Pre-BUD/S Training                                      

[ Schedule I | Schedule II | Pyramid Workouts | Stretch PT | Nutrition | Training Table ]   

   Suggested Student Preparation
   

   The following workouts are designed for two categories of people:
   Category I are those future BUD/S students that have never or have not
   recently been on a routine PT program. Category II is designed for
   high school and college athletes that have had a routine PT program.
   Usually athletes in sports that require a high level of cardiovascular
   activity are in Category II. Swimming, running, and wrestling are good
   examples of such sports.
   

   RUNNING: The majority of the physical activities you will be required
   to perform during your six months of training at BUD/S will involve
   running. The intense amount of running can lead to overstress injuries
   of the lower extremities in trainees who arrive not physically
   prepared to handle the activities. Swimming, bicycling, and lifting
   weights will prepare you for some of the activities at BUD/S, but ONLY
   running can prepare your lower extremities for the majority of the
   activities, You should also run in boots to prepare your legs for the
   everyday running in boots at BUD/S.
   

   The goal of the category I student is to work up to 16 miles per week
   of running, After you have achieved that goal, then and only then
   should you continue on to the category II goal of 30 miles per week.
   Let me remind you that category I is a nine week buildup program.
   Follow the workout as best you can and you will be amazed at the
   progress you will make.

SCHEDULE I

RUNNING SCHEDULE I

WEEKS #1, 2:    2 miles/day, 8:30 pace, M/W/F   (6 miles/week)
WEEK #3:        No running. High risk of stress fractures.
WEEK #4:        3 miles/day, M/W/F              (9 miles/wk)
WEEKS #5, 6:    2/3/4/2 miles, M/Tu./Th./F        (11 miles/wk)
WEEKS #7, 8:    3/4/5/2 miles, M/Tu./Th./F        (16 miles/wk)
WEEK #9:        same as #7, 8                   (16 miles/wk)

PHYSICAL TRAINING SCHEDULE I
(Mon./wed/Fr.)

        SETS OF REPETITIONS             SETS OF REPS.
WEEK #1:        4 X15 PUSHUPS   WEEKS #5, 6:    6 X 25 PUSHUPS
                4 X 20 SIT-UPS                   6 X 25 SIT-UPS
                3 X 3 PULL-UPS                   2 X 8 PULL-UPS

WEEK #2:        5 X 20 PUSHUPS  WEEKS #7, 8:    6 X 30 PUSHUPS
                5 X 20 SIT-UPS                   6 X 30 SIT-UPS
                3 X 3 PULL-UPS                   2 X 10 PULL-UPS

WEEK #3, 4:     5 X 25 PUSHUPS  WEEK #9:        6 X 30 PUSHUPS
                5 X 25 SIT-UPS                   6 X 30 SIT-UPS
                3 X 4 PULL-UPS                   3 X 10 PULL-UPS

* Note: For best results, alternate exercises. Do a set of
pushups, then a set of sit-ups, followed by a set of pull-ups,
immediately with no rest.

SWIMMING SCHEDULE I
(sidestroke with no fins 4-5 days a week)

WEEKS #1, 2:    Swim continuously for 15 min.
WEEKS #3, 4:    Swim continuously for 20 min.
WEEKS #5, 6:    Swim continuously for 25 min.
WEEKS #7, 8:    Swim continuously for 30 min.
WEEK #9:        Swim continuously for 35 min.

   * Note: If you have no access to a pool, ride a bicycle for twice as
   long as you would swim. If you do have access to a pool, swim every
   day available. Four to five days a week and 200 meters in one session
   is your initial workup goal. Also, you want to develop your sidestroke
   on both the left and the right side. Try to swim 50 meters in one
   minute or less.
   

   Category II is a more intense workout designed for those who have been
   involved with a routine PT schedule or those who have completed the
   requirements of category I. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WORKOUT SCHEDULE
   UNLESS YOU CAN COMPLETE THE WEEK #9 LEVEL OF CATEGORY I WORKOUTS.

SCHEDULE II

RUNNING SCHEDULE II

(M/Tu./Th./F/Sat.)                                   TOTAL
WEEKS #1, 2:    (3/5/4/5/2) miles               19 miles/week
WEEKS #3, 4:    (4/5/6/4/3) miles               22 miles/week
WEEK #5:        (5/5/6/4/4) miles               24 miles/week
WEEK #6:        (5/6/6/6/4) miles               27 miles/week
WEEK #7:        (6/6/6/6/6) miles               30 miles/week
*Note: For weeks #8-9 and beyond, it is not necessary to
increase the distance of the runs; work on the speed of
your.6-mile runs and try to get them down to 7:30 per mile or
lower. If you wish to increase the distance of your runs, do
it gradually: no more than one mile per day increase for
every week beyond week #9.

