CRO aspirant

**SRoss** · 02-11-2009, 01:38 PM

I have been training for several months now for AF Special Forces training, and I have been generally following the Warriors Diet on the side. My typical training in a week consists of 3 days of kettlebells (2x24Kg) (swings, Vo2 max snatches, see-saw presses, weighted push-ups, pistols (unweighted), TGU's, weighted sit-ups, and weighted pull-ups), 2-3 days of swimming either a mile or Tabata sprints, and 2 days of running 4-5 miles or Tabata sprints. I have been improving my endurance and strength gradually, but I would like to know if there is anything I should add to my workouts to increase my gains.

My overall goal is to be able to do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 25 pull-ups, 3 miles in fewer than 19 mins, and a mile swim in less than 23 minutes. Right now I am at 83 pushups, 90 sit-ups, 21 pull-ups, 3 miles in 22 minutes, and a mile swim in less than 23 minutes.

Any help or recommendations would be appreciated

**Matt Mendes** · 02-11-2009, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by SRoss

I have been training for several months now for AF Special Forces training, and I have been generally following the Warriors Diet on the side. My typical training in a week consists of 3 days of kettlebells (2x24Kg) (swings, Vo2 max snatches, see-saw presses, weighted push-ups, pistols (unweighted), TGU's, weighted sit-ups, and weighted pull-ups), 2-3 days of swimming either a mile or Tabata sprints, and 2 days of running 4-5 miles or Tabata sprints. I have been improving my endurance and strength gradually, but I would like to know if there is anything I should add to my workouts to increase my gains.

My overall goal is to be able to do 100 pushups, 100 sit-ups, 25 pull-ups, 3 miles in fewer than 19 mins, and a mile swim in less than 23 minutes. Right now I am at 83 pushups, 90 sit-ups, 21 pull-ups, 3 miles in 22 minutes, and a mile swim in less than 23 minutes.

Any help or recommendations would be appreciated

Specialtactics.com

join the forums, i think you might have to pay now, i was grandfathered in so im not sure. Do the SOPWOD on there. There is also a boat load of info on there. You seem to know the PT reqs so you might have already been there as most CRO info documents mention specialtactics.com. Good luck bro, make sure you do underwaters.

**PeterHuntRKC** · 02-11-2009, 10:29 PM

Hello, SRoss:

Had to "google" CRO for the correct context. At first read, I thought cathode ray oscilloscope.

Anyway, I want to throw out a caveat of sorts to you, SRoss. Before you take time out of your life to read this response: I am a veteran of the Vietnam Era, so the following information may not only be out-dated, but out-of-touch. Fair warning?

What is usually overlooked by many, while "training for the military," is a search for circumstances that mimic combat and/or rescue conditions. (One PJ I know--and RKC colleague--has shared some personal stories with me proving that sometimes there is precious little difference between the two.)

SEAL-believer asked for suggestions about GPP (I guess), so I sent him a link detailing the harsh reality of BUD/S training: When to switch programs with military conditioning.

Read S-b's answer to my post. He has problems in a cold shower?!

(I am not beating up on you SEAL-believer, and I hope you have "googled" Silver Strand, by now.

)

Nevertheless, if the young man trains himself into a 5-minute mile run, 150 non-stop pushups, 30 strict pullups, and then cannot survive a few nights in 65-degree water off the Silver Strand, where does that get him? Not on a SEAL Team in Afghanistan taking out bad boys with his M82, but rather as a Boatswain's Mate Striker on a destroyer chipping paint for his career.

The One Mile Swim . . .

At my ARS at Coronado Island in 1969, our class ran the couple of miles down to our "favorite" beach (Designated: Green Beach, Silver Stand, SEAL-believer). Once we arrived, we fell out of formation and took off our coral booties. Then our instructors, a UDT Chief and the Gunny, and four safety swimmers from the Chief's Team, swam us out on the perpendicular about 100 meters.

The 15 of us students were in for a surprise.

Instead of swimming en masse for the red buoy a mile distant, one-by-one we were ducked under by the safety swimmers, until every swinging dick was gasping, coughing, and choking Pacific blue. (I think this training technique is now called waterboarding.)

Then we proceeded on our one mile swim.

We all passed . . . we did not die.

The Chief and the Gunny told us that often a recon team will be inserted into rough seas to undertake a hydrographic survey and thereby maintain a lengthy presence in the water, or . . . merely just to swim to a beach as a first stage of a mission inland.

What they said to us, became our motto for the next three weeks of the schooling: Never Expect Calm Water. And, you had better believe that after that little ocean experiment, we had our heads on a swivel for our remaining days at ARS!

By the way: we weren't even timed.

Regards,
Peter.

