There a lots of products on the market for pre-workout, intra-workout, and post work-out. What an athlete or fitness enthusiast should consume should relate to the intensity and length of the workout. The Amped line of products by Isagenix offers a number of solutions for the fitness go-getter.
Contact me for details.
http://battletestedfitness.isagenix.com/en-nz/resource-center/the-isagenix-amped-line
Urban Shield consists of yearly training opportunities that challenges America’s and the world’s best SWAT and emergency responders. Contact me to learn more on how to develop the physical and tactical skills necessary to serve in the units identified in the video or to enhance your capabilities to overcome any challenge.
People workout, compete, or undertake intense tactical or combat sports training for a myriad of reasons – for general health, for recognition of winning, for recognition from others of how they look, ego driven – to feel invincible or feel like a Navy SEAL, Marine Raider, Army Ranger, or Green Beret.
For many tactical and first responders (police, fire, EMS security), the motivation for training will take on a different nature with varied consequences if one does’t train correctly or consistently.
The reasons above are positive in nature, conversely there are negative motivators as well.
5. Losing a victim, or co-worker due to a lack of training or necessary level of physical fitness
6. Losing my place on the unit or detail
7. Hurting myself during a response because my joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments weren’t prepared for the stress.
8. Routinely being passed over for promotion because of low fitness or tactical evaluation scores
Stay focused on the positive and what tactical fitness training can do for you because losing sucks.
I am a big fan of Martin Rooney and his successes in fitness. His fitness and training career is impressive. I really like his message in this video. Though training combat athletes, Martin’s forte, differ from tactical athletes my niche, his message is universal.
Speed, Agility, and Quickness (SAQ) are physical abilities that demand many hours of training for the athlete on the playing field or battlefield. It is possible to be naturally fast but not so agile or even quick. Likewise, one can be quick and agile but not have great running speed. Lets first address how one can improve how fast they run.
Speed. The key to speed is power training. Don’t confuse power training with power lifting. In developing power, we are training our bodies to move ourselves or an external force over a specific distance in the shortest amount of time. In many power exercises we find ourselves throwing, pushing, pulling, jumping, dragging, or hopping; often doing more than one activity at the same time.
Speed, as it relates to running is essentially determined by the power output of our legs as they touch the ground and by the rate of our strides. In rowing for example, speed is determined in a similar manner – the power output of each stroke and the rate at which the strokes are performed. Usain Bolt can generate greater power over 100 and 200 meters faster than anybody because his strides take him further per stride with a faster turnover than his opponents. If one wants to run faster; first focus on developing the stability and strength of the legs through standard exercises like squats, deadlifts, and lunges and all associated variations of the exercises. Once a good base of strength is developed then we can progress to power training using explosive movements like power cleans, snatches, box box jumps and kettlebell exercises.
There are also a whole host of tools available to improve one’s speed such as weighted vests, parachute attachments to increase wind resistance, and towing equipment that pulls the runner faster than he or she would normally sprint.
Remember to always warm up the body through general and dynamic movements prior to engaging in any intense strength and power exercises.
Check out Power Systems Plyometric Training Gear:
http://www.power-systems.com/s-10-plyometrics.aspx
Some programming glitch caused my blog to go haywire. Hopefully the problem will be corrected soon.
Skills and abilities whether tactical in nature or athletic, will diminish over time if not maintained. For many tactical operators or first responders, there is an intense learning curve during initial training and within the first few years of employment. Candidates and probationary first responders are repeatedly tested and sent to various courses to attain the necessary skills of their profession. After passing a basic proficiency in a host of different skills, emergency service/security/military personnel will suffer a drop in their capabilities if too much time passes before they are required to do more job related training. Budget and manpower needs are often the reasons why agencies don’t consistently send their personnel for training. Sometimes it is up to the individual to seek out training so they are optimally prepared to handle the hazards of their profession. For the armed law enforcement or security professional here is my list for the most important skill sets to maintain:
1. Firearm training- though the percentage is very low for security or police personnel to fire their weapons, the liability of carrying a weapon is extremely high, so practicing shooting skills at least once a month is essential. Every other month agencies or individuals should incorporate a reality based drill which will test team members abilities to work under stress. (Generally, SWAT team members have the opportunity to shoot and train more frequently)
2. Self Defense Skills – Basic moves that involve gross motor skills will be maintained longer than more intricate and technical moves. Self defense skills should be evaluated every 3-4 months but the tactical operator should train once a week in close quarter combat.
