24 Military Fitness Exercises Every Prepper Should Master

Many survivalists pride themselves on their bug out bags and survival skills, but what about being able-bodied and athletic? If a SHTF scenario occurs, our fitness immediately becomes our most valuable asset. The phrase “survival of the fittest” comes to mind.

A millennia ago, everyone needed to have a moderate fitness level to stay alive. However, the military is the only real benchmark for survival-oriented fitness in today’s world. We pulled the best exercises from various military workout programs and crafted a comprehensive survivalist fitness guide.

The guide takes you through agility, explosiveness and cardio before diving into strength focuses for each muscle group. Without further ado, let’s go through a total of 24 exercises survivalists should master to take their athleticism to the next level.

Agility

The ability to recruit your fast-twitch muscles to move with speed and precision is perhaps the most challenging fitness category to master, but nature doesn’t care. In a life-or-death situation where every movement matters, footwork and hand-eye coordination often determine who comes out on top. The following exercises focus on improving those skills.

1. Agility Ladder

Militaries and professional sports teams use the agility ladder for many footwork exercises. They force you to make your steps identically precise. Give these ladder drills a try:

  • Side steps
  • High Knees
  • In & Outs
  • Crossovers
  • Carioca
  • Centipede
  • Ickey Shuffle

Each movement tests your lower body’s balance and coordination in different ways. Perform them slowly until you get used to the action, then try to increase your speed. It’s not a race, so take as much time as you need.

2. Freerunning

Obstacle courses are standard parts of military training programs. You can replicate those courses by picking up freerunning. It’s not one specific exercise but an activity that involves navigating the terrain with speed and efficiency. Freerunners have exceptional body control and spatial awareness — both of which are critical aspects of your agility.

3. Low-Crawling

Low-crawling isn’t a graceful movement, but it comes in handy in many survival situations — just ask any veteran servicemember. Although it’s technically not a fast-twitch movement, it still requires advanced flexibility and coordination to master. Find a flat yard, set up some chairs to crawl under and get to work.

Explosiveness

Cardio and agility take time to develop, but some people are born with raw explosiveness enabling them to run faster, jump higher and overpower their peers without any training. Most of us aren’t that lucky, so we have to acquire explosiveness the hard way. These exercises should do the trick.

1. Sled Work

A weight sled is an excellent piece of equipment for explosiveness training. You can push, pull or drag the sled and add as much weight as you want. Every exercise is about developing your horizontal power. Just make sure you use the sled on a surface with good traction to avoid injury and maximize your performance.

2. Box Jumps

Box jumps focus on vertical explosiveness. The movement is simple — stand in front of an elevated platform and jump onto it. You can add variations to the exercise as you improve, such as one-legged jumps or transitioning from a burpee into a box jump. You could also put on a weight vest to make the task more challenging.

3. Standing Power Throw

The standing power throw develops full-body explosive power. Standing upright, toss a sandbag or medicine ball overhead and backward as far as possible. Using your momentum is okay — do whatever you can to increase your distance. As you get used to the exercise, you will learn to recruit more muscles with each throw and thus add to your explosiveness.

Cardio

Cardiovascular endurance was one of the original survival skills that made humans the world’s dominant species. While other predators hunted with speed and aggression, the first humans did so with patience and perseverance. They would follow their prey and stay on the chase until it got tired and weak. These exercises pay homage to our ancestors.

1. Running

The main exercise of every military training plan is running. Servicemembers run all day, every day. You don’t have to subscribe to such an extreme regimen, but you should start by calculating your mile time. Tracking your speed will give you a good idea of your endurance level compared to other people.

Once you establish your starting point, aim to subtract a few seconds from that mile time every week. Focus on controlling your breathing and keeping a steady pace. Go for a mile run — or longer— at least three times a week and write down your progress.

2. Swimming

Swimming is another activity most militaries prioritize in their training. After all, water covers about 71% of the earth’s surface. Practice different strokes and test your lung capacity by holding your breath underwater –– under lifeguard supervision, of course. Apply the same time-based method you used for your running program and aim to make weekly improvements.

3. Burpees

The burpee is a hellish exercise that requires you to do a push-up, stand and jump in the air as fast as possible. You can find small windows to catch your breath while running and swimming, but burpees have no such opportunities — that’s why this exercise is so effective. Better cardiovascular endurance comes with strenuous activity.

Core

Core strength involves much more than your abs and obliques. While the six pack — or four pack, depending on your genetics — is the flashiest core muscle, we can’t overlook the other parts:

  • Spinal erectors
  • Lumbar muscles
  • Cervical muscles
  • Pelvic floor muscles
  • Diaphragm

You need to attack the core from more than one angle to develop well-rounded strength and avoid injuries.

1. Straight-Arm Sit-Ups

The straight-arm sit-up is a more challenging variation of the traditional sit-up. Instead of holding your arms close to your body, you straighten them and make it harder to balance. Sit-ups primarily target the upper abdominals, diaphragm and obliques if you add a twist at the end.

2. Hanging Leg Raises

Hanging leg raises target the lower abdominal area, helping you build a strong base around your waistline as you hold onto a tall machine or bar. You typically do the exercise by raising your straightened legs, but start off by bending them at the knee if you need to. Your grip strength also comes into play here, so it challenges your strength in more ways than one.

