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CONTENTS

TitlePageCopyrightNoticeAcknowledgments

ForewordbyJoeStumpfSOFCandidates:ReadThis…

1.EmbracetheSuck2.ForgingaWarriorMind-set

3.StayingintheFight4.TrainingIsn’t“WorkingOut”

5.TheFiveMountains6.SEALFuel

7.On-RampTraining8.AdvancedOperatorTraining9.Needed:SEALFITLeaders10.You’reNotCommon

Appendix1.UnbeatableMindPowerResourcesAppendix2.BasicTrainingProgram

Appendix3.ShoppingListAppendix4.Substitution,Scaling,andStandards

Appendix5.Definitions,Acronyms,andAbbreviationsAlsobyMarkDivineAbouttheAuthor

Copyright

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTHINGWORTHYISACCOMPLISHEDALONE.Myphilosophyforlifeandphysicalfitnesshasbeenforgedthroughnearly25yearsoftraining,trial,anderror.I’vebeeninfluencedbymanymentorsovertheyears,manyofwhomhavelittleideaoftheimpactthey’vehadonme.

I’mheavilyindebtedtoMr.KaichoTadashiNakamura.HewasmyteacherforSeidoKarate—atraditionalmartialart—duringthelate1980s,whenIearnedmyfirstblackbelt.Kaichotaughtmemanyof themental toughnessprinciplesthathelpedmesailthroughBUD/SandthatareincludedinSEALFIT.

Myyogamentor,TimMiller,isanothergem.ItraininAshtangaYogawithTim inmyhometownofEncinitas,California.Tim is the firstAmericanyogainstructor certified by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, the founder of modern AshtangaYoga.The roots ofAshtangaYoga are over 4,000years old and considered a“fasttrack”fortheeightlimbsofyogaforathletesandwarriors.Tim’strainingsareoften2hoursinlength.Theyincludeabreathcontrolpranayamasessionthatspans50minutes,whichoftenleavesmegasping.Timteachesmehumility,thevalueofpracticingdaily,andtheimportanceofteachingweekly.Anythingelsewouldremovetheteachertoofarfromleadingfromthefrontandexperiencingfirsthandwhatyou’reaskingyourtraineestoexperience.I’vepersonallyadoptedthisprincipleandIliketosaythatIeatmyowndogfoodatSEALFIT.I’dliketothankKaichoandTim,aswellastheirteachers,fortheirwonderfulexamplesofwarriormastery.

Tom Brown, from the Tracker School, and Shannon Phelps, of SaitoNinjutusu, have had a significant influence onmy thinking and development.I’mgratefultoboth,aswellastotheirteachers.

I’m grateful to my SEALFIT coaches—Chriss Smith, Dan Cerrillo, BradMcLeod, Lance Cummings, Charlie Moser, Shane Hiatt, Chris Haskell, SeanLake, DanMiller, Derek Price, and the late Glen Doherty—for their loyalty,incrediblecoachingskills,andhumor.I’mgratefultomyinterns—especiallyJoeL.—forbeingmygofersandtrainingguineapigs.

IoweadebtofgratitudetoCrossFit,Inc.,andCoachGregGlassmanfortheinfluencethatCrossFithashadonmyowntrainingandSEALFITmethods.

I’m grateful tomyOlympic lifting coach,MikeBurgener, for his trainingand inspiration. I’m also grateful to his son,Beau, andRobShaul ofMilitaryAthletefortheirsupportandhoursoftrainingandlessons.

Though we haven’t met yet, I’m grateful to Ken Wilber for hisgroundbreakingworkinIntegralTheory.WhenIstumbleduponKen’swriting,IimmediatelyrecognizedthatwewerekindredspiritsandthatSEALFITwasan“IntegralWarrior Development” program. I’m thankful that Ken gaveme thewordstodefine,research,andvalidatetheprogram.I’malsogratefultoMichaelOstrolenkforhis integralcontributionstoSEALFIT,aswellastheUnbeatableMindAcademy.

Ihavemanygreatfriendsandsupporterswhohavemademylifeanamazingjourney. I’d like to thankRobOrd,who stuckwithmeafter theU.S.TacticalcontractlossandhelpedmelaunchUSCrossFitandtheKokoroCamp.I’dliketoalsothankBrandonWebbofSOFREP—theauthorofTheRedCircle—whohelpedmegetabookdealintwoweekswithaveryroughmanuscript.

I’m grateful to my SEALFIT staff, especially Rich Vernetti, CindyChapman, Catherine Chapman, Melanie Sliwka, and my writing coach, PeterNevland,oftheWizardAcademy.WithoutPeterthiswouldbeaverydifferentbook.

I’mgratefulbeyondwordsforallmyteammateswhohavesacrificedforthiscountry—especiallymyfriendandSEALFITcoachGlenDoherty.

I’meternallygratefultomymom,whointroducedmetotheworldofsports,andtomydad,whotaughtmethevalueofhardworkanddoingthingsright.

Andtomywife,Sandy,whohassupportedmycrazyadventureswithasmile(mostofthetime)andalwayswithgrace.Alsomyson,Devon,whokeepsmelaughingandhonest.

Hooyah,Team!

FOREWORD

MY NAME IS JOE STUMPF. In the world of business, I own one of the largestbusiness and life coaching companies in the country. I am privileged toworkwithsomeofthemostsuccessfulentrepreneursandbusinesspeopleeveryday.Ihave invested hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars on personaldevelopment and spiritual awareness coaching programs and workshopsthroughoutthelast20years.

Oneofmymostsignificantaccomplishmentsuptothispointinmylifeis,atage54, Icompleted thecivilianversionof theNavySEALHellWeek—MarkDivine’sKokoroCamp.Becauseofmyuniquepointofviewandexposuretotheworld’s best coaches—plus training daily at Mark’s SEALFIT/US Crossfitcenter in Encinitas—I’m the perfect person to share with you what anextraordinary opportunity you have in your hands right nowwith the book 8WeekstoSEALFIT.

ImetMarkatapivotal turningpointofmy life.Havingachievedbusinesssuccess and enjoying great relationships with family and friends, I wasreexaminingmy bigger purpose in life for the next 50 years, and Iwanted tofinish strong. I had seen far too many men, including my father, finish lifegettingweakeremotionally,mentally,spiritually,andphysically,andIknewthatif Ididn’tmake itmyprimarypurpose togetstrongerasIgrewolder, Icouldeasilyslipdownthatpath,too.

Inmybusinesscoachingprogram,weguidepeople inbusiness throughthefourphasesofgrowth.SurvivaltoStability,StabilitytoSuccess,andSuccesstoSignificance.Inmyexperience,Ihavewitnessedthousandsofmenandwomengothroughthesestages,andyetthestagefromSuccesstoSignificanceseemstobe reserved for only the few that dare to fully reinvent themselves after theyhave achieved worldly success. Making money and accumulating power andprestigeisamatterofdrive,determination,smartstrategicdirection,andbeingattherightplaceattherighttime—takingadvantageoftheopportunitiesastheypresentthemselves.ThemoreelusivestageofgrowthisSignificance,becauseit

seems to invite us into a way of being that requires a completely differentawareness. When we get to that place and are ready to make the shift, wediscoverwhatgotusherewon’tgetusthere.ThisistheplaceIfoundmyselfinearly2010.IwashavingaconversationwithMarkandIaskedhimifhethoughtIhadwhatittooktogetthroughKokoro.Hesaid,“Joe,onlyyouwouldknow!”IaskedhimwhatwouldbethebiggestbenefitIwouldreceiveifIchoosetodowhatwasnecessarytoachievethatgoal.Hesaid,“Joe,withinyouisavoicethatisyet tobeborn; it is thevoiceofyourmostauthenticself.Youcancontinuethrough life constantly upgradingwhat you have alreadymastered or you cangiverisetoaversionofyourselfthatisthemostpowerfullovingself.Todothatyou must choose to follow the path of the warrior—a path few men dare totravel.Butwhenyoudo,youwillmeetyourselffortheveryfirsttime.”

The right words from the right person at the right time can change yourdestiny.Mark’swords spoke tomy soul, and that voicewithin—the one onlyyou could hear if you were willing to. I started training with Mark and hisSEALFITteameveryMonday,Wednesday,andFriday.(Youcancheckouthisworkouts at SEALFIT’SWeb site,www.sealfit.com.)Theworkouts are roughand long, and they require strength, stamina, and endurance. Butmost of all,theyrequireacommitmenttowholeheartedness.Markwatchedovermeasmybodygotdestroyed,butmymindandspirittoughened.Hesaid,“Joe,justshowupnomatterwhat.Onceyougethere,everythingwillworkitselfout.”InAA,theysaybringthebodyandthemindwillfollow.ItrustedMarkandIshowedupforalmostayearandhewasright.Iwasnowinthebestphysicalandmentalcondition of my life. I enrolled in his 3-week academy and moved into theSEALFIT facilitywith four other boys all halfmy age.We trained inMark’sFiveMountainsofSEALFITapproach10hoursaday,7daysaweek,withhimandhisteamofextraordinaryleaders.Duringthistime,IdiscoveredhowlittleIreallyneededinthematerialworld.Theessenceoflifewasfoundinteamwork,discipline,andloveformyfellowman.Ilearnedwhatitmeanttodroptheegoandshowupeveryminutefullypresent.IwasthereandhefullypreparedmetodiscoverifIhadthesecretsauce—theingredientthatisinallofusifwechoosetolivealifeofsignificance.

Imade it through the50-hourKokoroCamp,andMarkpresentedmewiththe Fire in the Gut Award for my courage to overcome insurmountableobstacles.Icreditthisachievementtohisbrilliantmentorship.

With the book, 8 Weeks to SEALFIT, you have in your hands the exactblueprint I followed to leadmy life in thedirectionof significance.Of courseyou will get into the best condition of your life, but something even moremagical is available if you follow his teaching completely.Youmay discoverthatvoicewithinthatwantstofinishstrong,wantstoexpressitsmostauthenticpartofyou,andtomakeacontributiontotheworld.

What Iwant foryou is theexperienceofhavingMarkDivinementoryou,likeObi-WanKenobimentoredLukeSkywalker, so thatyou toocandiscoveryourtruesignificance.

—JOESTUMPF

AuthorofWillingWarriorCardiff-by-the-Sea,California

SOFCANDIDATES:READTHIS…

WHEN I ATTENDED KOKORO CAMP, SEALFIT’s grueling 50-hour crucibleexperience in 2011, I was struck by how important mental preparation is tosuccess. Prior to the camp, I had heard the oft-repeated phrase that crucibleexperiences are 80 percentmental and 20 percent physical. It isn’t until sleepdeprivationandexhaustion takehold,however, thataperson trulyunderstandstheaccuracyofthatstatement.ThecampalsomademerealizehowI,andmanyothersinmyclass,werelackingfromaphysicalstandpoint.Wehadguyswhocouldrunalldaybutstruggledundertheweightofarucksack,andotherswhowere strong as an ox but lacked endurance. These imbalances grew morepronouncedas theweekendprogressedand fatigueset in.When I finished thecampandhadanopportunitytoreflectonmyexperienceIrealizedthatsuccessin Kokoro, and in life for that matter, is largely dependent upon one thing:balance.

SEALFITistheepitomeofbalance.Itinvolvesmakinganhonestassessmentofyourself,determiningyourweaknesses,andcommittingyourself topersonalimprovement every day. Over time an individual who does this becomesbalancedacrossall areas.Physically, theyhavestrengthandendurance,powerand flexibility.Mentally, theyhave theability todial itup to100percent,butalsoareabletositsilentlyandcalmtheirmind.Spiritually,theyhavetheabilitytotapintoahigherpowerormotivation.Inanagewherepeopledonotbackuptheirwordswithaction,CoachDivinelivestheSEALFITconceptsheteaches.Not only is he extremely accomplished from a physical standpoint, he is bothmentallyandspirituallystrongaswell.Nevercontenttositandwatchfromthesidelines,CoachDivineleadsfromthefront,showingbyexamplethattheneeds

of the team come before the needs of an individual and no person is tooimportant to do the little things. This willingness to train and suffer with thegroupmotivateseveryonetoraisetheirgame.

Over thepast 12months, I havehad theprivilegeof trainingunderCoachDivine, and I have seen firsthand the effects that his SEALFIT program canhave.Pre-SpecialOps,military,LEO/FirstRespondertrainees,andeliteathletesbecome stronger andmorementally focused than they had previously thoughtpossible.WeekendwarriorsbreakthroughbarriersandprovetothemselvestheviabilityofCoachDivine’s20×principle that everyone is capableof20 timesmore than they thought possible. The concepts presented in this book are notmere theory. They are concepts that have been proven and refined over thecourseofCoachDivine’s20-yearcareerasaNavySEAL,competitiveathlete,martial artist, and business owner. If you have a desire to improve yourself,becomea leader, and foster awarrior spirit inwhatever arenayou compete,8WeekstoSEALFITisgoingtogiveyouthetoolsyouneedtosucceed.

—JOEL.

SEALFITathlete

CHAPTER1

EMBRACETHESUCK

You just set foot onto theNavy SEAL’sBasicUnderwaterDemolition/SEAL(BUD/S)trainingcompound.Thesun’sbeatingdown.Theoceanboomsinthedistance. You are standing in your workout shorts, white T-shirt, and combatboots,andnervousenergy tinglesunderyourskin.Takinga fewdeepbreaths,youpreparetodemonstratethatyouhavewhatittakestobeaSEAL.

The instructor eyes you like a piece of fresh meat and says, “Your firstexercise is push-ups. Perform asmany perfect,NavySEAL–style push-ups asyoucanintwominutes.Iwilldemonstrate.”

He assumes the plank position, then lowers himself like a board until hischesttouchestheground,thenrisesbackuptofullarmextension.Theinstructorthendemonstratesthewhat-not-to-dos—nochickendip,hipdrops,orrestingonyourknees.Youpairupwithaswimbuddyandhear,“Three,two,one,go!”

Youcompleteyourset,thenrest10minutes.Nextupismaximumrepetitionsofsit-upsin2minutes.Handstouchingshoulders,elbowstouchkneesintheupposition.Easyday,sofar!Untilyouhit50.

Aftersit-ups,another10-minutebreak,thencomethepull-ups.Doasmanyasyoucanbeforeyougasout.Youmustgetyourchinover thebar inastrictdead-hang pull-up. No kipping—manipulating your hips to gain upwardmomentum.

Another 10-minute rest separates the pull-ups from the pool, where youcompletea500-meterswimusingthecombatsidestroke.Finally,a1.5-mileruncapsoffthetest.Hooyah!ThefirstworkoutofBUD/Sisinthebag.Yourealize,however,thatthisisjustthebeginning;there’salongroadahead.Butyou’reup

forthechallenge,becauseyou’vetrainedinSEALFITtoprepare.

Welcometo8WeekstoSEALFIT!You’ve chosen to show your instructor (me) that you have the stuff to beSEALFIT.Now suit up andget the baseline screening test done!That’s right.You’redoingwhatyoujustread.Ifyoucan’torwon’tdothis,don’tbotherwiththerestofthebook.Putitdownandwalkaway.Idon’tworkwithpeoplewhoaren’treadytocommit.Whenyou’rereadytocontinue,complete:

1.asmanyperfect,NavySEAL–stylepush-upsasyoucanin2minutes

2.10-minuterest

3.asmanysit-upsasyoucanin2minutes

4.10-minuterest

5.asmanypull-upsasyoucanbeforeyougasout

6.10-minuterest

7.a500-meterswim(orsubstitutea2,000-meterrowifyoudon’thaveaccesstoapool)

8.10-minuterest

9.a1.5-milerun

10.Recordyourrepetitionsandtimesinajournal!

Checkonlineatwww.sealfit.com/screeningtesttocompareyourresultstotheSEALstandards.Getitdone.Thencomebackandreadtheendofthischapter.Goodluck!

SEALFITTraining

SEALFIT TRAINING INVOLVES MORE THAN push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, running,andswimming.However,you’llusethesekeyfunctionalmovementsandafewothers every day. If you hope to be SEALFIT, you have to be able to do thebasics.Noexcuses.Noquitting.

NavySEALsdonothingunlessit’scritical.Everythingtheydointhegymoronthegrinder(thelargeopenspacein theSEALcompoundwherethebodies,minds,andspiritsofthecandidatesaregrounddownandthenrebuilt)supportsactualSEALmissions lateron.Youdon’tseeSEALsworkingdumbbellcurls,legextensions,oranyfunkymachines.All that theyneed isabodyanda fewsimpletools:pull-upbar,rope,dipbar,setoffreeweights,kettlebell,sandbag,jump rope, and a fewotherodds and ends.Theykeep it simple.Sodo I.Thescreeningtestdescribedonthepreviouspageworksbecauseallthemovementsare functionally oriented toward key SEAL physical needs—pushing, pulling,running,swimming,andastrongcore.

Thebaselinewill smokeyou ifyouput100percent intoeachevolution. Ittestsyourcapacitytodoalotofworkinashortperiodoftime—whatIcallworkcapacity. It reveals the efficiency of yourmuscles, or stamina. And it provesyourendurance.Goingfull-outchallengesyourmentalfortitude.You’vetastedonlyafewofthedomainsthatSEALFITwilldeveloptoanentirelynewlevel.Asyouprogress,you’llbeastoundedatwhatIaskyoutodo,andwhatyoufindthatyoucando.

AsintheactualNavySEALprogram,Iaimtoshockyoursystem.IneedtobreakyoudownsoIcanbuildyoubackuptheSEALFITway.InthemeantimeIneedyou to setasideanybeliefsaboutwhat shouldandshouldn’tbedone,orwhatyoucanandcan’tdo.Idon’tcarewhetheryou’reastrongmanoraskinny

weakling;I’vetrainedalltypes.IfyoucommittoSEALFIT,wewilltransformyou into a lifetime functional athlete. The secret is embracing the suck, everytraining session, day in and day out.As you habituate discipline and courage,SEALFITwill stop beinghard.The suckwill be fun.Youwon’twant to livewithoutit.

An“Average”40-Year-OldBusinessOwnerBobby spendsmost of his time riding a desk.After training inCrossFit for ayear,heenrolledinmyUnbeatableMindAcademy(UMA).UMAisanonlinemental toughness program that introduces SEALFIT training in a progressivemanner, after some foundational mental skills are developed. Bobby jumpedrightintotheSEALFITAdvancedOperatorTrainingworkoutsafterresolvingtogetserious.

Every workout crushed him. He would cuss at SEALFIT and me as hestruggledwiththe2-hoursessions—whichmadehisformerworkoutsseemlikea warm-up.Most days he had to scale the loads and substitute for things hecouldn’t do. But Bobby embraced the suck. After 3 months a dramatic shiftoccurred.

Thephonerang…“CoachDivine,”IsaidasIpickedupthecall.“Coach…BobbyYateshere.…Icalledto tellyouaboutabreakthrough!”

Hewasclearlyexcited.“ForthelastthreeweeksIhavefinallybeenabletocompletetheAdvanced

Operator Training workouts as prescribed. I didn’t care if it took me threehours.”

“Soundslikeagreatmilestone,Bobby.”“Butsomethingamazinghappened.Mystrengthandperformancesuddenly

improveddramatically. I’vegot thisnewsenseofconfidenceI’veneverhad. Iwentfromdraggingmyselftoworkoutstonowreallylookingforwardtothem.”Hewaspracticallybeamingintothephone.

“Igot thisswaggerasIgoaboutmyday.I’mamachineatworkandhave

tonsofenergytospendwiththefamily.”He finished with: “My friends think I’m crazy, but I feel stronger—

physicallyandmentally—thanIhaveinyears.…IfeellikeI’mtwentyagain!”Bobbyhad tapped intoasecretofSEALFIT training.Whenweestablisha

new norm for the human experience, we step up to meet the challenge. Ourbodies,minds,andspiritsadapt.Bobby’snewnormalisveryuncommonintheworld today. That makes Bobby uncommon. He’s no longer an average guy.He’ssomeonespecial.

MoreThanaWorkoutProgramAfter8weeksoftheSEALFITtrainingprogram,youwillbeginto:

■Workatnearpeakoutputforextendedperiodsoftime,withunknownrestperiods.

■Preparefortheknownandtheunknown.

■Findawaytoworkout,whetherornotyouhaveaccesstoagymortheso-calledpropertrainingtools.

■Competenotonly towin,butalso tosurviveandaccomplishamission thathas life,death,orstrategicconsequenceswellbeyondyourownpaygrade.

■Bestrongwithoutbeingconcernedaboutshowsorcompetitionsofstrength.

■Possessstaminatomoveheavyobjectsaround.

■Utilizeexceptionalenduranceforcompletinglongdistances.

■Demonstrateanintensecapacityforworkinginexplosive,shortburstssuchasafirefightorothercrises.

■Retaindurabilityandpowerfulcorestrength,withoutasmanyinjuries.You’llbeknowledgeableaboutsustainingthebodyathighlevelsofreadinessoveralonghaul.

■Professmentaltoughness,understandingthattrainingisrequiredforthattoughness.

See,SEALFITisfarmorethanaworkoutprogram.It’sawayoflife.Itwillchange thewayyou see yourself.You’ll becomemore confident and capable,demonstratingamentalfortitudethatwillallowyoutodominateanychallenge.You’ll soon tell me what I heard the other day from Bobby Yates—“CoachDivine,I’vechanged.”

It’syour turn.Besomeonespecial.Nowget somerest.Tomorrow’sgonnakickyourass.

CHAPTER2

FORGINGAWARRIORMIND-SET

Nowthatyou’vecompletedthebaselinetest,youprobablythinkyou’rereadytostart training.Not so fast.Weneed to prepare yourmind to be an ally, ratherthananenemy.

WelcometoHell!“Welcome to Hell!” says Instructor Zinke with a sideways smile. “Assumeyou’recheckingintoHotelHellWeek…ordidyoucometoquitliketherest?”

Hell Week? Oh, yeah, you think to yourself. I’m here for Hell Week, allright,andscaredshitless.“Yes,sir, Iamhere forHellWeek,andno,sir,youwouldhavetokillmetogetmetoquit.”

You instantly regret thosewords.Zinke stares right through you and says:“Noproblem,ifthat’swhatit’sgonnatake!”

Seventyteammates,outof180whostarted7weeksago,remain.Theyshovegear in duffel bags, stencil T-shirts, and prepare themselves for the comingchallenge.

Holy cow, I’m finally doing this. I’m about to jump into the abyss. Am Iready?youaskyourself.

Aftera fewawkward jokes,your teammates retire to their racks fora finalsnoozebeforethegamesbegin.Fivedaysandnightsofbrutal,around-the-clocktraining.Yousitonyourracktoreviewyourworncopyof8WeekstoSEALFIT.Recalling that kokoro means “merging of heart and mind in action,” you’regoingtoneedallthekokorospirityoucanmuster.CoachDivine’swordspierceyourthoughts:

“Findaquietplacetoprepareyourmind.”

Anhourbeforeitallbeginsyouheadtothebeach…

TheMentalGameIt’sunusuallyquiet,thecalmbeforethestorm.Youlookbeyondthewavesandsoften your eyes, slipping into the meditative state you learned at SEALFIT.After about 5 minutes of sitting and watching the waves roll in, you havereachedastateinwhichyourmindisstillwaterrunningdeep.Youreviewthephysicalandmentalmilestonesmetinpreparationforthismoment.Hoursuponhours of physical training fromBasic, to Intermediate, to Advanced OperatorWorkouts.You’rereadyforthis.YoureviewwhatyouknowaboutHellWeekasifwatchingamovieinyourmind.Youseeyourselfstrong,injuryfree,alertandreadytolead,readytofollow,neverquitting.That’swhoyouare!Nextyoureviewyourstrategyandtacticsforwinning:

■WHAT’SMYULTIMATEGOAL?Notjusttosurvive,buttothrive.

■WHYDID ICOMEHERE?Tomeetmyself for the first time,andearn thehonorofwearing theTrident.

■HOWDOIEXPECTTOACHIEVETHIS?Oneordinarymomentatatime,usingextraordinaryeffort.

■ WHAT RESOURCES DO I HAVE TO DRAW UPON? My strong mind, my strong body, myindomitablespirit,andmyteammates.

There’sstilltimeleft.Good,Ineeditto“dirtdive”theevent.Youpictureyourselfgettingthecrapbeatoutofyouwithyourteammateson

thegrinder,smiling.ImagesofanotherHellWeekyousawonYouTubeplayinyourmindforareferencepoint.ExperiencesatSEALFITKokoroCamp,whereyouinstilledthewarriormind-set,flashbeforeyou.You’restandingproudattheendofeveryevolution,helpingyourmates.You’vegone48hourswithnosleep,butyourmind’s still alert.Yourbody freezes in theocean,butdeepbreathingcontrolsyourmentalandphysicalresponses.Gazinginthemirror5dayslater,yousmile,bright-eyed.“Class,youaresecured!”ringsoutasyouembraceyoursurviving teammates in gratitude.A sense of euphoria and peacewashes over

youasyoureachyourvisualizedgoals.Time grows short.You “charge up” forwhat’s to come, plugging into the

electricity inside and all around you. Tap into it, you tell yourself. You’llchannelitforuseduringtheweekbymaintainingthepropermentalstate,asiftuningtoaradiofrequency.Youstartwithboxbreathingandsoonevokeimagesofpeakmomentsfromthepast.Strongemotionsofbattlesfoughtandvictorieswonarise.Apositiveinternaldialogueawakens.Anenergetichighwashesoveryou.Youdropanchor in thesepositive seas, recitingWilliamErnestHenley’slinefromhispoem“Invictus”—“Iamthemasterofmyfate:Iamthecaptainofmysoul.”

TheWarriorMindYoumaybeoneof thefewtoexperiencewhatIdescribedabove,butchancesareyouaren’tandwon’t,forgoodreason.Itdoesn’tmatter.Replacethewords“HellWeek”inthetextabovewithwhateverchallengeyouface.Developingawarriormind-setremainsthesame.Youthinkdifferentlyfromthecommonmanorwoman.Ontheoutsidetheymaylooklikeyou,butontheinsideyou’reverydifferent. The mental preparation for the warrior mind-set allows you todominateanychallengeyouacceptinlife.

■Stayfocusedandrelaxed,adaptabletothechangingsituation.

■Knowthatyouaregoingtosucceed—therewillbenowondering.

■Tapintoenergythatliesdeepinsideyou,allowingyoutobecapableofatleast20timeswhatyouthinkyouare.

■Controlfearandturnstressintosuccess.

■Keepgoalsveryshort,andbepreparedforwhatevercomesyourway.

■Findhumorinthechallengethroughapositiveattitudethatkeepsyouandyourteammotivated.

■Bedecisiveandconfident,atrueleader.

YOURMISSION…Thegreatertheobstacle,themoregloryinovercomingit.—CONFUCIUS

Beforeeachtrainingsession,youwillperformwhatIcallapretrainingstandardoperating procedure (SOP).This is the same procedure youwill use for a bigchallenge;itwouldjusttakealittlemoretime.Findsomeplacequietwhereyouwon’t be distracted. Review theworkout description in detail.Understand theprotocolandalltheexercisesbeforeeverbeginning.Isyourtrainingspacesetupproperly?What’syourstrategy—areyougoing togostraight throughorbreakuptheworkout?Goingforanewbestinthestrengthorworkcapacitysegments?Haveyourtowel,journal,pencil,andwaterbottleready?Whataboutfuel—whatwillyoueatasyourundry?What’syourspecificgoalforthissession?Checkinwithallthisandremindyourselfwhyyou’recommittedtoSEALFITtraining.

Nowseeyourselfperformingtheworkoutaswritten,withanymodificationsyou may need. See mission success in your mind’s eye. Rehearse the wholethingwithperfect form.Finally,activatedeepbreathingandchargeyourbodywithpositiveenergyandemotions,asifyouhadjusthitanewpersonalbestorhad amajor breakthrough. Begin a positive internal dialogue, which youwillmaintain throughout the training session. Okay. Feel more ready now? Sallyforthanddominate,warrior.Onceyou’vecompletedtheworkout,readtherestofthischapter.

