EX special forces please help !!! trying to Ace the navy seal fitness test !

[jsanman]

im 21 years old and my life long dream ever since i can remember has been to become a navy seal

i previously tried the navy seal test about a year ago and i met the minimum standards (except swimming)

I soon realized though, there are always about 20-50 guys who meet those standards for every 1 contract, and there are always at least 10 guys who are in the proficient times ( proficiency being able to run 1.5 miles and 500 yards in under 20 minutes)

right now i weigh about 190 at 10%-12% body fat

to be proficient one has to meet these numbers

500 Yard Swim 8 Minutes
Pushups 80-100
Sit-ups 80-100
Pull-ups 15-20
1.5 Mile Timed Run 9-10 Minutes

i cannot swim at the moment, but i am in the pool about 2x a week trying to learn
right now here are my numbers

500 Yard Swim N/A
Pushups 80 ( about 130 if it were not timed)
Sit-ups 90 ( about 150 if it were not timed)
Pull-ups 16-20 ( dead hang) +30 if done without the 5 seconds of hang time
1.5 Mile Timed Run under 8 minutes

im hearing of guys being able to do 120 push ups 140 sit ups and 40 pull ups

i guess my question is, how do i too achieve those numbers?! or beat them !
also can anyone point me in the right direction as to what i can do to ace the swimming?
i test myself about twice a week, getting small improvements, but i wanna know all i can do to make my scores shine above the rest

[kronik420]

the more you do something the better you get at it..

looks like all you need to do is work on your swimming... so hit the pool...

[Times Roman]

a navy seal that cannot swim?

most good swimmers take years to learn their sport. not sure what you can do to accelerate the learning process.

if you want to accelerate learning how to swim, recommend finding a swim trainer and then doing that very regularly.

so those are the minimum qualifiers? always thought it would be much tougher than that.

Good luck!

---Roman

[jsanman]

a navy seal that cannot swim?

most good swimmers take years to learn their sport. not sure what you can do to accelerate the learning process.

if you want to accelerate learning how to swim, recommend finding a swim trainer and then doing that very regularly.

so those are the minimum qualifiers? always thought it would be much tougher than that.

Good luck!

---Roman

when i first was going to sign up and got tested about two years ago the ex navy seal who was running the tests ( he musta been in his mid 50s) told me he was just like me when he first ran the test, having zero knowledge of the water he trained for six months and well the rest is history

also the recruiters all talked about one particular guy who was a freak of nature in terms of fitness 200 pushups in two minutes 50 dead hang pull ups, but he didnt have a clue how to swim, he sank like a rock during the test, he was instructed by the seal and in only a week of practice did the 500 yards in 9 minutes (just enough to qualify)
unfortunately for that guy, he just about shattered his knee in the second to last week of training, was medically disqualified permanently from the navy.

and thanks times roman! hopefully lady luck shines bright on me in my dreams!

[hellomycognomen]

To be a Navy Seal, swimming is a must, no way to get around it. And not just normal swimming pool swimming but basically being a damn shark on open water. IDK what ex-special forces you are but most Ive seen swim qual is a pass/fail evolution. For USMC recon most drop on the swim. If you can pass the swim all the physical is just determination and sucking it up and taking it.

[jsanman]

To be a Navy Seal, swimming is a must, no way to get around it. And not just normal swimming pool swimming but basically being a damn shark on open water. IDK what ex-special forces you are but most Ive seen swim qual is a pass/fail evolution. For USMC recon most drop on the swim. If you can pass the swim all the physical is just determination and sucking it up and taking it.

im not an ex special forces, i was going to leave for the navy right out of highschool but life threw me a curve ball

my goal isnt to get around swimming, my goal is to become proficient, like you said " swim like a shark"

by my calculations i have about a year from right now before i leave for bootcamp, if i enlist after this spring, i should have about a year of pool time hopefully.

i guess what im asking for is if anyone knows any videos, books, articles, websites journals, swim equipment ect. that can help me become fast as all hell in the water

[hellomycognomen]

The speed will come with time. Practice swimming with cloths on and boots as well as moving weights from one side of pool to the other. In USMC we would swim qual full gear, rifle and pack. Most important thing is you have to become comfortable in the water. You can look up youtube videos on swim techniques they have some that are pretty good. In boot camp you will also learn different techniques. But its important that you try to get as close to "shark" status as possible. Good luck


I remember my drill instructor saying that if you ever see a guy with a shark tattoo on his leg, you don't want to ever fu*k with him in the water. lol

[Euroholic]

Physical fitness matters a lot but mental fortitude and a desire to reach your goal will get you threw. i made it to the 2nd week of sas selection till i quit i just did not want it as much as i thought i did. All the pre selection tests are quite easy if your fit but once you get to the selection course or in your case your "buds" class its a different story.

Little food and sleep, the mind games they play with you the high potential for injures the staff can drop you at anytime just because they don't like you and the fact that the odds are against you. Id say good luck but passing the course is not a matter of luck you either want it or you don't.

[Brett N]

Being able to tread water is also a very important part. Also, lung capacity. Holding your breath. Push yourself hard as you possibly can and then go further. I promise you, being ex-navy, they will push you harder than you will ever be willing to push yourself.

Qualifying for Seal training is a whole different thing entirely than actually training and becoming a seal. Any swinging dick can qualify with a little dedication. Completing training is a physical and mental challenge that 99.5% never achieve.

Good luck, train hard and be tough. Remember, once you overcome the mental challenge your body will adapt to all the physical.

[Brett N]

BTW, no I did not train at all for seals. I tried to qualify when I was in the Navy and I was too young and immature to realize the dedication it took to be one of the elite. Hindsight 20/20, I was a total ***** then.

[area547]

You're going to need a lot more than just getting good at swimming. You're also going to have to get good at swimming with fins. Passing the PST is only the first part in your journey and it should be a reflection of your overall fitness. If you're only training for the PST you're doing it wrong.
You're endurance needs much better than the 20 something minutes it takes to complete the PST.

If you want more information PM me. Include these modified results: regular PST but up the time for push and sit to 3 mins and do a 4 mile run instead of the mile and a half bullshit.

This is a much better gauge of your endurance and strength.

[redz]

You need to imagine jumping into water in a brutal storm. Swimming needs to be like walking to you. I've been in bad waters before and I thanked god I was such a strong swimmer when I got out.

[jsanman]

You're going to need a lot more than just getting good at swimming. You're also going to have to get good at swimming with fins. Passing the PST is only the first part in your journey and it should be a reflection of your overall fitness. If you're only training for the PST you're doing it wrong.
You're endurance needs much better than the 20 something minutes it takes to complete the PST.

If you want more information PM me. Include these modified results: regular PST but up the time for push and sit to 3 mins and do a 4 mile run instead of the mile and a half bullshit.

This is a much better gauge of your endurance and strength.

ill attempt to use your suggestions when i practice the pct again this Monday
i actually do 4 mile runs each morning, 2x 2 mile sprints from my house to my old highschool then rest 5 minutes and sprint back home, sometimes i will run 14 miles or more but i only do that once every other week because im afraid of ruining my knees