Military service demands a level of fitness that allows its members to be resilient, adaptable and prepared to meet a wide variety of physical challenges. Tactical fitness training needs a foundation of strength, endurance and functional movement. Incorporating fundamental exercises, such as squats, lunges, carries, crawls and load-bearing movements, is among the best ways to prepare the body for the rigors of military training.
These activities complement a leg day routine, helping to build core stability, improve cardiovascular ability and enhance muscular strength and endurance for tactical athletes. This workout provides a favorite leg day exercise routine, arranged in a way that is effective for military preparation.
To begin, warm up the legs and lungs with a squat pyramid and easy run (or bike), incorporating 100-meter jobs and dynamic stretches between each set. Go up to Level 10 of the pyramid. This equals 55 reps of squats and 1,000 meters of jogging, mixed with some dynamic stretches, to prepare the body for this leg-day circuit with carries and crawls.
The squat pyramid warm-up looks like this:
- 100 meters, 1 squat
- 100 meters, 2 squats … up to 10 squats.
- After the pyramid is completed, run 1 mile or bike for 10 minutes.
Leg Circuit with Carries and Crawls
The following circuit mixes weighted squats with the hip hinges involved in kettlebell Romanian deadlifts and swings. Next, farmer walks or fireman carries (if you have a partner) to hit the load-bearing section, followed by calisthenics: bear crawling and lunging 100 meters each. This is an advanced distance, so if you are new to crawls and lunges, start with 25 to 50 meters.
The “rest” is a moderately paced 400 to 800 meter run.
Repeat the following set of exercises four times. You can use dumbbells if you don’t have kettlebells.
- 10 kettlebell squats
- 10 kettlebell Romanian deadlifts
- 20 kettlebell swings
- Kettlebell farmers walk for 100 meters (or fireman carry 100 meters)
- Bear crawl 100 meters
- Walking lunges 100 meters
- Run 400 to 800 meters at a moderate to fast pace.
It is up to you how heavy you go with the kettlebells (or dumbbells) for these exercises. Begin with a lighter load if you’re new to these exercises. The intermediate to advanced weights used in this workout ranged from 50- to 75-pound weights.
Cooldown with Easy Cardio and Stretching, Plus the PT Reset Circuit
Depending on your goals and abilities, your cardio cooldown can be a jog, a ruck or a nonimpact cardio activity like biking, rowing or swimming. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes (or longer), but follow the cardio with stretching, massage and foam rolling, then proceed the PT Reset circuit below:
The PT Reset consists of essential exercises that target the upper and lower back muscle groups, which are often overlooked. When doing the type of workout above, it is wise to incorporate a few core balancing exercises into the programming.
Here are some suggestions to help you balance your effort, support recovery and improve posture and hip function simultaneously.
Repeat the following exercise set two times:
By developing fundamental movement patterns, improving core strength, increasing cardiovascular capacity and strengthening leg muscles and endurance, these exercises prepare individuals physically and mentally for the challenges of military life.
Check out the article section in the Military.com Fitness Section on lifting, crawling, and moving, along with rucking progressions and strength training to learn more methods to prepare for tactical professions.
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