WARM-UP:Watch range of motion (ROM), drills, burpee, and air squat video(www.sealfit.com/videos)atSEALFIT’sWebsiteandpractice25squats.

WORKCAPACITY:5roundsforquality:

■20×airsquats

■20×burpees

■200m(meter)run

COOLDOWN:1-milejogandlongstretch.

COACHING NOTES: You’ve done your baseline (TrainingDay 1). These next 5training days will prepare you for the On-Ramp and Advanced Operator

Workouts.They’llcoversomebasicgroundandgetyourmindandbodyinthegame. Don’t skip them. Even if you’ve done them before, improving yourtechnique will yield enormous results in your training. You don’t have to dothemsequentially—youcan takea restdayor two,dependingonyourstartingfitnesslevel.

Performtheairsquatwithfeetapartatshoulderwidth,heelsfirmlyplantedintotheground.Extendyourarmsdirectlyinfrontofyouandpretendsomeoneispullingonyourwrists.Nowpushyourbottomslightlybackwardandsitdownwithoutbendingyourback.Keepyourlumbararchengagedandtight,keepyourheels firmly planted, get your hips below the knee line.Wiggle your toes toensure yourweight is on your heels. Stand up in an explosivemovement andpush your hips slightly into hyperextension. Full depth, open hips at the top,engagedlumbararch,andfirmlyplantedheelsarethekeys.

Startyourburpeesfromthestandingposition.Dropyourbodyvigorouslytothe ground by kicking your feet backward, land in the push-up position, andlower yourself with expedited speed until your chest is touching the ground.Explodefromthegroundtothestandingpositionandconducta6-inchjumpaswellasclappinghandsoverhead1time.

ThisIsSOPWhat you’ve just performed is the standard operating procedure (SOP) formental preparation in SEALFIT training. SEAL teams use the same warriormind-set techniques when preparing for dangerous real-world missions. Truewarriors through the ages have discovered this secret:Youmustwin the firstbattle—inyourmind—towineveryotherbattleinlife.Remember:SEALFITismore than training the body. You must embrace the whole person and seeyourself as a body-mind-spirit. You’ll train these simultaneously, leading tooptimalperformanceandgreatersuccessinallyourendeavors.

Wedon’tdo“easy”atSEALFIT.Training thebody issimplecompared totraining themind.One ofmy favoritemantras is “Where themind leads, thebodyfollows.”Leadyourmindtovictorythatyoucansee,feel,andbelieve,and

yourbodywillfollowyoutohellandback.SEALFITmentalpreparationhasfourdistinctsteps,whichwillgettrainedat

deeperlevelsasyouprogressthroughtheprogram:

1.Clearyourmind.Eliminatedistractionsandallowthoughtsofdailythisesandthatstofallaway.Developadeep,positiveconcentrationonthetaskaheadofyou.

2.Knowyour “why” and your strategy and tactics.Modify them if need be based on changingconditions.

3.Seevictoryinyourmind,andpracticeforit.SEALsuseprocesseswecallenvisioningandthedirtdive.

4.Chargeyourinternalbatteriesforoptimalperformance.

Note:SeeAppendix1foradetailedexplanationofthepretrainingandpost-trainingSOPs,anddailyritualsofSEALFIT.

TheFourBasicSkillsBegin practicing these four basic skills immediately. Just as with physicalworkouts,themoreyoutrain,themoreyou’llimprove:

1.BOXBREATHING:Begintotakecontrolofyourbreathing.Later,thiswillallowyoutocontrolfearandstressandmaintainacalmbodyandmind.SEALscallitarousalcontrol.Simplystartbyexhalingall theair fromyour lungs, thenbreathingslowlyintoyourbelly toacountof4.Holdyourbreathtoacountof4.Thenexhaletoacountof4,expellingall theairattheend.Finally,holdyourlungsemptyforacountof4.The4–4–4–4countisabox,hencethenameofthisdrill.Dothisbreathingexercisebeforeyourtrainingforatleast5minutes.

2.POSITIVEINTERNALDIALOGUE:Whatyousaytoyourselfmattersalot.Thoughthisskillcanbequite difficult because internal dialogues can be pretty deeply rooted, just start by payingattentiontoyourthoughts,thenoverridingnegativethoughtswithpositiveones.ThestatementIusedduringSEALtrainingwas“Feelinggood,lookinggood,oughtabeinHollywood!”

3.VISUALIZATION:Whatyouseeinyourmindalsomattersalot!You’lllearntorehearseinyourmind,aswellasvisualizefutureoutcomesyoustronglydesire.Startbyvisualizingyourtrainingsessionbeforeyoustart.SEALscallthis“dirtdiving”!

4.GOAL SETTING:Havingwell-set goals fuels focus, direction, andmomentum.When facing amonsterchallengelikeHellWeek,reduceittomicro-goals.Youcandigestbite-sizechunksofanelephantlongbeforeswallowingthewholethingatonce.

IgrewstrongerduringHellWeekthosemanyyearsago.Myboatcrewmadeitthroughasateam,winningeveryevolutionandsecuringvictory3hoursearlyonFriday.Forgingawarrior’smindhadeverythingtodowithit.Outof180whobegan, less than40finished.Mental training transformedmylife. It’sgoing totransformyours,too.

CHAPTER3

STAYINGINTHEFIGHT

“Norep!”shoutedCoachSmith.“Getyourhipsbelowparallelonthatsquat. Ithoughtyousaidyoucameprepared.You’regonnafailthisbaselinetest’causeyoudidn’ttrainproperly.”

Good,Ithought.That’shisjob.Break’emdownsowecanbuild’emup.But we were only an hour into Kokoro Camp, and this guy was already

struggling. Smith moved on to his next victim. But along came CoachCummings.

“Whatdowehavehere,anotherquitter?Whattayaherefor?Whydon’tyoujustleavenow?Openyourhipsatthetopofthesquat…norep!”

The trainee stopped in his tracks, tore his shirt off, and launched it inCummings’sface.Hestormedoffandquit.

Watching from a short distance away I was stunned. No trainee attendsKokoro Camp without the preparation needed for success. I offer videos(www.sealfit.com/videos) that explain the purpose and intensity of theinstructors,andhowmasterfullytheyexploitemotionalweakness.Scratchesandwoundsgetsaltedwithbarbsandverbaljabs,forcingtraineestoperseverewithinnerresolve.

Butwehadn’treallystartedthehardpartyet—thiswasjustthebaselinetest.This trainee had lost total emotional control and quit the fight, leaving histeammatesbehind.Hadheharnessedhisemotionsinthatmomentofchoice,hewouldhavesurvived theweekendandgrownstronger from it.Nowhis lessonwouldlingerwiththepainofregret.

LettheHammerHitYourFunnyBone

Let’s face it, life is tough. But it’s tougher if you’re stupid.When you don’tprepareanddon’t learnfromlife’smanychallenges, that’sstupid.Bytheway,haveyou ever stopped to considerhowmanydisastersyou’ve created inyourlife?How you respondmakes the difference between heaven and hell. If youwant to end the disaster cycle, learn to find grace and humor even in life’shardestchallenges.

Isay,“Letthehammerhityourfunnybone.”Ratherthancurlupandhunkerdowntorideoutthestorm,makelightofthesituationandfindthelessonlurkinginside.WhenIsufferduring training, Ishoveasmileonmyfaceandyelp theHowardDeanScream (google it if youwant a refresherorwere tooyoung tohearit).Myteam’ssuckingwind,too,andasuddenchargeofhumorshiftsourgroup’semotionalstate.Soonwe’relaughingandhootinginoursharedmisery.Youfindgreatpowerwhenyourememberthatyou’renotalone.

WhenthingsgotreallybadintheSEALteams,we’dsay,“Timetoputuporshut up.” That meant: Make a positive contribution right now or shut yourmouth. The most positive contribution was humor. To this day I have fondmemoriesofthelaughterduringHellWeek.Ittrulybecameoneofthefunniestweeks ofmy life, because both the instructors and the studentswho survivedunderstoodhumor’spower tominimize thehardshipsof life. Itdevelopsgracethroughemotionalcontrol.

LackofphysicalpreparationhadnothingtodowiththeKokorotraineewhoquitinthefirsthour.Hequitbecausehelackedemotionalcontrolandresiliency.He couldn’t find the humor or grace in his moment of choice. You’re not aKokoroquitter,areyou?

YourFourDominantEmotionsToday’sfirstassignment:Grabyourjournal,sitquietly,andreflectuponwhichfourdominantemotionsdriveyourbehavior.Doyouoperateoutoffear?Anger?Jealousy? Love? Joy? Courage? Be brutally honest with yourself. No one’swatching. Write your four down. It’s very important. The Kokoro quitteroperatedoutofangerandfearoffailure.Theydefeatedhim.

Gotyourfourdown?Good.Now,answerthefollowingquestions:

1.Whatdotheseemotionskeepmefromcreatinginmylife?

2.Whatbeliefscreatethesefouremotions?

3.WhatwouldIbelike,andwhatwouldmylifebelike,ifIcouldcontroltheseemotions?

Now we’re getting somewhere. Next I want you to close your eyes, andenvision four new ideal emotions that you strongly desire. Replace fear withcourage, anger with joy, jealousy with acceptance, pessimism with trust.Whateverfouremotionsyouoriginallychosetodescribeyourself,choosemorepositive emotions now. When you’ve written down your four, answer thesequestions:

1.WhatbenefitwoulditbringmeandothersifIactedwiththeseidealemotions?

2.WhatbeliefsdoIneedtochange,andwhatnewbeliefsdoIneedtodevelop,toowntheseidealemotions?

3.WhatwouldIbelikeandwhatwouldmylifebelike,ifIreplacedmyoriginalfourdominantemotionswiththesefouridealemotions?

Reflectonyouranswersdailyforthenext3weeks.After21daysyournewbeliefs and emotions will begin to form habits, which will define your newcharacter.

DepthandSpanThedepthandspanofyouremotionalintelligencedetermineswhetheryoustayinthefightandfinishwhatyoustartorbecomeaKokoroquitter.Weallchurnwith emotions, both positive and negative. How aware are you of their fullcomplexity (depth) and range (span)? Do you have a healthy response tonegative emotions, and a healthy expression of positive ones? Negativeemotionalresponsesderailyoufromyourcommitments.Pooremotionalcontrollimits your peak performance and forces you to suffer. Either your emotionsmanageyouoryoumanagethem.

Haveyouknownanyonewhopossessedabrilliantmind,butwhinedlikeanemotional infant?Ihave.Someofmygradschoolprofessorsfit thatbill.Howabout a charismatic leader who let their emotions torpedo their career andreputation?Grabtoday’snewspaperandpickanexample!

Being SEALFIT requires an awareness of the depth and span of youremotional life. As your awareness deepens, you will manage emotionalresponsespositivelyanddeveloppowerfulhabitsthatforgeemotionalresiliency.

DevelopEmotionalResiliencyNow that you’ve glimpsed mental toughness, here’s what we’re really after:emotional resiliency. Emotional resiliency is the power to bounce back whencircumstancesrainbricksonyou.Howhaveyourespondedwhenyoulostyourjob, have been rejected by your first love, ormade a crucialmistake on yourtaxes?Doyouallownegativeemotionstotakeholdandconfuseyourthinking?Ordoyoudrawfromadeepwellofoptimism?

Herearefourstepstodevelopemotionalresiliency.Yourgoalisnottojuststayinthefight,buttocrushiteverytime!

1. SELF-CONTROL: Start by developing the ability to witness and then control your emotionalstates.Emphasizepositiveemotionsanderadicateuncontrolledresponsestonegativeones.

2. SELF-ESTEEM: Make habits of your four new ideal emotional states and develop your self-esteemintheprocess.Believeinyourinherentgoodnessandvalue.

3.OPTIMISM: Start a daily focus on the positive things that happened and journal themnightly.Soonyouwilldigadeepwellofoptimismanddrinkfromitdaily.

4.SELFANDOTHERS:Learntotakecareofyourselfwhilealsotakingcareofyourteammates.This“self and others” focus will affect all areas of your life. You’ll gain intrinsic worth andmotivationfromhelpingothersandforgetaboutbeingself-absorbed.

YourMission…WARM-UP: Watch butterfly sit-ups, kettlebell swings, and push-up videos(www.sealfit.com/videos). Then perform ROM drills, then 10 perfect reps of

eachexerciseinworkcapacity.

WORKCAPACITY:Complete21–15–9repsas fastaspossible,withgreat forms,of:

■butterflysit-ups

■kettlebellswings

■push-ups

■400mrunaftereachsetofrepetitions

COOLDOWN:1-milewalkorjogandlongstretch.

COACHINGNOTES:Hydrateandrefuel.Journalyourresults.Perform21ofeachexercise,then15ofeach,then9ofeach.

Perform thebutterfly sit-upwith the solesof the feet placed together andclose to thecrotch. Itbetter isolates theabdominalmuscles andeliminates thestress on the hips and quads. Also don’t brace your feet or place your handsbehind your neck. Place them straight above your head with arms extended.Throwthearmsforwardandpullthebodyupintothesittingposition.Sitallthewayupandtouchthetoeswithbothhands.Placingarolled-uptowelorusinganAbMatunderthelumbararchwillgreatlyincreasethesuccessofthisexercise.

Assume the push-up position with your knees off the ground. Loweryourself until your right cheek touches the ground and then rapidly explodeupwarduntilyourarmsare fully locked.Repeat touching the left cheek to theground.

As you progress through today’s workout, pay close attention to anyemotions thatariseandyournatural response to them.Write themalldown inyourjournal.Begintocontrolyouremotionalresponseasyoualsocontrolyourinternal dialogue. Soon you’ll change your overall state of being through apowerfulcombinationofbeliefs,bodylanguage,thoughts,andinternaldialogue.You’lllaughatthethoughtofeverbeingaKokoroquitter.

CHAPTER4

TRAININGISN’T“WORKINGOUT”

My spine tingled. A thousand rhinos pounded the walls of my stomach.Darknessclawed itswayacross thesky.Myplatoonand I stretchedout likealineofantsonthesnow-coveredridgeline.Insteadofopeninguptoaplateau,asIthoughtthemapindicated,theterraingrewsteeper.Adeepravinewithan800-footdropopeneditsteethtotherightofus.IwatchedSwansonstruggle20yardsaboveme.Theplanhadtochange.…toolate!

“Shit,Cyborg,Ilostmyfooting!”(CyborgwasmySEALnickname.)Swanson started to slide, then roll toward me. Every ounce of focus and

yearsofphysicaltrainingpoisedmelikeatigerreadytopounce.Idugmyiceaxintotherockysnow.Hepickedupspeedandslammedintomelikeatruck.Wetumbledtowardthecliff,myteamlookingonhelplessly.

As I grappled for control, a deep awareness I candescribeonly as surrealflowoverrodemyfearandslowedtimetoastandstill.Ifoundmystomachandlaydownonmyax,diggingit intomychestasmuchasthehill.Mentalfocuscontrolledthepainaswejerkedandbounced.Wegroundtoahaltamerefootfromtheabyss.Mybreathingwascontrolledanddeep,mybodycalmaswelaythereforamoment,relishingthenewleaseonlife.Swansonlookedoveratme.

“Thanks,Cy,yousavedmylife…again!”Time and again life as a SEAL plungedme into life-and-death situations.

Awarenesshelpedme tohandle crisis after crisiswith a calm, cooldemeanor.They never allowed me time to think, and simply working out to preparewouldn’thavecutit.Yes,Iwaseminentlyfitandhadagreatplan,buthadInotrelied on a deep awareness to control my mind and breathing, the outcome

wouldhavebeenverydifferent.Theseskillsmustbetrained.

*

“SEALFITLOOKSAWESOME,BUTI’MgonnaworkoutatGold’sGymafewmoremonthstogetinbettershapefirst.”

“Bill,trainingwithusisn’tworkingout.WhatyouseekwithSEALFITyouwon’t findatGold’sor anywhere else. I’mnot trying to sell you,but in threemonthsyourplanwill leaveyouexactlywhereyouare today.StartSEALFITnow.Inthreemonthsyou’llbeadifferentperson.”

“But SEALFIT looks really hard and I don’t want to pay for twomemberships.”

“Okay,Bill,goodluck,andgivemeashoutwhenyou’rereadytoprogress.”He slunk off. He had no focus, no plan, no idea what he really wanted

beneath thepushandpullofhisusual reactions. Icould leadahorse towater,butIcouldn’tmakehimdrink.RalphWaldoEmersonsaidthat“whenamanispushed, tormented, defeated, hehas a chance to learn something.”WouldBilleverbecomeawareofthechancethatlaybeforehim?

Two years later while eyeballing a banana at Seaside Market, I heardsomeoneshout,“Hey,Mark!”

TherestoodBill,olderandrounder.“Howzitgoing,Bill?Goodtoseeyou!How’syourtraining?”Hisbodyscreamed theansweraboveanywordshesaid.Hewas“working

out,”asurefirewaytonowherefast.Billwasn’treadythen.Willheeverbe?

“Isn’tThisaWorkoutBook?”No.It’sserioustrainingforseriouspeople,likeyou.

“Thenwhat’straining?”youask.Training is passionately applying carefully conceivedprinciples to develop

yourselfphysically,mentally, and spiritually. It cultivates adeepawarenessofyour inner and outerworlds and aligns theseworlds into a serious force.Youshowupasexceptionaleveryday.

“Soundsdifferentthanworkingout,”yousay.I hope so. Look more closely at the four key elements of a world-class

trainingprogram.

PURPOSE-DRIVEN

Noseriouscommitmenthappenswithoutarock-solidfoundationandpurpose.Inmyearly20sIliterallythoughtmyboringlifewasalltherewas.ThenIfoundamentorinKaichoTadashiNakamura,masterofSeidoKarate.Hetaughtmehowtotrainmywholeperson.Hehonedthemental,emotional,andspiritualskillsIneededtosucceedasaSEAL.JoiningtheSEALscontinuedmyjourneytobeawarrior and abetter person everyday.Now it’s time forme togiveback andmentoryouonthispath.MypurposewithSEALFITtrainingislifelonggrowthofyourphysical,mental,emotional,intuitional,andspiritualcapacities.

Aligningyourselfwiththispurposewillfuelyourtrainingovertheshortandlong haul, as it hasmine.Bill did not realize that no real purpose backed hisefforts.HeassumedthatrandomappearancesataplacelikeGold’sGymwouldlead to fitness results.Hewanders through the fitnesswasteland,waiting foratreadmilltoopenupsohecandawdletimeawaywatchingTVwhilesweatingabit.Ifthat’syou,it’stimetochange.

Nothinggoodinlifecomeseasily.Theaccomplishmentsyouholdmostdearrequire your most valiant efforts. The same holds true of SEALFIT. Yourcouragetostartandyourdeepcommitmenttoendurewillstrengthenyouatalllevelsandshapeyouintoabetterperson.

But first take a moment to answer the question: “Why am I training inSEALFIT?” It could be something external like “looking good on the beach,”“losingweight,” or “competing in the CrossFit Games.” Or youmight find adeeper purpose like “being the best husband and father possible” or “gettingbetter every day and having optimal health.”Which do you thinkwill sustainyoulonger?

Writeyour answers inyour journal.Get yourpurpose clear before readinganyfurther.You’llneedtotapintoitwhenit’stimetoembracethesuck.

PASSION-FILLED

Passion ismore thansexand icecream. It canevenbe somethingpainful liketraining. Passion lights your hair on fire with enthusiasm toward a worthypursuit.Itdoesn’tletyoucontinueyourpretendgameofworkingout,likeBill.Youneedallyoucantoapplytoyourtraining.Here’show:

■FINDTHEFUN.Forme, fun is teamcamaraderie, theexhilarationofperformingdifficult taskswell,andthejoyoflearningsomethingnew.Whatisitforyou?Recognizeandlovethesimple,goodthingsinlifesomuchtheymakeyoulaugh,cry,orbothtogether.Nowplugthesamelevelofpassionintoyourtraining.

■APPRECIATETHEHARD.Youmayneverlovepain,soreness,occasionalinjuries,orthefeelingofdefeat,butyoucancertainlylearntovaluethelessonstheseinevitableroadblocksbring.Considerthem part of training and life.Dealwith themwell, learn to appreciate them, and you’ll soondiscoveragrowingemotionalresiliency.

■FOCUS DAILY.Develop a disciplined habit of training. Even your rest days count. Be steady,weekinandweekout.Training,eating,andbreathingarethethreepillarsofoptimalhealth,somasterthemnow!Don’tbumpatrainingsessionwithoutseriousthought.Ifyoumust,makeitup.Whenyoutravel,youtrain.Whenitsnows,youtrain.Whenyou’reinjured,youtrain.Gotit?

■MEASUREYOURPROGRESS.Manyofyouhaveworkedwithaprivatetrainerwhotrackedyourprogress. Good, but it’s better for you to track your own progress and then celebrate it. InSEALFIT you’ll track and benchmark your progress daily and weekly, noting your steady,forwardmarch.

■GROW.Don’tbuyintothebrokenbelief thatyoungerisbetter.Don’tbeaBillanddecaywithtime.Ifeelstrongerandbetternowat50thanIdidat30.Takecontrol.Learntogrow.You’readdingnewskills,knowledge,andawarenessinanupwardspiraltowardvirtuosity.Soonyou’llthinklikeakidagain.Theworldisyourplayground!

PRINCIPLE-BASED

SEALFITtraininganchors itsroots insolidprinciples thatwillpass the testoftime. I’ve tested and proven them to work for anyone. Thousands uponthousands have improved their lives through SEALFIT—1,200 have survivedthe rigors of Kokoro Camp to date. I’ve kept the principles that worked anddiscardedallelsefrommyownexperiencewithendurancesports,powerliftingandOlympiclifting,NavySEALtraining,P90X,TRX,yoga,Pilates,CrossFit,multipleformsofmartialarts,andevenafewaerobicsclasses.Hereareafew:

■ STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT (not bodybuilding) builds a foundation of durability. SEALFITimplements the strength-building techniques of powerlifting, Olympic lifting, and strongmanmodels.Theybuildconfidenceinyouandyourteam,particularlyinacrisis.Ifyoudon’tneedateam,don’texpectacrisis,andareasuperherowithnoweaknesses,avoidthem.

■FUNCTIONALMOVEMENTallowsyourbodytomoveas is intendedbyyourcreator.SEALFITdrawsfromCrossFit,yoga,martialarts,andNavySEALtraining,andaugmentsthesewithsomeinnovationsofourown.

■STAMINAANDWORKCAPACITYkeepyouinthefightwhenthingsgettough.

■ENDURANCETRAININGensuresyoucangothelonghaul.

■DURABILITYANDMENTALTOUGHNESSallowyoutoavoidinjury,trainthoughinjury,andstaythecourseoveralifetime.

Thesedefiningprinciples,alongwithothers,willunfoldingreaterdetail inthepagestocome.Youwon’tidentifywithBilleveragain.

PLANNEDCAREFULLY

Whenyouplayedsportsinhighschool,youdidn’tjustflailaroundonthefield.A coachguidedyou according to a plan.At a yogaormartial arts studio youdon’t justdowhatyouwant.Your teacher instructsyouwith strategic insight.It’sthesameinexerciseandnutrition.Beingyourownhealthandfitnesscoachisaflailingwasteoftime.

In this book, I am your head coach.Youmay find another coach toworkwithyouinperson.Justmakesurethatyoufindonewhounderstandsandagreeswiththeprinciplesinthisbook.Ifnot,you’reinforaconfusingtime.

8weekstoSEALFITtrainingis:

■PROGRAMMEDtobalancestrength,stamina,workcapacity,endurance,anddurability.

■PERIODIZEDtrainingtocyclethroughphasesofshiftingemphasistoallowrecovery.

■POWEREDWITHFUELsothatyouviewfoodasanintegralpartofyourtraining.Youcan’tfeedaMaseratiwithYugofuel.

■PRIORITIZED tofocusyourefforts intowhat’simportant inyourlife.Itwillslingshotyouina

newdirectionandplugyouintotheSEALFITlifestyle.

One final point: SEALFIT is flexible! I don’t expect nor do I wantperfection.Icallitthe80–20rule.Seektoperform80percentofyourplannedtrainingand fuelinggoals.Allowa20percentbuffer for spontaneousdaysofffromtrainingandcheatdayswithmeals.Lifeistooshorttoberigidandboring.Enoughtheory.Let’strain.

BeAwareandBreatheAsyoumaynowknow,I takebreathingveryseriously.Iknowitsoundssilly.Everyonebreathes.Butitamazesmehowmanypeopleneverthinkabouttheirbreathing.Somethingsoimportanttoliferequiresatleastamomentarythought.I’mgoingtohelpyoulearnasmuchasyoucanaboutit…andevenmasterit.

Really??Canwegettothef#@%ingworkoutsalready!Slowdown.Takeabreath,myfriend.Gainingdeepawarenessandcontrolof

your breath is one of themost essential tools in life. It’s a secret practice ofancient yogis andmartial artists to developmorepower, presence, andmentalcontrol.

I introducedyou to boxbreathing in chapter 2.Now I’mgiving youmorebreathing principles and tips for your training sessions. Put them to workimmediatelyintoday’sworkout.Hereareyourmarchingorders:

BREATHING:THESEALFITWAY

1.Beforeyourtrainingsession,performtheboxbreathingexercisefor5minutes.Thiswillgroundyou,clearanybaggagefromyourmind,andenergizeyoufortheworkahead.

2.As you begin your session, put your attention back on your breathing pattern. Lengthen anddeepenyour breathing.Yourmindwill remain focused and youwill relax into the pain as itentersyourconsciousawareness,whichwon’ttakelong!

3.Duringtheentiresessionkeepyourbreathingdeepanddiaphragmatic,evenwhenwinded.Trytopressairdeepintoyourlungsattheendofeachinhalebypressingyourbellyout.Inthroughyournoseandoutthroughyournose.Youcanexhalethroughthemouthifyouneedtospeedup

therateofrespiration.

4.Whenconductinglow-intensitywork(whenyourheartrateisnotabove50percentmaxeffort)addashortholdat the topofyourbreathingpattern.Times todo this include long-andslow-distanceendurance,orshortbutlow-intensitystaminawork.

5. During high-intensity training, such as sprints or a timed interval workout, try not to inhalethroughyourmouth. If you feel you aren’t getting enoughair, useyourmouth to take a fewextragulpsofairandthengobacktonostrilbreathing.Unlikebreathingthroughyourmouth,breathingthroughyournosestimulatesthearousalcontrolresponse.Itcleansesandwarmstheairandalsoallowsdeeper,morepenetratingbreathsintoyourdiaphragm.

6.When you reach an interval or a stop point in a session, come back to your deep, rhythmicbreathing and seek to completely relax yourmind and body.Maintain total presentmomentawarenessonyourbreathing.Breatheintothenextset.

7.Regulaterestperiodsduringintervaltrainingwithapredeterminednumberofdeepbreaths.Forinstance,ifyou’redoing100kettlebellswings,andyourgoalistobreakat20reps,whenyouset the kettlebell down, commit to 5 deep breaths. As you breathe, bring total relaxationawarenessintoyourbody.Turnyourattentioninward,notworryingaboutanyoneelse,andjustvisualize slowingyourheart rate and regulatingyour systems.Fivebreathcycles isn’t a longtime,butitactivatesyourrecoverymechanismsanddeepensyourpresence.Inpresenceyou’llfindmorepowerandpeaceofmindinthemidstofthepainandpressure.Overtimeyou’lllearnhowtorecoverrapidlybymaintainingameditativefocusonyourbreath,completelyrelaxingyourbodyandliterallywillingittorecover.

YOURMISSION…

WARM-UP:Watchrowingandboxjumpsvideos(www.sealfit.com/videos).ThenperformROMdrills,then50airsquats,then25tuckjumps(kneetochest).

