How would one go about training for special forces?

I was just wondering because I have been looking on the internet. I want to join airforce pararescue, but definitly need to work out. so if any of you guys have any info it would be most appreciated.


hmmm...yeah......could this one get moved to weaponry forum...kinda posted it in the wrong place. thanks.

[edit on 19-1-2006 by truttseeker]

If you want to be a PJ, I would suggest you ask Seekerof. He was an USAF PJ if my memory serves me.

In any case, I would probably focus on cardio more so then bulking up. In general I would place a higher priority on stamina then I would power and explosiveness.

Basically, running and low wieght with high reps when you lift. Go on a high protien diet as well.

ty, thats def helpful. i was gunna ask seekerof but hes made his leave.

American Mad Man beat me to it.

I was going to say the exact same things, with the exception of asking Seekerof (I think he's too busy to come around, for the most part). He might get a U2U if you sent him one though.

Endurance is really important. Learning to work on little sleep in awful conditions can't hurt (in fact it could save your life). Probably the best training would be a nice long stint on a fishing boat somewhere wet and cold, like Alaska.

Just like any good training, it would be dangerous, if not more so than the actual job, so don't run off without understanding the risks. It might be the best possible preparation though, in terms of actually experiencing and learning to work through some of the worst conditions and situations you're liable to face in your career.

Good luck.

Im 16 so is there any like excersizes you guys could recommend?

Originally posted by truttseeker
Im 16 so is there any like excersizes you guys could recommend?

I don't want to appear patronising here, if it comes across that way, its not what I meant.

Stay in school and make sure you have a full education for a start my friend.

I know it might be nice and cool in the movies, but do you really want to spend alot of your life crawling round drains and ditches at 4 am? Also, do you want to be putting yourself in harms way frequently?

Better to at least have a fall back position if you do change your mind.

Anyway, have you looked at the PAST? PAST - Physical Ability & Stamina Test for it.


I would recommend football etc, 2 good reasons for it:

- make it a bit more fun than running on your own

- being in a team will motivate you to try that bit harder to beat the others

Others have said this already, but the best exercise you can do is aerobic. Running, swimming, bike riding, calisthenics, including push-ups, front-straddle hops, bends and thrusts, over-handed pull-ups, walking, working out with weights, putting the emphasis on repetitions, not weight. When you run or walk do it in a pair of combat boots.

When you run or walk, do at least some of it with small weights in your hands and a heavy pack on your back. Run and walk in all kinds of weather. Take it easy. If you don't do it right, you'll screw yourself up with an injury that will disqualify you.

One very good way to help is to get a part-time or summer job doing hard work: roofing, roughnecking, construction, especially masonry, furniture delivery (you'd be surprised how challenging it is to deliver sleeper sofas and solid oak dressers up four flights of narrow stairs for 12 hours a day), warehouse work (furniture, groceries, electronics, etc.).

Take martial arts. Not only are they good for defending yourself, which you will undoubtedly need to know, but will teach you discipline and self-respect.

Talk to a recruiter.

[edit on 2006/1/19 by GradyPhilpott]

If your still in highschool, with a few years left, join your wrestling team.

If youre beyond that stage....run till you can't run anymore. Then turn around and run back. If your in the US, and you join the army, it is possible in some cases to set yourself up well when enlisting. Ask to join a ranger platoon.

(Just for clarification, you still have to pass ranger school to become a ranger, but you can get placed)

[edit on 19-1-2006 by Sight2reality]

If you're going for AF PJ, swim like you wouldn't believe. grow gills if you have to, but get as much time as humanly possible in the water. Learn to dive, snorkel, and swim several miles a day if you can. PJ training is SERIOUSLY water intensive, and that's where 99% drop out from.

Swimming is harder than running. Join your swim team and you will be in great shape.

In college I had a lot of friends who were on the swim team, and they could all run 15 miles for "fun." I was Naval ROTC and I struggled with 5.

Swimming will set you up for endurance and strength(don't ignore strength completely) and the likelihood of joint injury is much lower than other sports.

Eating depends on the person. Some people have to give up certain foods, others can gorge and burn it all of...it's a metabolism issue. But eating healthy never hurt.

Loads of aerobic is the way to go. Combined aerobic and strength training helps build core strenght and increases efficviency. Heres a bit of an example of my training routine.

Mon - Run 45mins - 1 hr steady state
Tues - Circuit training (arms, chest, back, shoulders) 1hr, followed by 40min swim
Wed - Running 40min fartlek (interval training), followed by 30 minute jog
Thurs - Curcuit training (abs & legs), followed by 40min swim
Fri - Running 40 min hill sprints, followed by 40 min swim
Sat - TAB/hike 6-8 miles with weight (distance & weight depending on fitness level and experience)
Sun - Rest day/light swim

This is not exhaustive, it should be varied. Increase speed/distance/reps as fitness increases. Always start with a 10 min dynamic warm up and finish with a 5-10 min slow cool down. Its a pain in the arse, but it does make your training more efficient and reduces injuries.

Diet - be careful about the "loads of protein supps" brigade. There is plenty of protein in the average diet as long as you aren't a veggy. Plenty of carbs for fuel. Drink shed loads of water during and after exercise, and stay well hydrated during the day. Avoid alcohol.

