Tibia Raises 3×20-25
Thursday (Lower)
Deadlift 3×1-5
Front Squat 3×5-8
DB Split Squat + Goblet Squat Superset 3×15 each
Weighted Pull Up 3×8-10
Cable External Rotations 3×15-20
Friday (Upper)
Standing Overhead Press 3×4-6
DB Row 3×8-10
Weighted Push Up 2×12-20
Back Extension 3×15-20
Tibia Raises 3×20-25
DB Farmer Carry 3x100m
Conclusion
Max strength is foundational to a special forces workout. To all who are preparing for selection, remember to strike an optimal balance across all modalities of training – strength, hypertrophy, strength endurance, and aerobic capacity.
If you enjoyed this article, make sure you read this one to learn How To BULLET PROOF Yourself For Selection
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