Is there anything extra you can do to become a better Seal?

[usns321]

My name is Jeremy. My twin brother and i plan on joining the seals straight out of bootcamp! I just want to know if there is anything else i can do to better prepare or should i just lay back and kick it until time to go? And if i don't make the seals (which i will cause i have to self-confidence) would aviation be a good field to fall back on?




usns321

[cru]

Jeremy:
Going for the Teams right? I'm in the same boat, once I finish college, signing the papers and shiping out. Yeah you are going to need some self-confidence, alot of it!!! BUD/S is a challenge day in and day out. I have been 'training' for the last few years, and what I focus on is alot of running and swimming. With the running, I vary the workout from sprints, distance, and shock running 'running off-terrain'. Swimming is a all-around good exercise, it works nearly every part of your body. And swimming in open water, a lake, river, ocean is really important, just to get a feel for some current, but if you not near any of those, a pool is good also. Also if you hit the gym, some things I do is, when I do my pull-ups, I add weight, there is a belt that you can tie a weight to it, it hangs below you, Your gym might have something like that. Pull-ups are a great upper-body exercise to do, and it seems the instructors at BUD/S love them also. I changed my workout plan from lighting to get bigger, to lifting to get endurence muscles. I do some things heavy, but I really concentrate with the form, and etc. Alot of abs to. Very important. One other thing that helps me out also is eating really heathly. I used to hit up the fast food places, but not anymore. Its been a while since I had some tocobell. You will notice how your body responds, and how better you feel. There are several books at a bookstore that will help you out even more. A great one is x-SEAL Stew Smith. He has alot of usefull information there. If you have anymore uestions, I'll try to help you out. Take it easy.

cru

[Engvalt]

You should always continue training. Never stop.....even while in basic training. Whenever you have free time (which might be 15 mins TOTAL for the week) do some push-ups or sit-ups. BTW you said that you and your brother plan on joining the SEALs right after boot camp. That might prove difficult if you didn't enlist with the SEAL challenge contract. If you did then great! After "A" school you'll be of to BUD/S. But if not you will have trouble getting to BUD/S.

[Tracy]

Yes there is, be a better Sailor. BTW, it's SEAL.

Tracy-Paul Warrington
CWO(R)
US Army Special Forces

[mehringer]

cru - great info. Sounds like your locked and loaded to begin at BUD/S, good luck. I've been changing my workoust similiar to yours, less bulk, more stamnia. Do you have any recommendations on how I can improve my swim times? Should I take some advanced lessons to perfect techinque? Any tips on how I can make the 50 yard underwater swim a reality? I can only make about 35 yards at present. What state do you go to college in?

Mehringer

[cru]

Mehringer:
Cru-here, with swimming, it's hard, you really have to feel really relaxed, and get a lot of cardio so your body donesn't run out of power while swimming. A great book out there to help us out, is Stew Smiths Pre-BUD/S workout book, it had two twelve week workout guides. I haven't heard one negivtive remark, it's full of usefull info, and he also has how to master the PFT test at Bootcamp. I don't think it would hurt to take lessons, tell the coach or instructor that you want to be a SEAL, and they will swim alot, ALOT. Tell him that you want to work on your sidestroke form, and how to build some endurance in the water. Really concertrate on your technique, you don't want to waste any energy. For for the 50 yard underwater swim, I think it's 50 meters, but I could be wrong, whick 50 meters is a little longer the 50 yards. You can try this. And make sure you have someone around for this!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you swim, swim some freestyle laps, but when doing this, try to hold your breath longer then you would normally, try to go a few more strokes before breathing. This is a great way to build up some enduracnce. Next, I would think the best way to help underwater is trying to push the distance futher and futher again. Your body can go a whole lot further then the mind thinks. Honestly you mind plays tricks on the body, telling it that it is about to run out of air, which is not true at first. You have push your comfort zone, something I can gurantee the instructors at BUD/S will do. Alow yourself to relax underwater. Once again make sure you have someone there to watch you do this. You want to get to BUD/S! And I go to college in Tx, right now I'm at a junior college and I'm going to Texas A&M University at Galveston this fall to finish up and ship off. If you have anymore questions, please feel-free to e-mail me at zmtthw@aol.com. There are some great guys here to help out more then I can, but I'll try the best I can. Take it easy bro. You might also want to try getfit.com, and socnetcentral.com, navyspecialoperations.com, all are great sites. Good luck.

