What to do to train in military style?

In order to exercise in military style, first and foremost, make self discipline the bedrock of your workout without any supervision whatsoever. There is a lot of grit and determination that will be required to begin training in the army way. And just as much we’d like to believe that working out is beneficial for our bodies, it is great for the mind too. A great upside to this style of training is the conditioning of the mind. We learnt this in one of our recent conversations with Capt Raghu Raman. Though there are quite a number of coaches and gyms that train in military style, we are here to share some pointers that can help you understand what goes into this. 

Eat to maintain a balance of calories, proteins and fibre

The equation is quite simple. Eat as many calories as much you can consume cumulatively based on your end to end daily physical activity. Curate your pre and post workout meals meticulously in order to fuel up your body and its metabolism optimally. It is advisable to stay away from all the fast food and unhealthy snacks. 

Drink water to sweat

With more and more strenuous workouts, your body will sweat profusely. It is vital that you consume required levels of water to facilitate the temperature regulation that your body ensures while exercising. Keep yourself hydrated.

Warm up and cool down 

Incorporate a dynamic warm-up for elevating your heart rate and preparing the muscles for the main workout. Remember to cool down once you are done so that the heart rate is normalised and muscle soreness is reduced. By doing this you will be able to prevent the scope of injuries. 

Focus on developing strength and endurance

Start with exercises that work on multiple joints like squats and deadlifts. As you proceed, transit into movements like lunges and pull ups. This will lead to maximising the impact of your primary lifts.

Walk, walk and walk

Popularly known as foot marching in the army, regular walking can be a way to add cardio and strength exercise into the workout. Don’t just stop at this. Start adding weights on your body and develop the mileage by gradually increasing it. This will also give a good boost to your body’s energy. Always accompany yourself with a water bottle as you go about it to keep yourself hydrated. 

Watch your heart rate

As you begin cardio training, your heart rate will get accelerated and so will the oxygen that is being delivered throughout your body to improve muscle activity. At this point, monitoring the heart rate will allow you to hit and maintain your body’s target heart rate (THR). 

Sustain a 1:2 ‘work-to-recovery’ relation

While doing cardio training, remember to not push yourself beyond the exhaustion stage. Build your endurance by exercising for x units and resting for 2x units. For instance, if you sprint for 60 seconds, remember to give your body rest for 120 seconds. Repeat the process as you move ahead with the workout. 

Remember to not overstretch

When you stretch, make sure that you push your body to comfortable limits. Stretching should lead your body to become more flexible over a period of time. It should typically happen at the end of your workout when your muscles are warmed up. 

Work on your core to improve stability and performance

Incorporate exercises in your fitness routine to strengthen your core and eventually better your form. As your core will advance towards stability, the overall performance will improve along with increased mobility and good day to day health.

Pick quality over quantity

While devising your fitness routine, fix the number of reps for each exercise. Over time, aim to soar up the number of repetitions. Since the body gets acclimated to each exercise with the movement that comes along, it is necessary to keep upgrading the challenge posed. Keep in mind that any day form is over and above every other component of your routine because it directly impacts the body. If not looked after, it can lead to adverse impacts. 

Make the most of your bodyweight

While a lot of workouts are based on lifting heavy weights, your own body weight can be a great tool to draw muscular endurance, balance and mobility all in one go. Look at exercises like planks, push ups, crunches and lunges that deploy multiple parts of your body. 

For all you know, a military style workout regime might change you as a person. Given the extent of energy, perseverance and dedication that will go into it. Assess what you typically expect out of your fitness routine and then make your call.