WORKCAPACITY:5roundsforqualityandtimeof:

■15×boxjumps(20or24inches)

■18×sit-ups

■20×airsquats

■500mrow(substitute500msprintifyoudonothavearower)

COOLDOWN:jogorwalk1mile.StretchorSEALFITYoga(seechapter7).

COACHING NOTES: Hydrate, refuel, and journal results. This workout is about

sustainedworkload across a broad timedomain. It should take you around30minutes.Doyourbest tomaintain thesamepacingthroughoutall rounds.Youdon’twant touseallyourenergy in thebeginning,butyoualsodon’twant tosave it until the end. The box jump is great for building strong bones andexplosive power. Scale the height so you’re certain youwon’tmiss and dingyourshin(acommonoccurrenceatSEALFITheadquarters).Whenyoulandontopofthebox,openyourhipsandstandcompletelyerect.Thereisaplyometricversionof theboxjump,butIwantyoutolearntoopenyourhipsall thewaybecauseit’sessentialfortheOlympicliftsyou’lllearnlateron.Itdoesn’tmatterwhetheryoujumporstepdown.

*

WELLDONE.JOURNALYOUREXPERIENCE.Notethedifferencethatbreathingandawarenessmade.You’vebeguntotrainforapurpose.Whencrisesunleashtheirscreams,you’lllookthemintheeyewithoutflinching.You’llsummoncouragefromdeepwithinandwatchasyourbodydoeswhatyoucommand.You’llnevergobacktojust“workingout”again.IfonlyBillwasreadytojoinus.

CHAPTER5

THEFIVEMOUNTAINS

“Iwanttocomeoutforaweektotrain.”KyleBasswaspersistent.OriginallyseekingaSEALtoassistwithpersonal

security,Kylewanted to experience the real deal himself.Well now,wouldn’tthat be a kick in the pants, I thought. Reflecting on my own experience, Irealizedmymost valuable training came from immersion events where I ate,breathed,slept,andtrainedwithateamforanextendedperiod,BUD/Sbeingthemost extreme example. It was there thatmy heart andmindmergedwithmyactions.

Thiskokorospiritdidn’tjusthelpmesurviveBUD/S.ItenabledmetoleadotherSEALs.ThroughtwentyyearsasaNavySEALIfeltithadguidedmeineverymission.NowKylewantedwhatI’dreceivedfrommymentorssomanyyearsago.

DoIhavewhatittakes?Time slowed. I allowed thoughts and feelings inside me to voice their

opinions.Reintroducingawarrior-monk style of training to theWest appeals tome.

Youlearnfastwhenyouengageyourwholeperson.Youdevelopatthephysical,mental,emotional,andspirituallevels.IreallywanttodothisforKyleasatest,and then roll it out for elitemilitaryandprofessional athletes.My spark’s lit,I’mgame!

“Okay,Kyle,you’reon,”Isaid.“BehereSundayatthreep.m.preparedforanythingandeverything!”

SEALFITAcademywasborn.

TheAcademy

MySEALexperienceprovidedareferencepointforwhatthehumanbodycouldtake.DuringNavySEALHellWeek (6 days of trainingwith 4 total hours ofsleep) I recall an instructor tellingme, “You’re capable of twenty timesmorethanyou thinkyouare.”Thosewordsmeantmore tomeafterHellWeekas Ireflected inaweatwhat thesurvivorshadaccomplished.Theclassbeganwith180 trainees and ended with 40 after Hell Week. The workload we enduredsimplywasn’thumanlypossible.But,amazingly,itwas.

Iwasn’t sure howmuch I could throwat a civilian likeKyle.So I startedtimidly—only10hoursadayforKyleandhisteam,interruptedbymeals.Ievenletthemsleep!Inthefuture,Ipushedtheenvelopemuchfurther,searchingfornewmethodstohelpthemachievethatelusive20×factor.I’mstillsearching.

Four years after the trial run with Kyle, a day in the life of SEALFITAcademylookedlikethis:

■0500–0630meditationandyoga

■0700–0900AdvancedOperatorWorkout

■0930–1100LSD(longslowdistance)teamrun

■1100–1200bodycontrolclinic

■1300–1430strengthandpowerclinic

■1500–1600teamdevelopmenttraining

■1600–1800mentaltoughnesslectureanddrills

■1800–1900functionalhighintensitytraining

■2100–2200reading,contemplation,andjournaling

■2200lightsout

■2400–0300warriorspirittraining

■0500wake,rinse,repeat

Withnostoneleftunturned,themodernequivalentoftheSpartanAgogeorcivilian SEAL training took flight. Our 90 percent success rate with SEALcandidates satisfiedmygoal to inoculate trainees against failure in special-opstraining. But the real reward has beenwith “average” folkswho leavewith a

newleaseonlifeandanunconquerablespirit.SEALFITAcademy is human alchemy.The trainees arrivewith a deer-in-

the-headlights look, terrified of the unknown that lies ahead. Some disappear,never to show their faces on the grinderMondaymorning. Those that endureDay1emergeeuphoricandastonished.ThenDay2comes,andthen3.Trainingisrelentless.SomethingchangesaroundDay4—body,mind,andspiritadapttothenewreality.Fearisobliterated,replacedwithexcitementaspersonalpowerexplodes. Trainees attack each evolution with positive enthusiasm.Breakthroughsoccuroneafteranother.Theclassunitesasaneliteteam,openingup the20×vista thatgoesbeyond individualperformance. Iwatch themclimbthefivemountainsofhumanpotential—physical,mental,emotional,awareness,andspirit—onefootstepatatime.

Excitedby the levelof transformationIwitnessed, Ibegan tostudyhumanperformance in other domains. I created a performance accelerator through animmersivejourneyintotheancientsecretsofthemasterwarriors.Itchallengedthemodernwarrioronmultiplelevelssimultaneously,synthesizingandfuelinggrowth faster than ever before. Worldviews and belief systems transformedalongsidetheFiveMountains.

TheFiveMountainsThefiveprimaryhumanpotentials,or“Mountains,”thatmustbedevelopedforwarriorsandleaderstooperateattheirpeakare:

■Physicalcontrolanddevelopment

■Mentaltoughnessanddevelopment

■Emotionalawarenessandresiliency

■Awarenessandintuition

■Kokorospirit

I advised you in the first chapter that SEALFIT is more than a fitnessprogram.It’s integrated life training,addressingall fiveof theseMountainsas

youprogress.Thenetresult:Youdevelopinabalanced,acceleratedmanner—fosteringsignificantbreakthroughsinallareasofyourlifesimplyastheresultofyourtraining.

TheTenDomainsofMasteryThough this book primarily focuses on the first Mountain of physicaldevelopment, you’ll develop the other four, if you so desire. The informationanddrillsinchapters2through4willguideyourtrainingforthesubtlerpeaksofmental, emotional, and awareness development. The fifth Mountain, kokorospirit,arisesthroughcruciblechallengessuchastheSEALFITKokoroCamp.

Asyou travel theFiveMountainpath, ten skillsdefine thewayyouact inperformance. I call these the Ten Domains ofMastery. You can use them togrownomatterwho you are orwhere you start on the journey.Let’s explorethembriefly.(PleasejoinmeintheUnbeatableMindprogramtoworkontheseindepth!)

1.ENDURANCE:Oneoffourfoundationalskills.Theotherskillsdependonit.Youmustdevelopthisandtheotherthreefirst.

■Atthephysicallevel,youdevelopendurancewhenyourbodymakesahabitofgoinglong,indistanceortime,poweredbyyourextremities.Alongrun,ruckhike,swim,row,orbikerideconstitutes an endurance event. These events rely on oxygen as fuel. People often refer tothemascardiobecauseendurancetrainsthecardiorespiratorysystemtobemoreefficient.

■Atthementalandemotionallevel,endurancemeansthatyoudevelopthecapacitytostayatataskforthelonghaul.Gettingablackbelt,finishingcollege,andbecomingaSEALalltakemental and emotional endurance. It requiresmental, emotional, and spiritual endurance toraiseachildorprovidehospicecareforaparent.Youmustmasterthiscriticalskilltolivelifewell.

2.STRENGTH:Thesecondfoundationalhabit.Thisisyourabilitytoovercomeresistance.

■Atthephysical levelyou’llreapmanybenefitsfromgoodstrengthtraining.InthewordsofmystrengthmentorMarkRippetoe:“Strongpeoplearehardertokillthanweakpeople,andmore useful in general.” I agree.But failure atmost things is rarely the result of physicalweakness alone. The stronger you are mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, the moresuccessful and inspiredyouwill be tomaintain that overall strength.Why?Soyou canbemoreusefulandhavemorefuninlife,ofcourse!

3.STAMINA:Thethirdofthefoundationalhabits.Thisallowsyoutoovercomeresistance,timeandagain.Picksomethinguporgethit—again,andthenagain.Ifyoucandothisgracefullyforanextendedperiodoftime,youhavestamina.

■Mentalstaminaisassociatedwithresiliencyandyourabilitytomaintainfocusinthemidstofchaosandfatigue.Emotionalstaminaistheresiliencythatcomesfrombouncingbackquicklyfromsetbacks.Clearlyyouwantthisskill.

4.FLEXIBILITY:Thefourthandfinalfoundationalhabit,andtheoneoftenoverlookedintraining.In physical movements it leads to fuller ranges of motion, efficiency, and the avoidance ofinjuries.

■“SemperGumby”isthetermweusedintheSEALstoexpressdevelopingaflexibleattitudeso we could ebb and flow with the changes that occur in fast-paced environments. Lookaroundyou.Fast-pacedenvironmentsarethenewnormal.

5.POWER:Theabilitytoovercomeresistanceexplosively,suchassnatching185pounds.

■Youcanviewphysicalpowerasstrengthspeed.Howfastcanyouacceleratea loadfromadeadstoptooverhead?YoucandevelopitwithballisticmovementssuchaskettlebellswingsorOlympiclifts.

■ You develop mental power through concentrated focus on a task while accelerating yourlearningoftheskillsassociatedwiththattask.

■Emotional power developswhen you connectwith your heart and leverage the power of ateam.Expressedinacrisis,it’softenviewedasleadership.

6. SPEED: The rapid repetition of low-resistance loads. Most people don’t need to be SpeedyGonzales,butdevelopingspeedleadstomoreconfidence.It’susefulincertainsituations.

■Youcanincreaseyourrunningspeedbyacceleratingthecyclerateofpickingupyourfeetandputting them down. Pose running is effective at developing speedwith less energy output(www.sealfit.com/videos).

■ Mental speed means you can take appropriate actions quickly because you’ve learned todiscerntruthandapplyitrapidlytoyourdecisions.Decisivenessrequiresclarityof thoughtand dexterity in communications. The Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) loop is thedecisiontoolIteachforthisskill.

7,8,9,and10.ACCURACY,AGILITY,COORDINATION,ANDBALANCE:Youdevelopthefinalfourdomains as the result of neurological adaptation to practicing skills. Another way is to gooutside and play in the real world—functional training. On mental, emotional, and spirituallevels,theselastfourdomainsarecrucialforeliteperformance.

RespectWhenIwasyoung,IliterallyranuptheAdirondackMountainsinUpstateNew

York for theexerciseandexhilaration.Nodoubt it fueledmyego to racepastotherploddinghikers. “Lookatme!Aren’t I amazing?”myactions screamed.AsIrevisitthemountainsovertheyearsIgainmoreandmorerespectforthem.Respectliterallymeanstorevisitortakeanotherlookatsomething.Asyoutrainin your FiveMountains, day in and day out, you will revisit them again andagain.Asyouseethemfromdifferentperspectives,youwillgaingreatrespectfor them and for yourself.When you respect yourself, youwill respect othersmore deeply. The spiral of growth and success personally and socially spinsupward.

Learn toappreciate the journeyasmuchas thedestination. I’mamazedbywhat I missed in the Adirondacks those early days.Walking the same trails,breathingtheair,enjoyingthetreesandrichwildlifeislikereadinganentirelynew book. The more you respect your training, the more competence andmomentumyou’llbuild.

“SlowIsSmooth,SmoothIsFast”IntheSEALs,everynewskillisintroducedwithalecture,thenslow,hands-onpractice under the instructor’s watchful eye. This is the “crawl” phase of thetraining,wherewereinforceaccuracy.Laterwerevisittheskillandpracticeabitfaster.Wemanageriskandassessfeedbackinthis“walk”phase.Finally,afterhoursof “crawlingandwalking,”we relished the freedomof exploding in the“run” phase. Competence had evolved from unconscious incompetence(pretraining), to conscious incompetence (crawl stage), then to consciouscompetence(walkphase),andfinallytounconsciouscompetence(therunphase,aprecursortomastery).

Theexperience iscomparable to learninghow to shoota firearm.The firstfew times at the firing range, you fire with poor method and control. Shotpatternsareallovertheplace.Youhavetoslowdowntocontrolyourbodyandmind in the simple act of pulling the trigger. Soon, though, your competenceimproves. You can now shoot out the bull’s-eye. But you get cocky thinkingyou’reChuckNorris.Soyourshotpatterngoestohellandmostofyourrounds

missthetargetentirely.Physicaltrainingisnodifferent.Youavoidthepainfullessonsbyactivating

thismantra:Slowissmooth,smoothisfast.

MomentumSelecta trainingpacethat’sbetweenslowandfast.Bemethodical,purposeful,andmaintainarelaxedawareness.Resisttheurgetorushthings.Breatheslowlyanddeeply.Yourskillandaccuracywillimprovegreatly.Thisisyourefficiencyzonewhereyoucanmoveat acceptable speeds and still be accurate, efficient,andeffective.Youcaninchuptheintensityasyouimprovethisefficiencyzone.It’sanartbornofpersonalexperience.Patienttrainingatthislevelofawarenessleadstoseriousmomentum.

Ifyougooutat100milesperhourandgetfrustrated,you’ll losefaithandfall off. You might have a few weeks of little or no training. When thefrustrationwith your laziness hits a peak, you go out and crush yourselfwithintensity.Yournext-daypainmakesyougiveitupforanother3weeks.Inthisscenario,youlackmomentum.Bouncingbetween“zero”and“hero”leavesyounobetteroffthanwhenyouwerejustworkingout.

Slowissmooth,smoothisfast.Oneday,1repatatime.Soonyou’llhave8weeks of solid training days behind you.You’ll scarcely notice an off or badday.Seriousmomentumwillfillyouwithdiscipline,drive,anddetermination.Itwill affect all ofyourFiveMountains andbringyou success inother areasofyourlife.Theupwardspiralspinsfaster.

Okay,let’sgettotoday’strainingsession.Maintainafocusnotjustonthephysical, but also onyourmental, emotional, awareness, and spiritual aspects.Journalwhatyoudiscover.Goodluck!

THEFIVEMOUNTAINMISSION

Painisweaknessleavingthebody.—NAVYSEALS

WARM-UP: Watch grinder PT (physical training) intro and do warm-up(www.sealfit.com/videos).ThendopretrainingSOPandROMdrills.

WORKCAPACITYANDSTAMINA:GrinderPT—1,2,or3roundsofthefollowingasfastaspossiblewithgoodform:

■10×runanddrop

■10×DB(dumbbell)squatjumps(20–40-pounddumbbells)

■20×push-ups

■20×leglevers

■15×burpees

■15×4-countsmurfjumpingjacks

■15×tuckjumps

■20×DBthrusters(frontsquatfollowedbyapushpressin1flowingmotion)

■20×push-ups(narrow)

■20×crisscrossjumpingjacks

COOLDOWN:1-milejogorwalk.StretchorSEALFITyoga.

COACHINGNOTES:Journalyourresults.ThisisyourfirstgrinderPTsession—try2or3roundsasagoal.Ifyousimplycan’thandletheloadyet,stopat1or2.The grinder is an open training space at the Navy SEAL BUD/S trainingcommand,mirrored at our SEALFIT headquarters (HQ) compound. On it we“grinddown”andrebuildcharacter.Itlookslikearelativelysimplebodyweighttraining session on the surface. When led by trained instructors, it quicklybecomesateamcruciblewithaheavymentaltoughnesscomponent.Hereyou’llusegrinderPTtodevelopworkcapacity,stamina,andcorestrength.GrinderPTsessionsoccurfor20to45minuteseveryWednesdayofadvancedtraining.

AtHQ,grinderPTcanincludeanyexerciseordrillthatthecoachesconceiveonthefly.Aclassicexampleofourgrindersessionsincludesthe“deckofcards”workoutwhereeachsuitisanexercise,thefacevaluebeingtherepcount.Flipacard,dothenumberoftheexerciseprescribed(aceshigh,jack,queen,andkingare11,12,13,and15respectively).ThebestgrinderPTsessionsareimprovised

by an inspired coach and fed by the team’s energy. Typical exercises includejumpingjacks,push-upsofallvariations,sit-upsofallvariations,pull-ups, leglevers, flutter kicks, wave-offs, mountain climbers, 8-count body builders,burpees,squats,lunges,jumpinglunges,bearcrawls,prisonerwalks,andmore.

CHAPTER6

SEALFUEL

EarlyinmySEALteamdaysIsurvivedonpizza,milk,andanoccasionalbeer.(Well,okay,yougotmeon thatone.Thebeer flowed likea river.) Itwas theclassicbachelordiet—goodonlyforitsconvenience.Myperformancesufferedimmensely.IfeltlikecrapwhenIwokeup.Aftera2-hourworkoutIfeltbetterbut then crashed after lunch. My energy rode a roller coaster. If not for theimmensenumberofcaloriesIburneddaily,Iwouldhaveexhibitedtheoutwardsigns.Idon’tknowhowmyinsidessurvived.

Ittooka6-monthdeploymenttothePhilippinesandGuamtogetmysystemback on track. I ate like the locals: fish and chicken—all range fed or handcaught, lotsofvegetables,andsomerice. Idrankcopiousamountsofwater tokeephydratedinthestiflingheat.InotedhowhealthyIfelt,andhowhealthythecitizenryappeared.ThisearlyexperiencewithSEALfuelingchangedmybeliefsandhabitsforever.

Fast-forwardtoJanuary2009.“Hi,Michael.InterestedintheSEALFITlifestyle?”Mystaffhadfieldedthe

caller’s first twenty questions. They gave up and handed the phone to me.MichaelwasaWashington,D.C.,lobbyistdabblinginmartialarts.Hewantedtoscratch his “warrior itch” by attending a 3-week SEALFIT Academy andKokoroCampthefollowingyear.

“Tell me about yourself: training background, habits.What’s your fuelingplan?” Iwanted to know his key indicators—food, fitness, and attitude. I canhelphimchangethefirsttwo.Thethirdheneededtobringtothetable.

“I’m not functionally fit and eat like crap… I know I can do better… Ireallywanttolearn,butI’mclearacrossthecountryandsobusy,”heanswered.

Within daysMichael began trainingwith aSEALFIT coach and following

theprograminthisbook.IwantedhimtogethisfeetwetbeforeIhadthe“cometo Jesus” talk about nutrition. I knew he’d bounced aroundmultiple “feedingplans”andusedsupplements.Itestedthewaters.Hewaswillingtolisten.Sorta.Backin2009ourfuelplanrequiredaleapoffaith!

“Nograinsormilk!?”heasked.Silence.Andthen:“HowcanItrainatsuchahightempoandnoteatgrainsordairy?”“Michael, set aside every conventional idea about nutrition you learned in

schoolorpickeduplikeanoldbootalongtheway.SEALsareunconventional;we always look for what works and shit-can what doesn’t. The conventionalhigh-carb,low-fatdietisbullandcausesmostofthehealthproblemswefaceinoursociety.”

Hekeptlistening.“Carbsandsugarspikeinsulin,thefat-storinghormone.Grainprocessesjust

like sugar. And sugar-laden processed food leads to insulin disorders rangingfrom hypoglycemia to all-out diabetes. It opens the door to a host of otherproblems,includingexcessfat!Gocaveman.Removethesugarandgrains.Yourmetabolismwill rebalance.And fat, insteadof being stored as excess adipose,willbecomethepowerfulsourceoffuelitwasmeanttobe.”

“But I avoid the foods with additives, preservatives, and coloring agents.WhydoIhavetogiveupgrainsandmilk?Whataboutbread,cereal,andpasta?Doesn’tmilkgiveyouvitaminDandcalcium?Whataboutcarbloadingforbigevents?Whataboutcholesterolrisk?”hecountered.

Ilettheprotestsruninoneearandouttheother.Icouldn’tchangeyearsofmentalprogramminginoneconversation.“Michael,I’macaveman.Ifyouwanttosucceedatahighlevel,you’llhavetothinklikeacaveman,too.Thirtydaysonourfuelingplan’llputhaironyourchestandafurrowinyourbrow.You’lltransformyourhealthandvitality.”

Hegrudgingly agreed. I let that beast lie for thenext2months. Iwas justabouttoe-mailhimwhenmycellphonerang.

“Coach Caveman!” It was Michael. “The changes in my body … myperformance.Ihaven’ttouchedgrainormilkproductsinforty-fivedays.Ifeel

great!”“Hooyah,bro.”“I’ve already lost fifteen pounds and replaced it with muscle. My mind

seemsclearer, too.Myenergy’sstablethroughouttheday.I justfeelhealthier.Mylungsaren’tcongested.Mystomachisn’tbloated.”

“Wow.Impressivelistofsideeffectsforanewlymintedcaveman.”Wetalkedafewminuteslongerbeforehangingup.I’veseenpeople’sbodies

respondlikeMichael’ssomanytimes.That’swhathappenswhenyougo“all-in”onSEALfueling.Thingschange,forthebetter.Here’show…

ThreeRulesforProperFuelingThoughItriedshockingMichaelwithmycavemanstatement,thetruthisoftenstrangerthanfiction.SEALfuelreallyisacavemandiet.ItiscommonlycalledthePaleoDiet.(SometimesIeventalklikeacaveman.)In2009thisdiethadjustgainedsometractioninthewarriorcommunitiesthroughtheworkofDr.LorenCordainandhisstudent,myfriendRobbWolf.(Seewww.RobbWolf.com.)

SEALfuel’smodifiedPaleoDietcomesfromthepresumedmealplanofthePaleolithic era.Without food storage, humanswould have consumed thewildplantsandanimalsthatgrewseasonally,whenthe“store”wasopen.Nofactoriesexisted to cook, preserve, and freeze it. You had to eat it before it decayednaturally.InCaveman-speak:“Freshfoodmakegoodcaveman.”

Todayyoucangenerallyfindcavemanfoodontheouteraislesofthegrocerystore.What foodsare“game,”so tospeak?Proteinsources include leanmeatslike fish, poultry, and wild game. Complex carbohydrates and more proteincome from leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit. Perhaps the mostvaluablefoodsourceisgoodfat—frommeats,nuts,andoils.

Paleo rules out packaged, processed foods; dairy; and any kind of grains,starches, and legumes (mostly beans, peas, lentils, and the like, but alsoextendingtopeanuts,whicharen’ttechnicallynuts).“Younoteat!Cooking,youcan.Curingandpreservingmethodwithsaltandchemical,notmakehappy.”:-(

Okay,backtomodern-dayEnglish.BasedonmyexperiencewithSEALFIT

athletes,herearemythreePaleomodifications:Mod1:“80–20”—WarriorsandSEALFITathletesareadventurersandoften

findthemselvesinremoteandrandomplaces.It’stoughtoeattheperfectmealwhile staying in a tent on Denali or even at home with the folks over theholidays.SometimesanMREisit,andboy,willittastegood.Iproposean80–20rule.SticktoSEALfuelPaleostyle80percentofthetime.Don’tsweattherest.Yourmetabolismwillbefirmlyrootedinfat-burningmode.Theoccasionalgrainandsugaryfoodwon’tupsetthebalance.

Mod 2: “More carbohydrates”—You’ll be working harder than theaveragepersonwiththisprogram.Astricthighprotein,lowglycemicdiet,suchas the Paleo, may lead to glycemic burnout. To avoid that, cycle morecarbohydrates into your plan than those purely from vegetable sources. Thisworkswellwiththe80–20ruleifyour20percentisacheatdayeveryfifthdayorso.

Mod3:“Riceandbeans”—MybuddyRobbwouldsayno.Isay,“Goforitandnotehowyou feel.”Beans are a legume.Rice is a grain.But entire racesthriveonthesetoaddcarbohydratesandbulktotheirmeatandveggies.Thesefolks live long and prosper. I don’t like being an absolutist in anything,especiallywhenitcomestoeating.

Youcan’tsticktoafuelingplanifit’stoorigid.Personally,Ialsosneakmilkeveryonceinawhile.I’mnotlactoseintolerant,andmilkcanbeareadysourceof protein in a shake after a hard training session. The point here is to besensible. In Caveman: “Too much rigidity leave poor taste in mouth. GetclubbedbyPaleoDiet.”

“Okay, Mark, I believe you now, but what’s the bottom line—how do Ibecomeacavemanfast?”youask.

Goodquestion.Let’sgetspecific.

FiveStepstoSEALFuelingHint: Keeping a food journal side by side with your training journal helps,especiallywhen starting out. Check outmy SEALFIT training journal, which

has much of this information, as well as journal pages for you atwww.shop.navyseals.com.

STEP1:Eliminatesugarandjunkfood,includinganyhighlyprocessedcrudladenwith additives and preservatives (sugar, soda, high-fructose corn syrup,MSG,aspartame,etc.).Thiswillbedifficultifyoudon’tdosteps1and2together.

STEP2:Removegrain-basedproductsfromyourdiet80percentofthetime.Asmentioned, these include cereals, breads, and pastas. You’ll have somewithdrawalsymptomsfromsteps1and2—standby!Replace thesefoodswithmorefreshvegetables,seasonalfruits,nuts,andseeds.Makesurethatyouenjoythetasteofmostofthese.Otherwiseyou’llpineforthedayswhenyouusedtoeatfoodthattastesgood.

STEP3:Eliminatecow’smilkandhighlyprocessedcheesesandyogurts.Ifyourhealth is fineandyoudon’thaveanynegative responses todairy, it’sokay toreintroduce whole milk (20 percent of the time), raw cheese, and minimallyprocessed, high-fat yogurt later on. You’ll learn to like coconut and almondmilk,amongtheotherwonderfulPaleoishproductspoppingupthesedays.

STEP4:Eliminatemoststarchesandlegumes(whitepotatoes,corn,beans,etc.).Use vegetables and seasonal fruits as your primary sources of carbohydrates,includingsweetpotatoes.Riceisalsookayona20percentlimitedbasis.

STEP 5: Remove processed vegetable oils. Instead use olive oil for low-heatcooking and coconut oil for higher heat cooking. Avocados are an excellentsourceofgoodfat,asarewalnutsandalmonds.

I’ve includeda shopping list inAppendix 3 to help you choose the bestSEALFITfuelpossible.

One final note about when to feed: The caveman ate when food wasavailable.Threesquaremealsaday isamyth.Varyyoureating timesandeatsmaller meals throughout the day. Additionally, strive to refuel within 20

minutesofastrengthorhigh-intensitytrainingsession.Missingthisopportunitywill lead toyou turning fromcaveman tocannibal.Yourmuscleswill literallycannibalizethemselvesintheirmanichunttoreplacedepletedaminoacids.

Now,unlessyouhave furtherquestions, it’s time toput somehaironyourchest (sorry, ladies). Here’s an assignment to accompany today’s trainingsession.Goodluckwithyourfuelingplan.

FuelAssignmentWhat’s your attitude toward fueling? Grab your journal and write yourresponses:

■Doyoubreakbreadwithotherstobuildtheteam,ordoyouscarffastfoodinarushtogettoyournextappointment?

■Areyouawareofwhereyourfoodcomesfromordoesitnotmatter?

■Isfoodsimplynourishmentforyourbody,ordoesitalsonourishyourmindandspirit?

■Doyouwolfdownyourfoodwonderingifyourcavemanneighborisgoingtostealit,ordoyouactuallytasteandenjoyit?

