Another school of thought is to welcome each year around the sun, embrace the physical changes that come with it and be happy with your place in the world.

Both of these attitudes are fine and they don’t have to be mutually exclusive. I tend to be more focused on turning back the clock but won’t shy away from showing my age and experience in some matters. I refuse to accept the term “over the hill”; I see that as a self fulfilling prophecy to laziness and I won’t allow it in my consciousness. Some people also go for a korean plastic surgery to feel more confident about oneself.

Of course, to maintain a youthful exuberance, one needs to eat correctly, train consistently, rest, and have healthy mechanisms for dealing with stress. I am one of those guys that do like to “go after physical challenges” so my training, nutrition, and supplementation has to work for me. Bad food, heavy drinking, and lack of sleep will affect someone over 40 a little more harshly than someone who is 20. (I can’t sugarcoat that one) But those over 40 or who at an age in which they feel that they are slowing down, a healthy lifestyle and understanding of good nutrition and supplementation is essential.

I have recently discovered that 1st Phorm products really work for me. Currently, I take a multi-vitamin which includes COQ10, fish oils, a pre-work out supplement, a post workout stack of whey protein isolate and a high glycemic component, a meal replacement shake (good for days when I travel), and a testosterone boosting stack (all legal and tested). I must have spent tens of thousands of dollars on supplements since I was 15, and that was a long time ago, but now I feel that I am taking products that don’t replace natural foods but supplement what I put in my body and is helping me stay in incredible shape and health for my age.

To learn more about the Primal Pack, click here.

http://www.battletestedfitness.trainerize.com/Online-Training

I like starting strong on Mondays, and unlike many friends who dedicate Mondays as International chest day, today I started with power and regular cleans.

I am slowly building up my explosive power to what it once was, so I started with cleans, followed by overhead presses, and then assistance work with pulldowns, and one arm kettlebell presses. At this stage, my first two lifts almost mirrored each other in weight

The progression looked like this:

Cleans: 3 sets x 5 reps @ 100 lbs, 3 sets x 5 @ 135 lbs  3 sets x 3 @155

OH Press: 3 sets x 5 reps @ 95 lbs, 3 sets x 5 @ 145, 1 set x max reps @ 160

Get strong and get moving.

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One of the reasons why I have aligned myself with Isagenix is there honesty in the manufacturing in their products and the physical results to which Isagenix delivers.

Go to http://battletestedfitness.isagenix.com to learn more and get started.

https://youtu.be/liFY7EWPiUU

Contact me for details.

http://battletestedfitness.isagenix.com/en-nz/resource-center/the-isagenix-amped-line

For many athletes, regardless of the sport, training should be designed to maximize one’s strengths (technical or otherwise) and improve a weakness, while preparing them for competition. 

For a first responder, combat serviceman, and tactical professional, there are a host of fitness skills that most be sharp at all times. Similar to athletes, certain fitness skills are required more in some tactical professions than in others. Here is an analysis of some fitness traits in relation to a tactical athlete’s profession.

Speed  – necessary for nearly all professionals. Sprinting to attack an enemy position, chasing a suspect, running to put out a fire or to safety, or running to intercept an assailant; speed is an important fitness requirement.

Strength – A soldier will need the strength to carry weapons,  supplies, and lift wounded comrades. A firefighter has to be ready to carry and evacuate victims, axe through doors, and even carry comrades. A police officer doesn’t need overpowering strength but functional strength if someone is resisting arrest. A SWAT officer generally is required to use more strength to carry breeching tools, and other equipment. A close protection agent, like a police officer needs a basic level of strength but one does not need to be built like an ox.

Cardiovascular Strength Endurance – For the soldier and fire watch construction guards, battles and fires can last for hours and even days. Conditioning is essential to sustain optimum performance over the course of many hours. Police officers, and in particular SWAT officers will sometimes be engaged in stand-offs with criminals and the occasional long gun battle but no one is running a marathon to apprehend anyone.

Anaerobic Strength Endurance – All tactical professions require a decent level of sustained strength over a short amount of time. Think of the conditioning of an MMA fighter, short intense engagements taxing the muscles with periods of rest here and there. Hostage rescue breeches, riots, fires, advancing to an enemy position, require the tactical professional to engage his or her body repeatedly until the situation is over. Small battles and fires can of course lead to large ones requiring soldiers and firefighters to possess great cardiovascular strength endurance.

Agility/Quickness – The ability to dodge and overcome physical obstacles is paramount in all tactical professions. Zig – zagging through a firefight, crowd of people, wreckage from a fire, or any environment with minimal cover or concealment requires tactical professionals to move in all directions.

There are of course more fitness traits to list but the above are main ones to consider when preparing to enter or remain in a tactical profession. Exploring aspects like netball court markings is worth it if you’re also involved in sports and recreational activities, ensuring a well-prepared and enjoyable playing environment.

For anyone wanting a one on one consultation or tactical program, please contact me and also be sure to check these Gifts for Pittsburgh Steelers fans if you’re a basketball lovers. 

Expect new and fresh content to be forth coming for Battletested Fitness. For my security and intelligence colleagues, followers, and clients, my chief website: battletestedsolutions.com will act as a gateway for my security consulting services.

My Facebook page, and LinkedIn profile will also provide content and articles on security matters, protective intelligence strategies, and tactical response training. Tactical fitness is an element of tactical response training, of which some content will be shared on Facebook and LinkedIn and within this blog. See you down the road, please fill out the contact form so I can be of better service to you or your organization

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For many tactical and first responders (police, fire, EMS security), the motivation for training will take on a different nature with varied consequences if one does’t train correctly or consistently.

1. Succeeding at a rescue or response
2. Keeping my place on the unit or detail
3. Staying injury free
4. Improving chances of a promotion

The reasons above are positive in nature, conversely there are negative motivators as well.

5. Losing a victim, or co-worker due to a lack of training or necessary level of physical fitness

6. Losing my place on the unit or detail

7. Hurting myself during a response because my joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments weren’t prepared for the stress.

8. Routinely being passed over for promotion because of low fitness or tactical evaluation scores

Stay focused on the positive and what tactical fitness training can do for you because losing sucks.