Military Fitness

Army fitness is not athletic, but comes from training which creates robustness, resilience and endurance, plus reserves that allow men to function without proper food, sleep, shelter or warmth.   Soldiers must be able to live rough, not waste energy complaining, and be able to march then fight.

There is no  point in being able to cover the ground faster than anybody else, but arrive at the other end without the reserves to fight.  Equally, there’s no point in the fitter men arriving ready to fight, and having to wait for others, who may  arrive late – or not at all.

Military fitness is that of the lowest common denominator – the fitness of the least fit of the unit.  The most important component of army fitness is morale and the willingness to fight.

Parachute Regiment’s “P” (Selection) Company

Usually considered the hardest physical selection course in the British Army, the All Arms P Company is used to select people with the right mix of aggression, courage and determination to serve with Airborne Forces – summarised by them as “Go, Guts and Gumption”.

The course is refreshingly honest; physical training sessions each day which increase in severity until the final Test Week, when the specific tests must be passed. The gym sessions can be particularity grim, as even the very fittest people are pushed beyond their limits so P Company staff can see what they’re really like when the chips are down.

The emphasis is on ‘tabbing’ – marching very quickly carrying increasingly heavier weights. The pace of the long marches is that of slow running, but without actually breaking into a jog – a very fast walking technique that can be difficult to get used to, especially while carrying a rifle in the ‘ready’ position, and painful on the shins. Except on certain tests, the squad is kept together, and before each march the weights being carried are carefully weighed – woe betide anyone foolish enough to err on the lighter side…

The tests include marches of increasing lengths, stretcher and log races (the latter a very painful sprint of several miles up and down very steep hills with thick mud), ‘milling’ (intense one-on-one fighting wearing boxing gloves), and confidence tests involving height, balance and the real possibility of injury…

Throughout, the correct attitude must be displayed at all times, and each man is allowed one ‘off day’ but no more. Any displays of bad temper or dissent are ruthlessly dealt with – often by way of spectacular sackings from the course – there and then. NCOs and officers on the course are expected to lead and ‘encourage’ the men – forcing them to keep the pace and discipline. Failure by an officer to do this leads rapidly to their being sacked, or failing the course. Individuals can pass each test well within the time limits, but still fail for not having contributed or pushed themselves hard enough. Cruel but fair…

Commando Course

The Commando Course run by the Royal Marines at Lympstone, is more of a training course than P Company, but nevertheless a considerable test of stamina, endurance, military skill and the ability to continue operating when soaking wet, cold and hungry. Although also involving long marches – known as ‘yomps’ – carrying heavy equipment, the Commando Course also requires high standards of upper body strength, in order to pass the various assault courses, particularly the ropes and wires of the “Tarzan” course. The tests take place after long exercises usually on Dartmoor, and although the pace is less than P Company, people are usually soaking wet, and are required to fire weapons accurately and undertake various military tasks at the end.

The end result is a soldier able to continue unaffected by appalling conditions for considerably longer than his untrained counterpart, with additional commando-type skills like climbing. The commando course also specialises in ‘buggering people around’, on the basis that in war, nobody should expect things to go as planned. Extra inspections take place by torchlight several miles from camp, at the end of long marches the trucks will not be where they were supposed to be, the rations will have run out, and everyone has to swim the river or run in the mud of the estuary at low tide. There’s also a healthy element of “We’re the Royal Marines, so you pongos better shape up”. Happy days, and a good time is had by all…

Fitness Training for Special Forces Selection

There are lots of books and even videos telling you how to pass Special Forces selection…. Let’s be clear, no books or video will do that. They’re written to make money for the authors, for wannabees to buy, who’ll get no further than imagining themselves doing it.

If you are looking for specific guidance as to how to pass, there isn’t any. It entirely depends on whether you’ve got what’s required.

In terms of fitness, you have to establish a very high level of basic fitness, using weights, circuit training, running with running shoes, and walking wearing boots carrying weights. But you have to develop very gradually over a long period – depending on your existing level of fitness. And don’t start with any sort of injury.

The course is designed to reveal all your weaknesses – in character, personality and body. We all have weaknesses; the course finds out how you deal with yours.

Pay particular attention to core strength, and don’t go in for athletic or body building training. But you must be very much fitter than the minimums they quote. Seven minute miles don’t give you much leeway, and the tiredness of the course means you’ve got to be a lot stronger and faster in training…. You have to be so fit that fitness isn’t a factor any more. Other aspects of the course are much more demanding…

But this is the exact same advice for passing any military course – because soldiering isn’t solely about physical fitness, although it is assumed that you will be fit to start with…