3. Fitness- physical fitness demands may vary profession to profession but the first responder/tactical operator should prepare themselves physically as if a “worst case scenario” is a routine occurrence. The fitness lifestyle is a daily pursuit so one must make time to ensure that he or she is physically able to meet any challenge.
For some of you out there, you live for the action of a tactical engagement. The adrenalin rush, the recognition from superiors, peers, or rescued victims may also contribute to that fuzzy feeling inside you that you can’t quite explain. I know many people that are or try to be tactical 100% of the time. If they aren’t deployed or working a shift as a policeman, fireman, or close protection officer, they are training at the range or on the mats in close quarter battle or MMA, when they are not training; they are online surfing, shopping, or commenting on websites geared toward the tactically minded (like this one). In downtime many of these tactical athletes are wearing cargo pants, polo shirts, and Oakley sunglasses to almost every social occasion.
I got nothing but love for this type of guy or gal who lives their life on the tactical edge. Even for the most seasoned of tactical officers with ice in their veins, there has to be time to decompress and enjoy balance in one’s life. Burn out can happen to the best of us in the tactical world. Stress kills by a 1000 cuts in the form of heart attacks, strokes, and other ailments. Unfortunately many in the tactical world fight their stress by eating bad foods or drinking a bit too much alcohol. Drinking alcohol is not good, which is why home alcohol detox is an important step in addressing and managing alcohol-related issues.
A better way to combat stress is by consuming the best nutrition available. Eating protein rich foods, fibrous carbohydrates, and essential fatty acids is ideal plus learning where to find nutritional yeast in grocery store. For many us in the tactical world, you are on call or on the the go and shopping for and preparing food maybe a luxury.
A great nutritional resource for the tactical athlete living the tactical lifestyle can be found here:
http://www.battletestedfitness.isagenix.com
Contact me to get started.
-Greg
A motivating video with a music track to get you pumped.
Within even the most pacifist person among us, there is a quest to emulate, praise, or be a warrior. Grit, determination, and command presence are just a few of the traits that make a warrior. Who wouldn’t want to possess such characteristics?
For those that opt not to serve in combat, there are other outlets to bring out your internal warrior. Warrior Dashes, Tough Mudders, and Spartan Races are just a few physically demanding races that are spiking in popularity across the world. Participants get to train and feel like they are warriors of ages past without the combat.
Another popular warrior outlet is MMA- mixed martial arts and combat sports in general. The conditioning of these athletes is extraordinary. Though mental toughness is a requirement for the endurance races mentioned above, a whole different type of mindset is required to be willing to give and receive kick, punches, throws, submissions, locks, and chokes. Like with the races, MMA is a casual hobby, but for an elite bunch, there are numerous professional circuits – UFC, Strikeforce, and Pride. For the casual participant, the training and conditioning for MMA is quite demanding, just be prepared to enjoy the occasional black eye, puffy lips, and numerous rashes and skin scrapes.
In my line of work, many tactical security professionals commit to acquiring the skills of a warrior, though the chances of an incident are quite low in the continental United States, overseas the chances of engaging in close combat increase. There are many courses offering to train security professionals into becoming modern warriors. Protection work is generally very sedentary and defensive in nature, so buyer beware of tactical shoot ’em up courses unless you are in fact going to work in a dangerous hot zone.
Finally, the largest population of warrior thrill seekers are not athletes; they do not get up at 4:30 am to train, don’t follow diets, and rarely move 10 feet. The group I am referring to are the gamers. The gamers play in a fantasy world where they are the kings of the mountain, elite commandos, spies, and assassins. The gamers identify with warrior-esque characters because it makes them feel good about themselves, offers them the opportunity to encounter and overcome danger in a make believe world.
I’m not passing any judgements but you can figure out how I would prefer to attain warrior status.