If your aspiration is to become an operator, the chances are you will most likely fail. With selection rates around 15-30%, the statistics say your probability of achieving your dreams is slim. To break through the mold and have a fighting chance at being one of the elite few where most fail, you must be in the best physical shape of your life.
But time is precious. When putting in the time to prepare for (arguably) the most important challenge of your life, every trip to the gym counts. But many are swinging and missing huge opportunity when hitting the weights, pool and track. To make the most out of each workout, here are the 4 most likely ways you are sabotaging your workouts and how to solve them:
Problem 1: Your cell phone won’t leave you alone
It’s blatant- cell phones go with you everywhere. Everyone is hooked into their phones while driving, in bed, even when taking a dump. And of course the cell phone has made its way into the gym. For some, this is compromising your gains and sabotaging your operator dream. A solid look around your local workout facility will bear the atrocities. Your smart phone is a purpose built device designed to attract and maintain your attention. The power of this device in the gym can be disastrous. The ‘Ding!’ or buzz-buzz of a text message has you salivating like Pavlov’s dog to pick up your phone and message your homey while taking you out of your zone. Unless your phone is powering only your workout routine or your ‘tunes, your cellphone is a distraction.
Solution: The best way to combat picking up your phone during workouts is to leave the phone in the locker room. If you must bring your phone along for the workout, flip it into airplane mode to avoid the temptation to check your Instagram while you should be putting in the reps.
Problem 2: Your weakness is your Kryptonite
In all facets of life, we gravitate towards doing things that we are good at- mostly in the sports we play and the exercises we do. Rarely do people enjoy working on things they suck at. And this fact of life is what’s sabotaging your workout program.
At the Assessment and Selection course and in the real operational world, operators must be well rounded. The A&S instructors don’t care if you can bench 275 lbs and swim like a dolphin if you can’t run a sub 7:00 mile. This holds true for any functional fitness strength and weakness. So why do you continue to consistently bench and swim and haven’t been proactive to decrease your run time? Because you most likely hate running because you suck at it…and it’s killing your chances to be great. It’s time to change your mindset.
Solution: Scale back the exercises you excel at and transform who you are as a person. It’s time to be good at what historically you’ve been awful at. Conquer your deficiencies and transform your weaknesses into a strength. If you tell yourself you are a runner, you will be a runner. If you tell yourself you are an underwater phenom, then own it. Apply this to any of your weak spots and get rid of your weak links.
Problem 3: Your fuel gauge is on empty
Stop attacking your workouts while dehydrated or tired. Your gains will be less than they should be and you are more prone to injury when not at 100%. Your gym time is your key to unlocking your dream job, right? To maximize your chances of that key unlocking your dream, you gotta be all-in dedicated to the task at hand. And that means being ready come gym time.
Solution: It’s time to train like a professional athlete. Drop the shitty foods, drop the candy and soda. Pick up the water and get in 8+ hrs of sleep every single day. Without your healthy machine operating at it’s peak day in and day out, you are sacrificing your gains and proving to yourself that you don’t want it bad enough. For a glance at the 24 Special Operations Wing’s recommended supplements to keep you at peak, check out the Supplements Page .
Problem 4: You lack a gameplan
Making up workouts on the fly will not get you to where you need to be. You will set yourself up for possible injury and your gains will be less productive. Currently, over 50% of AFSPECWAR candidates are showing up at selection with lingering injuries. Most of these injuries are caused by bad workout programs.
Solution: Do the research and invest in yourself with solid workout programming- there’s no better place to invest your money than in you. Ensure you are following workouts that are created to meet your goals and engineered by someone that has an education in strength & conditioning.
Our site offers multiple free workout plans but we also strongly encourage candidates to also check out Team ST at: https://afspecialwarfare.com/premium-workouts/ as they have the best background, value and results that we have found.