Body Shop: Secret weapon - Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Navy Times

Body Shop: Secret weapon

Do you dread the same old PT workouts? Are you looking for a tough-as-nails physical challenge?

Then check out the Military Athlete program, developed in 2009 by former Coast Guard Lt. Rob Shaul of Jackson Hole, Wyo.

The program is built around the philosophy that your body is your primary weapon and that service members are professional athletes who should train accordingly.

Shaul, a certified strength and conditioning coach, created Military Athlete after receiving requests for modifications from service members using his challenging Mountain Athlete program for mountain guides, triathletes and others looking to obtain new levels of fitness.

“With Military Athlete, we train as true professional athletes because combat performance and survivability throughout our career depend on it,” Marine Capt. Nathan Knowles says.

What it is

Military Athlete’s 60- to 90-minute workouts address specific military needs.

“Training and gym work that doesn’t transfer directly to tactical performance and durability is a waste of time,” Shaul says.

His programs use exercises such as strength training with free weights, push-ups, pull-ups, squats, sit-ups, kettlebell drills, medicine ball drills and running to develop overall strength, core strength and hip and shoulder mobility.

The “Afghanistan Pre-Deployment” program focuses on the leg, core and lung strength needed to maneuver in steep, rocky terrain. Exercises include a combination of sprints, sandbag work, ruck drills, squats, lunges, step-ups and hip mobility drills.

Shaul says he has sent the free program to more than 1,000 individuals and a dozen battalion commanders who’ve asked for it.

How it works

Military-specific goals of the program include high relative strength, high work capacity for short and intense events, stamina for multiple events over a long duration, stamina for a long event, mental toughness, and durability for a long career.

In addition to the Afghan Pre-Deployment program, Military Athlete offers a Range Fitness program designed to “train the complex motor skills of accurate marksmanship under stress, both physical and otherwise.” The Marine Corps and Army Physical Fitness Test programs consist of six weeks of intense training for those focused on maxing out their physical fitness test scores.

The Squad PT program is an alternative to the services’ standard, 60-minute PT programs.

High-octane fuel

Shaul recommends his athletes eat lean meats, vegetables, seeds, nuts and fruit, and avoid bread, potatoes, sugar, rice and alcohol. But he does encourage one food cheat day a week: Pizza, beer, ice cream — anything goes.

“I expect a lot from my athletes, and giving them one day a week to eat what they want goes a long way toward keeping them focused the rest of the time,” Shaul says. He emphasizes that “event” nutrition is different from daily nutrition, so if you have a long run or mission, eat carbs.

What it costs

The Afghanistan Pre-Deployment program and Range Fitness program are free. Several of Shaul’s other programs are $25 a month, and some, such as Small Unit Training, are designed according to specific needs and have their own pricing structure. For more information, go to www.militaryathlete.com.

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Allison Pattillo is a Military Times fitness writer.