To stay interested vary your routine and listen to music during your runs (best not try this during the swims though!). Train with a partner if you can as you can motivate each other. Remember, you lose fitness 3 times faster than you gain it, so persevere and don't fall into traps.

You are a good age to develop a good fitness routine. Start now, because it gets a lot harder as you age (trust me!). Stick with it and you'll be laughing.

Good luck, let me know what the PJs are like!

[edit on 21-1-2006 by PaddyInf]

OMG PaddyInf that list makes me tired just looking at it
However as you have said starting a good routine at his age will put him in good stead for the future,unless some of us who are falling apart at the seams :-P

Originally posted by bmdefiant
OMG PaddyInf that list makes me tired just looking at it

However as you have said starting a good routine at his age will put him in good stead for the future,unless some of us who are falling apart at the seams :-P

I'm training for a course at the minute, this isn't my usual routine! Usually it's just lunchtime circuits twice a week and running to and from work 3 time a week (3 miles each way), just to keep the beer belly at bay.

It's all about routine. If you get into the habit of training, it becomes part of your life and you do it without thinking about it.

reply to post by PaddyInf


Wow, that's some routine.

Are you sure about the '40 minute hill run intervals'? If you're able to do those for that long, then they're, by definition, not high intensity.

Uh, not to criticize, it sounds like a good routine.

But remember what the DIs say. It's mostly mental. So mental toughness.

Find things that are difficult for you to do, including occasional 24 hr tests (running track, skiing, single track adventure racing, kayaking or boarding long distances, long distance swimming). There are other things such as fasting and diet that are mentally hard - you can practice controlling your impulses.

Talk to people like Diana Nyad about how she keeps going past her physical capabilities. In fact, hire a trainer who is experienced in such things.

You want to learn how to redefine pain, and how to push into that 'different' mental state. Research the Tarahumara indians and other peoples that excel in these kind of endurance events.

Edit: Anyone a fan of 'Ninja Warrior'? These guys take it an extra step and build courses at home that are similar to what they have on the show. So -specificity- is Very important. If you can, get a couple buddies and practice some of the regimes that they do in the elite forces.

[edit on 13-9-2007 by Badge01]

Originally posted by Badge01
Wow, that's some routine.

Are you sure about the '40 minute hill run intervals'? If you're able to do those for that long, then they're, by definition, not high intensity.

Yea, the 40 mins is a bit of a killer, but it's not just sprinting. In my local park there is a path of around 300m with a 50m hill on it. I run around it and sprint the hill 5 times per lap. Legs are like jelly by the end. Bear in mind that I've been training for high intensity work for many years, so I'm able to go straight into this type of training routine. I can rag my body for a seriousamount of time because of my mental state, which has taken a long time to develop.

Good job on the intervals.

I do a similar routine on my bike. I have a course that has about 21 hills on it, total of 10 miles. Hills are of varying steepness, about 200-400 yards, and I work on 'attacking' the hills, and cutting my overall time.

Another course I have is a 1 mile hill climb that puts me near my LT zone.

Do you use a HR Monitor, such as Polar? I find that's helpful in tracking your progress. I use raw speed, average mph, top speed, and hill climbing speed. I measure those against the heart rate, trying to increase my speed (or at least maintain) while having the heart rate gradually go down.

Routes that I used to get 150 bpm, I'm now doing at 140 bpm, which shows improvement in CV fitness.

I'm about 10-15 bpm better than most people my age, able to hit over 170 bpm quite easily for sustained periods (4bpm above LT threshold). my resting pulse in now in the mid - 50s.

Good luck on your training and thanks for the clarify.



[edit on 16-9-2007 by Badge01]

Well kid, nothing like setting high goals...
What was said before was all good... with a few additions: First, if (I can't recall who it was) mentioning "football" meant real football, and not American football, good. "Soccer" is the best bet for endurance, as American football is merely static exertion... I played both, so I think I can speak with authority on this particular topic.
Whoever advised swimming, also great. Like you were advised, grow some gills.
You're still growing, so I would lay off the sleep deprivation stuff- that comes naturally to you pulling 12 hour humps and standing watch. You'll enjoy that.
The only real thing I would add: PJ's jump out of perfectly good airplanes for a living. That is hard on the knees, ankles, and back. I've broken my right ankle 17 times so far, some of them on jumps. Learn to function with pain, as the enemy doesn't go half speed for your courtesy. Pain is weakness leaving your body.
I would focus on keeping your knees healthy, and your back strong... Get used to running in your boots too- running in sneakers is great and all, but unless you're in PT gear in the field, it's just not prepping you for real world.
Stay out of trouble, of course- and choose your friends carefully. Your past WILL come back to haunt you if you make it to Special Ops...
Good luck, and push hard!

All the PT in the world won't help you get in the elite forces if you don't have the proper psychological profile, clean record and above average grade point.

Still, there isn't anything wrong with working out and dreaming.

And you aren't a failure if you wind up a "grunt."

New guy here, just thought I would try to steer this young man in the right direction.

Check out www.specialtactics.com... its a web site loaded with information on those USAF fields you desire.

When you reach your goal contact this man for your knife

www.jayfisher.com...

Good luck and stay motivated.