Now,unlessyou’re certainofwhat foodyoueat, trackingyour intakewillprovide powerful insights. Often you understate the amount and overstate thequalityofthefoodstuffyoucramintoyoursystem.

TRACKYOURDAILYINTAKEFOR1WEEK

■Whenandwheredidyoueateachmealorsnack?

■Whatdidyoueatateachmealorsnack?

■Describeyourmind-setduringeachmealorsnack.

■Howdidyoufeelaftereachmeal—physically,emotionally,energetically,andmentally?

Theawarenessdevelopedbydoingthisassignmentinearnestwillopenyourmind and help you to implement the SEAL fuel plan.Contact us if you needsomesupport—we’rehappytohelpyouaswehelpedMichael.

Incidentally,Michaelcompletedthe3-weekSEALFITAcademyandKokoroCampatage45.He’snowoneofourUnbeatableMindCoaches.Hehasgrownsomeserioushaironhischest!

YOURMISSION…

WARM-UP:ROMdrills,then20repsofairsquatsandpush-ups,and5dead-hangpull-ups.

WORKCAPACITY:Asmanyroundsaspossible(AMRAP)in20minutesof:

■5pull-ups(substitutebandpull-upsorsit-upsifyoucan’tdopull-upsyet)

■10push-ups

■15airsquats.Thisequals1round.

COOLDOWN:1-milejogorwalk,fullbodystretch.

COACHING NOTES: Journal your results. Your goal is 15 rounds or more. Fullrangeofmotion(ROM)isessential.FiveroundswithgreatROMisbetterthan10roundsofhalf-assedsquatsandpush-ups.Getyourhipsbelowyourkneesontheairsquat,andtouchyourchestandextendyourelbowsonthepush-ups.Chinoverthebarat thetopandfullextensionatbottomofthepull-ups.Attackthisworkout—try to limit rest to no more than 10 seconds at a time. Feed thecouragedogandcrushthis!DON’THOLDBACK!

CHAPTER7

ON-RAMPTRAINING

SEALFIT offers four distinct and progressive workout regimens. This bookbeginswithOn-Ramp Training and proceeds toAdvancedOperator Training.CompletetheOn-RampRegimennomatteryourskillorfitnesslevel.Youmaysee itasbeneathyou.As I saidbefore, lookat it asachance to improveyourbasictechniques.Noprofessionalathleteeverreachesthelevelwhereheorshecanskippracticingandimprovingfundamentals.IfyoutakeOn-RampTrainingseriously,you’llseebreakthroughsinyourtrainingperformance.

I’ve included the Basic Training physical workouts as Appendix 2 at thebackof thebook.If theOn-Ramppushesyoutoyour limits,youmaywant tosubstitute the Basic Training workouts for the Advanced Operator Trainingworkoutswhilestillincludingtherestofthetrainingmaterial.They’llbuildyourtotal body strength, upper body strength, and lower body strength to preparethemfortheincreasedvolumeandintensityoftheAdvancedOperatorTraining.

Ifyou’reaspecial-opscandidate,explore theSpecialOperationsCandidatePrep template and combine it sensibly with the Advanced Operator Training.Theimportantthingistoadequatelyassessyourlevelandnottaketoomuchonrightaway.Overtrainingisaseriousoffensethatwillsetyouback.Checkyouregoatthedoor.

Thethreeprimarytrainingsessionshavefivecomponents:■Baseline

■Strength

■Stamina

■Workcapacity

■Durability

Although section titles are self-explanatory, I’ll explain one each week toclearupanyquestions.Ifyou’dliketoknoweverythinginadvance,feelfreetoreadahead. I’ve included the sectionondurability at theendof theOn-RampTrainingchapter,alongwithouruniqueSEALFITYogatraining.

Techniquesupersedesweightforallstrengthmovements.Thisalsoappliestowork capacitymovements.Remember your egowas checked at the door.Thestrengthmovementrepandsetschemeisasimple5×5(5reps×5sets)—firstsetof5willbelight,andyouwilladdweighttoeachadditionalsetuntil:

■Techniqueiscompromised.

■Failureorthelastrepofthelastsetisnearfailure.

We’ll always come back to fundamentals when performing a barbellmovement—stance,grip,andposition.

Pleasescale themovements toyourskill level—seeAppendix4onscalingandsubstitutingexercises.Forexample,usebandsforpull-ups,anddopush-upsonyourkneesasopposedtoplank,etc.Thursdaywillbeanactiverecoverydaythatworks on a long, slowdistance.The trainingweek starts onMonday andendsonFridaywithSaturdayandSundayasrestdays.It’sagoodideatowalk,practiceyoga,swim,orengageinamildactivityonrestdays,butdon’tworktoohard.

DurabilityWhenyougettotheendofyourrope,tieaknotandhangon.—FRANKLIND.ROOSEVELT

Before you proceed, let’s talk about durability, your ability to “stay in thegame.” To become and stay durable, both hard and soft skills are required.You’renogoodtotheteamifyougethurtbeforeamission.Evenworse,you’reanoutrightliabilityifyougethurtduringamission.Andifyouburnoutorlosemotivation, you’re on the edge of being a liability to yourself and the team.Drivehometheseconceptsofdurability,followedbySEALFITYogapractice,beforeassaultingtheAdvancedOperatorTraining.

Mostinjuriesandaccidentsarisebecausethetraineeslipsintoalowstateofawareness,becomesfatigued,isillprepared,orsimplyscrewsaround.Trainingdurabilityrequiresawareness,coreengagement,flexibilityandmobility,properfuelingandhydration,injuryavoidance,andrest.

CORE ENGAGEMENT AND STRENGTH: For SEALFIT purposes, the core is thebody’s torso.Everythingelse is referred to as theextremities.Core strength isdevelopedwithtotalbodyexercisethatincludetheoverheadsquat,squatcleans,andthedeadlift.Sandbagworkisalsoparticularlyeffectiveatdevelopingcorestrengthbecauseof the required rotationalworkwithanunstable load.Fifteenminutesofsandbagget-upsseveraltimesaweekwilldeveloparock-solidcore.WespecificallytrainfordurabilityduringthelastsegmentofSEALFIT.Usingcoreexerciseswithinacooldownensuresthatthecoredoesn’tgetoverlooked.SEALshaveaplethoraoffuncoreexercises,sowedrawfromthatgoodiebag.

FLEXIBILITYANDMOBILITY:Maybethemostoftenoverlookedaspectofstrengthtraining is flexibility andmobility. Range ofmotion is critical tomaintainingdurabilityoverthelonghaul.

INJURYAVOIDANCE: “Proper prior preparation prevents piss-poor performance”istheSEALmantraforinitiallytakingextratimetoensurethatyoudon’teatitlater.Taketimetoprepareyourfeetforalongruckoryourhandsfora100pull-up workout to prevent nasty and nagging injuries. Blisters and torn calluseshamperperformanceandslowyourteamdown.Activewarm-upandROMdrillspriortoaworkoutwillhelpavoidshockinjurieslikepulledhamstrings.

HYDRATION AND REFUELING: Drink lots of fresh water and use electrolytes toavoid cramping. Generally, drink half your body weight in ounces of waterthroughout theday.Drink liberallybefore,during,andaftera trainingsession.Refuelwithaprotein-ladensnackwithin30minutesofasession.Forsessionslonger than an hour, snack during theworkout. Hydrating and refuelingmustbecome a discipline. Sporadically remembering to hydrate means that you’redehydrated. Dehydration and undernourishment will lead to a declining

performance,lowmotivation,andpossibleinjury.

RESTANDRECOVERY:Asimportantashydrationandrefueling,programrestandrecoveryintoyourtrainingregimen.Encourageyourteamtotaketrainingtime-outs,ordaysoff,whentheyfeeldepleted.Get8hoursofgood,restfulsleepanight.It’snotalwayspracticalforSEALoperators,butforeveryoneelse,doit.Growth hormones release onlywhen you’re inREM sleep,which is the thirdcycleofsleep.Avoidsugar, includingalcohol,prior tobedtime,becausesugarinhibitssleeppatternsandhindersmusclerecoveryandgrowth.

SEALFITYogaFormsSEALFITYogautilizesavarietyofposessequencedbytheobjectivesofeachtrainingsession.Thesessionmaybearecoveryorahardsession.Primaryposesinclude:

■BALANCING:Predominantlystandingposesthatdevelopbalanceinourmindsandbodies.

■STRENGTHENING:Coreposes that focusor rely on armbalance.These are typically themostchallenging.

■LENGTHENINGANDEXTENDING:Posesmostcommonlyassociatedwithyoga,whichhavebeenusedasstretchingexercisesinathletictrainingforyears.

■RESTORINGANDCONTRACTING: Poses that help lengthenyour spinal columnand are closelyrelatedtolengtheningposes.Foreverylengtheningposethereisacontractingpose.

■CLEANSING:Posesthattypicallyshowupastwists.Thetwistscompressand“wringout”yourinternalorgans.

■INVERSION:Posesthatincludetheplow,headstand,handstand,shoulderstand,andvariationsforeach.Intheseposes,thebloodflowsintheoppositedirectionfromnormalandtheorgans“hang”upsidedown.It’sveryhealthyforyourbody.

■RESTING:Posesthatareusedasfinishingposes.Examplesincludeshavasana (thedeadman’spose)thatendseverypractice.

SEALFITYogaBodyAwarenessandControlSEALFITYoga brings deep awareness in understanding how the bodymovesandworks.Sensesareturnedinwardto“listenandfeel”withrefinedskills.This

practicedeepensyourintuition.Awarenessspillsintophysicalfitnesstrainingtohelp youmovewith purpose and sensitivity to the quality ofmovement. Thiseventuallyleadstovirtuosity.

CORE DEVELOPMENT: Yoga and its core strength are built at a very deep rootlevel.Corestrengthleadstotheseeminglymagicalpowersofarmbalancesandposes whereby trainees can hover a foot off the floor by balancing on theirpalms. Core strength supplements the core development that occurs throughfunctionalstrengthtraining.

CONCENTRATIONDEVELOPMENT:Aprimarybenefitandfocusofyogapracticeistodeepenyourconcentration.SEALFITYogaismovingconcentrationpracticethatincludesseatedconcentrationbetweenbreathcontrolandvisualization.

BALANCE:Balancestartswithacalmmindandextendstoyourcoregroundingitselfwiththeearth.Balanceinyogaismoresubtlethantypicalathleticbalanceandcanleadyoutobemoregracefulinyourphysicalendeavors.

FLOW: Yoga movements flow from one to another such that the practice hasqualitieslikeadance,orkata.Thisflowstokesinternalheatandallowsyoutolinkmovementstoyourbreathing.

ENERGYMOVEMENT:Movingyourinternalenergy(prana,ki,force)intentionallyisthefocusofthebreathingpracticesandoccursaspartoftheflowofyouryogapractice. This provides many health benefits and allows you to muster thisinternalenergyandforcefullyprojectit.

DETOXIFYING:Twisting andbendingmashyour internal organs like awashingmachineandleadtointernalorgandetoxificationandcleansing.

INCREASEDPRESENCE:TheintenseconcentrationrequiredofSEALFITYogacanleadtomomentsofcompletereleasewhenyourmindisdevoidofthoughtandyou’refullyfocusedonthepresentmoment.Findingthisstatewhilemovingin

yogahelpsyoutotransferthisesotericskill tothearenaoffitnesstrainingandlife. You can then find more calm and focused attention in the chaos of aworkout,orlifeingeneral.

ShortFormA(seewww.sealfit.com/yoga)■5×SunSalutationA,holddowndogsfor5breaths■transitionbreathingexercises

■windmill

■flowtoseatedposes

■forwardbend—flow

■tabletop—flow

■twist1

■boxbreathing5cycles

■deadman’spose

ShortFormB(seewww.sealfit.com/yoga)■3×SunSalutationA,holddowndogsfor5breaths■3×SunSalutationB,holddowndogsfor5breaths■transitionbreathingexercises

■windmill

■flowtoseatedposes

■forwardbend—flow

■tabletop—flow

■twist1

■boxbreathing5cycles

■deadman’spose

HipMobilityDrill(seewww.sealfit.com/yoga)■

SamsonStretch—rightlegback■insidetwist

■outsidetwist

■pigeon

■plank

■upward-facingdogtodownward-facingdog■SamsonStretch—leftlegback

■insidetwist

■outsidetwist

■pigeon

■plank

■upward-facingdogtodownward-facingdog■thirdworldsquat

■standingforwardbend

ShoulderMobilityDrill(withPVCorbroomstick)(seewww.sealfit.com/yoga)■neckandshoulderrotations

■5×PVCshoulderpush-pullandpassovers■3×PVCFigure8s,eachside

■1×PVCshoulderopener,eachside

■1×PVCbehind-the-backforwardbend■10×overheadsquats

■inside-outsidetwistwithPVC,bothsides

CongratulationsoncompletingyourfirstweekofSEALFITtraining—standbyforaheckofalotmorefun!

SUNSALUTATIONA

SUNSALUTATIONB

Week1:TheBaseline

Each training session starts with a baseline that’s more than a warm-up. Thebaselineisaprepphaseusedtowelcomenewtrainees,briefthetrainingsession,answerquestionsabouttheprotocol,anddemonstrateproperform,function,andposture. I like to beginwith a box breathing exercise followed by a series ofROMdrills (seewww.sealfit.com/videos) and a short run and body blast/row.Onstrength-trainingdaysSEALFITwarmsuptotheweightsthatwillbeused.Ifit’snotastrengthday,SEALFITprepares for theworkcapacityorendurancesection.Baseline isnamedassuchbecause thesystembaselinesall trainees intherealityofthemomenttoprepareforwhat’sahead.

Remember, a SEALFIT training session is not a workout. We don’t justsaunterintothegymandstarttheSEALFITworkout.SEALFITistreatedwithadegree of importance that doesn’t ignore important details. SEALFIT is mostoftendonewitha team.The teamwillstarton time,haveaworkingplan,andhaveabrief/debriefofeachsession.IliketopracticetheFiveMountainsduringeach training session and look for opportunities to train mental toughness,emotional control, and the warrior spirit. These opportunities are not hard todiscoverduringthetrainingsessionsforagoodcoach.Themoreenergyyouputintotheseriousnessofthetrainingsession,asyoumaintainfocus,intensity,andasenseofteamwork,themoreyou’llgetoutofeachsession.

WEEK 1, NEW MOVEMENTS: row, sit-up, pull-up, back squat, knees to elbows,frontsquat,overheadsquat,andstep-ups.

NOTE:PleaseseeAppendix5foralistofacronymsandabbreviations.

Discipline

There once was a strong and self-confident young man who dreamed ofgreatness.One day, afterwatchingZeroDark Thirty, his friend told him of amaninCaliforniawhocouldvirtuallyguaranteehimacovetedSEALposition.His eyes glowed. As long as he could remember, he’d desired this prize.Ultimatemanhoodandrecognitionawaited!

Hestrappedonhisknapsackandbeganalongtrektofindoutifthelegendwas real.Challenges lay in store.Mountains stood in his path.But the youngmanwas strong.Hewouldn’twait any longer thannecessary.He stuck to thehighway,impatientandhungry.Hehurriedhispace.Finallyhelocatedthewisemanandmadehisappearance.

“IwanttolearnallIcanfromyouandearntheNavySEALTrident!”“I see,” thewiseoldmansaidkindly.“Drinksome tea.We’ll talkabout it

further.”The oldman turned on his teapot and sat quietly,waiting for thewater to

boil.Theyoungmansquirmedinhisseat.Unabletowaitanylonger,helitin.“WhatdoyourecommendIdo?SomeonetoldmeIshouldrunfortymilesa

week. What fins should I use? How do I improve my pull-ups? I’m only atfifteen…”

The teapot started to sing. The wise man said nothing as the young manprattledon.Hepickedupthepotandbegantopour.Teareachedthetopofthecup,yethekeptpouring.Hesmiledkindlyas it spilledonto the table.Then itreached thevisitor’s lap.Theyoungguysaidnothingat first,wondering if theoldmanwassenileorsomething.

“Sir,stoppouring.Thetea’sgoingallovertheplace!”“Yesit is, isn’t it?Interesting.Justlikeyourmind,it’srunningalloverthe

place.”Theyoungmangrewangryastheoldmancontinued.“Yourmind is so full of ideas… how strong and athletic you are… this

tip… that trick.There’sno room left forme tohelpyou.Please.Emptyyourcup.Comebackwhenyou’rereadytolearn.”

What kind of game was this guy playing? thought the young man. His

emotionsspunfromangertofrustrationtodejection.Everythinghadcomeeasyto him in life, and herewas some nut telling him to empty his cup.What thehell?Hestormedoff,resolvedtobecomeaSEALonhisown.

Ninemonthslater,Day2ofHellWeek, theyoungman’sbodylaybroken.Hecouldbarelylifthisarms.Hismindwasweary.Hetriedtodigdeepwithinformorestrengthandstamina.Itwasn’tenough.Hishelmetcametorestbesidetheotherdropoutsinasolemnlineofdefeat.

*

I SEETHISALLTHE time. It’sabusyworld.Youhavemanycommitments.Butdisciplinerequires thatyoulearnanewwayof thinkingandacting,onewhereyou control yourmind and emotions first. Is your cup running over?Do youstruggle to find time and energy to train? Is your mind running about andconstantlyobsessingaboutthissupplementorthat,thisnewtrainingtoolorthat?

ThebiblicalconceptoftithinghasyoupayGodfirst,thenyourself,thenthemerchant,andthenthetaxman.Tryitforgrowth—disciplineyourselftospendthefirst10percentofyourdayonyourmental,emotional,andspiritualtraining.Emptyyourcupto learn.Fill itwithfarmorevaluetogiveto theworld.Nowlet’sgettowork!

MONDAY[WEEK1:THEBASELINE]

BASELINE:presessionSOPandboxbreathingfor5minutes.Boxbreathing.

■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,10×airsquats,10×armcircles(10forwardand10back)

STRENGTH:backsquat(www.sealfit.com/videos)—5reps×5sets.Keeptheloadlight(45#barto95#).

WORKCAPACITY:baselinefortimecompleted:■500mrow(ifyoudonothavearower,substitutearun)■40×airsquats

■30×sit-ups

■20×push-ups

■10×pull-ups(ifyou’reunabletoperformapull-up,performjumpingpull-upsoruseaband)

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogahipandshouldermobilitydrills.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

AIRSQUATS

SIT-UPS

PUSH-UPS

PULL-UPS

TUESDAY[WEEK1:THEBASELINE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■200mrun

■20×2-countmountainclimbers

■200mrun

■20push-ups

WORKCAPACITY:complete3RFTof:■400mrun

■10×burpees

■10×backsquats(45#/35#)

■10×kneestoelbow

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormAoractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

MOUNTAINCLIMBERS

BURPEES

KNEESTOELBOWS

WEDNESDAY[WEEK1:THEBASELINE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■5rounds—5×airsquats,5×backsquats(barbell),5×push-ups,5×sit-ups

STRENGTH: front squat (www.sealfit.com/videos)—5 reps × 5 sets WORK

CAPACITY:completeAMRAPin10minutes:■5×pull-ups(scaleasneeded)

■7×push-ups

■9×frontsquats(45#/35#)

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormBoractive stretch.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRONTSQUATS

THURSDAY[WEEK1:THEBASELINE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT(www.sealfit.com/videos)

ENDURANCE:10minutesofLSDrun,ruck,orswimDURABILITY:SEALFITYogaor active stretch. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK1:THEBASELINE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—150mrow,10×airsquats,10×frontsquats(barbell)

STRENGTH: overhead squat (www.sealfit.com/videos)—5 reps × 5 setsWORK

CAPACITY:complete10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1(10repsofeachexercisefollowedby9repsofeachexercise,etc.)of:■overheadsquat (barbell, lightbarbell,orPVCpipe)■step-upseachleg(15-inchbox)

■sit-ups

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormAoractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

ROWS

OVERHEADSQUATS

Week2:Strength

SEALFITstrengthtrainingis4daysaweekthatincludes(withsomeexception)lower(backsquat),upper(pushpress),andtotalbodylifts(deadliftandbenchpress).Theoverheadsquat,weightedpull-ups,andfrontsquatareoccasionallycycled in. Narrowing the strength lifts to the four listed above leads to morefocused results. If you would like additional reading on strength training, IrecommendMarkRippetoe’sStartingStrengthasagreatresourceforbeginninglifters. There are great exercise videos on the SEALFITYouTube channel aswell.

New trainees must stay focused on their form and use lighter loads untilstrength-training lifts are safely performed. All egosmust be in check. Injurywilloccurifyoumovetoofastortrytoimpressyourgirlfriendandteammates.Deadliftsandbacksquats take timetodevelopcorestrengthandthenecessarylower lumbar stability that protects the spine during the execution of themovement.

Evidencesuggests that tallenduranceathletes—likeme—arekeenlyat riskwiththeexecutionofthedeadliftandthebacksquat.I’veinjuredmybacktwiceexecuting each lift during my early years by going too far, too fast. Tallrecovering triathletes will never lift as much as a shorter powerlifter. And aformerpowerlifterwillnever runas fastor farasa former triathlete, sowe’reeven! So, if you’re a tall endurance athlete, consider performing a deadliftelevatedoffthegroundwitha45-poundplateundereachside.There’snoreasontogofora1RoundMaxefforteverytimeyoulift.You’llmakemoregainsbysticking with 10, 5, and 3 RoundMax efforts.My injuries have all occurredduring1RoundMaxattempts.OnceIlearnedhowtotrainproperly,myinjuriesstopped.AndI’vebeeninjuryfreeforyears…knockonwood.

Quite simply, strength increases your durability and ability to carry heavyloads,whichmakesyoumoreusefultoyourteam.

Wechose the fourprimary lifts for their simplicity, their functionality,andtheirabilitytoconveystrengthgainsacrossthebody’sentiresystem.Theseliftsalso allow you to lift heavy loads. Lifting heavy loads helps to develop yourconfidence and courage. There’s also growing evidence that yourneuroendocrine system is stimulated to release growth hormones when liftingyourbodyweightoranevengreaterload,whichisachievablewitheachofthefourlifts.

Advance Operator Training cycles strength training in order to developstrength, stamina, raw strength, strength power, and finally a personal beststrengthmaxload.Ade-loadweekoccurspriortothepersonalbestweektogiveyourmindandbodyamuch-neededbreak.

Duringthebaseline,you’llworktogainamaxworkingloadbystartingwitha light load and high rep scheme and progressively increasing the loadwhilereducingrepsuntilyoureachorareneartoa1repmax.Thiseffortshouldtake10to15minutes.

You’llstarttheactualstrengthsessionwhenyou(andyourteam)arehappywith your warm-up and you’re executing your working load. You’ll follow aprescribedprotocol—asetnumberofsetsandrepsat-5percentor-10percentofthemax load. This submaximalwork is designed to “push the envelope” andconditionyourbodyandmindtoworkat loadsnearyourmax.Thenumberofsetsandrepsvaryforeachphase.

Strengthtrainingisnevertimedorcompletedwithexpediency.AtSEALFITHQ,wetrainforstrengthinanalert,methodical,yetcasualmanner.Youdon’twant to be tense during strength training. It’s important tomaintain a relaxedfocusandbeawareofwhat’sgoingoninandaroundyouasyoumaintainasafetrainingenvironment.Atthesametime,youcanchat,shareideas,workonform,correctateammate’sform,joke,andgenerallybuildtheteam’smorale.

WEEK2,NEWMOVEMENTS:strictpress,supineringpull-up,walkinglunge,pushpress,ballslam,pushjerk.

Overheadpressstrength-trainingmovements:

■strictpress

■pushpress

■pushjerk

Thestartandendpositionforeachmovementisthesame.Howtheweightisraisedoverheadistheonlydifference.

Performastrictpressasthebarbellrestsonyourshoulderswithoutholdingany weight in your arms. This requires elements of mobility. You grip thebarbell directly in the hands—not back on the fingertips, like you hold thebarbellforthefrontsquat.Pointyourelbowsdown.Fromthisposition,pressthebarbelloverheaduntiltheweightissecuredandheldslightlybehindyourears.Keepyourlegslockedstraightandyourglutes,core,andhamstringstight.

Addadip-drive for thepushpress anduseyour legs tohelppush thebaroverhead.Thispiston-like,down-upexplosivemovementliterallythrowsthebaroffyourchest.Finishthemotionbypressingyourarmsthesamewayyouwouldduring a strict press. Typically you can push-press 30 percent more loadoverhead.Thepushpress is amuchmore functionalmovement than the strictpress,althoughitdoesn’tgaugerawstrengthaswellasthestrictpress.Coachingcuesforthedipincludebendingatthekneesandnotthewaistandtakingadeepbreathprior to thedip-drive—don’t inhaleasyoudip.Driveupwithyour legsandat thelastminuteengagethearmstofinishthemovement.Dip,drive,andpress!!!

Thepushjerkisaquick,aggressivemovementmoresothanboththestrictpress and push press. It focuses on jumping your body underneath the bar,insteaduppushingitupwithyourarms.Asyoudipanddrivethebarupandoffyour shoulders, jump your body down under the bar so that you receive theweightlockedoutoverheadinonemotion.ThisOlympicliftalsoknownasthe“jerk” in the clean and jerk can be awkward for beginners. Work on theexecutionsimulatingaPVCpipeforabarbell toget thehangof it.Watch thevideos (www.sealfit.com/videos), or better yet, hire a coach to work on the

“Oly”liftswithyou.You’llbeabletopush-jerkatleast30percentmorethanthepushpress,assumingthatyourformislegitimate.

Integrity“LieutenantDivine, I need to speakwith you, sir.” Johnson peeked nervouslythroughthedoorintotheAlphaPlatoonspace.

“What’sup?”Isaid,busypreparingforourpendingdeploymenttoIraqforDesertShield.

“Well,sir,yousee,ah…”“Spititout,Johnson.Ihavealottodotogetready,andsodoyou.”“I’mnotgoing!”“Whatdoyoumean,exactly?…You’renotgoingwhere?”“I’mnotgoingtoIraq.”Hegavemeastrangelook.At first I didn’t believe him, but the look on his face… Itmademe feel

squeamish.ThishadneverhappenedintheSEALsbefore.“I’maconscientiousobjector.”“WhattheF!Areyouserious?AfterallthatworktogetintoBUD/S,makeit

through training, a yearwork-upwithAlphaPlatoon, and you’re not going todeploy???

“Johnson,doyouknowwhatintegrityis?It’swhenyoudowhatyousayandsay what you think. You just put Alpha Platoon through a twelve-monthintegritybreach.All this timeyouknewwe’dprobablygotowar.Nowonthecuspofjumpingofftheramp,you’rebailing.”

The look disappeared from his face.His eyes found the floor.Herewas aTridentwearerwho’dgoneintotheSEALsjusttoseeifhecouldmakeit,withno intentionofeveractuallydoing the job.Henevercould lookmein theeyeagain.Whatawaste.

Integritybreachesdon’thavetobethisblatant tocorrodeyourcharacteroryour team’s trust. I’m sure you’vemetmany “smiling screws”who play niceandthenstabyouintheback.That’swhatJohnsondidtohisteam.

Weallhaveweakspots.Takeamomenttolookforanyintegritybreachesin

yourownlife.Notetheminyourjournalandyourspecificplantochangethem.It’s time to behonest in all your actions, big and small. Pay attention to yourthoughts.Speakonlywordsoftruththatarealsohelpfulandpositive.Otherwise,remainsilent.Letyouractionsspeakyourcharacter.

Nowstaysafe,remainfocused,andhavefun!

