Men's Fitness Guide Issue 20

Fast, powerful, ripped and resilient. That’s the Royal Marines in a nutshell. I know this first-hand because I once had a go at their potential officer selection test and put myself through some of the exercises they do to get that way. I fared pretty miserably, but I was so impressed with their training and the shape they were in that I wanted to see if we could get them to share some of their innovative protocols. This proved easier than I’d feared. We regularly shoot our tougher workouts with a fitness model called Sean Lerwill, and it just so happens that he used to be a Royal Marine physical training instructor – one of the guys responsible for coming up with and implementing the training that gets the Royal Marines…

The Royal Marines are a commando force affiliated with the Royal Navy. They trace their origins to the formation of ‘the Duke of York and Albany’s maritime regiment of Foot’, and the modern unit is a highly trained force that’s capable of deploying at a moment’s notice in support of Britain’s military or diplomatic requirements overseas. COMMANDO ROLE The role of the commando in the modern military dates back to Winston Churchill’s wartime demand for raiding forces to harass Nazi-occupied Europe after the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940. Since the Second World War, the Royal Marines have developed a specific function as the UK’s commando and amphibious force, undertaking operations in harsh environments from mountain to jungle, Arctic to desert. The Royal Marine Commandos are completely selfsupporting and can work in these…

REPS This is the number of repetitions of an exercise or technique you should aim to complete per set. One rep is th completion of an exercise from start to finish – for example, from the top position of a press–up to the bottom and up again. The number of reps you must do can be as low as one or as high as 50 depending on the session and your goals. SETS A set is a group of reps that you perform consecutively without resting or stopping. It’s usual to complete three sets of an exercise per session, but that can be lower or higher. WEIGHT As you’d expect, this is the amount of weight or resistance you use. It can simply be your bodyweight – and for this Marine programme it often is. TEMPO It’s…

There are various training protocols or methods available for triggering muscle growth. Here are some that the Marines use and that you’ll find in this guide. 1 DROP SETS With drop sets you finish your usual set and then reduce the weight you’re using by 20–30% and perform up to the same number of reps again. It’s usual to perform two drops, so after the second set you reduce the weight by a further 20–30% and perform a third set. This is obviously difficult with bodyweight exercises unless a ‘regression’ is available. For example, after reaching failure – the point at which you’re unable to complete any more reps with good form – in a set of press– ups, drop to your knees to perform knees-rested press–ups and continue to failure again. 2 REST/PAUSE…

If you haven’t got time to warm up, you haven’t got time to train.” That maxim was instilled into me by Royal Marines Sergeant Major Beau Beauchamp. I still hold it true. It is imperative that you spend a few minutes at the beginning of each session warming up. Here’s why: 1 It increases the core temperature of the body and warms up muscles and tendons so they can be stretched without injury. 2 It aids focus and prepares the mind for the session. 3 It primes the neuromuscular channels for the session. HOW LONG? There is no set length for a warm–up. It varies depending on the aim, the exercises, the time of day, any activity you’ve done before the warm–up and simply how you’re feeling. You may need a long warm–up to get into…

MONDAY LEGS 01 KNEE-HEIGHT BOX JUMP SETS 3 REPS 5 TEMPO N/A 02 TRX PISTOL SQUAT SETS 3 REPS 8 EACH SIDE TEMPO 3010 03 SPLIT SQUAT SETS 3 REPS 8 EACH SIDE TEMPO 3010 04 TRX HAMSTRING BRIDGE SETS 3 REPS 8 TEMPO 3010 05 WALKING LUNGE SETS 3 REPS 20 EACH SIDE TEMPO 20X0 06 TRX JUMP SQUAT SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO N/A TUESDAY UPPER BODY 01 PULL-UP SETS 3 REPS TO FAILURE TEMPO 3010 02 PRESS-UP SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 3110 03 TRX INVERTED ROW SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 04 TRX FLYE SETS 3 REPS 8XXTETMEMPOPO3031001 05 BENCH DIP SETS 3 REPS 8 TEMPO 3010 06 TRX BICEPS CURL SETS 3 REPS 10 TEMPO 3010 WEDNESDAY REST DAY SATURDAY FINISHER 01 ABS ROLL-OUT SETS 3 REPS 4 TEMPO 3010 02 TRX SUPERMAN SETS 3 REPS 8 TEMPO 3010 03 TRX PLANK SAW SETS 3 REPS 8 TEMPO 3010 04 SIT-UP SETS 3 REPS 8 TEMPO 3010 MONDAY LEGS 01 CHIN-UP SETS…