The Fall Recovery and Assessment Week

Transitioning from High Miles / Reps (endurance/muscle stamina) to Heavier Lifts and Faster Cardio

Summer High Reps and Cardio Workout with the Sunrise

After a tough calisthenics and cardio overload focus (especially this past peak month), we are making a shift to let the joints recover from the high miles running/rucking and high reps doing high volume calisthenics all summer. It is time for a break, as we all are feeling the long workouts in hot and humid air, cranking out tons of reps and miles. Here is what we are doing this week to start a recovery, assess our previous cycles' efforts, and get a baseline for the next strength/power/speed/agility cycle.

The Fall Recovery / Assessment Week

As the Summer Cals and Cardio draws to a close, excitement mounts as the high reps and mileages shift to heavier weights and fun gains. But before switching to the Fall/Winter phase of your training, self-assessment is critical. Consider your strengths and weaknesses after a week of testing, and let the results guide your fitness plan. Here is what you should focus on before transitioning to Fall/Winter Lift Cycles

Day 1, 2, 3: Take the first half of the training week and recover with non-impact cardio, mobility sessions, and focus on techniques of various swimming and pool skills (if preparing for military diving programs). 

• Day 1 is upper body recovery (lower body rest), mobility, stretching, full range of motion for push, pull, core exercises (pushups, pullups, dips, hanging knee ups, etc). Do 5 5-minute circuit of these types of movements followed by 5 minutes of non-impact cardio. Repeat for an hour. 
  
  
• Day 2 is leg recovery (upper body rest), mobility, stretching, and full range of motion movements (hip hinges, squats, lunges, etc).  Do a 5-minute circuit of these types of movements followed by 5 minutes of non-impact cardio. Repeat for an hour. 
  

• Day 3 is the same mobility day we always do mid-week. 5 minutes of nonimpact cardio followed by 5 minutes of stretching / foam rolling - repeat for 50-60 minutes.  It looks like this:
  

  Repeat 5 times
  Bike, elliptical, swim, or row 5 minutes
  Foam roll / stretch 5 min

  Combo of stretch / foam roll each set:
  Set 1 – Feet, ankles, calves, shins, knees
  Set 2: knees, hamstrings, thighs, ITB (sides)
  Set 3: Hips, butt, lower back
  Set 4: Torso, shoulders, arms
  Set 5: Anything that is tight…

  

After any of these mobility days, complete a 1000m swim for time, a 500m swim for time, or tread water for 10 minutes without hands, followed by Treading, Pool Skills, and drownproofing, or a 100m swim workout to evaluate your pool skills. Questions: Are you facing issues with treading or streamlining? Might be a mobility issue? Does your comfort in the water need work?

Day 4: Your Fitness Test - For example, the PST / IFT Test (500yd or 500m swim, pullups, pushups, situps, 1.5 mile run) is the day's main event. Questions to ask yourself: What are your weaknesses? Then work on improving your weaknesses with PT Pyramid, a 50-50 swim workout, and 10 x 400m goal pace runs. If you already know your PST/IFT scores from recent weeks of taking them, see how you do after a few recovery days, or select a different test like the Air Force Operator Fitness Test (OFT) or the Navy Human Performance Test (HPT).

On Days 5 and 6, add in other events that you would like to assess. See below for other testing ideas:

Here Are Some Testing Ideas Used in Many Tactical Programs

My Tactical Fitness Test as used in the book Tactical Fitness:

Tactical Strength Test from the Tactical Strength Book

 Other Classic Events on Tactical Fitness Tests

Several Tests In Use Today (or Transitioning)

There are different names for these new tests, for instance:

Combat Fitness Test - Army and Marine Corps
Ranger Physical Assessment Test (RPAT) - Army Ranger
Operator Fitness Test - Air Force Special Warfare
Human Performance Test - Navy SEAL / SWCC / EOD / Diver
Candidate Physical Aptitude Test (CPAT) - Fire Service  

What To Do After Assessments? 

After this week, assess your strengths and weaknesses. Your findings should guide your choices, whether embarking on an additional lifting or starting the Spring Training Cycle. Consider the 3:1 Block Periodization Model, which is particularly effective for tactical fitness. This type of training is particularly beneficial for those preparing for the Navy PST or the Air Force IFT, enhancing both performance and preparation for rigorous training. Here are your options depending on the results of the assessment week: 

- 1-2 more cycles of calisthenics and cardio if endurance and muscle stamina are the weaknesses (3 weeks cals / 1 week lift / cardio focus)

- Start Fall /Winter Training Cycle (3 weeks lift / short/faster cardio focus / 1 week cals & cardio)

This is IF you want to use the 3:1 Block Periodization Model. The other option is to focus on future events, tests, or selection programs. But you may find the Spring Training options will do the same level of preparation, depending on the selection course you seek.