MONDAY[WEEK2:STRENGTH]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsofjumpingjacks,airsquats,andarmcircles

STRENGTH: strict press (www.sealfit.com/videos)—5 reps × 5 sets WORK

CAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■1,000mrow

■25×strictpresses(45#/35#)

■20×supineringpull-ups

DURABILITY: SEALFITYoga shouldermobility drill or active stretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

STRICTPRESSES

SUPINERINGPULL-UPS

TUESDAY[WEEK2:STRENGTH]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrun

■3rounds—5×walkinglungeseachleg,10×push-ups,15×sit-ups

WORKCAPACITY:AMRAPin20minutes:■25mwalkinglunge

■10×burpees

■25mjogbacktostartingpoint

DURABILITY: SEALFIT Yoga hip mobility drill or active stretch. Hydrate andfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK2:STRENGTH]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,5×strictpresses(45#/35#),5×dips,5×jumpingsquats

STRENGTH: push press (www.sealfit.com/videos)—5 reps × 5 sets WORK

CAPACITY:complete4RFTof:■400mrun

■10×pushpresses(45#)

■10×ballslams(20#/12#)

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormAoractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

PUSHPRESSES

BALLSLAMS

THURSDAY[WEEK2:STRENGTH]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:15minutesofLSDrun,ruck,orswimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK2:STRENGTH]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■250mrow,15×push-ups

■250mrow,15×pushpresses(45#/35#)

STRENGTH: push jerk (www.sealfit.com/videos)—5 reps × 5 sets WORK

CAPACITY:complete21–15–9repsfor time(21repsofeachexercise, followedby15repsofeachexercise,andthen9):■4-countmountainclimbers

■pushjerk(45#/35#)

■sit-ups

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormBoractive stretch.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

PUSHJERKS

Week3:Stamina

Thestaminasectionincreasesintensityandpace,butit’snottimedorconsideredhigh-intensity interval training. I characterize stamina as moderate intensity,volumetraining,withtwoprimarymodels.

1.Thechipperwill“chip”throughalargenumberofrepsforeachexercisebeforemovingontothenext.Forexample,50deadliftsat40percentmaxload,followedby75boxjumps,finishingwithan800mbuddycarry.

2.TheRFC (roundsdone for completion) is not timed.For example, complete4 roundsof12×deadliftsat40percentmax,20×boxjumps,anda50mbuddypullwithaheavyband.

Ilovethestrengthandstaminaphaseofaworkout.It’sbothchallengingandfunbecausethepressureoftimeisnolongerafactor.Butincaseyouletyourguarddown,standby.Workcapacityisnext!

WEEK3,NEWMOVEMENTS:DBpushpress,deadlift,thruster,sumodeadlifthighpull,wallball,dips,powerclean.

Icannotstateemphaticallyenoughtheimportanceofpropertechniquewhileperforming each lift. Remember the basic fundamentals of stance, grip, andposition.

Theproperstartingpositionforthedeadliftbeginswithyourfeetunderyourhips—known as the pulling position.Grip the bar one thumb length from thesmooth part of the bar, on the outside of the knurling. Keep your butt down,chestup,andarchyourlowerback.Pushthegroundawayfromyouratherthanpullingwithyourarmsatthestartofthelift.Avoidthe“gripandrip”syndrome.Rather,seeka“smooth”pushawayfromthefloorbeforeacceleratingwithyourhipsopen.Maintainyourweightinyourheelsandkeepthebarasclosetoyourshinsaspossible.Mostimportant—liftwithyourlegs,notyourback!

Thepowercleanstartsexactlythesamewayasthedeadlift.However,oncethebarmovesaboveyourknees,you’lljumpthebarbelluptoyourshouldersinthefrontsquatrackposition.TheBurgenerWarm-upnamedafterCoachMikeBurgenerisagreattoolforlearningOlympiclifts.Ihighlyrecommendthatyouwatchthevideo(www.sealfit.com/videos)beforeprogressingonthelifts.

TrustYourGutWhenyouburnyourboatswithfull-incommitment,youelevateriskandremovethesafetynet.Thismobilizestheteamtoviolentlyfocusonmissionaccomplishment.Butthere’snoturningback—youmustbe100percentconfidentinthisdecision.Allofyourskillsandinstinctscometobearonthatone moment of choice. Then you just go for it. If things don’t go according to plan, and theywon’t…youhavenochoicebuttofindawaytotheotherside.

AmemorypoppedintomyheadasIspokethosewordstotheacademyclass.IthadoccurredrightbeforeIleftSEALTeam3foranewassignment.

*

THE WEATHER WAS ROUGH, THE surf massive. Alpha Platoon stood ready todeployforcombat.Onlyanoperationalreadinesstest,andtheweather,remainedforthemtoconquer.Theirmission:adirectactioninsertingatMorroBayontheNorthernCaliforniacoast—viarigid-hulledinflatableboats(RHIBs).Navigatingthe RHIBs to the insertion point, Lieutenant Englehart, the new platooncommander,sentinhisswimmerscoutstocheckthingsout.Itlookedrisky,andhis teamwas eager. Having the team’s commanding officer (CO) in the boatincreasedhisanxiety.

“I don’t know,Lieutenant,” saidBrown, the lead scout, surfacing near theboats.“Imadeittotheouterzone.Wavescrestingneartwentyfeetandcominginfast.It’ssketchy.”

Hewantedthisexamtogosmoothly.TheCOwantedtopushtheenvelope.Theweatherpushedthemonitsedge.Hisgutfelttight,almostknotted.Imagesofscatteredbodiesflashedinhishead.“Whatdoyouthink,Brown?”

Brownscannedthehorizon,sniffingtheair.“Isaynogo.”

TheCOmade hisway over. The lieutenant hung in an awkward position.Thiswashisplatoonandhistest,buttheCOwastheseniorofficer.Hewasn’tsureoftheRHIBs’capabilitiesinthissizesurf.TheCOwantedtogoforit.TheconsequencesasseniorofficeronsitefelltotheCOifitwenttoshit.

“Let’sdothis,” thelieutenantsaid.Theexpertnavigatorsput theirnosestothesurf,waitingforalull.There!Themassiveenginesroared.Twoboats,withsixteenSEALs,boltedtowardtheirdestiny.Noturningback.Operatorsperchedontoes,musclestautandeager.Twoboatsspedsidebysideintoanapproachingwave. Higher and higher it crested. A rogue wave! The timing was perfectlywrong.

ThelieutenantandtheCOglancedateachotherwithan“Oh,shit”look.“Hangon!”Bothboatsflewassoverteakettle,landingupsidedown.Operatorsbobbedin

the sea like flotsam, a few knocked unconscious. Instantly they mobilized,haulinginjuredmenontoanythingthatfloated.TheSEALseventuallymadeittothebeach.Themissionwenton.

“I’m never ignoring my gut again,” the lieutenant said to Brown as hemotionedhismentomoveout.

*

LEARNTOTRUSTYOURGUT.Paycloseattention to thefeelingsand images thatchurnyour stomachorwhisper unease.They could change the courseof yourlife.

Heightenyourawarenessasyoutrain.Lookforgutsignalsasyouworkonthebreathingandmeditationskills.They’reanintuitiongamechanger.They’llfree you to commit 100 percent, instead of something less, like the lieutenantdid.

Asalways,trainhard,staysafe,andhavefun!

MONDAY[WEEK3:STAMINA]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■10–8–6–4–2repsofairsquats,jumpingpull-ups

STRENGTH:deadlift(www.sealfit.com/videos)—5reps×5setsWORKCAPACITY:

complete5RFTof:■3×deadlifts(95#/65#)

■6×DB(dumbbell)pushpresses(25#/15#)

■9×burpees

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormAoractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

DEADLIFTS

TUESDAY[WEEK3:STAMINA]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,25×jumpingjacks,15×sit-ups,5×handreleasepush-ups

WORKCAPACITY:completeAMRAPin20minutes:■400mrun

■10×thruster(www.sealfit.com/videos)(45#/35#)■10×kneestoelbows

DURABILITY: SEALFIT Yoga hip mobility drill or active stretch. Hydrate andfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

KNEESTOELBOWS

THRUSTERS

WEDNESDAY[WEEK3:STAMINA]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■ 3 rounds—10× KB deadlifts (16kg/12kg), 10× 2-count mountain climbers, 10× push jerks(45#/35#)

STRENGTH:SDHP(sumodeadlifthighpull)(www.sealfit.com/videos)—5reps×5setsWORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■500mrow

■25×SDHP(65#/45#)

■25×wallballs(14#/8#)

■25×dips

■500mrow

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormBoractive stretch.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SDHPs

WALLBALLS

DIPS

THURSDAY[WEEK3:STAMINA]

BASELINE:

■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:20minutesofLSDrun,ruck,orswimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK3:STAMINA]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■10×sandbagcleansleftside(40#/30#)

■400mrun

■10×sandbagcleansrightside(40#/30#)

■BurgenerWarm-up—cleangrip

STRENGTH:powerclean—5reps×5setsWORKCAPACITY:complete5roundsofthefollowing:■10×powercleans(95#/65#)

■100mrun

■30-secondrest

DURABILITY: SEALFITYoga shouldermobility drill or active stretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SANDBAGCLEANS

POWERCLEANS

Week4:WorkCapacity

Work capacity cranks the intensity into the red zone. This intense andexhilaratingsegmenttakesseveralmonthstogetusedtoworkingashardasweexpectyoutointheworkcapacitysections.SEALFITdefinesworkcapacityas“theabilitytodomoreworkinlesstime.”Animprovedworkcapacityincreasespower, endurance, speed, and stamina. In other words, you have morehorsepower(strength+cardioendurance)andthushavethecapacitytoperform“morework.”

SEALFIT times and conducts work capacity segments like a mini-competition to ensure focus and intensity. You’ll quickly develop greaterhorsepower, confidence, functional fitness, and overall health from combiningthetrainingelementsofstrength,stamina,andworkcapacity.

Work capacity “leverages constantly varied functionalmovements done athigh intensity.” I credit Coach Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit, for thatpowerfulcombinationofwords.Therealinnovationpresentstheseelementsasasport,makingtheresultsobservable,measurable,andrepeatable.Lookcloseratthe three components:CONSTANTVARIANCE:Variationof exercise types, tools,times,andlocation.Weliketochangeitup.Routineistheenemy.

FUNCTIONALMOVEMENTS: Universalmotor recruitment patternmovements arefoundinnature.Avoidartificialmovements,suchasthedumbbellcurl,createdin artificial gyms to enhance the artifice of strength for bodybuilding.Bodybuilding training results in “un-training” the body as a system. Keep inmindthatastrongmuscleisnotusefulunlessitenhancesworkcapacityinthedomain of yourwork, job, or sport.Unless bodybuilding is your actual sport,thenhypertrophytraining(trainingformusclemass)isn’tveryuseful.

HIGH INTENSITY: Timing and treating high-intensity workouts like a sport isbrilliantandtheultimateaccountabilitytool.Workcapacityisbestdonewithateam or in a coached environment to ensure the quality ofmovement and theaccuracyofcount.Awordofcaution:Timingallworkoutscanleadtoburnout.SoIrecommend3to4timedworkoutsaweek,thenprogramming1or2daysofftogiveyournervoussystemandcortisollevelsabreak.

TowrapupSEALFITOn-RampTraining,we’regoingtointroduceyoutoafew benchmark workouts, and a TLU (total body, lower body, upper body)strength template. Try your best to perform thework capacities as prescribed,butifyoumustmodify,dosoaccordingly.

You’vealreadyperformedyourstrengthmovements,sofocusontechniqueandaimtobeatyournumbersfromearlierthismonth.Thefirstsetof5strengthmovementsshouldbe light. Increase theweighteachsetso that the last repofthe last set is near failure (as long as technique is good to go). This weekperform1totalbodymovement(clean,overheadsquat,thruster,etc.),1lower-body movement (back squat, front squat, deadlift, etc.), and 1 upper-bodymovement(press,benchpress,weightedpull-up,etc.).ThisTLUschemeisthestrength template used during the On-Ramp program. If you’re struggling tokeep up with On-Ramp Training, you can continue it through the OnlineTrainingatSEALFIT’sWebsite(www.sealfit.com).

WEEK 4, NEW MOVEMENTS: KB swing, box jump, GHD (glute-hamstringdeveloper)sit-ups.

Teams’n’ShitEarnyourTridenteveryday.—SEALCODE

AHELOsat, rotorsspinningupfor theairoperation trainingI’dscheduled.Aweekoffastrope,rappeling,andocean“rubberduck”jumpslayinstore.Ireallyrespectedourplatoonchief,aVietnam-eraSEALwho’dseenmorecombatandknewmoreabout leadership thanIeverwould.Nowhewasnowhere insight.

LaterIfoundhimandcorneredhimawkwardly.“What’sgoingon,Chief?Theguysnoticewhenyoumisstraining.Welead

fromthefront…notaskthemtodoanythingwewon’tdoourselves.”“Iknow,Cy,”hesaid,lookingmestraightintheface,completelydeadpan.

“I was shot down and crash landed in helicopters three times in Nam. Can’tstandbeingexposedtounnecessaryairtragedy.”

“Noshit!Icanseeyourpoint!”Isaid,laughingathowhesaidit.“Butthisisanewera,withnewteammates.Iwasn’t inNamwithyou.Neitherwere they.Youhavetoproveyourselfalloveragain,eachandeveryday.…SodoI.Youknowthedeal,Chief.Teams’n’shit.”

ThecodeofSEALteamwork:

■Loyaltytocountry,team,andteammate.

■Servewithhonoronandoffthebattlefield.

■Bereadytolead,readytofollow,andneverquit.

■Takeresponsibilityforyouractionsandtheactionsofyourteammates.

■Excelaswarriorsthroughdisciplineandinnovation.

■Trainforwar,fighttowin,anddefeatournation’senemies.

■EarnyourTridenteveryday.

“Oh,allright.Darn!”Chieffinallysaid.The next day hemounted the birdwith a smile. The guys noticed.No air

tragedyensued.Itcementedtheirtrust.Chiefbecameoneofthemostbelovedseniorenlistedleadersintheteams—

alwaysreadywithaninsanejokeortohelpateammateout.Hemadeitapointfromthenontoalwaysshareriskandexperiencewithhisteammates.

Nomatter your level of experience, training with a team accelerates yourdevelopment.Theaccountability,planning,sharedrisk,andsharedpainexposesyourblindspots.Ifyoudon’tshowupandearnyour“trident”everyday,you’llremainweak,insteadoftradingitforstrength.

Ifyou’vebeendoingthisalone,findsomeonetodoitwithyou.Journalthechangeitmakes.

MONDAY[WEEK4:WORKCAPACITY]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,10×overheadsquats(PVC),10×push-ups■Shouldermobilitydrill

STRENGTH: overhead squat—5 reps × 5 sets WORK CAPACITY: benchmark—CrossFit’s“Nancy”—complete5RFTof:■400mrun

■15×overheadsquats(95#/65#)

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormBoractive stretch.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK4:WORKCAPACITY]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■10minutesofsandbagget-ups(40#/30#)

WORK CAPACITY: complete 15–12–9–6–3 reps: ■ KB swings(www.sealfit.com/videos)(16kg/12kg)■boxjumps

■GHD(glute-hamstringdeveloper)sit-ups

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormAoractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

KBSWINGS

BOXJUMPS

GHD(GLUTE-HAMSTRINGDEVELOPER)SIT-UPS

WEDNESDAY[WEEK4:WORKCAPACITY]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■3rounds—5×airsquats,5×jumpsquats,5×push-ups,5×sit-ups

STRENGTH: back squat—5 reps × 5 sets WORK CAPACITY: benchmark—CrossFit’s“Angie”—fortime:■100×pull-ups

■100×push-ups

■100×sit-ups

■100×airsquats

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormBoractive stretch.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK4:WORKCAPACITY]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■25minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:25minutesofLSDrun,ruck,orswimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK4:WORKCAPACITY]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■250mrow

■15×pushpresses(45#/35#)

■250mrow

■15×boxjumps(20inches)

STRENGTH:pushpress—5reps×5setsWORKCAPACITY:benchmark—CrossFit’s“FightGoneBad”—complete3rounds:■1-minutemaxwallball(20#/12#)

■1-minutemaxSDHPs(75#/55#)

■1-minutemaxboxjumps(24inchesor20inches)■1-minutemaxpushpresses(75#/55#)

■1-minutemaxcalorierow

■1-minuterest

DURABILITY: SEALFITYoga shouldermobility drill or active stretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

CHAPTER8

ADVANCEDOPERATORTRAINING

Fortunefavorsthebrave.—PUBLIUSTERENTIUSAFER

Welcome to where the rubbermeets the road. The 8 weeks of the AdvancedOperatorTraining(AOT)cycleishowthisbookgotitsname.It’sahard-hitting,volume-heavytrainingprogramthatwillhelpyoutoachieveamazingresults.Asstatedearlier,youmustbuildthefoundationbeforebarrelingheadfirstintoAOT.Ifyou’renotready,stickwiththeworkoutsintheBasicTrainingProgramfoundinAppendix2foranothermonthorso.

StrengthCyclesinAOTAOTcyclesfourprimaryphaseswithade-loadweek.AfterthePersonalRecord(PR) week, you’ll reset to the stamina phase and start over. You’ll receive achallenge at the end of eachmonth, training all FiveMountains—particularlyyour kokoro spirit. Not onlywill they test yourmental and spiritual strength,you’lldeveloptremendousconfidenceandresolve.

TheAOTphases:stamina,strength,power,de-loadweek,PR.Each phase is 2 weeks long, progressive, and includes a de-load week in

Week7priortoyourPRweek.Thede-loadweekisjustthat:powerdownandtakealoadoffyourbodyandmind.Eachstrengthphaseisnojokeandthede-loadweekensuresthatyourecovermentallyandphysically.

Please be aware that it takes time to condition your body for SEALFIT’svolumeofwork.You’llmostlikelyneedoccasionaladditionalrestdays.Ialsorecommend breaking the sessions in two, several times a week. If you do,performatleastoneofthestrengthdaystocompletiontoaccessitsremarkable

mental toughness and team-building benefits. As usual, consult your expertwithintogaugewhetheryouneedarestday.It’sbettertorestthangrindthroughaworkoutwithnoenergyormotivation.

YoucanstretchtheAOTto11weeksbyaddinganotherde-loadweekaftereach phase. You could stretch it further to 16 weeks (or longer) by addinganotherweektoeachphase,repeatingthelastweek,butaddinganextraset inthe(–10percent)session.

Good luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at SEALFIT’sWeb site(www.sealfit.com)forhelp.Ouronlinetrainingprogramcouldbejustthenudgeyouneed.Whenyou’vefinished,pleaseenrollinthetrainingplansatSEALFITtocontinueyourtrainingwithcoachingsupport.

Week1:StaminaPhase

HonorThe crowd stood silently as six SEALs hoisted Michael’s casket. As theymarched toward the line of active duty SEAL teammates, intense pridecombinedwith sadness for their fallenwarrior,MichaelMonsoor.Unexpectedmovementdisturbedthoseclosesttotheline.WhenthecasketreachedthefirstSEAL,heslappedhisgoldenTridentontothesolidmahogany.ThenextSEALfollowedsuit.

Thewind rustled in the trees.All observed a rare send-off by brothers-in-arms.BythetimeMichaelhadtraveledtheline,overahundredgoldenTridents—a symbol of honor for a SEAL—adorned his casket. Newscasts showed itacross theworld,asymbol thatnotmanyunderstood,butmostappreciatedforitsbeauty.

MichaelMonsoorwaslikeyouandme—asimplekidwhohadadreamtobeaSEAL.Arealteamplayer,healwayshelpedteammatesfirstandworriedabouthisowngearlast.Hedidn’tseehimselfasdifferent—manyintheSEALteamsbehavedexactlythesameway.

InIraq,Michaelvolunteeredtojoinanextramission.Itwasn’thisturn.Hewentanyway.Anhourlaterhesawanenemygrenadelandafootaway.Withnotimefor them to react,hehadachoice:Let itblowandkillhis teammates,ortakeaction.Hisdecisionwasunmistakable.AsinglewordinEnglishfits.

Honor.Michaeljumpedonthegrenade.HisteammatesgavehimtheirTridentsand

loveinreturn.Understand the importanceofeverydecisionyoumake fromhereon,both

big and small. ThoughMichael’s sacrifice was above and beyond the call ofduty, I’ll ask you to jump on a few mental grenades of your own. Thosedecisions,bigandsmall,willimpactyourlifeinwaysyoumaynotseeinitially.Hopefully theywon’t require the same levelof sacrificeasMichael’s.But it’simportanttoaskyourselfwhatyouarewillingtosacrificefortheresultsyou’recapableofachieving.

It’stimetodothisthing.Let’srepresent.Hooyah!

MONDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■ROMdrills

■workupto10RM(repetitionmaximum)backsquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—10repsat–5percentof10RM,10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× back squats at 50 percent 10 RM, 100×barbell step-ups (15-inch box), 800mbuddy carry (If you’rewithout a buddy,walkwitha135#baronyourshouldersfor800m.)WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■30×thrusters(75#/55#)

■3×ropeclimbs(15feet)*

■20×thrusters(75#/55#)

■2×ropeclimbs(15feet)*

■10×thrusters(75#/55#)

■1×ropeclimb(15feet)*

DURABILITY: 3-mile run at a moderate pace. 3 rounds—20× weighted sit-ups(45#/25#), 20× back extensions. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate andfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Ifyoudon’thavearope,substitute6towelpull-upsforeachropeascent.

TUESDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■ROMdrills

■workupto10RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—10repsat–5percentof10RM,10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: 4 rounds, not timed—20× push presses at 50 percent 10 RM, 5×weighted pull-ups AHAP (as heavy as possible), 50m buddy pull with heavyband(Ifyou’rewithoutabuddy,substitute100msprintswithamedicineball.)WORK CAPACITY: complete 15 rounds of: ■ 1× power snatch + 5× overheadsquats*

■30-secondrest

DURABILITY:15rounds—30-secondmaxdistancerow,30-secondrest.100×4-count flutter kicks, 100× 4-count wave-offs. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Startofflightandaddweighteachround.

POWERSNATCHES

WEDNESDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■workupto10RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—10repsat–5percentof10RM,10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× deadlifts at 50 percent 10RM, 75× SDHP(75#/55#),400mfarmer’scarry(55#/35#DBs).

WORKCAPACITY:50–35–20repsof:■wallball(20#/12#)

■pull-ups

■double-unders

DURABILITY:2-milerecoveryrun.1×maxplankhold,1×maxwallsit.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto10RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—10repsat–5percentof10RM,10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: 5 rounds, not timed—15× bench presses at 50 percent 10RM, 20×alternating armDBbench presses (35#/25#), 50moverheadweightedwalkinglunge (45#/25# plate)WORKCAPACITY:AMRAP in 15minutes of: ■ 10×KBswings(32kg/24kg)

■10×boxjumps(24or20inches)

■10×ringdips

DURABILITY:3rounds—500mrow,400mrun,60-secondrest.Then50×toestobar.SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

RINGDIPS

BOXJUMPS

SATURDAY[WEEK1:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrill

■400mrun

■5roundsof5×pull-ups,10×push-ups,15×airsquats

WORKCAPACITY:CrossFit’s“Jared”—4RFTof:■800mrun

■40×pull-ups

■70×push-ups

DURABILITY: 30-minute ruck (use most difficult terrain you have access to).SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

Week2:StaminaPhase

CalmUnderPressureBigRobswamsecondtolast,nearQ.Itwasdarkashellunderneaththehull.Icouldseemyswimbuddybutnoothers.We’dinfiltratedtheharborasasingleunit,holdingasmallropeline.Iassumedeveryonewasinposition.Anxioustoboard, I gave the signal to ditch dive rigs and head to the surface, just out ofview.

In the darkness, Q got disoriented and failed to plant the magnet on thebottomofthevessel.Itplungedtothemurkybottom,alongwithBigRobandatangledmessoflinesandgear.Hehadnoairsupply.

Iknewnothingoftheunfoldingdisasteronthesurface.Wecameuponeshyinour head count. I asked for a second count, assuming a simple error. Samenumber.Whattheheck?HowcouldIloseaguy?Themissionwasonthevergeofbeingcompromised.Iquietlycalledtheteamtogether.

“WhathappenedtoBigRob?”“Notsure,sir,”saidQ.“Isawhimundertheship!”Asickfeelingclawedmystomach.HadIjustlostmyfriendandteammate?I

sent swim pairs down into the darkness on breath-hold dives to search thebottom.Nothing.

Tick,tock,tick…4minutespassed…Suddenlyahandbrokethesurface, thenahead, thentheglorious imageof

BigRob’sface.Hewascalm,cool,andcollected.Hesmiled.“BigRob,checkingin,Cy,”hesaidwithanonchalancethatdefiedhisnear-

deathexperience.“ThankGod.Let’sgetmoving.”

In the debrief Big Rob told his side. He was an expert diver and verycomfortableintheocean.

“Whenthelinejerkedmetothebottom,Icouldn’tpanic.That’dexpendvitalenergyandoxygen.Iconserveditandtriedtofindawayout.”

“How’dyou?…”“I started visualizing my body as very calm. My heart slowed down. I

scannedmybody fromhead to toeand found the line tangled ’roundmywebgear.Ipulledoutmydiveknifeandsawedmyselffree.ThenIclimbeduptothesurface,makingsureto‘blowandgo’toavoidanyembolism.”

Sixty feet underwater… tangled in lines… for 4minutes… then a slowclimbtooxygen.JustanotherdayasaSEAL.Theshowmustgoon.

*

HOW DO YOU RESPOND IN a crisis? Are you a leader immediately seekingsolutions,ordoyoushrinkback,hopingsomeoneelsewillstepup?Doyouofferhelpordemandtobetakencareof?Thedifferencebetweenthesetwooppositeattitudes can mean life or death. In more genteel times, it’s the differencebetweenlivinganaverageandenjoyinganextraordinarylife.

Strivetomaintaina“calmunderpressure”mind-setwiththisweek’strainingplan.Useyourbreathing tocontrolyourmindandbody.Visualizeyourselfascalmandpoised,especiallyduringthepain.Makeahabitofthisattitude.Letitbecomeyourcharacter.

MONDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow,then2×FrogComplex(75#/45#)*

■workupto10RMbacksquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—10repsat–5percentof10RM,2sets×10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA:4rounds,nottimed—20×backsquatsat50percent10RM,25×jumpsquats,50mweightedcarry (3×45#platesor2×45#plates)WORKCAPACITY:

complete5RFTof:■5×FrogComplex(115#/75#)*

■10×burpees

DURABILITY: 4-mile timed run. 100× sit-ups, 100× leg levers. SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:FrogComplex=squatcleantoathruster+backsquattoathrusterinoneflowingmovement.Forthework capacity, 1 Frog Complex is 1 time through the flow (for warm-up, it is 6 cycles for 1 FrogComplex).

TUESDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto10RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—10repsat–5percentof10RM,2sets×10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× push presses at 50 percent 10 RM, 75×supine ring rows,800mbuddycarryWORKCAPACITY: segmentedMurph:with20#/10#vest,fortimedo:■1-milerun

■10roundsof10pull-ups,20push-ups,30airsquats■1-milerun

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800Mrun

■workupto10RMdeadlift

STRENGTH: deadlift—10 reps at –5percent of 10RM,2 sets×10 reps at –10percentof10RM

STAMINA: 5 rounds, not timed—15× deadlifts at 50 percent 10 RM, 20× boxjumps (24 or 20 inches), 50m bear crawl WORK CAPACITY: complete thefollowingfortime:■15×thrusters(135#/95#)

■200mrun

■20×thrusters(95#/65#)

■400mrun

■30×thrusters(65#/45#)

■800mrun

DURABILITY:5k-meterrow.100×GHDsit-ups.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto10RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—10repsat–5percentof10RM,2sets×10repsat–10percentof10RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× bench presses at 50 percent 10 RM, 75×plyometric push-ups,* 400m walking lunge WORK CAPACITY: AMRAP 20minutesof:■250mrow

■15×DBsquatcleans(2×40#/25#DB)

DURABILITY:1×800msprint,1×400msprint,1×200msprint,1×100msprint(1:1work to rest).SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrate and fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Plyometricpush-ups—theentirebodycomesoffthegroundoneachrep.

