Ranger school

[0800tony]

Any ideas on how to train for ranger school? I know is pretty physically and mentally demanding, I got a new client/friend who may get a slot for ranger school and was asking for my help, I was planning on training him 10-15 reps with drop set until muscle failure to be able to push him to his limits more and more each time. Maybe there were some veterans or prior/current rangers in this forum that could help me with this. Thanks a lot

[NYkarate]

http://www.military.com/military-fit...er-school-prep

Perhaps the hundred push-up program is a good place to start.

[ob205]

Starve and ENDURANCE. Just kidding, my commander always wanted to send me to Ranger school but I refused since 1 MRE (meal in bag) a day and 2-4 hours sleep didn't sound very fun.

I would say higher rep ranges to really work on that lactic acid threshold. Wouldn't know if I would want to be all that lean going in, since your body will use that fat for fuel. I know kind of oxymoron to have great endurance but some fat, but can be done.

Running, relative strength (bodyweight), and mental toughness.

Best of luck

[0800tony]

Starve and ENDURANCE. Just kidding, my commander always wanted to send me to Ranger school but I refused since 1 MRE (meal in bag) a day and 2-4 hours sleep didn't sound very fun.

I would say higher rep ranges to really work on that lactic acid threshold. Wouldn't know if I would want to be all that lean going in, since your body will use that fat for fuel. I know kind of oxymoron to have great endurance but some fat, but can be done.

Running, relative strength (bodyweight), and mental toughness.

Best of luck

Yea glad we were on the same page i was also thinking mostly endurance, and pushing that lactic acid threshold. I would assume i would mostly work on conditioning with a high calorie diet. Thanks!

[DeathTaco]

Work his legs and build him strong shoulders and a stable lower back.
He needs to do endurance more than heavy lifting.
Past RAP Week, physical fitness only gets you so far.

Also make sure he gets conditioned to the heat. GA is retarded this time of the year. It's one thing to be fit, it's another to be fit with a rucksack, little food, almost no sleep and 93degree w/ 60% humidity in long sleeves, pants, boots and a hat or helmet on.

He will get 2 MREs a day (roughly 4800 calories) but will not be allowed to 'graze' most of the time. Meaning he will have to eat it all at one meal (different depending on which phase you're in).

I'd set him on an IF schedule, get him used to working out intensely while fasted.
Work him outside as much as you can (working up intensity of course), and no shirtless allowed.
Get his endurance and lactic threshold up as stated before.

[0800tony]

Work his legs and build him strong shoulders and a stable lower back.
He needs to do endurance more than heavy lifting.
Past RAP Week, physical fitness only gets you so far.

Also make sure he gets conditioned to the heat. GA is retarded this time of the year. It's one thing to be fit, it's another to be fit with a rucksack, little food, almost no sleep and 93degree w/ 60% humidity in long sleeves, pants, boots and a hat or helmet on.

He will get 2 MREs a day (roughly 4800 calories) but will not be allowed to 'graze' most of the time. Meaning he will have to eat it all at one meal (different depending on which phase you're in).

I'd set him on an IF schedule, get him used to working out intensely while fasted.
Work him outside as much as you can (working up intensity of course), and no shirtless allowed.
Get his endurance and lactic threshold up as stated before.

Thanks for the input, this definitely helps a lot. I already got a lot of ideas working in my mind, like putting him in a weighted vest during our conditioning workouts so he just get use to this as a pretty much second skin...but yea definitely working him progressively up to this.

[Cape1]

From what a good friend of mine tells me, the physical requirements for most of these elite groups is not rediculous and most people in good shape can do it. The problem is can you do while Very Cold or Very Hot, Wet, Hungry, Scared, Hurt, Brain Fog, and pretty much feeling the constant temptation to give up. AND, just about the time you feel like that can you solve problems that are otherwise not hard to solve but may as well be Jet Engine design given the way you feel???

Like the another guy said, the physical will get you only so far. Your bud needs to be an Emotional Heavy Weight and extremely focused no matter what group - Rangers, Special Forces, SEAL, RECON, etc.. I'm given to understand that it's no joke.

[ronniediesel]

From what a good friend of mine tells me, the physical requirements for most of these elite groups is not rediculous and most people in good shape can do it. The problem is can you do while Very Cold or Very Hot, Wet, Hungry, Scared, Hurt, Brain Fog, and pretty much feeling the constant temptation to give up. AND, just about the time you feel like that can you solve problems that are otherwise not hard to solve but may as well be Jet Engine design given the way you feel???

