How Adding Mental Games to Workouts Benefits Military Tactical Operators

Stew, I recently heard you talk about adding thinking games into your workouts. What do you mean? How is that helpful to me being a better SWAT operator? John

Thinking while stressed is a trait all tactical operators (military, special ops, police, fire, EMS) need to do their jobs. I have been experimenting with workouts over the years and realized that training the brain to think while physically tired or​ stressed can help you when life-or-death situations occur. 

This can be a simple pyramid workout, where you have to do math during your workout, or more advanced workouts, where you have to get creative and think your way through them. Of course, you also need the required tactical training to help perform your job, but when things are not stressful in "real life," you can simulate it in training and even your workouts.

Here is a simple calisthenics pyramid that requires little or no equipment and can be done on a field with a set of monkey bars or pull-up bars. Calisthenics also can be a "gym-free" workout routine and a successful mix of upper-body (push/pull) exercises with legs, abs and full-body movements. 

For instance:

Pull-up/burpee pyramid:

• Do one pull-up, run 20 yards, do one burpee, run 20 yards back to the pull-up bar
• Do two pull-ups, run 20 yards, do two burpees, run 20 yards back to the pull-up bar
• Continue until you fail. However, every five sets, you have to change your method of moving to and from the pull-up bar/burpee area. 
• For sets 6-10, add in lunges, fireman carries (with a partner), farmer walks with a heavy dumbbell, kettlebell or sand bag, bear crawls, low crawls, etc.
• Once you reach set 10, repeat in reverse order, changing the method to and ​from every set. 

There are many options of travel to and from your pull-up area, so get creative and see what you can develop when the glycogen levels are low and the brain wants to stop working optimally.

This workout tires you physically but still requires you to think creatively and cognitively. Why is this important? In the tactical ops world, when you are tired, hungry and stressed out, thinking clearly is a skill that can be enhanced by adding these types of events to your day.

Why a burpee? You also can do this with eight-count push-ups. The burpee and eight-count push-ups are full-body calisthenics exercises made popular recently. They are tough and work everything: chest, shoulders, triceps, hips, thigh, calves and core.

You can get creative and add other exercises, especially when traveling to and from the pull-up and​ burpee area. Does your brain work when tired? Give this one a try or check out the standard PT pyramid (pull-ups x1, push-ups x2, sit-ups x3).

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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