SQUATCLEANS

SATURDAY[WEEK2:STAMINAPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■10minutesofsandbagget-ups

WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingasfastaspossible:■800mrun

■10rounds—10×KBswings(24kg/16kg),10×push-ups,10×sit-ups,10×airsquats■800mrun

DURABILITY:30-minute trailorbeachrun.100×4-countflutterkicks,100×leglevers. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SANDBAGGET-UPS

FLUTTERKICKS

Week3:StrengthPhase

MoreAboutStrengthTrainingNotadaygoesbythataNavySEALisn’trequiredtoliftandcarryaheavyloadoveradistance.Ifyoufocustoexclusiononasingle-mode,monostructuralsportsuchasrunning,biking,ortriathlontraining,you’llhavetroublehandlingheavyloadsandcouldbealiabilitytoyourteam.

Strength training isn’t complicated or sexy. It’s hard work. But whenproperly executed, it’s fun, rewarding, and provides great team-trainingopportunities.Body-weightexercisesarecertainlyvaluable,but they’re limitedin their ability to develop significant strength gains. If you lack the necessaryequipment forSEALFIT’sprescribedstrength training,youcancompletemostoftheworkwithasandbagormakeshiftequipment.

Grit

ChiefSmithknewthiswouldn’tturnoutwell.Thetwo“nonteam”guysinsistedtheycarryallthecrapthey’dbroughtfortheop.

“Frank,”Smithsaidtooneoftheagents,“whydon’tyouleavehalfthatshithere?You’renotgoingtobeabletogetallthatgearupthehill,andyoudon’tneeditanyhow.”

“Igotit,man.Don’tworry’boutus.”By the timeSmithand the teampassed through the ravineand reached the

foot of the mountain, the sun had set. They gazed up at the snow-coveredlandscapeandthemooncrestingovertheridgelineinthedistance.Theystartedup,breakingbrushalongtheway.Smithsetablisteringpacethatwasnormalforhimandhisteammates.Theaugmenteesstartedtofallbehind.

Afteracoupleofhours,thechiefstoppedtotakeabreakandcheckinwithhisteam.Whentheotherguyscaughtup,hewenttoFrank.

“Howyouguysdoing?”“Thisis…uh…hardterrain,Ihadno…uh…idea.”Noshit,Sherlock,thisisAfghanistan.Smithdidn’tsayit,buthiseyesdid.“Idon’tthinkIcanhaulthisgearanymore,”Frankgasped.Histeammateagreed.ChiefSmithturnedandstartedwalkingupthehill.He

wasn’tgoingtolettheseguysholdthembackfromtheirobjective.Theyarrivedat their rendezvous point in 4 hours. The augmentees chugged up a half hourlater,minustheirgear.

Withjustalook,ChiefSmithandhisSEALteammateheadedbackdownthehill.Findingtheditchedgear, theyputitontheirbacksandhauleditup.Theysetthegeardownnearthesleepingguys,withoutsayingaword.

*

GRITISTHEONLYWORDinEnglishthatcomesclosetodescribingthemind-setofChiefSmith andhis teammates. It evokes images of gnarly cowboys or ranchhandsworkinginextremeconditions.Itmeanstothriveinadversity,torevelinthelearningthataccompaniesdoingveryhardthings.Thecoolthingaboutgritis that it develops like a callus. The more you lean into the hard things, thegrittieryourcharacterbecomes.Ifyouslackoff,youloseit.Gritisearned.

Earn it. Hit each training session like your hair’s on fire. Bring that sameattitudetoeverythingyoudo.Ifyoudon’tpossesspassionforyourtraining,fakeit’tilyoumakeit.Findyourlimitsandshatterthem.Youdon’twantsomeoneelsewithmoregrittocarryyourload.

MONDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto5RMbacksquat

STRENGTH: back squat—5 reps at –5 percent of 5RM, 2 sets × 5 reps at –10percentof5RM

STAMINA: 5 rounds, not timed—15× back squats at 45 percent 5 RM, 25× 4-countmountainclimbers,maxtimehangingtowelhold(Putatoweloverapull-upbar,andseehowlongyoucanhangbeforeyourgripfails.)WORKCAPACITY:

complete3RFTof:■21×thrusters(95#/65#)

■15×KBswings(32kg/24kg)

■12×pull-ups

■9×burpees

DURABILITY: 3 rounds for max distance—60-second row, 60-second activerowing rest, 45-second row, 45-second active rowing rest, 30-second row, 30-secondactiverowingrest.100×4-countflutterkicks,100×leglevers.SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrun

■workupto5RMpushpress

STRENGTH: push press—5 reps at –5 percent of 5RM, 2 sets × 5 reps at –10percentof5RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× push presses at 45 percent 5 RM, 100×jumpingpull-ups,800mfarmer’swalk(135#/95#uptobodyweight)*

WORKCAPACITY:1 round—3minutesmaxeffortateachstation,1-minute restbetweeneachstation:■maxcalorierow

■overheadsquat(95#/65#)

■ballslam

■sit-up

■800mrunasfastaspossible

DURABILITY: 2-mile recovery run. 3 rounds—10× strict toes to bars, 10×weighted back extensions (45#/25#). SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Farmer’swalk=putabarbellonyourbackinthebacksquatrackpositionandwalk800m.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto5RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—5repsat–5percentof5RM,2sets×5repsat–10percentof5RM

STAMINA: 4 rounds, not timed—20× deadlifts at 45 percent 5 RM, 10× one-leggedboxjumpseachleg(15inches),maxtimechinabovethebarhold(Doapull-up and see how long you can hold your chin above the bar.) WORK

CAPACITY: 5 rounds for completion: ■ max handstand push-ups(www.sealfit.com/videos)*

■400mrun*

DURABILITY:10×50msprint(startingposition=lyingdownwithstomachonthedeck). 100× sit-ups, 100× wave-offs. SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Restasneededbetweenrounds.

HANDSTANDPUSH-UPS

FRIDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto5RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—5repsat–5percentof5RM,2sets×5 repsat–10percentof5RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× bench presses at 45 percent 5 RM, 100×close-grip bench press (45#/30#), 400m weighted walking lunge (55#/35#)WORKCAPACITY:10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1repsof:■ManMakers(2×35#/25#)(www.sealfit.com/videos)■pull-ups

■2×sit-ups

DURABILITY:3-milerunatamoderatepace.1×maxplankhold,1×maxwallsit.SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

MANMAKERS

SATURDAY[WEEK3:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■2roundsof400mrunand15×sandbagget-ups

WORKCAPACITY:CrossFit’s“TabataGoneBad.”CompleteafullTabataintervalat eachof the following stations.Rest 1minutebetween eachTabata interval.Tabatainterval=8rounds,20secondswork,10secondsrest.Transitionasfastaspossiblebetweenexercises.

■doubleunders

■row

■pushpress(75#/55#)

■jumpinglunges

DURABILITY: 30-minute trail or beach run. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

Week4:StrengthPhase

DriveImetJeffKrausatSEALTeam3,whereweboxedonceaweekforfun.

“Jeff,how’dyouendupaSEALanyhow?”Iaskedduringasparringsession.“Well,IgotoutoftheArmyandwenttocollege.ButIgotboredquicklyin

theregularworkforce.SoIdecidedtojointheNavy.”“What’dyoudointheArmy?”“IwasaRanger…thenaGreenBeret.”Holy cow—the trifecta of Special Operations Forces! I’d known some

SEALswhogot sent toRangerSchool or theSpecialForces “Q”Course (theGreenBeret’scourse).ButneverhadIheardofsomeoneactuallyservingasaRanger,aGreenBeret,andaSEAL.

“Boy,Jeff,youmustbedriven!”He smiled. Then he socked me upside the head with his gloved hand to

restartthebout.

*

IT’SEASYTOGETMOTIVATED about something,only to forget itwhen thenextshiny thing comes along. Being driven is something else. It doesn’t need aparade.Youcan’tdrumitupwithaRedBull.

PassionforexcellenceandasenseofpurposedroveJefftobemorethanjustanymilitaryoperator.Hesimplywouldn’tstandforanythingless.Dayafterdayhesawtheresultofmissionsaccomplishedandnewskillsdeveloped.Itfueledadeeper belief in his abilities, a humble expectation of the need for him to beexceptional.

Want to become more like Jeff? So do I. Build your confidence andcertainty. Start by getting driven to accomplish modest goals that you’repassionateabout.Thencommitthatpassiontoapurposethat’sbiggerthanyou.Whatpurposewillyouchoosetofuelyourpassion?

CrossFit Games stars Lindsey Valenzuela and Kristan Clever had thegumption to attend Kokoro Camp to better themselves. Their drive shows in

their passion for their fledgling sport. Day after day they see themselves asinspirationsforothers,servingasrolemodelsforyouandme.

Checkintoyourpassionandpurposedaily.Whenyouactinalignmentwithboth,you’llfindadrivelikeJeff’s,likeLindsey’s,likeKristan’s.Developsomedriveinthisweek’straining.Hitithardandhavesomefun!

MONDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto5RMbacksquat

STRENGTH: back squat—5 reps at –5 percent of 5RM, 3 sets × 5 reps at –10percentof5RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× back squats at 45 percent 5 RM, 100×Bulgariansplitsquat (a lungewith thebackfootonabox),800mbuddycarryWORKCAPACITY:complete40–30–20–10repsof:■DBthrusters(35#/25#)

■kneestoelbows

DURABILITY:4-miletimedrun.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■workupto5RMpushpress

STRENGTH: push press—5 reps at –5 percent of 5RM, 3 sets × 5 reps at –10percentof5RM

STAMINA: 5 rounds, not timed—15× push presses at 45 percent 5 RM, 20×alternating armKB floor presses (35#/26#), 50m buddy pullwith heavy bandWORKCAPACITY:wearingweightedvest,perform3RFTof:■500mrow

■21×boxjumps(24or20inches)

■12×pull-ups

DURABILITY:2×800msprint(1:1worktorest),100×leglevers,100×wave-offs.SEALFIT Yoga Short Form B. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto5RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—5repsat–5percentof5RM,3sets×5repsat–10percentof5RM

STAMINA:chipper,nottimed—50×deadliftat45percent5RM,75×KBSDHPs(24kg/16kg), 400m farmer’s carry (55#/35#) WORK CAPACITY: complete thefollowingfortime:■1-milerun

■30×cleanandjerks(135#/95#)

■1-milerun

DURABILITY:2,000mrow.SEALFITYogashouldermobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto5RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—5repsat–5percentof5RM,3sets×5 repsat–10percentof5RM

STAMINA: 4 rounds, not timed—20× bench presses at 45 percent 5 RM, 75×supine ring rows, 25m weighted overhead walking lunge (45#/25#) WORK

CAPACITY:AMRAPin15minutesof:■5×squatsnatches(95#/65#)

■30×wallballs(20#/12#)

DURABILITY: 6× 200m sprints (60-second interval). 100× 4-count flutter kicks,100× leg levers. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate and fuel within 30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK4:STRENGTHPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,10×wallballs,10×jumpingpull-ups,10×sit-ups

WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■2-milerun

■10rounds—5×pull-ups,10×push-ups,15×airsquats■2-milerun

DURABILITY: 30-minute weight vest or light ruck run. SEALFIT Yoga ShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

ChallengesStartbydoingwhat’snecessary,thenwhat’spossible,andsuddenlyyouaredoingtheimpossible.—ST.FRANCISOFASSISI

CongratulationsoncompletingyourfirstmonthofAdvancedOperatorTraining!It’s time foryour first challenge. Itwill trainyourkokoro, findyour20×, andfunction as a terrific teambuilding event. “Do today what others won’t, dotomorrowwhatotherscan’t.”Don’tjustknowthisasagreatquote,seektoliveit.Useitasabenchmarktomapyourfutureprogress.TheworkoutcalledMurph—named after Michael Murphy, a fallen Navy SEAL—is a challengingbenchmarkworkout.

Chooseoneofthelistedbenchmarkchallengesbelow.Nextmonthyouwillhaveadifferentlist.Ifyou’restretchingyourphasesout,you’llneedtochoosemore challenges to complete one every calendar month. Substitute any for aworkout. My team likes to perform benchmark workouts and challenges onSaturdays, but you can do themwhenever theywork for your schedule. It’s agoodideatotakeiteasythedayafter.Ofcourse,consultyourphysicianprior,blah,blah,blah,anddon’tdoanythingbeyondyourcapabilities.Asifyouknewwhatthosewere…

FORTIME(DO1OFTHESE,NOTALLOFTHEM—EVENIAMNOTTHATCRAZY!):■1,000push-ups

■1,000sit-ups

■1,000pull-ups

■100ropeascents

■1,0008-countbodybuilders

■1,000burpees

■100CurtisPsor100ManMakers

■1-milewalkinglungewearinga20#weightvest

These challenges may seem insurmountable if you’re new to physical

training,butrestassured,they’reachievableandrewardingwhencompleted.Ifyou follow theprinciplesofSEALFITanddon’thaveanyphysical limitationsoutsideofthenorm,youcandothis!Don’thesitatetoscalethechallenges.Theolderyouget, themoreyoumayneedtoscaledownorestablishrealistic timeexpectations,butthatdoesn’tmeantheyshouldn’tbedone.Whenyou’reready,executethefirstone.Completeit1rep,1step,1breathatatime.You’llshatteryourparadigmandbuildextremeconfidenceinyourabilitytopushthroughself-imposedlimitations.You’llpossessanotherusefultrainingtoolinyourgrowingtoolbox.

Nowgettoit.Your20×factorawaits!

Week5:PowerPhase

FireintheBellyIncertainrarepeopleafireburnsbrightlyintheirbelly.Thisfirestokestheircourageandpassioninaway that allows them to persevere in themost adverse conditions—when all cards are stackedagainstthem.Thisisnottobeconfusedwithconfidence.No,afireinthebellyisnotbornofuniqueskillorgreatphysical strength; rather, it comes fromadeepwillpower tingedwithhumility.Thisfireinthebellyallowsthemtonotjustsurvive,buttothrivewithanychallenge.

I read thesewords and then presented theFire in theBelly award to the onlyfemaleparticipant inKokoroCamp27.Withshockanda tear inhereye,Allystepped forward while her teammates cheered. They weren’t surprised in theleast,havingwitnessedthesamethingasmycoachingstaffandIhad.

*

BECOMING A PHYSICAL STUD IS easy. Unless you have a serious, preexistinglimitation,qualitytimeatthegymandon-the-fieldtrainingeventuallydevelopsstudliness.Thoughitmakesyoumoredurable,itdoesn’tmakeyoualeaderandwon’tguaranteeyoursurvivalinamajorcrisis.

Ally’sfitnessdidn’tsetherapart.Shepossessedmentaltoughness,butsodidthe other trainees.What separated Ally was the fire in her belly that nothingcouldsmother.Shesoldieredonunder themostadverseconditions. Iobservedthesecharactertraits:

■Whileotherswinced,sheembracedthesuckandturnedpainintoperformancewithasmile.

■While others turned within, she focused on her teammates, giving them encouragement andsupport.

■Whileothers leaptwith fear from theunknown, she jumped forwardwith the faith that thingswouldbeokay.

■Whileothersexpected todowell, sheexpectednothing.Hermind,body,andspirit readied tofighteveryinch.

Fireinthebelly.Couldthatbethesameaskokorospirit—thatobscuregoalofourstomergeheartsandmindsinaction?Itjustmightbe.Withoutknowingit,Ally camewith a kokoro spirit forged and ready to spring into action.Theexperiencemerelyvalidatedherpreparationandcharacter.Shesteppeduptoanentirelynewlevelofperformance—onefueledbyherspiritandnotherbody.

What canyoudo to cultivateyour fire in thebelly?Finddeepmeaning inserving.Outofloveandrespecttakeyoureyesoffyourselfandplacethemonyourteammates.Thiseradicatesself-centeredandcowardlybehavior,replacingitwithhumilityandcourage.

Hooyah!Fireinthebelly!

MONDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto3RMbacksquat

STRENGTH: back squat—3 reps at –5 percent of 3RM, 3 sets × 3 reps at –10percentof3RM

STAMINA:chipper,nottimed—50×backsquatsat40percent3RM,75×barbelljump squats, 800m overhead carry (45#/25#)WORK CAPACITY: complete thefollowingfortime:■30×burpeeboxjumps(24or20inches)

■30×toestobars

■30×pushjerks(135#/95#)

■1,000mrow

DURABILITY:4-miletimedrun(goalisunder32minutes).5rounds—60-secondplank,60-secondbackextensions.SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto3RMpushpress

STRENGTH: push press—3 reps at –5 percent of 3RM, 3 sets × 3 reps at –10percentof3RM

STAMINA:5rounds,nottimed—15×pushpressesat40percent3RM,20×dips,25m overhead weighted lunge (45#/25#) WORK CAPACITY: CrossFit’s“Amanda.”Complete9–7–5repsof:■muscle-ups(www.sealfit.com/videos)*

■snatch(135#/95#)

DURABILITY:8×250mrow(60-second interval).100×sit-ups,100× leg levers.SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Substitute6×pull-upsand6×dipsforeachmuscle-upifyoucan’tperformthemuscle-up.

MUSCLE-UPS

WEDNESDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto3RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3repsat–5percentof3RM,3sets×3repsat–10percentof3RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× deadlifts at 40 percent 3 RM, 75× barbellSDHPs(75#/55#),800mbuddycarryWORKCAPACITY:complete4roundsfor:■400mrun

■15×powercleans(115#/75#)

■15×ringdips

DURABILITY: 2-mile recovery run. 3 rounds—10× 1-arm weighted sit-ups(35#/26#),20×Russiantwist(25#/15#).SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto3RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—3repsat–5percentof3RM,3sets×3 repsat–10percentof3RM

STAMINA:4rounds,not timed—20×benchpressesat40percent3RM,10×1-armDB bent-over row (each arm), 60-second farmer’s carry (55#/35#)WORK

CAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■100×wallballs(20#/12#)

■75×KBswings(24kg/16kg)

■50×jumpinglunges

■25×pull-ups

DURABILITY:1-milesprint.50×evilwheels(youcanalsouseabarbellforthese).SEALFITYogahipmobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK5:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsofairsquats,push-ups,sit-ups

WORKCAPACITY:inateamoftwo,completeasfastaspossible.Onlyonepersoncanbeworkingatatime.Partnerisintheleanandrestpositionwhiletheotherisworking.*

■800mruntogether

■100×ballslams(30#/20#)

■800mruntogether

■ 100× sledge strikes (Substitute KB snatches (35#/30#) for the sledge strikes if you lack theequipment.)

DURABILITY: 30-minute ruck.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateand fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Ifyoulackapartner,performtheworkprescribedsoloandenjoythebonus.

Week6:PowerPhase

FeedtheCourageDogWhatdogareyoufeeding,Mark?

Iwas in themiddle of aCrossFitGamesworkout in theMaster’s divisionOpenTournamentwhenIaskedmyselfthisquestion.The135-poundsnatchwascrushingmeafteralltheburpees.Ikickedthebaraftermythirdfailedattempt.Thefeardoggrowledastheclocktickeddowntothe17-minutedeadline…

*

TWOHUNGRYDOGSVIEFORyourattentioneverymoment.Thefeardoggrowlsand gets fed a lot, especiallywhen things aren’t goingwell. The courage doghumblywaitsforattentionandoftengoeshungry.Whichdogareyoufeeding?Listentoyouranswer.Itilluminatesdeeppatternsofapositiveornegativebiastoward life.You can train yourself to have a positive bias at all times. Itwillmakeabigdifference.Here’show.

Slow things down enough to pay attention towhat’s going on inside yournoggin. Inhale threedeepbreathswhenyou feeluncertain,agitated,or fearful.Asyoubreathe,askthequestion“WhatdogamIfeeding?”Noticehowyoufeelrightthen.Reflectonwhichthoughtsdominatedyourmindmomentsbefore.Ifyou feel anxiety, fear, or negativity, your internal dialogue and imagery wasnegative.Interruptitimmediatelyandredirecttheenergytosomethingpositive.Developapowerstatementyoucanuselike:

■Easyday!

■Igotthis!

■Feelinggood!

These statements replace negative thought patterns with a powerful andpositivelychargedone.Thenmaintainthatmoodwiththesethreetechniques:

■ POSTURE: If you feed the courage dog, you stand up straight, hold your head high, breathedeeply, andchargeyourbodywithenergy. If the feardogpredominates,you shrinkwithyourheaddown,shirkdirecteyecontact,andavoid takingresponsibility.Yourbody’sposture takesyourmindhigherintohopeorevendeeperintodespair.

■VISUALIZING:Youstimulateyourmusclesatasubtlephysiologicallevelwhenyouseeyourselfaspowerfulorweakinyourmind’seye.Thefeardogprojectsimagesofweaknessandfailure.Thecouragedogoffersimagesofpowerandsuccess.Chargethemwithemotion,andyourbodywillembracethemind’sreality!

■ MANTRA: The word has some baggage, I agree, but it’s still useful. It’s simply a positiveaffirmation,likeasoftwareprogramyouruninyourmind’sbackground.Mytwomainmantrasare:“Daybyday,ineveryway,Iamgettingbetterandbetter”and“Feelinggood,lookinggood,oughttobeinHollywood.”Theymeanalottomeandkeepthefeardogfrombarking.

MeanwhilebackatmyCrossFitGameschallenge…

*

I PAUSED, TOOK THREE DEEP breaths, and stared at nothing in particular. Ipicturedmyself getting the next snatch abovemy head, and thought, I’ve gotthis.Easyday.Feelinggood.Throwyourheartintoit,Mark…Let’sgo!

The fear of failing slipped away. I approached the bar with newdetermination. Iwould do the best I possibly could. Fearwould not dominateme.Thesnatchattemptwasgood.Backontrack.

*

WHATDOGAREYOUFEEDINGnow?Throwthatcouragedogajuicysteak.Movewithpositivityinyourtrainingandbeyond.

MONDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto3RMbacksquat

STRENGTH: back squat—3 reps at –5 percent of 3RM, 4 sets × 3 reps at –10percentof3RM

STAMINA: 5 rounds, not timed—15× back squats at 40 percent 3 RM, 20× 1-leggedboxjump(15inch),25mcrabwalkWORKCAPACITY:4roundsAMRAPin3minutesof:*

■3×thrusters(95#/65#)

■6×KBswings(55#/35#)

■9×toestobars

■1-minuterestbetweeneachround

DURABILITY: 2× 800m sprint (rest 2 minutes between sprints). 100× 4-countflutterkicks,100×leg levers.SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Doasmany roundsof3× thrusters,6×KBswings,and9× toes tobars in3minutesaspossible.Takea1-minuterest,thenrepeat3moretimes.

TUESDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto3RMpushpress

STRENGTH: push press—3 reps at –5 percent of 3RM, 4 sets × 3 reps at –10percentof3RM

STAMINA:chipper,nottimed—50×pushpressesat40percent3RM,75×supineringpull-ups,400msandbagwalkinglunge(sandbagheldinfrontrackposition—likeyouarecarryingalog)WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■1,000mrow

■12×powersnatches(95#/65#)

■750mrow

■9×powersnatches(95#/65#)

■500mrow

■6×powersnatches(95#/65#)

■250mrow

■3×powersnatches(95#/65#)

DURABILITY:3 rounds—15×weightedsit-ups (45#/25#),45-secondsidebridge(perform45secondsoneachside).SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYogaor active stretch. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto3RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3repsat–5percentof3RM,4sets×3repsat–10percentof3RM

STAMINA:4rounds,nottimed—20×deadliftsat40percent3RM,30×jumpinglunges,maxtimetowelhold(Drapeatoweloverapull-upbarandhangonaslongasyoucan.)WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■400mrun

■3rounds—5×cleanandjerks(135#/95#),10×chest-to-barpull-ups,15×burpees■400mrun

DURABILITY: 3-mile run at amoderate pace. 100×wave-offs. SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto3RMbenchpress

STRENGTH:benchpress—3repsat–5percentof3RM,4sets×3 repsat–10percentof3RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× bench presses at 40 percent 3 RM, 60×renegaderow(25#/15#),800mbuddycarryWORKCAPACITY:complete21–15–9repsof:■frontsquats(155#/115#)

■sandbagget-ups

DURABILITY: 8×hill sprints. (Ifyoudon’thaveaccess to ahill, substitute stairsprintsor200msprintsata30-secondinterval.)1×maxplankhold.SEALFITYoga hip mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK6:POWERPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■2rounds—400mrun,15×KBswings(16kg/12kg)

WORKCAPACITY:CrossFit’s“FilthyFifty”—for timedo:■50×box jumps (24inches/20inches)■50×jumpingpull-ups

■50×KBswings(16kg/12kg)

■50×walkinglungesteps

■50×kneestoelbows

■50×pushpresses(45#/35#)

■50×backextensions

■50×wallballshots(20#/12#)

■50×burpees

■50×doubleunders

DURABILITY:30-minutetrailorbeachrun.Maxsit-upsin2minutes,maxpush-ups in 2minutes. SEALFITYoga Short FormA.Hydrate and fuelwithin 30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

Week7:De-loadWeek

MotivationThroughInspirationWhenIstartedtheUSCrossFitgyminEncinitas,California,Iwantedtofindoutwhat motivated my clients. Those who came with an extrinsic (external)motivation—likelookingbetterinabathingsuit,beingmorefit,orsheddingtheholidaypounds—lastedanaverageof3.2months.Thentheydisappeared.Theirmotivation broke the inertia from their prior efforts, but it couldn’t acceleratethemtothenextlevel.

OnedayastraycatwalkedinnamedBobby.He’dbeenattendingmeetingsfor a fewmonths atAA two doors down.Bobby looked like a sickly stick. Ifiguredhewouldn’tlastaweek.

“Bobby,whyareyouhere?”Hesmiled.“Beendrinkin’andusin’fortenyearsandalmostkilledmyself.

A friend finallyhauledme toAA.Atmeetings I’d seeyouguysdoin’all thiscrazystuff.Wonderedwhetherthatcouldbeme.SohereIam.Iwannafeellikearealman.”

I’dbeenwrongtojudgehim.He’dbirtheddesireatthebottomhe’dhit,oneheneverwantedtogobackto.Bobbystruggledbutstuckwithit.Dayinanddayouthekeptshowingup.Heworkedonhismind-set.Hestayedlatetoworkhiscoreandpickupnuggetsfrommeandthecoachingstaff.Hisintrinsic(internal)motivationsurpassedmostallofourclients.Lifeisfullofsurprises.

Twelve months later, Bobby won the Fire in the Belly award at KokoroCamp12.Hisspeechstillmakesmeproud.

“Where else can you train your heart?… This was just an amazingexperience.I’msohumbledbyyouall…andverygrateful!”

Bobbywasarealman.Hisjourneywasjustbeginning.

*

MOTIVATION THROUGH INSPIRATION LEADS TO long-term commitment. Inspiremeans“to feel thespiritwithin.”Motivatemeans“tomove.”Moveyourspiritthrough your training. That’swhat Bobby did.He discovered a deep intrinsic

motivation to continue. Every time he came to the gym, he connected to hispurposeinlife—movingfromsurvivaltosignificanceasaman.

Breaking the inertiaofoldhabitsgetsyoustarted.But itmustgiveway tomotivation through inspiration. Then you’ll train because you love it. Thejourneywillrewardyourspirit,andyou’llkeepmovinginreturn.

MONDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsofwallballs,sit-ups

STRENGTH:10rounds,every60seconds,perform2×backsquatsat65percent1RM

STAMINA:5rounds,nottimed—5×backsquatsat65percent1RM,20×4-countmountain climbers, 60-second farmer’s carry (55#/35#) WORK CAPACITY:

CrossFit’s“Cindy”—AMRAPin20minutesof:■5×pull-ups

■10×push-ups

■15×airsquats

DURABILITY:4-mile timed run (goal isunder30minutes).100×4-count flutterkicks,100×wave-offs.SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■5rounds—200mrun,5×strictpresses,5×pushpresses,5×jerks,5×pull-ups(45#/65#/75#)

STRENGTH:10rounds,every60seconds,perform2×pushpressesat65percent1RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—25×pushpresses at 65percent1RM,50× ringdips,400mweightedwalkinglunge(35#/25#)WORKCAPACITY:complete5RFTof:■30×sandbaglunges(60#/40#)

■15×sandbagcleans(60#/40#)

■200mrow

DURABILITY:10×100msprints(15-secondinterval).SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■4rounds—barbellcomplex*withpush-upchaser(75#–105#)

STRENGTH: 10 rounds, every 60 seconds, perform2× deadlifts at 65 percent 1RM

STAMINA:4rounds,nottimed—5×deadliftsat65percent1RM,3×maxheightbox jumps, max time handstand holdWORK CAPACITY: complete for time: ■1,000mrow

■50×overheadsquats(75#/55#)

■25×burpees

DURABILITY: 2-mile run with weighted vest. 100× sit-ups, 100× leg levers.SEALFITYogahipmobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Barbellcomplex—with45#bar (30#women)do6×deadlifts,6×bent-over rows,6×hangpowercleans,6×frontsquats,6×pushpresses,6×backsquats(seewww.sealfit.com/videos).

FRIDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■15×sandbagget-ups

■400mrun

■15×sandbagget-ups

STRENGTH:10rounds,every60seconds,perform2×benchpressesat65percent1RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—25× bench presses at 65 percent 1 RM, 75×supineringpull-ups,800mbuddycarryWORKCAPACITY:“RunningFran”—fortime:■800mrun

■21–15–9thrusters(95#/65#),pull-ups■800mrun

DURABILITY: 1× 500m row sprint. 1× max plank, 1× max wall sit. SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK7:DE-LOADWEEK]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3roundsof50×jumpropes,25×airsquats,15×push-ups,5×pull-ups

WORKCAPACITY:“300Spartans”—fortime:■25×pull-ups

■50×deadlifts(135#/95#)

■50×push-ups

■50×boxjumps(24or20inches)

■50×floorwipers(135#/95#)

■50×KBcleanandpresses(16kg/12kg)

■25×pull-ups

DURABILITY:5,000mrow.SEALFITYoga(anyform).Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

Week8:PersonalRecordPhase

Courage“Whenyaheadin’backtotheplayground,Glen?”

Doherty and Iwere finishing up a conversation aboutSEALFIT long-termtrainingplans.AformerSEALandoneofmytopcoaches,Glenalsohappenedtobeacontractorforthe“Agency”andwasabouttoshootoutonatriptoLibya.

“HeadoutWednesday,”hesaid.“Hopethis’llbemylastgig.”“Really?”Myvoicedidn’thidemyhope thathewouldhang itupsoon. It

wasayoungman’sgame.Glenhadjustturned40.“Yeah, gettin’ tired of this shit. I really want to settle down and dig into

somethin’new.”“Justkeepyourheaddownandstaysafe,”Isaid,ashewalkedaway.Itwas

thelasttimeIsawhim.Igotthetextfrommyfriend,BrandonWebb,onSeptember12,2012.Glen

hadbeenkilledinLibyawithTyWoods,anotherSEAL.IrememberedTyfrommyearlyoperatingdays.BrandonandIweredevastated.Thentheback-channelnewsrolledin.

GlenandTyheardgunfireandexplosionsastheyrestedintheirsafehousesome distance from theAmerican embassy inBenghazi. They turned on theirradio and heard calls for help. Both thought about it for a moment and thenjumped in their vehicle, racing to the embassy.Grabbingweapons off fleeingLibyan security guards, they fought their way in and freed eighteen trappedAmericansina6-hourgunfight.Theythenleftthesceneandreturnedtothesafehouse.Theywerefollowed.

Another10-hourgunfightensued.Thetwowarriorseliminatedoversixtyofthe enemy combatants. Finally a mortar ended their last stand. Glen and Tyredefined courage for all warriors on that fateful day. They’ll forever berememberedasheroesbythosewhocaretolearnthetruth.

Thisstory,alongwiththefirstaboutMichaelMonsoor,mayseemextremeina book about training. The bottom line is that neitherGlen orMichaelwouldhavehad thehonoror courage to act as theydidwithout honing theirwarrior

disciplinesthroughintensetraining.SEALFITrequirescouragetostickwithandendurethechallenges.Alongtheway,itcultivatesyourcouragemuscle.Takingcourageousactionwillbecomecommon.AsitdidwithGlen, itwillmakeyouuncommon. Reflect upon the courage of these selfless men this week. Askyourselfhowyoucanmeettheirstandardwhencalledupon.

Goodluck,andhooyah,GlenandTy!

MONDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto1RMbacksquat

STRENGTH: back squat—1 rep at –5 percent of 1 RM, 4 sets × 1 rep at –10percentof1RM

STAMINA:5rounds,nottimed—15×backsquatsat35percent1RM,1×suicidesprint (0m–10m–20m), max time chin above the bar hold WORK CAPACITY:

completethefollowingfortime:■1-milerun

■30×cleanandjerks(135#/95#)

■10×ropeascents

DURABILITY:4-miletimedrun.40×GHDsit-ups.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto1RMpushpress

STRENGTH: push press—1 rep at –5 percent of 1 RM, 4 sets × 1 rep at –10percentof1RM

STAMINA: chipper, not timed—50× push presses at 35 percent 1 RM, 75×elevated push-ups, 800m farmer’s walk (75 percent of body weight) WORK

CAPACITY:complete10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1of:■thrusters(95#/65#)

■burpees

■boxjumps(24or20inches)

DURABILITY:Tabatarow.Tabata=8roundsof20secondswork,10-secondrest.SEALFIT Yoga Short Form B. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swimDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyform)oractivestretch.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■workupto1RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—1repat–5percentof1RM,4sets×1repat–10percentof1RM

STAMINA: 4 rounds, not timed—20× deadlifts at 35 percent 1 RM, 5× pistols(eachleg),50mbearcrawlWORKCAPACITY:AMRAPin15minutesof:■15×hangpowercleans(95#/65#)

■15×toestobars

■100msprint

DURABILITY: 2-mile recovery run. 100× 4-count flutter kicks, 100× leg levers.SEALFITYogahipmobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■800mrun

■workupto1RMbenchpress

STRENGTH: bench press—1 rep at –5 percent of 1 RM, 4 sets × 1 rep at –10percentof1RM

STAMINA:chipper,nottimed—50×benchpressesat35percent1RM,75×handrelease push-ups, 400m weighted walking lunge (55#/35#) WORK CAPACITY:

complete5rounds,eachfortime:■20×KBswings(55#/35#)*

■30×wallballs(20#/14#)*

■40×sit-ups*

■50×stepswalkinglunge*

DURABILITY:1×milesprint.SEALFITYogashouldermobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Rest2minutesbetweeneachround.

SATURDAY[WEEK8:PERSONALRECORDPHASE]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■4rounds:FrogComplexwithpush-upchaser(Startwith75#/55#andincreaseload10#eachsetuntilyoufinishat105#/85#.)

WORKCAPACITY:baseline#3—fortimecomplete:■500mrow(substitutearunifyoudon’thavearower)■40×airsquats

■30×sit-ups

■20×push-ups

■10×pull-ups

THENDOMURPH—WITHAWEIGHTEDVEST,FORTIME:■1-milerun

■10roundsof10pull-ups,20push-ups,30sit-ups■1-milerun

DURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

CONGRATULATIONS—YOU’VECOMPLETEDTHEAOT!

CHAPTER9

NEEDED:SEALFITLEADERS

Thereisno“I”inTeam!—BUD/SINSTRUCTOR

“Battlestar,you’reawreck.TheguysareignoringyouandfollowingFuciarellialready.AndFuchistheclassleadingpettyofficer—you’retheclassleader,forgod’ssake!Getyourshittogetherandstartleadingyourmen!”

The proctor of my BUD/S class was reading Battlestar the riot act.LieutenantBattlestar(anobviouspseudonymthatwashisactualnickname!)hadtransplantedhimselffromtheNavy’slegalcorpstoBUD/S.Hewasclassleaderbyvirtueofbeing the seniorofficer in the class.Allother leadershipqualitiesfellshort,itappeared.Asanewlymintedensign,Iwasalsojustfindingmyfeetas a leader. No one taughtmemuch about leadership before BUD/S, but thelieutenantwassupposedtohavedevelopedsomeduringhis7yearsintheNavy.TheschoolhouseofBUD/Srequiredsomemodicumofleadershipprowessasanofficer,butnothingcomparedtowhatwasexpectedattheteamlevel.Ihadonlyashorttimespantolearnsomesolidleadershipskills—onceorderedtoateamIwould be handed sixteen souls and millions of dollars’ worth of equipment.Then3,2,1…go!AtleastatBUD/SIwasgettingabackstagepasstoseehowitisnotdone…byobservingBattlestarmuddlehiswaythrough.

Themorningafterthechatwiththeproctor,Battlestarhadtheclasslinedup45minutesearlyforthetimedrun.Iwasn’thappy—everyminuteofsleepwasprecious.When the instructors showed up and started orchestrating chaos, helost control and started running around like a chicken with his head cut off.Fuciarellistoodstillandcalmlytookcontroloftheclass.Thatwasthelaststraw.

Theyfiredthelieutenantonthespotandputanotherofficerincharge.Thoughhe graduated BUD/S, I heard that Battlestar had gotten run out of the teamsabout2yearslater.Leadershipisdifficulttolearnifyoudon’thavethecharactertolead.

IgleanedfromBattlestar’sactionswhatonehadtodoandbeinordertoleadwell.Theseincluded:

■LEADFROMTHEFRONT.Beabletoperformthebasictasksyou’reaskingotherstoperformatsomelevelofskill.Ifthetaskisoverlycomplex,ataminimumtheleaderneedstounderstandtherequirementsandchallengesandbeabletocommunicatethem.

■LEADWITHHEART.Don’tbeinitforyourself;youmustactuallycareforyourteammates.

■ LEADWITH VISION. Nothing squashes team spirit quicker than an uninspired leader with novision for how to kick ass and take names. We quickly tuned out Battlestar as he dronedinstructionstotheteam.

■LEADWITHRISK.Allowyourteamtotakerisks,andsharethatriskwithyourteam.Youmustbefirstoutthedooronajumporfirsttoengagetheenemy.Theyhavetocomewithyou.Youcan’thidebehindthepaperworkandtaskfromtherear.Youcan’tdoitallonyourown.

■LEADWITHHUMILITY.Abigegoisabigturnoff.ThoughBattlestarwasnotboastful,hewasn’thumbleorself-awareofhislimitations.Leadingfromthatplacegetspeopleinjuredor,attheveryleast,seriouslydemoralized.

After“learning”leadershiplessonscomplimentsofBattlestar,Isoughttotestmytheoriesoutandobserveothersuccessful leaders,suchasFuciarelli. Itwasone thing toseeandhearaconceptandanothercompletely toput it intoplay.Trueleadershipseemedtobemorecharactertraitsthanbehavioralguidelines.Ibegantolearnhowtoleadotherhumanbeingsthroughtrialanderror.Itwasapainful process—though not as painful as Battlestar’s was at BUD/S. Itcontinuestothisday.

WhatAboutYou?Sure,Mark,Iwanttobealeader.WheredoIstart?

Goodquestion!StartwhereIstarted—acknowledgethatyouaren’tperfectandthatauthentic

leadershiprequiresyoutolearnabouthumanbehaviorfirst.Studyitinyourselfandothers.Observeandtestyourlearningagainstrealityinaprocessoftrialanderror.Openyourselfuptotheriskoffailure…there’ssimplynobetterwaytoearn leadership stripes. Fall down seven times.Get up eight! It’ll develop thehumility you lack. (It did inme!)Over time you’ll prove trustworthy to yourteammates,andinturn,they’llconveytoyoutherighttoleadthem.Ithappensquietly,ataverysubtlelevel.Let’slookatafewleadershipprinciplesthatwillhelpyoubeanauthenticleaderandbuildaneliteteam.

EatYourOwnDogFoodYoumustleadfromthefront.Yousimplycannotaskyourteamtodothingsyouaren’twillingorabletodoyourself.Youdon’thavetobethebestateverything,justwillingtodoyourbest.Bewillingtosharetheirriskandexperiences.Thisforgestheteambondatadeeplevel.

Howdoesthisapplytoyourtraining?First,thoughSEALFITtrainingcanbedonesolo,it’smorepowerfulwithateam.Ifyoudon’thaveateam,recruitone.Seriously. Find some people to go through this training with you. Use thisexperiencetoforgeyourleadershipskills.Whencoachingthem,eatthedogfoodyou feed to the team—meaning trainsidebysidewith them.Keeponeeyeonsafetyandformandtheotheronyourowntraining.Forthistoworkwell,yourteammatesmustbeatalevelofphysicaldevelopmentsuchthat:

1.Theywon’thurtthemselves.

2.Theywon’tslowtheteamdown.

3.Youwon’thavetospendaninordinateamountoftimeonskilldevelopmentorremedialwork.

4.They’llbegreatteammatesandalotoffun!

Don’tworryaboutscrewingup.Your teamwillseeyouashuman.They’llrespectyougreatly for joining themin risking failureandhumiliation.Noonewants tobe ledbyanunfeeling robot.Goneare thedayswhen the leader canlordoverateamasademagogue.Bytheway,theteamlovesitwhenthebosscanbeat themat aworkout.Youmay leaveyourgutson the floor, but you’llearnpointsalongtheway.

SafetyTrumpsHardAfter grinding my team down at HQ, when I thought all was going well, Ilearned a new lesson: The universe will slow you down if you don’t do ityourself.Executingaburpeeboxjump,Ifailedtoputmyfullawarenessintothemovement. I landed at an angle, spitting the box out from under me. I flewbackward,breakingmyfallwithmywrist.Thedoctorsputmeintoacasttolickmywound.Icommittedtodevelopingmorebalanceandsafetyinthetraining.

Safety trumps hard. Balance the training to prevent injuries, and be smartabouthowyouplantoexecutethemission.It’seasytogrindateammateintotheground.Noteveryoneisatthesamelevel.Ifyoustrivetomeetthemwheretheyare,youwon’trunthemragged.They’renotmuchuseif30percentsitinjuredonthebench.

Noplansurvivesfirstcontactwithreality—youhavetoadaptandinnovateonthefly.Sometipsforasafetrainingevolution:

1.Haveaplanandbriefit.

2.Assignroles—assistantleaders,medic,scribe,etc.

3.Prepareequipmentandscoutlocation(ifnew).

4.Checkweather,tides,orother“environmentalpartners.”

5.Haveamedplanandmedkitonsite.

6. Deal with injuries right away—veer toward being overcautious at the point of injury, andaggressiveingettingtheinjuredteammatebackintothegame.

7.Debriefthetrainingsessionandtrytodoonethingbetterthenexttime.

IntegrityandHardWorkIntheearlydaysI’dsometimeslettheteamoffthehookonaparticularlytoughworkout. They gladly accepted the gift, but secretlywished that I had pushedthemharder.Hardwork isahabit.Use itor lose it.Developing thatmuscle issomething the world could use more of—so lead by example. It’s yourresponsibilitytoholdtheteamaccountable.Iftheywon’tputout,callanallstopand inspire them to step up their game.Ask themwhich dog they’re feeding.Thenfeedthecouragedogforthem!

What if a new teammate cheats on rep count? One time—chalk it up toignorance. Twice—let the hammer fall. Three times—off the team. Expectabsoluteintegrityatalltimes.Youmaycringeatthisstatement,butsubtlepublichumiliationcanbeasurefirewayto train integrity inanadult. Ifyoupushthebehavior under the rug or deal with it in private to avoid embarrassment, thelessonwillnotbepainfulenoughtoalterit.(Note:Usethissparinglyandwithdiscretion.)

Follow these simple rules, and you’ll develop a culture of hard work andmutual respect. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Myexperience has taughtme that hard fun ismore rewarding than easy fun. Thepositiveattitudeyouandtheteamcultivateleavesnoroomforcausticremarksornegativebehavior.Remember,ittakesonlyonebadappletospoilthebunch.Forgeawarriormind-setinyourteam.They’llenjoythesatisfactionandsenseofaccomplishment thataccompaniesSEALFIT training.At the finish line, it’sthehardest-workingteamthatwins,notnecessarilythemosttalented.

Self-ReliantLeadersIstilltrainwithmyHQteamasmuchaspossible.Idon’thavetodirectthemtoset up gear or prepare for the session … it just happens. If I’m not there,someone else takes charge. We start on time with box breathing and thenimmediatelygetbusy.Thoughwehavea tonof fun, the focus ison thework,

notthefun.Thefunarrivesasaresultofthehardworkandtheteambondthatforms. The team takes care of the team first, then the swim buddy, and thenthemselveslast.Becauseweallunderstandtheset-up,safety,transitions,andtheleader’sneeds,we’vebecomeaself-reliantteam.

In the SEALs, everyone is a leader and a follower. When my CO wasmentoringme,hewas leading.Then I turnedaroundand ledmyplatoononatrainingmission.Duringthatmission,mydiveexpertledthediveandmyjumpexpert led the jump. I followed more than I led on those days—standardoperatingprocedure.Youmustdevelop leadershipand followershipintandem.Howcanyouleadifyoucan’tfollow?

Manyof today’s leadersareoutof touchwith the individualandcollectiverealitiesoftheirteams.Learningwhentostepuptoleadandwhentostepbackto follow isamilestone foranauthentic leader.Setyouregoaside.Letothersleadforachange.Whenyouareneededagain,stepupandtakecharge!Ifyou’reanaspiring leader, ask for a shot at leading the teamor a squad.You’llbeaneliteteamwhenyouhaveself-reliantleadersandfollowersatalllevels.

TeamBeatsAlone“Take your eyes off yourself and put them on your teammates!” shouts aSEALFIT coach duringKokoroCamp. “Imaginewhatwould happen if everyteammate put your needs ahead of theirs? You’ll feel supported and morepowerful.Andofcourseyou’llwanttoreciprocate!”

The lesson registered, and everyone under the 330-pound log beganencouraging and supporting one another. What had just seemed impossiblemovedbytheforceofaunitedteam.

That’sthemagicoftrueteamtraining.Gettingtothisplaceisnotassimpleas reading these words, though. It often takes us a full 50 hours of nonstoptraining inKokoroCamp togeteveryone toactwith this levelof selflessness.Butwhenithappens—shazam—performanceexplodes!

Yourshiftfromselfishnesstocaringhasapowerful,positiveeffectonyourownenergy.Yousimplycan’ttakecareofsomeoneelseinanegativestate.Tryittoprovemewrong.It’sverydifficult.Theywon’tacceptyourhelpifyou’renegative.Youhavetocarewithpositiveenergy.

Service also exerts a powerful positive pull on their energy. Caring foranotherhuman requiresyou to connectwith thehighest ofhumanemotions—love.When love is expressed in action, such as serving another, it pushes outnegativethoughtsorbehavior.

Put your eyes on your teammates by supporting them with encouragingwords during rough times and helping them meet their mission. Thisdemonstratesyourwillingnesstounderstandtheirworldandsharetheirrisk,thebest form of sharing, even better than sharing your MRE! Sharing risk andexperience equally gives you credibility and trust. As trust grows, so doespersonal accountability. No one wants to let the team down. You share acommonbondandbecome“brothers-in-arms,”sotospeak.

ResearchbyDr.PaulZak,authorofTheMoralMolecule,hasshownthatahormone called oxytocin is released when we care for another. Caring is aphysiological trigger to the psychological feeling of love. Pretty cool. There’s

even a scientific explanation to my theory about why team beats alone. (SeeaudiopodcastwithDr.Zak[www.sealfit.com/8weeks].)

A team also increases individual responsibility, something lacking in oursociety.AccordingtotheSEALethos,youareresponsibleforyouractionsandthoseofyourteammates.Thosearehigherstakesthanjustlettingyourselfdown.The burden is heavy at first, but over time you’ll accept it as a new normal.Caringforyourteamisanenormousresponsibility,butguesswhat?You’renotalone.

Let’sbeclear—it’smucheasiertobementallytoughwhenyouhaveaherdof tough guys and girls watching your back. Team training enhances mentaltoughness,becauseyou’reheldhighlyaccountable.Everyactionrisksexposureofvulnerability,forcingyoutostepitupafewnotches.Beingonateamhelpsdevelop a greater awareness, sharpens communication, and enhances problemsolvingunder stress. In essence, throughyour trainingyoudevelopyourmindandemotionsfortherigorsofleadershipandbeingateamplayer.Oryoucangobacktostrollingaroundabigboxgymwaitingforthetreadmill!

One final comment about team training—it should be a blast. Humor is ahallmarkofmentaltoughness.Ateamthatjokestogetherstaystogether.AppointyourselfasheadoftheDepartmentofHumor.SEALtraininghadmeconvincedthat theNavysent the instructors tofunnyschool.Theyhadus laughingwhiletheykickedourbuttsalloverthebase.Ilaughedthrough6monthsofhell,justasyoushouldlaughthroughyour8weekstoSEALFITtraining!

You’llneverbeperfect.Taketherisk.BecomeaSEALFITleader.

TrainingSessionYour trainingsession today:Repeat thebaselinescreening test fromchapter1.Journalyourresultsandreportthemtomeatinfo@sealfit.com.Congratulations—you’vemadeit!

CHAPTER10

YOU’RENOTCOMMON

Thegoodthingsofprosperityaretobewished;butthegoodthingsthatbelongtoadversityaretobeadmired.—SENECA

“What’sgoingon,Vin?Whyaren’tyououttheredancingandhootingitupwithyourbrothers?”

“Don’tfeellikeit,dad.Ihatemyjob.I’mnothappy.”There,hesaidit.Hislifebasicallysucked,andhehadeverythingheneeded.

Hehadafamily.Bothparentswere together.He’dgonetoagreatcollegeandhadanenviablejob.Whydidhefeelsoempty,sovacant?Everyoneelseseemedhappy,abletoletgoandhavefun.Hefelttotallyclosed,shutdown,encasedinanemotionalcasket.

OnthetrainbacktoNewYorkthenextday,Vinresolvedtomakeachange.Hehatedhisjob,eventhoughhe’dtakenitforalltherightreasons,hethought.The money was great. It had prestige.More important, the experience, alongwiththeMBAandCPA,laidanexcellentfoundationforafutureinthefamilybusiness.Butwhowashedoingitfor—hisfamily,hissociety,orhimself?Theanswerbecameclearinthatmoment…hewasn’tlivinghisownlife.

Inthatinstant,Vinfeltashifttoanewlayerofself-awarenessasalighteningoftheload.Thestressoflivinghislifeforsomeoneelse’svaluesgavewaytoanew energy, a cautious excitement over the possibilities that lay ahead. I’mgoingtostartgoingtothosemeditationclassesonThursdaynights,hethoughttohimself.That’llhelpmegetclearaboutwhattodo,wheretogo.

Ashedriftedofftosleep,hefantasizedaboutbeingonagrandadventurefar

fromhome,facinggreatchallenges,andovercomingtheobstacleswithease.Hewasamasterswordsmanwhoslewhisenemieswithease,yetwasahumbleandgracefulman.Someday,hethought,somedaythatwillbeme.

*

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER, AN OLDER Vin stepped up to the lectern. Thoughweatheredabitby theyears,hewaseminently fit.A fireburnedbright inhiseyes. He scanned the audience, who were there to learn from him. Notcompletely comfortable speaking in front of a crowd, he turned away for amoment and asked theGreat Spirit to speak through him, to inspire this nextgenerationofwarriors.Thenhesmiledandasked,“Whyareyouhere?”

“We’reheretolearnandtrain,”thecrowdsaid,puzzled.“Iknowyou’reheretolearnandtrain.Butwhyareyoureallyhere?Onthis

planet…What’syourpurpose?Weallhaveauniquereasonforbeinghere,andit’scriticalthatyoufindoutwhatitis,thisweekend!”

Thefacesrevealedbothconcernand,insome,aknowing.“Ifyoucan’t figure itout,youwon’tmake it through the fire.Discovering

your ‘why’ is like taking a big drink from the well after walking across theSaharaDesert.Itfeelslikecominghome.

“AsayoungmanIhaditall,butwasunhappyinspiteofit.Ifeltlost,asifIweremarkingtime.I triedworkingoutharderandlonger.I triedmakingmoremoney, traveling, and women. The emptiness grew. When the pain of mysituation got so acute that I couldn’t handle the self-imposed isolation, Istumbledintoamartialartsdojoandmetmyfuturementor,areal-lifeMiyamatoMusashi. Remembering my fantasy of the master swordsman, I signed up,thinkingitmighthelp.

“It did, but in a way I could never have expected. Grindingmy characterdown on the gritty training floor was followed by polishing it in the serenemeditationhall.SlowlyandmethodicallyItunedmybody,mind,emotions,andintuitiontoanewvibration—onethatallowedmetohearmyinnervoice.ThatvoicetoldmeIwasn’tlivingmypurpose,thatmymiserywouldendureuntilIcouldalignwithmypurpose.

“Ifoundtheinspirationtochangeinthatplacelongago.Ittookmethroughthe hell of Navy SEAL training. I emerged as the honor graduate. I learnedhumilitythroughconstantscrewupsandpatientmentorswhoforcedmetoshedmy immaturity. I found courage in the teammates who served, bled, andsometimesdiedalongsideme.Nopartofitcameeasy.Myjourneycontinuestothisday,throughSEALFIT.”

FiveStagesfromCommontoExtraordinaryI’mVin(as inMarkDi“vin”e). I’mnotmuchdifferent thanyou. I’vebeenonlife’s roller coaster with extreme highs and dismal lows. Misdiagnosed withmelanomaandgiven6monthstoliveat17,IlookbackatmyformativeyearswithwonderhowImadeitthisfar.I’msogratefulthatIfoundamentortosteerme towardmy purpose. The alternative is hard to imagine. Iwas an arrogantteen,thinkingIstoodontopoftheworld.Unconsciousincompetenceruledme,astageIcallIgnorance—lastingfromchildhoodintomyearly20s.Manypeoplegothroughtheirwholelivesatthislevelofdevelopment.Woeisthem.

TheblowbackofrealityhitmeasIenteredtheworkforce.Ihadtowakeupquickly.Ineededmanyskillsthatweren’ttaughtorpasseddowntome.Perhapsyouareorwereinthesameboat.Whyaren’ttheytaught?Whywouldwesendour youngmen andwomenout into theworldwith no deep skills concerninghowtolivewell?Curious.Regardless,thereIwas,seekingskillsandknowledgetohelpmenavigatetheinternalandexternalminesIsteppedon.

Mymentor appeared at that precisemomentwhen hewasmost needed. Isteppedout into thenextstageofmyjourney,oneofconscious incompetence.Duringthisnextstage,Idevelopedaninternalsenseofmypurpose,passion,andprinciples,andthenworkedtoalignthesethroughanewcareerintheSEALs.Ispentalotoftimeseekingtruthaboutthewaytheworldandhumansoperated.Icallthisstageofmygrowthself-awareness—lastingfrommyearly20suntilmyearly30s.

Asmytrainingtookroot,somethingmagicalstartedtohappen.Idevelopedgreaterandgreatercontrolovermythoughts,emotions,andbody.ThegrowthI

experiencedaccelerated,fueledbytheintegratedtrainingIwasdoing,includingyoga,martialarts,NavySEAL–stylephysicaltraining,andalotofreadingandstudy. During this stage I moved from conscious incompetence to consciouscompetence. My actions became more confident and focused. I began anentrepreneurial career after theSEALs. In spiteof stubbed toes, I sawsuccessandhappiness accruing. I began tomove fromseeking truth to experiencing awisdomthatcomesfromdeeperawarenessofothersandthesystemsIoperatedin.IknewIcouldn’tgoitalone,thatateaminsynchwasamagicalthing.Icallthisstageself-control—lastingfrommyearly30suntilmid-40s.