Like the another guy said, the physical will get you only so far. Your bud needs to be an Emotional Heavy Weight and extremely focused no matter what group - Rangers, Special Forces, SEAL, RECON, etc.. I'm given to understand that it's no joke.

agreed.

ruckmarch ruckmarch ruckmarh. run for distance 5 miles plus. EAT ALOT. you will need enough to get you through RAP week at Darby and dont worry you WILL lose it all quick enough.

just smoke him constantly. that means turn up the push ups, situps, bearcrawls, crabwalks, lunges, running, jumping jacks, low crawls. He WILL need to pass the Ranger PT test which consists of pushups, situps, pullups, and a 5 mile run. Practice perfect form push ups because the cadre will send dudes home if they dont like your face or you cant touch the gravel with your chest. You gotta think that alot of people show up and they HAVE to drop people from the class. Pushups is the one thing that sends people packing early, i have seen it time and time again and STILL see it today.

there will also be a 12 mile force march with rucks on. I trained for 3 months on rucking after deployment because i felt that was my weakest area. I have never had a long stride so i had to improve my ability to walk fast with heavy weight. He will be under constant stress of a 80lb+ rucksack all throughout the school.

Recovery is key just like it is in every other aspect of training. About 3-4 weeks from his school date take it easy and try to prevent injury at all costs. Overtraining happens all the time and usually leads to injuries like hurt shoulders or ankle sprains.

Ofcourse if this guy is getting a slot im sure he is filled in on all the requirements he must meet to make it past the first week.

[Knight1989]

Several things, most of which has already been mentioned:

First, switch from heavy wieghts to more endurance. Weighted exercises are good, but he will need to sustain for an extended period. I would focus a lot on body wieght exercises, pushups, pullups, lunges, planks, etc... And do them for extended periods. Everyday in training he will be pushed in "smoke sessions" that can last for hours. The key in ranger school isnt strength, its the ability to just tough it out and endure.

Running, if hes not already he needs to be ALOT. This will build his endurance for the general training. But more crucially it will train him for the runs. 2 mile timed run and a 5 mile timed run. I cant recall the times off my head, I have them around here somewhere though, but I belive the 2 mile is 12:30 or less and the 5 mile is 42:00 or less. Keep in mind niether of these runs are done when youve had a great nights rest and are refreshed. Your already exhausted and sore. So build a lot of cushion room in the training. I trained at running 6miles in the alloted 42min. The thought process being if I could do 6 rested I can do 5 tired, worked for me and everyone else I trained.

Ruck Marching, have him start now. Min 50lbs on his back. start low, maybe 5 miles to build his feet up. I wouldnt train at over 12miles, once you can do that the extra few in the school are easy. Have him do pushups , mountain climbers, plank, pullups anything else you can think of with the ruck on. He needs to get used to the wieght. People tend to only focus on the ruck march itself, they forget that the entire school is a series of patrols where your wearing a ruck. I wouldnt recomend more than 1 pratice ruck a week to prevent injury that would impead other training. And dont subsitute a weighted vest for the ruck, its differant. The vest distributes the wieght more evenly making it easier.

Swimming, get him in the water. He will have to swim the lenght of a pool with full gear and weapon. So make him do it twice. Plus again, it will build the endurance needed for the additional training.

Get him out of the gym. The more you can do outside and in the worst possable conditions the better. Depending on what time of year he goes, it could be insanly hot in jungle phase, FL or freezing cold in mountain phase, GA. Have him train regardless of if hes sore or tired or sick or hurt(I didnt say injured).

Have him start to bulk up. He will lose a min of 10lbs at the school. I say min cause thats what I lost, I know several that lost more than me.

Like was said, the school is pysically hard, because we do it to ourselfs. Its the stress factor combined with fear and lack of rest that increases the difficulty. I certainly dont agree with the statement that anyone in good shape can do it, its deffintly harder than that, its designed to be. The school has a high washout rate for a reason. But its not unreachable by any means. The school is more than physicall though, he needs to be ready for the emotional, psycological parts and the academic as well. I saw more than one fail not because of PT or quiting, but they just couldnt get down the role of a PL or thier OPORDs sucked.

[PumpingPounds]

I fully agree with Knight1989.

Bodyweight exercises including swimming and bring the cardio endurance right up.
Send him in with some fat on him he'll need it for the endurance.

The biggest thing i have found with any of the combat courses is that you understand that it is a very big mind game. The people who select and train you are experts and messing with your mind , stay focused !

Also get him to understand that you can puke, pass out, cry, scream or die but you must never ever give up thats what they are looking for to see how far you will go for you team.