Books & more: Military Fitness

Combat swimmers are the triathletes among soldiers. Somewhere the motto "Learn to suffer without complaining" must have its origin. And that's exactly where it comes from: from the physical and mental readiness to push boundaries. Author Thorsten Schreiber was himself a combat swimmer and also a trainer in "Ecktown". His book "Military Fitness", which he presents together with fitness trainer Andreas Aumann, has the subtitle "Train like the combat swimmers".

Those expecting "awesome military shit" and great stories from the combat swimmers will be quickly disappointed. The authors approach it solidly and with a lot of text: compact information on training from the basics to programs.

There are also pictures, but they are quite basic-oriented. In principle, it is better for beginners anyway if they learn the correct execution of movements with a trainer who recognizes and corrects mistakes. For people who already know how to do precise push-ups and pull-ups, this is a nice addition.

Hell is when you keep doing what's fun over and over again. and more intense, harder, more efficient, until exhaustion. With the necessary rest and nutrition. And a training diary also helps...

Punching bag, kettlebells, TRX, bodyweight, running ... "Military Fitness" offers the whole range. The authors also have an opinion based on experience on sports shoes, ripstop pants, backpacks, and other equipment that is useful for training.

It wouldn't be military fitness if there weren't a few combat swimmer-specific tips on how to incorporate training into your daily life. In the back of the book, you will also find various fitness tests to replicate: US Army, Bundeswehr, and the combat swimmer entrance test. Two 13-week training plans, one for beginners and one for advanced.

CONCLUSION: "Military Fitness - Train like the combat swimmers" is an extremely informative manual for training inside and outside the troop. Dense information, Spartanly presented, we like that. A big SPARTANAT recommendation from us: this book should not be missing from your training library. And it is made for practice. So: Train! Do it! Those who are eager to push their limits can enjoy all the fun of combat swimming in Eckernförde.

"Military Fitness: Train like the combat swimmers. Maximum strength, endurance, and speed" by Thorsten Schreiber and Andreas Aumann, Meyer & Meyer Verlag, 2015, 290 pages, 24.95 euros.