Recovery, Strength, Endurance...

Kilo1636

Kilo1636

New member
I've spent hours reading through threads and articles, and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Maybe you guys could help me out.

I'm 21, 5'7, 170lbs, 10%bf(estimated) and I'm looking to join the Navy Seals after I finish college (this spring is my last semester, I plan on joining within a year). I've been lifting since I was 18. I started bodybuilding, then quickly changed to strength-training/powerlifting, and over the past 6 months Ive gone to an entire calisthenic/plyometric routine. Every morning, 7 days/week, the first thing I do is a thorough full body stretch session and meditation. In the afternoon, MWF I train doing sprints, push-ups, pull-ups, core training, and single-leg squats to improve strength and endurance. On TuThSa I circuit train incorporating various plyometric and martial arts exercises to improve speed, power, and endurance. (I usually wear a weighted vest holding 10-30lbs). On Sunday I either take off, or I run and do work on the heavy bag.

Since I have started this routine I only supplement with whey protein (casein before bed), WMS, glutamine, and a multi. I think I will also start taking fish oil. But, now that I am within a year of enlisting I do not want anything to get in my way. The heat is being turned up (sort of speak) and I must train harder, longer. I do not want to injure myself or overtrain though. So, what I am looking for is something that will help with recovery foremost, but also preferably with strength and endurance. And I'd like one thing (2 maybe), not a grocery list.

I was thinking maybe cissus, but I don't know. any ideas?


P.S.- If the general conclusion is simply to increase protein/carb intake, I would not disagree. I do not NEED to take a supplement of some sort, I am merely wondering if something is out there that would be beneficial.
 
Kilo1636 said:
I've spent hours reading through threads and articles, and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for. Maybe you guys could help me out.

I'm 21, 5'7, 170lbs, 10%bf(estimated) and I'm looking to join the Navy Seals after I finish college (this spring is my last semester, I plan on joining within a year). I've been lifting since I was 18. I started bodybuilding, then quickly changed to strength-training/powerlifting, and over the past 6 months Ive gone to an entire calisthenic/plyometric routine. Every morning, 7 days/week, the first thing I do is a thorough full body stretch session and meditation. In the afternoon, MWF I train doing sprints, push-ups, pull-ups, core training, and single-leg squats to improve strength and endurance. On TuThSa I circuit train incorporating various plyometric and martial arts exercises to improve speed, power, and endurance. (I usually wear a weighted vest holding 10-30lbs). On Sunday I either take off, or I run and do work on the heavy bag.

Since I have started this routine I only supplement with whey protein (casein before bed), WMS, glutamine, and a multi. I think I will also start taking fish oil. But, now that I am within a year of enlisting I do not want anything to get in my way. The heat is being turned up (sort of speak) and I must train harder, longer. I do not want to injure myself or overtrain though. So, what I am looking for is something that will help with recovery foremost, but also preferably with strength and endurance. And I'd like one thing (2 maybe), not a grocery list.

I was thinking maybe cissus, but I don't know. any ideas?


P.S.- If the general conclusion is simply to increase protein/carb intake, I would not disagree. I do not NEED to take a supplement of some sort, I am merely wondering if something is out there that would be beneficial.
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In terms of strength and endurance, a combination of creatine monohydrate and beta alanine would do the trick. You can buy both in bulk for a small amount of money. Look into methods for cycling CM and try one out. You'll retain a little water and it's important to drink a ton of water to avoid dehydration (1 gallon per day, minimum), but with the workouts you're doing, I suspect you're already conscious of your water intake.

Good luck with the SEALs!
 
Creatine Mono and Beta-Alanine

ORRRRRRR Drive/RPM

The Creatine will have the greatest effect on your strength/power training. Beta-Alanine is suppose to buffer H+ ions, raise lactate threshold, so in theory should increase your conditioning performance.

Drive/particularly RPM will heavily increase energy, motivation, strength and endurance. That's a very summarized explanation of everything, but read up on those four supps and you should be able to pick your one or two supplements.
 
Thanks for the help. I'll definitely look those things up. I've stayed away from creatine for a couple reasons:

1. Military physicians highly disapprove of creatine. They claim it causes severe stomach cramps on long runs and swims. In fact, during any stage of SEAL training if you are caught taking creatine you are dropped. This obviously made me second guess my cellmass...

2. Since I am a college student working a part time job I have to supplement on a budget. Things I can buy in bulk are great (tried CEE in bulk & hated it). While I was strength training/powerlifting I used whey, cellmass, and NO-Xplode and had great results (I tried several creatines but really only got great results with cellmass). I dropped the creatines & PreWO drinks to nearly double my whey intake and add WMS. Would I be better off easing off of those and going back on the creatine? I had much better results after dropping the creatine and upping the protein/carbs, but this may have been due to the shift in training style also.

Also, I take Centrum Performance for my multi, would something like Animal Pak make a difference?

Once again, thanks for all the help.
 
Kilo1636 said:
I had much better results after ... upping the protein/carbs, but this may have been due to the shift in training style also.

Also, I take Centrum Performance for my multi, would something like Animal Pak make a difference?
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Diet is one of the most important (its only not the most important because I believe that every apect is the most important and should be dealt equally) elements of an effective training program. I would never compromise my diet at any point for an enhancement in supplementation. Supplementation should only be used to supplement your diet, not to replace. You will see more progress with a good nutrition program than with a compromised diet and ANY supplement. Stick with the protein and carb increase.

As far as centrum performance, im not a huge centrum fan, but Orange Triad by Controlled Labs has become my multi of choice. Great product!
 