3. Planks

Planks will have your entire core burning in less than a minute. However, many people perform them incorrectly and don’t get the full benefits. Your body should be rigid from head to toe — if you allow your back to arch or slouch, you’ve failed. See how long you can maintain a plank position without moving a muscle.

Biceps

The biceps are the flashiest muscles everyone wants to grow. Visual appeal aside, they play a significant role in all pulling movements and are thus extremely important for survivalists.

1. Chin-Ups

The military loves using bodyweight exercises and the chin-up is one of the best. Just find a bar, take an underhanded grip and pull yourself up using your biceps and forearms. Don’t let your back muscles take over — focus on the stretch and squeeze in your biceps with each rep.

2. Strict Dumbbell Curls

Strict dumbbell curls are just regular dumbbell curls, but the name includes “strict” because the exercise only works a certain way. You can’t use your body’s momentum to curl the weight, so your biceps have to do 100% of the work. Start with a manageable set of dumbbells and focus on perfecting the movement.

Triceps

The triceps comprise the other part of the upper arm and are the main “push” muscles. They stabilize our arms and assist other muscles in heavy lifts. For example, the bench press is a chest-dominant exercise, but the triceps are equally important for pushing the weight.

1. Dips

The dip is another military favorite, forcing you to support and push up your entire bodyweight from two parallel bars or an elevated platform. Your triceps take on most of the weight as long as you maintain an upright posture. Keep that back straight and let the triceps do the heavy lifting, not the chest.

2. Overhead Extensions

You can perform overhead extensions with a dumbbell or cable. Hold the weight behind your head with one hand, keep your arm close to your body and extend it upward. If done correctly, you’ll feel an amazing stretch and squeeze in your tricep muscle if done correctly.

Shoulders

The shoulders get a lot of attention in military training for a good reason. They connect the torso to the arms, so they have many muscle fibers and tendons in need of our attention. In fact, the shoulders have three separate heads — the anterior, lateral and posterior deltoid.

1. Overhead Press

The overhead press — also known as the military press — is as basic as it gets. Just grab a manageable weight and push it over your head from a standing or sitting position. Squeeze your shoulders at the top and control the weight throughout the whole movement. You will also find it helpful to squeeze your glutes and tighten your core during the lift.

2. Lateral Raises

Lateral raises target the lateral head of the shoulders, which helps you achieve a wider frame and fuller upper body. Start by holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides and raising it upwards with your shoulders. If you find yourself using too much momentum, switch to cables or exercise bands.

Chest

The chest is one of the hardest muscles to develop a mind-muscle connection with, which is why many people focus on it too much and try unorthodox exercises. You don’t need anything flashy to train the chest. All you need is a healthy supply of patience and some good old-fashioned movements.

1. Push-ups

The push-up is the go-to military exercise for upper body strength development. Its primary muscle is the chest, but it also trains the shoulders, triceps and core. It will take some time to determine your ideal hand spacing, so experiment with different push-up variations to see what works best.

2. Bench Press

You’ll also have to figure out your hand spacing for the king of chest exercises — the bench press. Using a barbell while lying down and pushing up allows you to move more weight, but the dumbbell press allows for a better stretch through the pectoral muscle.

Back

Along with the chest, the back is the other muscle group many people struggle to develop. Since they can’t see it, they have a harder time visualizing the traps, lats, teres major and other muscles pulling the weight. The following exercises will help you develop the crucial mind-muscle connection and develop all the muscles in the back.

1. Pull-ups

The pull-up is a classic military exercise that closely resembles the chin-up. The only difference is you use an overhand grip instead of an underhand. This change transfers your body weight to your back. Use a wide grip to target the upper back and a shoulder-width grip to target the lats.

2. Deadlifts

The deadlift is more of a full-body workout because it also hits your core, forearms and lower body, but the main focus is still on the lower back. Experiment with your grip and stance until you find a comfortable position. Imagine driving your feet through the floor as you pull the weight, engage your abdominal muscles, squat and lift that weight.

Legs

At last, we arrive at the legs — glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves abductors and adductors. Every group needs attention because your legs are your foundation. Lower body strength enhances your quality of life more than any form of upper body strength.

1. Squats

The squat is the poster exercise of resistance training. It incorporates every leg muscle, plus the core and lower back. Just place your feet about shoulder-width apart, stabilize the weight on your back, brace your core and squat. Developing good form will take time, but the results are worth it.

2. Lunges

Lunges primarily hit the glutes and hamstrings — the two most important leg muscles for athletic performance. This exercise also improves your coordination while walking, running and jumping. Step forward with one leg and lower until your back knee is almost touching the ground. It’ll probably hurt at first, but your legs will thank you with practice.

Survival of the Fittest

In a SHTF scenario, your weapons and food supplies are only valuable if you have the physical ability to protect them. Otherwise, they’re just targets for stronger opponents. In a world where it’s survival of the fittest, your body has to be ready. Add these military exercises to your routine so you’re prepared to defend yourself when the time comes.

[Note: This was a guest post.]


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My latest book, The Survival Blueprint: How to Prepare Your Family for Disaster, can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ49Y5X4

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