Functional Military Physical Training

Training is part of boot camp.

Functional strength training in the military is a matter of survival. It lends itself perfectly to the long hours and stressful, unpredictable environments that military personnel face. Such training comprises sandbag maneuvers, body-weight exercises and partner training. The goal is to build strength, endurance and trust.

Identification

Functional strength training aims to help individuals perform the kinds of tasks they must carry out on a daily basis. Other forms of strength training focus on increasing the amount of weight being lifted, or on how often it can be lifted. For example, an aspiring football player might train to increase the number of times he can bench press 225 pounds. Functional strength training differs in that it uses nontraditional weights in environments of varying stability.

Significance

Functional strength training is important for the armed forces because in the military, the demands of the job require strength without bulk. Military personnel may have to march miles a day carrying heavy equipment. Excessive amounts of muscle can hinder this. At the same time, soldiers may be responsible for carrying an injured comrade off the battlefield, a task requiring muscular strength and endurance along with balance.

Sandbags

Sandbags are an ideal training tool for the military, given their lack of a stable grip and the shifting weight of the sand. One exercise for building total body power is the sandbag swing. To perform this, grab a sandbag with both hands, bend down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, and swing the bag between your legs. Using your hips, thrust the sandbag forward until your arms are parallel to the ground.

Another common exercise is the sandbag squat. Start by squeezing the top of the sandbag with your palms facing each other and squatting down until the points of your elbows are even with the top of your thighs, which should be parallel to the ground. Pause for a second, then come back up.

Body-Weight Exercises

Push-ups, pull-ups and body crunches are key exercises in the military's strength-training regimen. In fact, they are part of the qualifying exam to begin basic training. The armed forces use these exercises to chart their members' progress during training. The routines have the advantage of not requiring weights or machines.

Trust-Building Exercises

In the military, where teamwork is essential to survival, building trust is no less important than developing functional strength. Accordingly, it has adopted a number of exercises that accomplish both.

One such exercise is the partner press-up, which military personnel perform in teams of two. One person presses his palms into the back of his stiffly standing partner, who then allows himself to fall backward as his comrade begins to press him up and down in a manner similar to the push-up.

Another good exercise that builds trust is carrying a partner while sprinting. This simulates carrying an injured partner off the battlefield and builds endurance at the same time.

References

• Functional Strength Training
• "Men's Health Training Guide, 2009"; Editors of Men's Health; Rodale (2009)