How to Train for a Military Physical Fitness Test: A SAPT Testimonial

One thing many of you may not realize is that, while SAPT does work primarily with athletes and general fitness clientele, we also have a special "niche" in preparing those seeking to join the military and/or pass a Military Physical Fitness Test. As many of you know (or, at least, can probably guess...), the selection and assessment process for the Special Operations is far from easy, and certainly won't allow for the faint-of-heart to make it very far.

We recently received an awesome (and humbling) testimonial from Jason, who trained with SAPT - via our Distance Coaching program - in preparation for his selection and assessment process for the Special Forces.

Needless to say, he worked his butt off in training, and we were honored to help him reach this milestone.

Take it away, Jason!

"Recently, I successfully participated in a Special Operations Selection and Assessment (S/A), and I can unequivocally say that the distance coaching program with SAPT was a huge asset!

To back up the story a bit, I came to SAPT with the goal of being able to max the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT), do 20 pullups, run 6 miles in 45 minutes, and total over 1500 pounds. To say that this is a tall order would be a HUGE understatement. My training background consisted mainly of strength training with some General Physical Preparedness (GPP). I had a total that was in the 1200 range and could score about a 270 on the APFT. However, let’s not discuss my distance running…

Needless to say, I walked into SAPT pretty confident in my skills. Boy, was I about to be humbled! That first day, Steve broke down my form on all my major lifts and immediately saw where I had room to improve. At the end of that session, he made an effort to truly understand my needs,  and develop a unique program to ensure that I met them. This was especially difficult due to the fact that I still had a 9-5 job, an upcoming wedding/honeymoon, and two rambunctious American Bulldogs all vying for my time. With that in mind, we planned on me working out at SAPT once a week, with all other workouts on my own. Over the next three months (while I stubbornly resisted scaling back the weight on the bar and doing “silly” mobility work) I put in the tough work. It was all worth it.

By the time that I attended my S/A, I felt entirely prepared. My APFT score had improved to well over 300, running for longer than 30 minutes no longer felt like I was breathing lava, knocking out 18 clean pullups seemed natural, and believe it or not, my strength is continuing to improve! SAPT had performed the seemingly impossible. Beyond that, at the conclusion of the S/A I was nowhere near as sore or immobile as I had anticipated being. Maybe those crazy crawls and band work actually paid off!

In conclusion, SAPT did a great job working with me in the gym and at home. They provided me with the tools to continue with my success, and for that I’m extremely thankful. They are in a unique position to help anyone achieve their goals. Whether that goal is in competitive athletics, aesthetics, health, or LEO/Military work they have to tools to help. Working within the Special Operations community has been a huge dream for me. And with SAPT’s assistance, that dream is finally coming true!"

~Jason

Click HERE to join SAPT today, no matter where you live!

Sarah Walls
A little about me: I've worked in pretty much every corner of the fitness industry for about 10 years. I've had the great fortune of spending most of this time working with gifted athletes at every level. I've also had the great opportunity of designing and conducting research projects, writing occasionally for various publications and blogs, competing in powerlifting, and just generally having a killer time pursuing my passions wherever they may take me. Now I own two businesses: one is an athletic performance training company that I started in 2007 at age 26 and the other is a software company startup that was launched in 2014. Paramount to all the awesomeness of my professional career, is my family. My kids are a thrill and my husband continues to be my most critical and important supporter.
www.strengthboss.com
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