PS: Good luck with your training. You probably will not be waterboarded prior to your swim test

.

Pavel Tsatsouline · 02-12-2009, 07:28 AM

Com. Peter, you should expand this post into an article, Sir!

**bill1156** · 02-12-2009, 09:05 AM

Com. Peter Hunt's post of his service compels me to post my lack thereof.

I had two cousins and an uncle who served in Vietnam. When I graduated high school in 1974, I vowed I would enlist. I was told by every family member, including the three who went to Vietnam, "Oh no you don't. You're going to be the one who goes to college."

So off I go to major in history and English at St. Francis College (now the University of New England) in Biddeford Maine. As I neared graduation I decided to go up to Portland and try my hand at the Navy's Officer's Exam. I missed the cut by one point.

Undiscouraged, upon graduation, I went to the recruiting office in my hometown of Newington, Connecticut and told the recruiter I wanted to be a SEAL. He asked me what I had been doing as far as training. I told him, "Push ups, pull ups, running and swimming in the ocean of the coast of Maine, fall, winter and spring."

As we were driving up to the testing center in Springfield, Massachusetts the recruiter asked me if I had had any childhood maladies. I told him I had asthma as a kid but it cleared up when I was 14. He told me to tell the doctor.

I take the enlisted man's test, I bop through the physical no sweat. I get to the final station which was a doctor asking questions. He looks me over, asks me about some scars and then asked specifically about asthma. I told him. He says, "Sorry, son." He tells me symptoms have to be clear for 10 years. I was 21 at the time. I freaked. "There's no way out of this?" "Sorry, son."

On my way out the recruiter and another guy are waiting for me. "Wow, you got the highest score we've ever seen on the enlisted test, you can write your own ticket!!!"

I handed him my paperwork and said, "Oh yeah? Try and get me out of this, can you?"

Well, he tried to pull some strings and I guess his reach was too short. I was furious but my family was relieved.

Bottom line: I don't want to read about some kid whose joints stiffen up in a cold shower after I spent three and a half years getting ready for the Silver Strand and all that went with it.

And another thing: lie to the physician.

**SRoss** · 02-12-2009, 10:02 AM

Im not too worried about the cold water, I swam in a lake here in Colorado when the air temp was in the 40's (with a buddy spotting). Thanks for all of the great advice; yes Matt I have been on the special tactics website several times but i just wanted the input of some Hardstylers as well.

**clake16** · 02-12-2009, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by SRoss

Im not too worried about the cold water, I swam in a lake here in Colorado when the air temp was in the 40's (with a buddy spotting). Thanks for all of the great advice; yes Matt I have been on the special tactics website several times but i just wanted the input of some Hardstylers as well.

Just a note up-front. I have not been through the training, but just looked into it myself. So everything I'm posting if what I've gathered from my research and conclusions I've made.

I too like you have been thinking about that. I would def head Pete's warning. It's more the mental abuse that gets people. I would suggest buying Rescue Warriors:

Rescue Warriors - Pacific Coast Video

I bought it and it REALLY is an eye opener as to what to expect. They follow a class of PJ's from Indoc - graduation. Wanting to do CRO, the focus on dirt medicine won't be as useful to you, but you still get an idea. They will tell you it's not really the intensity of any one evolution, it's the sum of all the parts thrown together with little to no rest.

Stew Smith has a lot of good info on form and things like that including workouts. You can also work with him, although I'm not sure how pricey it is.

Work on your water confidence. That is how they mimick stress. It means nothing to be able to swim for the times in calm water ... even if it's cold. That is def. a good start, but it's important to increase lung capacity and really become a fish more or less.

Most people that do not make it seem to lose it mentally. Everyone shows up in good shape, but some people jsut don't really understand what they're getting themselves into. You really have to want it with every part of your being. It's sort of like gettin kicked in the nuts progressively harder each day and going back for more.

The video also gives good insite on the instructors and how they affect you. They come off as uncaring and over the top. But that is their job. You are going to be responsible for commanding other SF types as a CRO and have people lives under your responsibliy. They really do need to weed out the mentally weak. The class being followed starts to take it personally and you can see that affect their performance.

It also provides some great insite to being class leader. I'm not sure if you're currently in the AF/what rank you are, but that is a possiblity being an officer.

Again, I have not been through any of it. That is just the items that really stood out to me and were like Ah ha moments.

**bross** · 04-11-2009, 02:54 PM

Do not over do it

**DrJAG2** · 04-11-2009, 03:55 PM

I can't comment on the combat training aspect, but if you want to swim better, esp if you are swimming for time, find your local Masters swim team, join, and get help from the coach. You will be amazed at how minor tweaks in your technique can knock MINUTES off your one mile swim time.