PT SCHEDULE II
(Mon./Wed/Fri.)

SETS OF REPETITIONS
WEEK #1, 2 :    6 X 30 PUSHUPS
                6 X 35 SIT-UPS
                3 X 10 PULL-UPS
                3 X 20 DIPS

WEEK #3, 4 :    10 X 20 PUSHUPS
                10 X 25 SIT-UPS
                4 X 10 PULL-UPS
                10 X 15 DIPS

WEEK #5:        15 X 20 PUSHUPS
                15 X 25 SIT-UPS
                4 X 12 PULL-UPS
                15 X 15 DIPS
WEEK #6:        20 X 20 PUSHUPS
                25 X 25 SIT-UPS
                5 X 12 PULL-UPS
                20 X 15 DIPS

PYRAMID WORKOUTS

                # OF REPETITIONS
PULL-UPS:        1,2,3,4,5,4,3,2,1
PUSHUPS:        2,4,6,8,10,8,6,4,2      (2x #pull-ups)
SIT-UPS:         3,6,9,12,15,12,9,6,3    (3x #pull-ups)
DIPS:           same as pushups

SWIMMING SCHEDULE II
(4-5 days/week)

WEEKS #1, 2:    Swim continuously for 35 min.
WEEKS #3, 4:    Swim continuously for 45 min. with fins.
WEEKS #5:       Swim continuously for 60 min. with fins.
WEEKS #6:       Swim continuously for 75 min. with fins.

* Note: At first, to reduce initial stress on your foot muscles when
starting with fins, alternate swimming 1000 meters with fins and 1000
meters without them.  Your goal should be to swim 50 meters in 45 seconds
or less.

STRETCH PT

Since Mon./Wed/Fri. are devoted to PT. it is wise to devote at least 20
minutes on Tu./Th./Sat to stretching.  You should always stretch for at
least 15 minutes before any workout; however, just stretching the
previously worked muscles will make you more flexible and less likely to
get injured.  A good way to start stretching is to start at the top and go
to the bottom.  Stretch to tightness, not to pain; hold for 10-15 seconds.
DO NOT BOUNCE.  Stretch every muscle in your body from the neck to the
calves, concentrating on your thighs, hamstrings, chest, back and
shoulders.

NUTRITION

Proper nutrition is extremely important now and
especially when you arrive at BUD/S. You must make sure you
receive the necessary nutrients to obtain maximum performance
output during exercise and to promote muscle/tissue growth
and repair. The proper diet provides all the nutrients for
the body's needs and supplies energy for exercise. It also
promote growth and repair of tissue and regulates the body
processes. The best source of energy for the BUD/S student is
carbohydrates. The best source of complex carbohydrates are
potatoes, pasta, rice, fruits, and vegetables. These types of
foods are your best sources of energy.

Carbohydrates, protein, and fat are the three energy
nutrients. All three can provide energy, but carbohydrate is
the preferred source of energy for physical activity. It
takes at least 20 hours after exhaustive exercise to
completely restore muscle energy, provided 600 grams of
carbohydrates are consumed per day. During successive days of
heavy training, like you will experience at BUD/s, energy
stores prior to each training session become progressively
lower. This is a situation in which a high carbohydrate diet
can help maintain your energy.

The majority of carbohydrates should come from complex
carbohydrate foods that include bread, crackers, cereal,
beans, peas, starchy vegetables, and other whole grain or
enriched grain products. Fruits are also loaded with
carbohydrates. During training, more than four servings of
these food groups should be consumed daily.

Water is the most important nutrient you can put in your
body. You should be consuming up to four quarts of water
daily. It is very easy to become dehydrated at BUD/S, so it
is extremely important to hydrate yourself. Drink water
before you get thirsty!!! Substances such as alcohol,
caffeine, and tobacco increase your body's need for water,
so, if you are going to drink, do so in moderation! Too much
of these substances will definitely harm your body and hinder
your performance. Supplemental intake of vitamins, as well,
has not been proven to be beneficial. If you are eating a
well balanced diet, there is no need to take vitamins.

TRAINING TABLE CONCEPT

NUTRIENT                INTAKE

Carbohydrates           50-70% of calories
Protein                 10-15% of calories
Fats                    20-30% of calories

You want to reduce cholesterol intake, found in animal
fats and even fish. You need at least 3500-4000 calories
per day.