Increasing endurance

[mxmatt15]

I don't want to bore anyone with my life story, so ill get right to the point. Basically, a few months ago I decided to join the military and so I went in the Navy recruiters office and told them I wanted to sign up. From the first time I walked in I knew I wanted to be a Navy Seal from as far as I can remember. After taking the asvab I was told my scores qualify and so a few days later I went to MEPS and I meet my Seal motivator, or whatever they call themselves. I took my PST a little over a month ago and got the following: swim : DNF, Pushups : 76, Situps :46, Pullups : 11, Run : 12:45. I was never a swimming but i could swim if my life depended on it, or someone elses. I used to play soccer up to freshman year in highschool till i started working and didnt have time for sports. So i started weight lifting, and also smoking. I stopped in Aug of 2010, it was never much maybe a pack a week but bottom line i still smoked. So 4 years give or take. My 1.5 mile run time is down to 10:52 last time i did it. The CSS which i just learned a few days ago i timed myself at 16:10. As well as my pullups are up to 16, pushups are the same, and 65 situps. It has been a mental block to get over, because for a the past few years i have been lifting and trying to get "buff" and now its working against me and now i need to increase my endurance. I noticed my arms have gotten smaller due to running and swimming, but im over it now. Anyway I need help with my CSS, my pain problem is breathing as i seem to be running out of air. I think that its my form, I seem to be holding my breath under water and then exhaling and inhaling when i surface. Which I think is the root of my problem. I have tried breathing out of my nose as im about to surface but that seems to get water in my nose when i come up and breathe with my mouth. I also tend to get water in my nose, it doesn't go down my throat but i can feel it in there. To add to that i see that there are 2 different variations of the CSS, some people stay on their side the whole time and others corkscrew themselves back to the flat position. I can do both but cant figure out which one works better. I had to learn this stroke myself cause no one taught me, but i don't expect someone to hold my hand and show me how to do everything. Also i need help with my running, as now i have gotten up to 3.5 miles in 32 minutes. That's the furthest i have ran so far. What kind of program should i start to increase my endurance? Im not to educated on increase endurance as i have always done "bodybuilding" type Workouts. I last lifted 4 months ago and was up to 235 bench, 365 deadlift, and 315 squat at 160lbs. Since then i stopped smoking and am up to 180lbs with about 10-12% BF. I was also doing SEALFIT for the last 4 months and was told to stop by the Seal coordinator and work on my endurance.

The variations I was talking about is....

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lUHu...eature=related[/nomedia]

vs

[nomedia]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQvjv...eature=related[/nomedia]

 

[JohnRock]

For the swimming, you're looking at a technique issue, primarily. If you go to a gym with a pool, they probably have someone around who can teach swimming. Even if they primarily teach kids, just swallow your pride and take a few lessons. It's better to learn the right way than to keep practicing the wrong way.

For your overall endurance, I recommend training low to perform high. For example, if your goal is to run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes, then start by dividing that into sections. I'd go for a quarter mile, and get used to running that pace or better. Once you can run a quarter mile in 90 seconds, take a 1 minute break, then run it again. Keep going until you've reached 1.5 miles. The following week, do it with 45 second rests. The week after that, 30, and so on.

This is the same way I'd train to improve push-ups, pull-ups, or anything rep/time oriented. Divide up the workload and stop short of failure, with a short rest. Just keep reducing those rest times and your muscular endurance will increase in no time.

Also, if you're getting enough calories, you don't have to lose a pound. Obviously if you're cutting weight, *some* of it will always be muscle, but that's more dependent on diet than training.

Good luck!

 

[bluehealer]

You'll have to mix it up. Wind sprints one day, distance running the next. Run 3-5 miles a day to train for 1 1/2. I was running 8-10 miles a day for a 5k. Running hills helps a lot.