Cru

[ReconDoc32]

SEALs are sailors, like everyone else. If you want to be a SEAL, you must be the absolute best sailor YOU can be. To do this set these goals as you head off to Boot Camp.
- Physical Fitness- Take the Navy PRT in DEP (you may get an extra stripe for a good score) Work yourself up to an Outstanding High and keep pushin.
-Mental Toughness- the toughest people understand that life is a game. Don't take bootcamp too serious, it's just a game. But LEARN all you can, read your bluejackets manual every night.
Volenteer to be RCPO or MAA, I didn't and I missed out on another stripe.
Take everybody's beatdown. If your shipmated gets dropped, YOU DROP TOO!

Create good habits in bootcamp and keep them troughout A school and BUDS will happen naturally for you.

Hoo-yah and good luck
HM "Recon Richie"
3rd Bn 2nd Marines

[doc_fate]

"Take everybody's beatdown. If your shipmated gets dropped, YOU DROP TOO!" <---quote



Best advice I've heard yet! Keep in mind its all about TEAMWORK. You'll be part of a boat crew and you are one unit, not six different sailers. Hence.... "SEAL Team"


doc_fate

[Wolf]

I have herd that SeALs is a lot of mental as well as physical. I was just wandering if any one has any tricks for the mental part, I own the SeAL Workout Book, and the BUDs warning order workout. I want an edge in the mental Department as well. I have already enlisted in the SeAL Challenge so I am on my way (I ship june 5). Thanks for the advice.

[CadetKepke87]

I have been trying to increase my underwater swim also, but, when pushing your comfort zone how do you know when youve gone too far? For instince I was watching a BUD/s documentary on the Discovery chanel, and durring the 50 meter underwater swim one guy p *** ed out underwater. (but he did touch the wall so he made it).

[A62]

I don't mean to be funny or anything but you will know you have pushed the envelope when you drown. Let me tell you a story: There was a combat element of SEALs training to do a derrick climb. when they got to the derrick Mr. Murph was there and they dropped the grappling hook(one person droped it but they as a team dropped it. Someone says we have to abort, we can't get up without the hook. One of the young SEALs gets all fired up and decides that SEALs DO NOT ABORT MISSIONS. So, he dives in the water and goes down approx 80 ft looks around and finds the hook. To make a long story short, on the way up he collapses a lung. Now thats pushing the envelope and thats the SEAL way. Check my profile, you will see that I was not a SEAL, but I do understand the conncepts of teamwork and pushing your personal envelopes and I can hump with the best of them.
Sorry this was so long.
A62 out

[Nessa]

You will also have the option of doing SEAL pt while in bootcamp. I think the people doing it usually left right at reveille. I heard it was REAL pt, not the stuff the rest of us did.

[xdot]

you should cuontinue training or call the navy and ask for the video about navy seals then if your out or in High school then they should send some letters and forms to sign if you want to be in the navy and if they dont just call back and ask for forms

[Mac679]

Chief Warrington's and ReconDoc's advice can be expanded to every branch of the service, Army, Navy, Marines, or Air Force.
While you're at it, it probably also wouldn't hurt to read through the Ranger Creed a few times, good goals and ethics to live up to....

Mac

BTW gaining a working knowledge of land navigation probably wouldn't hurt either; and excell in school!

[BigTex05]

Haha I saw that on discovery too. The guy got in trouble for not thanking the BUD/s instructor for saving his life.