Special Operations Fitness Hell Week
Special Operations Fitness Hell Week
Special Operations Fitness Hell Week
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
Table of Contents
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
This Fitness Program is for You…
… if you are interested in pursuing a career in Special Operations and want to know if you
have what it takes to make it through training.
… if you are already a strong and capable athlete looking to push yourself though an
unconventional cross-training program.
Disclaimer
Only those men and women who are already in great shape should attempt Special Operations
Fitness – Hell Week.
Seek medical approval prior to doing Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week.
Background
The answer is never simple. Every school, selection, and training event is different.
Ranger School: Ranger school is 20–24 hours of activities each day. The harassment factor
(aggressively in your face) is constantly a 9 out of 10. The easiest days are 20 hours of
Life is a Special Operation.com
practical exercises, combatives, obstacle courses, and physically demanding training. You
get two meals and a couple hours of sleep. The hardest days are when you are patrolling 24
hours straight. You get two Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and zero sleep.
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
The point is this: I’ve seen and done training on all sides of the spectrum. Whether it is from
harassment or from stringent standards, all of them had one thing in common: they demanded
and evaluated physical fitness and mental toughness, hours of it each day.
The Stealth Marathon: A few years after finishing my Special Forces training, I was on leave,
visiting family in the Rocky Mountains. I had been there several times before and had even
enjoyed some Boy Scout backpacking trips there when I was in high school. My third day in
town, I woke up early and arrived at my favorite trail head at 5:00 a.m. with a small water
bottle and a power bar. I then ran four hours uphill, to the top of the snow-topped peak. It
took me three hours to run down. I took a quick shower, then met everyone at our favorite
Mexican restaurant for a late lunch. Physical fitness is a way of life for those within the
Special Operations community. We don’t train for an entire year to finish a four-hour
marathon. We do seven hours of hard trail running just like that … because we are fit and
hard and nothing scares us. And then we go for lunch like nothing happened.
I developed Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week to give you a taste of what the Special
Operations community is like.
Remember …
I think you get the point. Do this workout to get a glimpse of what you are going to need to
be able to give in order to endure the rigorous training required to make it into the elite Special
Operations community.
Train as You Fight: Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week is going to help you build
muscle, strength, health, and confidence so you are fully prepared for the challenges of
your life. Train like someone is watching you and evaluating to see if you give 100% or
if you are a slacker.
Teamwork or with a Battle Buddy: All workouts have been designed for the individual.
But feel free to work out with a “Fitness Buddy” or in a small group to minimize the risk
of injury or accident. Although working in a team is always a good way to keep you
accountable and motivated, you are not competing with or against a team. You are
competing against yourself in an attempt to be stronger, smarter, and more physically fit
than you have ever been.
Don’t Overtrain: I’ve warned future military athletes countless times not to overtrain.
Clearly, Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week is overtraining. So please mitigate the
beating that your body is going to take by allowing it an appropriate amount of time to
recover after
the week is
over. I would
not recommend
doing Special
Operations
Fitness – Hell
Week just
before shipping
out to Special
Operations
training. Give
yourself a few
weeks to
recover. And
please,
enhance your
recovery JTACs embedded with Army Conventional Forces
through proper
sleep and diet.
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
Proper Running Technique: Using proper running technique increases speed and cardio-
vascular efficiency, reduces muscular-skeletal impact, and decreases the probability of
injury. I wish every kid had to take track-and-field “sprinting” workshops in school.
Once you learned how to run properly, you instantly feel and see the difference. It is
never too late to learn proper form: Don’t heel strike. Land on your mid or forefoot.
Swing your arms front and back, not sideways. Head up. Knees high. Torso erect, slightly
forward-leaning. Fast cadence. Use your hamstrings … Please learn how to run properly.
Your joints will thank you.
You Don’t Need Expensive Gear or Equipment: Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week
minimizes the use of equipment. We require that you have a punching bag (heavy bag),
hand wraps, punching-bag gloves, a pullup bar, a couple of dumbbells, a backpack, and
access to a place where you can swim. You can buy these tools for lifelong use, use
equipment at a gym or a friend’s house, or make some of them yourself. Be flexible and
adapt.
Discipline is Essential: To be the best of the best, discipline and unwavering resolve are
always required. Thousands of people waste money paying personal trainers each week
to hold their hand from fitness machine to machine, even though they already know how
the machine works. This is because they lack discipline. Please “Ranger Up” and find,
make, or build the discipline required to finish this life-changing Special Operations
Fitness – Hell Week program.