 

[mxmatt15]

great info, thanks. keep it coming

 

[ZiR RED]

Here's some info bikeswimlive gave me with regards to swimming technique:
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIzBaSiWdRA"]YouTube - Alexander Popov swimming technique[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYt8x_7uL48"]YouTube - Efficient Swimming[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2n_AceCr-c"]YouTube - Faster Freestyle Swimming By Decreasing Drag[/nomedia]

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iM16Hfr7rg"]YouTube - SWIMMING TECHNIQUE: THE ROLE OF HIPS AND KICKING[/nomedia]

http://www.usms.org/fitness/content/startingaroutine

With the running, if you're test is 1.5 miles, then there is really no need to do more than a 5 mile jog.

You'll need to improve a few factors to increase your performance: oxygen consumption, lactate buffering, and running economy/form.

Use your long slow day (the 5 mile jog) to work on form. Concentrate on keeping your elbows in tight, pumping straight forward, staying tall, landing on the mid foot (not the toes or heels), and a good kick.

Identifying and correcting muscular imbalances and flexibility deficiencies will also correct this, as will improving core strength.

Running low-grade hills at a pace you can maintain for the entire distance will improve economy.

Get your 1 mile time, this will be needed for training La- bufffering and VO2.

Running 4 x 400 at a pace about 110% your 1 mile pace with an equal work to rest ratio will improve lactate bufffering.

Running 800's at about 90% your mile pace with a work to rest ratio of 1 to 1/2 will help to improve VO2.

As such, you can set up your running week like this

Mon: La- Buffering
Tue: Long, slow run

Thur: hills for economy
Fri: VO2 intervals

Br

 

[mxmatt15]

Thats some damn good info, appreciate it man. Well for now its 1.5 mile but at BUDS you do a weekly 10mile run.

 

[dayday88]

Dude I got my SEAL contract(if you post on any military board please say SEAL, not seal) Your motivator is there for a reason, hes a BTDT. You dont need to do the combat version of the stroke for the test, do not go underwater. You will learn the CSS at buds. Make sure you are switching sides each length.Breathe in your nose, out your mouth. You will get water in both, but your gonna have to suck that up dude, def dont mention that to the motivator. It should also be like your gliding thru the water, and no more than 5 strokes per length. Focus on your leg movement, you should never feel your arms getting tired. Also do "sprints" of the SS down and back with 30 sec rest per lap.

 

[mxmatt15]

So i finally got CSS stroke down by myself. Now I just have to work on my time. I dropped down to 14:38 now, i know i can go faster. Its just a matter of time. Not sure how many strokes im doing, but i will count next time.

 

[HondaV65]

I am a former Navy Master Chief - I was not a SEAL (I was a Submariner) ... however, I had many SEAL friends and I'm very familiar with their training. I was also associated with Navy manpower for a tour in Memphis ...

First off - you need to improve your fitness yes - but what are you doing for YOUR MIND?

BUD/S is going be just as tough mentally as it is physically. Your body is GOING to give out - you will need your mind to keep it running. A Master Chief SEAL once told me - "In order to pass BUD/S - you have to be prepared to either "pass" or "die" trying". If "quit" is an option in any small, dark corner of your mind - you will not make it.

Also - from my manpower tour at Memphis - I know that the failure rate for kids coming off the street to BUD/S is 75%.

That means that 3 out of 4 kids signing up on the dotted line never become SEALS - they fail the training and are utilized by the Navy in other fields.

Failure rate for "Fleet Returnees" ... those are the people that are already in the Navy, already have a rating - and volunteer for SEALS - is around 45 - 50%, which is not great but considerably better than that for kids coming off the street.

My recommendation would be to find a good rating in the Navy - and join it. Do a couple of years in that rating and then go for SEALS - there is no question you will be accepted at that point if you can pass the entry requirements. That way - if you fail BUD/S - then you will already have a rate that CHOSE to fall back on. Otherwise - fresh off the streets - you'll be sent to where the Navy needs you.

When I was in Memphis in charge of these BUD/S failures - I sent them to Gaieta, Italy for physical security (gate guards) - most were not happy campers.