Battle Ready

Modern soldiers are more than riflemen. To enhance survivability, they train for strength, speed, and durability. Try this 12-week program to develop a physique built for door kicking.

- Eric Velazquez

SOMEWHERE, RIGHT NOW, an 18-year-old, fresh-off-the-bus patriot is pressing out a pushup total that would make an orthopedic surgeon wince. These reps will likely be followed by a run upwards of three miles through varying terrain. The mindset: Volume (and distance) at all costs. Somewhere, right now, in a sandy, makeshift gym in the Middle

East, an elite operator is training amid spartan conditions. He or she is focusing on developing the traits required to kick through doors and chase down insurgents. The mindset: Strength, speed, and durability at all costs.

The vast chasm between these two tactical athletes represents the difference between the old school and the new—between arbitrary tradition and modern science, pain-tolerance assessment and proven combat needs.

“In my opinion, the exercise during boot camp is mainly focused on breaking a soldier down, not necessarily to peak one’s physical performance,” says Callen David, the former Army Specialist (E-4), fitness model, and actor featured on these pages. “Yes, some individuals will lose weight, do more pushups than they originally could, and run a faster two-mile. But there are far more aspects to physical fitness and combat readiness than just those few things.”

Put another way, if you’re interested in chasing the physique and capabilities of a modern serviceman or servicewoman, you’ll need to diversify your training portfolio beyond routines that are focused only on aesthetics.

BUILT FOR BATTLE