Diet is Essential: To be a world class performer, you need to be fueled by real (not
processed) food. No one puts cheap gas into a race car. When I was a young Special
Forces Officer, I lived off of cheeseburgers, protein shakes, and Starbuck’s
Frappuccinos. I survived, but in spite of my bad eating habits. Once I learned more about
the importance of eating healthy, and started to actually eat an abundance of real, healthy
food, my performance increased significantly. Please learn from my sophomoric
mistakes and feed your body healthy, real food. Now is not the time to go on a starvation
diet. If you are going to use this fitness program as a prerequisite for attending Special
Operations training in the future, then rest assured, you will be given an opportunity to
do work in a significant caloric deficit. But for the sake of minimizing muscular-skeletal
fatigue and maximizing strength and endurance, please eat several thousands of healthy
calories during Hell Week.
Sleep is Essential: Most people are sleep deprived and functioning below their potential.
Now add into your normal day-three workouts, a swim, and a ruck march. I guarantee
that you are going to be exhausted. I don’t limit your sleep during Special Operations
Fitness – Hell Week. This is because I want you to get all the benefits of world class
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training without enduring the mind-numbing effects of sleep deprivation. So please
maximize your sleep and recovery each night.
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
Long, Fast Walks: Special Forces soldiers and Infantry men might walk (ruck) all day.
Literally, they might have their rucksacks (backpacks) on for 24 hours. Don’t forget that
an M4 rifle weighs seven pounds or that a M240B machine gun weighs 27 pounds. Not
only is long-distance walking a significant part of Special Operations training, it can be
a low-impact exercise beneficial for people of all ages. When you do a long, fast walk,
you burn calories. But even after you finish a long, fast walk, you continue to burn
calories. This is why you can go on a backpacking trip, eat chocolate bars all day, and
come back skinnier and leaner than when you left. Carrying a heavy backpack and body
armor is a part of Special Operations, one which frequently causes life-long disabilities
in the neck and back. For this reason, the recommended ruck weight for Special
Operations Fitness – Hell Week is 35 pounds. Make sure that you carry food, water, a
flashlight, a first-aid kit, and your cell phone. The added physical stress of carrying a
weapon will be simulated by carrying a small seven-pound dumbbell. You will shred
away calories, burn fat, build core body muscles, get fresh air, and enjoy hours of low-
impact, high-benefit walking.
Warm Up Before. Only Stretch After: It is important to get your heart pumping and
muscles warmed up before starting your workout. A few minutes of biking, jogging, or
jumping jacks should do the trick. Never stretch a cold muscle. Stretching a cold muscle
is an easy way to tear or injure that muscle. Only stretch after your muscles are warm,
but preferably after the workout as part of your cool-down. Please warm up before every
workout and only stretch after the workout.
Plan Ahead: World class training requires an efficient use of time. For example, every
hour of every day of Ranger School is planned for Ranger students and printed on the
master training plan (of course the students don’t get to see the plan). Special Operations
Fitness – Hell Week has made a very detailed fitness plan for you to execute during a
normal work or school week. Please take a few minutes before you start to plan your
workouts and routes ahead of time. Plan what and when to eat. Plan when to sleep and
when to wake up. Plan where to go to have the required dumbbells and how to get access
to a swimming pool and a heavy bag. Be deliberate and plan ahead so you can
successfully complete each day.
Safety: Special Operators have dangerous jobs. They rely on good safety habits to stay
alive. They wear helmets, gloves, and eye protection; use seatbelts in helicopters; and do
rigorous SCUBA gear and parachute inspections. You need to be smart about protecting
yourself. Consult a Doctor before doing Special Operations Fitness – Hell Week. Please
remain hydrated and well fed. Always let someone know where you are going hiking, or
simply bring a “Fitness Buddy.” Swim in the presence of a lifeguard. Don’t get run over
because you are so focused on your music, podcast, or audio book. Take one earbud out
so you can maintain situational awareness, and listen for approaching traffic or threats.
Life is a Special Operation.com
Special Operations Fitness - Hell Week
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
Workout Descriptions
Syria
Concept:
o 100m Walking Lunges
o 1 Mile Run for Time
o 100m Walking Lunges
Equipment Needed: None. I recommend you do this workout at a track.
Note: Lunges are not timed, so don’t rush and please don’t use sloppy technique.
Take larger than normal steps when doing your lunges and never let your knee go
forward of toes. Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch
immediately after finishing the workout. Practice proper running technique.
Iran
Egypt
Tidal Wave
Afghanistan
Concept: During your normal workday, take breaks every hour or so to do some
simple calisthenics. By the end of your workday, you must complete the
following:
o 100 Pushups
o 100 Leg Lifts
o 50 Pullups
Equipment Needed: A pullup bar and 2 even surfaces from which to do your leg
lifts.
Note: Build muscle memory via perfect technique. Pause (briefly) at the top of
each Pushup, Pullup, and Leg Lift. I recommend 5 breaks during your workday
where you do 10 Pullups, 20 Pushups, & 20 Leg lifts.