Kilo1636 said:
Thanks for the help. I'll definitely look those things up. I've stayed away from creatine for a couple reasons:

1. Military physicians highly disapprove of creatine. They claim it causes severe stomach cramps on long runs and swims. In fact, during any stage of SEAL training if you are caught taking creatine you are dropped. This obviously made me second guess my cellmass...

2. Since I am a college student working a part time job I have to supplement on a budget. Things I can buy in bulk are great (tried CEE in bulk & hated it). While I was strength training/powerlifting I used whey, cellmass, and NO-Xplode and had great results (I tried several creatines but really only got great results with cellmass). I dropped the creatines & PreWO drinks to nearly double my whey intake and add WMS. Would I be better off easing off of those and going back on the creatine? I had much better results after dropping the creatine and upping the protein/carbs, but this may have been due to the shift in training style also.

Also, I take Centrum Performance for my multi, would something like Animal Pak make a difference?

Once again, thanks for all the help.
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They drop you if you take creatine? Man that's f*cked up. Probably not worth the risk, though you haven't enlisted yet, so you could use it now. After that, you might be screwed. Perhaps a stim based product? That would certainly give you a punch. But you'd have to worry a little about dependence and it would suck to get in a situation where you couldn't take it for awhile and had caffeine withdrawal on top of the killer SEAL training.
 
Hey, I served in the IDF airborne, and their training is very hard. We ramped up to 40 and 60 mile runs after 6 months or so. I had no supplements to use at the time, this was in the early 90's. If I was going to do it again, I'd use Xtend and/or cordygen5 and creatine mono. Simple, cheap, effective; they address lactic acid buildup, which is a huge issue for soldiers, and recovery, as well as strength and endurance.
 
gsrhtch said:
they don't look down on creatine. its sold in every Military Exchange I've ever been in.
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Maybe it's just for the noobs trying to make the cut. Then after you actually become a SEAL they let you take whatever you want.

I'm just guessing here.
 
if hes referring to basic training(boot camp) then it makes sense. We couldn't have anything but what we could eat in the chow hall in the 5 minutes we were there. People were sent everything from creatine to porn only to have it added to the drill instructors collection. The only exception was an occasional power bar that they would hand out after a 10 mile hump. good times!
 
gsrhtch said:
if hes referring to basic training(boot camp) then it makes sense. We couldn't have anything but what we could eat in the chow hall in the 5 minutes we were there. People were sent everything from creatine to porn only to have it added to the drill instructors collection. The only exception was an occasional power bar that they would hand out after a 10 mile hump. good times!
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Good god, that sounds awful.

Well, isn't there initial SEAL training after you've been selected, where they try to weed out the unworthy? That might be a strict protocol too where they don't allow it.
 
yea you have to be IN the navy before you can become a seal i think, so that is correct. i don't imagine you would have the time to even think about taking creatine :P
 
Kilo,
First of all... HOOYAH! I believe that's the correct grunt for the SEALS...

Anyhow, I'm in a similiar boat as you (USMC Officer Candidate), and I have been looking to always compliment my training with some solid endurance supplements. I too have actually transitioned from a powerlifting backround (once all the way at 215), and in the meantime have tried many supplements to progress faster. In my experience, this is what I have found to work the best for myself (and currently use now):

Pre-workout -
MAN "Body Octane" - Beta-Alanine/Citrulline Malate/ect.. solid endurance increase.
MST "Cordgygen5" - Increases oxygen utilization.. pretty cool stuff

During workout -
BCAA's (I prefer Xtend @ 6 scoops) + 2 scoops of Nimbus Nutrition's "Posidon". The BCAA's are fairly straightforward, and the "Posiden" is basically a vitamin complex that allows you to hydrate more effeciently (better endurance).

In no way shape or form do you NEED any supplements, and you are correct in your statement in that. Although I basically follow the "train like you fight" logic, I'm trying to take advantage of every training day I have to the fullest. Through experimentation I came across this stack, as for years I have enjoyed trying out the latest supplements (pretty much developed that when I was into powerlifting).

This is definitly expensive, at $80 or $90 a month, but it has proven itself to me in my training. Really boosted my endurance, and I'll probably be sticking with it all the way until I return for OCS Seniors. If you can afford it, I highly recommend it (I spend all my money on this stuff, and have no regrets).

As a side note, I have come across some "supplementary" training tools that friends have introduced to me. I have two of them, and I absolutely love them. One of them I actually got off the Navy Seal Crossfit site, which I'm sure you know about (awesome workouts over there) -

PowerLung Sport Invalid Link Removed
This great device trains your breathing muscles for more powerful lungs. There's a lot of these out there, but very few also train the exhale of the breath. Both inhale and exhale training, and completely adjustable. Very humbling starting with it, as I could barely do it at the lowest setting. The company puts out a small line of these, with this being the most powerful. Big help for sprints, swimming, ect. Definitly has helped my training.

"Iron Woody Hand Gripper" Invalid Link Removed
Despite the name sounding kind of funny, this device BLASTED my pullups last year. Same aspect as the average handgripper, but with adjustable springs for varying tensions. After a workout, involving pulls of not, this is a great finisher. The adjustable springs allow you to hit low sets, mid sets, holds, and other great ideas to fancy things up. Really strengthened my grip and forearms so that I could get more reps. Without a doubt is a functional device that I would highly recommend incorporating.

Those two training tools are also very expensive, but you won't be let down if you can manage to save up for them.

Lastly... you definitly seem to know what you are doing with your training. Sounds pretty locked on to me. But in case you've never checked it out - check out crossfit.com, or better year the Navy Seal Crossfit site I linked up before. I picked up Crossfit late last year, and it will bring some intense workouts. Very addicting.. lots of fun.

In any means, keep us informed on your training! The SEALS are something very special.
 
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