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Leg Lifts (Use a chair, desk … whatever is available)
Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
Somalia
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself), do 20
minutes of Traveling Man Makers with very light dumbbells. Record how far you
travel.
Equipment Needed: 10- or 20-pound dumbbells, and a safe road or track.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after finishing
the workout. Do perfect form exercises to reduce the chance of injuries.
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“Traveling Man Maker” explained (from left to right, top to bottom): Walking Lunge right leg.
Walking Lunge left leg. Squat down, thrust legs back into pushup position (plank). One Pushup. Right
Arm Dumbbell Row while in Left Arm Plank. Left Arm Dumbbell Row while in Right Arm Plank. Legs
in. Stand up. Bicep Curls to Military Press. Dumbbells back to side. Repeat.
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Iraq
MARSOC Raiders during training. How far can you carry your gear, a weapon, and a casualty?
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Israel
Self-Defense 1
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself), do the
following circuit 5 times.
o 50 left hand jabs
o 50 right hand jabs
o 50 left hand punches
o 50 right hand punches
o 50 hooks / upper cuts (1 left then 1 right) 100 total
o 2 minutes rest
Equipment Needed: Hand wraps, bag gloves, heavy bag.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after
finishing the workout. Do perfect form strikes. Never do a sloppy strike. If you get
tired, then slow down. Build muscle memory via perfect technique.
Self-Defense 2
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself), do the
following circuit 5 times:
o 50 repetitions of 2 left hand jabs followed by 1 right hand punch
o 50 repetitions of 2 right hand jabs followed by 1 left hand punch
o 50 repetitions of 2 left hand jabs followed by 1 right hand punch, then a
left hook
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
o 50 repetitions of 2 right hand jabs followed by 1 left hand punch, then a
right hook
o 2 minutes rest
Equipment Needed: Hand wraps, bag gloves, heavy bag.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after
finishing the workout. Do perfect form strikes. Never do a sloppy strike. If you get
tired, then slow down. Build muscle memory via perfect technique.
Self-Defense 3
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself), spar with
the heavy bag for 3 minutes then rest for 2 minutes. Use only punching techniques.
Repeat 6 times.
Equipment Needed: Hand wraps, bag gloves, heavy bag.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after
finishing the workout. Do perfect form strikes. Never do a sloppy strike. If you get
tired, then slow down. Build muscle memory via perfect technique.
Self-Defense 4
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself) do the
following circuit 5 times.
o 20 right rear leg front kicks
o 20 left rear leg front kicks
o 20 right front leg front kicks
o 20 left front leg front kicks
o 20 right rear leg round kicks
o 20 left rear leg round kicks
o 20 right front leg round kicks
o 20 left front leg round kicks
o 2 minutes rest
Equipment Needed: Heavy bag.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after
finishing the workout. Keep your hands up to protect your face. Do perfect form
kicks. Never do a sloppy kick. If you get tired, then slow down. Build muscle
memory via perfect technique.
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Self-Defense 5
Concept: At full intensity (but with control so you don’t injure yourself), spar with
the heavy bag for 3 minutes, then rest for 2 minutes. Use punches and kicks.
Repeat 6 times.
Equipment Needed: Hand wraps, bag gloves, heavy bag.
Note: Warm up before officially beginning the workout. Stretch immediately after
finishing the workout. Do perfect form punches and kicks. Never do a sloppy
punch or kick. If you get tired, then slow down. Build muscle memory via perfect
technique.
A Ranger on a mission in Iraq. How heavy is his gear, body armor, M249 machine gun & ammo?
Self-Defense 6
o Round 1:
50 left hand jabs
50 right hand jabs
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Special Operations Fitness – HELL WEEK
50 left hand punches
50 right hand punches
50 hooks or upper cuts (1 left then 1 right) 100 total
2 minutes rest
o Round 2:
20 right rear leg front kicks
20 left rear leg front kicks
20 right front leg front kicks
20 left front leg front kicks
20 right rear leg round kicks
20 left rear leg round kicks
20 right front leg round kicks
20 left front leg round kicks
2 minutes rest
o Round 3:
50 left hand jabs
50 right hand jabs
50 left hand punches
50 right hand punches
50 hooks (1 left then 1 right) 100 total
2 minutes rest
o Round 4:
20 right rear leg front kicks
20 left rear leg front kicks
20 right front leg front kicks
20 left front leg front kicks
20 right rear leg round kicks
20 left rear leg round kicks
20 right front leg round kicks
20 left front leg round kicks
2 minutes rest
If you are an aspiring Navy SEAL, add 1000 meters to each day’s swim. This will make
2000m each day. That’s 20 more minutes of swimming each day. Deal with it! Use the
Combat Side Stroke.
Conclusion
Respectfully,
Christopher Littlestone
Life is a Special Operation
Are You Ready For It?
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