The fourth major stage of my developmental journey is still a work inprogress.I’vemovedfromconsciouscompetencetoanunconsciouscompetenceinmanyactionsandareasofmylife.Rightactionwilloftenflowoutofmewithlittle or no active thought.When I try tomusclemyway through things I getworseresultsthanifIletgoandflowwithit.Ifeelasenseoforderinthechaos,andhavesubmittedtosimplicity,humility,andthevalueofalllife.Thisstageisfeltasloveinformedbywisdomandtruth.Icallitself-mastery.

IhaveoccasionalglimpsesofanotherstageunfoldingrapidlythatIcanonlydescribe as blissful flow. I believe this is the same as the Apache concept ofsacred silence, or the Japanese concept of shibumi—effortless perfection. It’swhen a self-mastered individual yokes his or her ego with spirit in a blissfulunion,leadingtopeace,harmony,andjoy.I’mnotactivelyseekingthisprize.Iexpect it canbe attainedonlyby embracing eachmomentof the journeywithenthusiasm.Mytrainingplanis theframeworkfor that journey,asisyoursforyourownjourney.

Youmayfindsimilaritiesbetweenmystagesofdevelopmentandyourown.Ioffered themas referencepoints, like trailmarkersonamountain trail.Theyclosely follow the psychological development models of transpersonalpsychologyandintegraltheory,thoughthetermsaredifferent(andmyfocusinthisbookisonperformanceversusconsciousness itself).Alongthewayyou’llneed to eradicate hate, harness your fears, and cultivate love for yourself andyourteammates.

Love,Fear,andHate

Love,Fear,andHateLoveandfeararetheonlytwoemotionsthatemergewithusfromthewomb.Allotheremotionsevolvefromthesetwo.Fearonlyhasthreetruemanifestations:

■fearofbeingalone

■fearofbeingunworthy

■fearofbeingunsafe

It’snothardtoseewhyachildwouldactoutoffearofthesethree.Itishardto see why a mature adult would continue to act out in mutated, immatureaspects of these. Fear of being alone causes clinging and control to ensurecertainty,andthisalwaysleadstothepushingawayofothersandbeingalone.Fear of being unworthy causes one to show the opposite, and be boastful andloud, in a need to be seen and feel significant. Again it yields the oppositeresults.Fearofbeingunsafe leads toacloistered,unadventurous life, themostunsafelifetolive.Predatorsfeedoffthisenergyandknowexactlywhototarget.

Nodoubtfearhasaplacein thesurvivalofhumansandishard-codedintoourDNA.Our ancestors rightly feared the neighboring tribe thatwas literallyouttokillthemandtaketheirfoodandwomen.Inmoderntimesit’srighttofeartheintruderinyourhome.Fearactivatesourdefensemechanisms.Itallowsustotakemorepowerfulaction.However,itmustbeunderstood,controlled,andusedto our advantage. Fear management occurs as a result of developing couragethroughyourSEALFIT training.Otherways todevelop it includemartialarts,contactsports,andlivingclosetotheearthwheresurvivalreliesoncontrollingfear.

Ahealthyapproachtolearningaboutthethreefearswouldhaveyoufacethefearandreplaceitwithcourage.Courageisastepping-stonetolove.So:

■Replacefearofbeingalonewiththecouragetolearnintimacy.

■Replacefearofbeingunworthywiththecouragetoserveothersandtobeworthyoftheirlove.

■Replacefearofbeingunsafewiththecouragetolearntodefendyourself.

Whataboutlove?Asyoumovetowardself-mastery—gainingself-awarenessand self-control—you’ll naturally begin to experience more love in your life.Couldwesaythatloveisincontrasttothosethingswemostfear?

■Loveofbeingsafe.

■Loveoffeelingworthy.

■Loveofbeingintimatelyconnected.

Thisdoesn’tfeelrighttome.Wecertainlydesirethosetoexistincontrasttothethreefears,butloveisanentirelydifferentenergy.Theabsenceoffearisnotlove,butcourage.Theabsenceofloveisnotfear,butemptiness.Lovebloomsonlyinrelationship.

Andfinally,whatabouthate?Hatesucks,that’swhat.Hateiswhenallthreefears exist in the same space and time, in their most mutated form. To hateanother is to hate yourself and all of life. This stanza from a poemwritten in1807 by Shadow Walker, an Apache scout, expresses his struggle with thewarrior’sdilemma—howtotakealifeifyouhonoralllife:

Forgiveme,Grandfather,fornowImustpickupthelance.Directmymind,directmyheart,sothatthereisnohatred,rage,orrevenge.

Evenwhenwehaveso-calledenemies,wecanactoutofloveforthem,nothate.Ourworldwill be a different placewhen all of us learn this truth. I askagain,Whyareyouhere?Whyareyoureadingthisbook?Whatareyougoingtodoifyoufindyou’renotlivingyourpurpose?Whatifyoustilloperatefromfearor experience hate?Why the heck are we talking about this in a book abouttraining?

TrainingISLifeYoucouldsay,“There’salotmoretolifethantraining.”Thatwouldbetrue,tosome.Oryoucouldsay,“Training is life!”Thiswouldalsobe true, forsome.Whichdoyouthinkwillleadtomasteryandflow?Youknowtheanswer.Lookattrainingasyourteammateinhumanalchemy,drivingyourelentlesslytowardyour highest potential as a human.You’ll evolve throughyour training. Iwillmentor you, if you allowme to.The concepts, tools, and practices introducedalongside the physical training in this bookwill light up your journey as youmove from self-awareness to self-control to self-mastery and then to blissfulflow.Alongthewayyouwillbe:

1.Findingyourpurposeandaligningwithit.

2.Learningtoplanandsetpropergoals.

3.Developinganethicalfoundationforexcellence.

4.Forgingphysical,mental,andemotionalresiliency.

5. Working “in” while working out—using immersion in the moment, vivid visualization, andsensorydevelopmenttodeepenpersonalawarenessandintuitioninyourdailyactions.

6.Controllingyourbreathforoptimalperformance—turningeustressintosuccess.

7.Developingdeeppowersofconcentrationonasingletask,sothatyoucanaccomplishanythingworthyyousetoutforyourself.

8.Developingauthenticityasateammateandleader.

9.Findingflowinallyoudo—yourtraining,performing,andjustbeing.

Soundsuncommon,doesn’t it? Itdoes,because it is.Commonisdoing thesamethingeverydayandexpectingdifferentresults.Commonislivingalifeforsomeone else’s needs. Common is being blind to your unique purpose andcontribution to the world. Common is shying from challenge, shirkingresponsibility, and falling back in the face of defeat. Common is judging,bickering,sneering,gossiping,andbelittlingothers.Commonisexpectingthingsto be given to you, rather than embracing the joy of hard work. Common islivingalifeofregret,ratherthansufferingthepainofdiscipline.

Butthatdoesn’tsoundlikeyou.Itisn’t,oryouwouldn’thavereadthisfar.Whetheryou’vefinishedthetraininginthisbook,orareabouttostart,youmustrememberthis:

YOU’RENOTCOMMON!

YOU’RESEALFIT.Godblessyou.Iwishyoufairwindsandfollowingseas.Hooyah!

APPENDIX1

UnbeatableMindPowerResources

1.TheUnbeatableMindStand

1.TheworldisChaoticandDangerous.

2.DestinyfavorsthepreparedinMind,Body,andSpirit.

3.PersonalgrowthmustencompasstheWholePersonandbeIntegratedtoaccelerategrowth.

4.ThereisanAthleteandaWarriorwithineveryone.Wedifferonlyindegreeandpurpose.

5.LeadershipisshownthroughExampleandcultivatedintheArena.

6. True learning isExperiential and the best learning is throughTrial andError.We usewhatworksanddiscardwhatdoesn’t.

7.WetreatotherswithRespect,Compassion,and,ifnecessary,ToughLove.

8.Toqualifyfor the teamyoumusthaveaburningdesire todoBetterEveryDay, tomeetyourCommitments,andtomaintainaWinningAttitude.

2.TheThreePs

Knowtheotherandknowtheself,inahundredbattlesyouwillbevictorious;knowtheselfbutnottheother,inahundredbattlesyouwilllosehalf.Knowneithertheselfnortheother,inahundredbattlesyouwillloseall.—SUNTZU

PURPOSE

What is it that you are really supposed to dowith your life?What one thingwouldyoufocusonifyouhadnothingholdingyouback?

PASSION

Whoareyou?Whatmakesyoufeelasifyourhairisonfire?Thisinformsyourpurposewhenintersectedwithyourskillsandtalents.

PRINCIPLES

Whatisitthatyoutrulyvalue?Howcanyou“habituate”thesevaluesuntilyouownthem?

3.TheMorningRitual

Thegoal of themorning ritual is to engage your body andmind in a positivemanner. You will connect to your purpose, cultivate your optimism andpositivity, and ensure that your next actions of the daymove the dial towardyour goals.Wewant to energize your physiology and psychology for optimalperformance!

STEP1:Drinkalargeglassofwater,then,sittingcomfortablywithyourjournal,askyourselftheseempoweringquestions:

■WhatandwhomamIgratefulfortoday?(Writedownwhatcomesup.Cultivateanattitudeofgratitude!)■WhatamIexcitedaboutandlookingforwardtodoingtoday?

■Whatismypurposeanddomyplansfortodayconnectmetoit?

■WhatcanIdotomovethedialtowardmypurposegoalstoday?

■WhocanIreachouttoandserveorthanktoday?

Reviewyourgoalsandensuretheyarestillalignedwithyourpurpose.

STEP 2: Morning practice. Set up your space and settle into your morningpractice.

■Boxbreathingpractice;5minutes.

■SEALFITYoga:10–45minutes (youcansubstituteQiGong,a lightworkout,orabriskwalkhere).

■Fromrestingposeafteryourmovementconductashortbreathawarenessmeditation:5minutes.

■Visualizationorguidedvisualization:5minutes.

■Showerupandgetreadyforyourday.

■Drinkanotherglassoffreshwater,andeatahealthyPaleobreakfast.

STEP 3: Before you leave for work, review your daily schedule. Make anyadjustments and block time for key project work and your physical training.Whenyougettoyourplaceofwork,startperforminganddon’tletotherstakeyou off task, off focus, or off purpose. Use your presence practices to stayfocusedandenergizedthroughouttheday.Avoidfoodanddrinkthatstealsyourenergy (junk food, candy, excessive coffee, Rockstars, 5-hour energy drinks,etc.).

4.TheEveningRitual

Beforeyousettle infor thenight, findsomequietspaceandwithyour journalperforma“lookback”reviewofyourday,fromstarttofinish.Notewhetheryouwereonandinthezonetodayoroffandunbalanced.Ifyounote“off,”thenaskyourself:Why?Lackofsleep,diet,arelationship,stress?Thenaskyourselfwhatwere the top three positive things you accomplished or that happened to youtoday?Thenaskyourself if thereareanyunresolved issuesorquestions.Alsoreviewyourmajorgoals.Payattentiontoyourdreamsandanywakingthoughts—theanswerwillusuallybethereforyou.

5.ThePre-Event(Pretraining)SOP

Usethisritualwhenfacingamajormission,race,orchallengeandyousimplymust be at your peak.Once habituated this can be a 5-minute exercisewith apowerfulimpactonyourperformance.

■Eliminateexternaldistractions.

■Performadirtdivevisualizationto“sizeup”yourperformanceintheeventand“sizedown”theopponentsorenemy.

■Next,reviewyourgoalsandyourstrategyforthemissionorchallenge.

■ Finally, initiate thePerformance Anchor process. See, feel, and hear your ideal performancestate, and start an internal dialogue with a powerful mantra to maintain a positive mind-set,speech,posture,andstateofbeingasyoufinishyourpre-eventritualandlaunchintoperforming.YourPerformanceAnchorshouldincludedeepbreathcontrolexercises.EliteathletesandNavySEALsutilizebreathcontrol toprepareformissionsandevents,andsoshouldyou.Theactofpsyching yourself up physically and mentally includes deep diaphragmatic breathing, forcedexhalation breaths, combined with powerful visualization and positive affirmations. Thebreathingdoesn’tneedtobefancyoresoteric—simple,longinhaleholdsfollowedbyapowerfulforced exhale and short exhale hold will do the trick. Repeat it 20× while performing yourvisualization.

6.ThePost-Event(Post-Training)SOP

■Remember who helped you along the way by asking yourself gratitude questions. You havesurvivedoraccomplishedsomethingbig,sowhocanyouthankandbegratefulfor?

■Reflectonyourperformance.Howdidyoudo?Whatdidyoulearn?Didyoumovethedialonyourtwentygoals?Howcanyouimproveanddoevenbetternexttime?Wastheeventworththetimeandenergy?Wouldyoudoitagain?

■Reframewithapositivelesson:Whatdidyoulearn?Whatwasthesilverlining?Whydidithavetohappenthewayitdid?

■Redirectyourattentiontoanewmissionorchallenge.

■Reengageyourplanningandtraining.

■Rewardyourselfwithsomethingsimpleandmeaningful.

7.GoalSetting

Goal setting is simply a process for organizing our focus on achievement ofdesiredresultsinasystematicandeffectivemanneroveraspecifictimeperiod.

SMARTGOALS

■Specific,Measurable,Achievable,Realistic(butChallenging),andTime-bound.

■Long-andshort-term—theharderthechallenge,themoreshort-termthegoals(inHellWeektheymaybe“micro-goals”suchasmakingittothenextmeal).

■Writeyourgoalsdowninpositivelanguage.

■Developastrategyforfollowingthroughongoals.

WHYDOESGOALSETTINGWORK?

■Itdirectsattentiontoimportantelementsofaskillorprocess.Focusesusononevs.manythings.

■Itmobilizesoureffortsinaforwardandpositivedirection(i.e.,rudderofaship).

■Itenhancesandprolongspersistenteffort—keeptryinguntilyoumakeit.

■Itfostersdevelopmentofnewstrategiesforlearninganddeveloping.

PITFALLSTOGOALSETTING

■Fuzzygoals(notspecific).

■Toomanygoals(unrealistic).

■Tooshortofatimeframe(unrealistic).

■Inflexiblegoals(notachievable—needtoflexandmoldtoreality).

■Lackofprocessgoals—needtoworkonselfwhileyouworkonthings.

■Nofollow-uporevaluationofprogress—needtocheckyourprogressandbeheldaccountableEXERCISE:Write out top three goals for your personal and professional life. For example: I willcomplete20perfectconsecutivedoubleundersinlessthan1minutebyJune30.

8.VisualizationRevisited

MENTAL PROJECTION: Concentrate on and visualize your personal victory.Therebyyoucreateorre-createthedesiredexperienceinyourmind.

MENTALREHEARSAL:Practiceinyourmind’seye.Itcanbeinternal(fromone’sownvantagepoint)orexternal(viewselffromtheperspectiveofothers).

USES: improve concentration; build confidence; control emotions; practice atechnicalskill;practiceastrategy;copewithpain,injury,orcold.

Whenenvisionedwell,whenyouperform theevent in“real time” it isnotthefirsttime,butoneofmanytimesthatyourmindhasdoneitperfectlybefore.

Envisioning is like visualization on steroids. It usesALLyour senses. Seeyourself performing; sense your movement, emotions; hear the sounds of

success;feeltheactualair,water,handshake,etc.;andsmellyourenvironment.Createtheexperienceascloseaspossibletoactualexperience,butmanipulatingtheimagesforperfectresults.Includepositivethoughtsandemotionstoburntheimageintoyoursubconscious.

■90percentofOlympicathletesusevisualization, and97percentof themclaim ithelped theirperformance.

■94percentofOlympiccoachesusevisualizationfortraining,and100percentclaimitenhancesperformance.

WHYDOESITWORK?

Visualizedevents,ifvividandempoweredwithemotion,stimulateandprogramyour nervous and muscular system as if you are actually practicing.Additionally,envisioningimprovesyourabilitytoconcentrate,whichhelpswithconfidenceandstressmanagement.

WHENTOUSETHESETACTICS

■PRE-EVENT:Goalsettingandvisualizationareprimary.Self-talkandarousalcontrolhelpwithtrainingandpreparation,andpre-eventjitters.

■DURINGEVENT:Self-talkandarousalcontrolareprimary.Short-termgoalsettingissecondary.

■ POST-EVENT: Self-talk (reframing) and goal setting (modifying and setting new goals) areprimary.

APPENDIX2

BasicTrainingProgram

Thisprogramisanythingbutbasiccomparedtomostprograms.However,BasicUnderwaterDemolitionSEAL(BUD/S)trainingisalsoanythingbutbasic,too,sodon’tletthewordbasicfoolyou!

This intermediateworkout programwill either serve as your final trainingprogram or prepare you for the Advanced Operator Training (AOT). If youintendtomoveontoAOT,runningthroughthisprogramonceortwicemaybeenough.Thekeyisinbuildingcapacityfortheweightloadsandvolume.Ifyoucan’thandlethoseinthisprogram,you’renotreadyforAOT.AdditionallyforMasters—those 45 years or older—the loads in this program may be moreappropriatethanthoseinAOT.BusyprofessionalshaveadifficulttimefindingthetimeforAOT,andthat’sokay.Remember,IoriginallybuiltAOTforspecialoperators, though men and women from all walks of life have validated itseffectiveness.

MONDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills—10minutes

■3rounds—250mrow,5×airsquats,5×backsquats(45#),5×push-ups,30-secondplank■warmupto65percentofyour1RMbacksquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—3reps×10setsat65percent1RM

WORK CAPACITY: complete the following for time: ■ 100× double unders (orsubstitute300singles)

■80×airsquats

■60×sit-ups

■40×wallballs(20#men/12#women)

■20×chest-to-barpull-ups

■10×clappingpush-ups

DURABILITY:3rounds—15×GHDsit-ups,30-secondhandstandhold,10×backextensions.SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■15×overheadsquats(45#/35#)

■400mrun

■15×kippingpull-ups

WORK CAPACITY: complete 10–9–8–7–6–5–4–3–2–1 of: ■ overhead squats(95#/65#)

■ringdips

■lateraljumpsoverthebar2×

DURABILITY: 10 rounds—30-secondmax distance row, 30-second rest (goal is125m–150meach round).SEALFITYogahipmobility drill.Hydrate and fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

KIPPINGPULL-UPS

WEDNESDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■3 rounds—5× strict presses, 5× push presses, 5× push jerks, 10× air squats■warmup to 65percentofyour1RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—3reps×10setsat65percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY: “AMRAP-athon”—AMRAP in 5minutes each of:■ 5×boxjumps(24or20inches),7×TTBs(toestobars)*

■5×handstandpush-ups,7×wallballs(20#/12#)*

■5×burpees,7×DBthrusters(25#/15#)*

DURABILITY: 100× sit-ups, 50× wave-offs (from grinder PT). SEALFIT YogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:1-minuterestbetweeneachAMRAP.

THURSDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swim,row.Distancedependsuponyourtimeandendurancelevel.Thisisanactiverecoveryendurancesessionsoyoucansubstituteanysportoractivitysuchasayogaclassorlongwalk.

DURABILITY:Active stretch.Hydrate and fuelwithin 30minutes. Journal post-trainingSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—barbellcomplex*withpush-upchaser(45#/65#)■warmupto65percentofyour1RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3reps×10setsat65percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:complete5RFTof:■5×powercleans(95#–115#/65#–85#)

■10×push-ups

■25×doubleunders

DURABILITY:30×evilwheels(useabarbellfortheseifyoudonothaveanevilwheel). SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Barbellcomplex—with45#bar (30#women)do6×deadlifts,6×bent-over rows,6×hangpowercleans,6×frontsquats,6×pushpresses,6×backsquats(seewww.sealfit.com/videos).

SATURDAY[WEEK1:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsofairsquats,KBswings(16kg/12kg)

WORKCAPACITY:7rounds,every2minutesdo:■200mrun*

■maxrepburpees*

DURABILITY:2 rounds—sprint400m, jog400m.SEALFITYogaShortFormBor active stretch. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journal post-trainingsessionSOP.Sundayisarestday—enjoy!

*Note:1-minuterestbetweenrounds,andscoreisnumberofburpees.

MONDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■15×airsquats

■500mrow

■15×backsquats(45#)

■warmupto70percentofyour1RMbacksquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—3reps×10setsat70percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:complete5RFTof:■30×sit-ups

■20×KBswings(24kg/16kg)

■10×boxjumps(24or20inches)

DURABILITY: 3 rounds—60-second plank, 10× reverse hyperextensions (2/1 x45# plate). SEALFIT Yoga hip mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3 rounds—3×hangpowersnatches,3×overheadsquats,3×snatches,5×push-ups (45#–65#),10mbearcrawl

WORK CAPACITY: CrossFit’s “Snatch Ladder”—every 30 seconds, perform 1×snatch. Increase theweight 10# each round.Men start at 65#,women at 45#.Once you’re unable to perform a rep at the required weight, complete 100×doubleundersasfastaspossible.

DURABILITY: 2,000m row as fast as possible (or substitute a 1-mile runningsprint). SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■ 3 rounds—200m run, 5× push presses (45#), 5× handstand push-ups, 5× pull-ups, 5× PVCshoulderdislocates■warmupto70percentofyour1RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—3reps×10setsat70percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:AMRAPin15minutesof:■20×ballslams(20#/12#)

■20×step-ups(20inch)

■200mrun

DURABILITY:50×weightedsit-ups(25#/15#),30×barbellgoodmornings(45#).SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swim,rowDURABILITY:SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■3rounds—10×KBSDHP(16kg/12kg),10×push-ups,10×sit-ups■warmupto70percentofyour1RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3reps×10setsat70percent1RM

WORK CAPACITY: complete the following for time: ■ 150× DB thrusters(35#/25#)

DURABILITY: 3 rounds—20× GHD sit-ups, 10× weighted back extensions(25#/15#). SEALFITYoga hip and shouldermobility drills. Hydrate and fuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK2:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■200mrun

■15×sandbagcleans(40#/30#)

■200mrun

■15×sandbagcleans(40#/30#)

WORKCAPACITY:5rounds—AMRAPin3minuteseachof:■3×powercleans(95#–115#/65#–85#)*

■6×burpees*

■9×sit-ups*

DURABILITY: 3-mile run at a moderate pace. SEALFIT Yoga Short Form A.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:1-minuterestbetweeneachAMRAP.

MONDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■3rounds—10×airsquats,10×backsquats(45#),10×airsquats,groinstretch■warmupto75percentofyour1RMbacksquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—3reps×10setsat75percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:complete2RFTof:■50×pull-ups

■75×sit-ups

■50×overheadsquats(75#/45#)

■75×doubleunders

DURABILITY: 3 rounds—50× 4-count flutter kicks, 50× leg levers. SEALFITYogaShortFormB.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

LEGLEVERS

TUESDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3roundsof250mrow

■5×hangpowercleans,5×frontsquats,5×jerks,5×push-ups.Startat45#/#25,increase10#eachround

WORKCAPACITY:completethefollowingfortime:■800mrun

■15×cleanandjerks(105#–135#/75#–95#)

■800mrun

DURABILITY:Tabata row (goal isover1,000mformenand800mforwomen).Tabata= 8 rounds of 20 secondswork, 10-second rest. SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun

■3rounds—5×handstandpush-ups,10×push-ups,60-secondjumprope■warmupto75percentofyour1RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—3reps×10setsat75percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:AMRAPin20minutesof:■3×TGU(Turkishget-ups)eacharm(16kg/12kg)(seewww.sealfit.com/videos)■5×clappingpush-ups

■7×supineringrows

■100msprint

DURABILITY:50×leglevers,50×sit-ups.SEALFITYogashouldermobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swim,rowDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga Short Form A or active stretch. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—barbellcomplexwithburpeechaser(45#–65#)■warmupto75percentofyour1RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3reps×10setsat75percent1RM

WORK CAPACITY: complete 4 RFT of: ■ 20×weighted lungeswith bar in therackedposition(95#/65#)■10×hangpowersnatches(95#/65#)

■5×snatchgrippushpresses(95#/65#)

DURABILITY: 3 rounds—1 minute plank hold, 50× sit-ups, 25× wave-offs.SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK3:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■3rounds—200mrun,5×jumpingpull-ups,5×dips,5×jumpingsquats

WORKCAPACITY:AMRAPin20minutesof:■5×pull-ups*

■10×push-ups*

■15×airsquats*

DURABILITY:800msprint,400msprint,200msprint,100msprint(1:1work-to-restratio).SEALFITYogaShortFormA.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:At5,10,and15minutes,stopwhatyouaredoingandperform5×burpees.

MONDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsof4-countmountainclimbers,sit-ups

■warmupto80percentofyour1RMbacksquat

STRENGTH:backsquat—3reps×10setsat80percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:complete10–8–6–4–2repsof:■ManMakers(35#/25#)

■boxjumps(24or20inches)

■toestobars

DURABILITY:50×4-countflutterkicks.30×reversehyperextensions(2/1×45#plates). SEALFIT Yoga Short Form B. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

TUESDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500m row,5 rounds—3×power cleans, 3× front squats, 3×push jerks, 3×pull-ups (45#–85#menand25#–65#women)

WORKCAPACITY:complete3RFTof:■10×groundtooverhead(95#/65#)*

■200mshuttlesprint(50mthereandbacktwice)

DURABILITY: 3 rounds—500m row sprint (2-minute rest between efforts).SEALFIT Yoga Short Form B. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

*Note:Groundtooverhead:Getthebaroverheadasfastandsafelyasyoucan—snatch,cleanandjerk,orpowercleantopushpress.

WEDNESDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■400mrun,15×handreleasepush-ups

■400mrun,15×pushpresses(65#/45#)

■warmupto80percentofyour1RMpushpress

STRENGTH:pushpress—3reps×10setsat80percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:complete the followingfor time:■5×muscle-ups (substitute3× ring pull-ups and 3× ring dips if you can’t do amuscle-up)■ 50× doubleunders

■4×muscle-ups

■40×doubleunders

■3×muscle-ups

■30×doubleunders

■2×muscle-ups

■20×doubleunders

■1×muscle-up

■10×doubleunders

DURABILITY: 1-mile recovery run. SEALFIT Yoga shoulder mobility drill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

THURSDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■20minutesofgrinderPT

ENDURANCE:Astimeallows,LSDrun,bike,swim,rowDURABILITY:SEALFITYoga(anyformofactiverecovery).Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

FRIDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■500mrow

■3rounds—10×SDHP(75#/45#),10×push-ups,10×sit-ups■warmupto80percentofyour1RMdeadlift

STRENGTH:deadlift—3reps×10setsat80percent1RM

WORKCAPACITY:performin10minutes:■800mrun

■30×handstandpush-ups

■intheremainingtime,performasmanydoubleundersaspossible

DURABILITY:100×sit-ups,100×supermans.SEALFITYogashouldermobilitydrill.Hydrateandfuelwithin30minutes.Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

SATURDAY[WEEK4:BASICTRAININGPROGRAM]

BASELINE:pre-SOPandboxbreathing■ROMdrills

■30–20–10repsofKBswings(16kg/12kg),airsquats,sit-ups

WORKCAPACITY: baseline #2—for time complete:■ 500m row (if you do nothavearower,substitutearun)■40×airsquats

■30×sit-ups

■20×push-ups

■10×pull-ups21–15–9OF:

■thrusters(95#/65#)

■pull-ups

DURABILITY:8×200mhillsprints—restasyouwalkbackdownthehill.Ifyoudon’t have access to a hill, substitute 200m sprints at a 30-second interval.SEALFIT Yoga Short Form B. Hydrate and fuel within 30 minutes. Journalpost-trainingsessionSOP.

APPENDIX3

ShoppingList

Meat

Protein sources include meat and poultry for meat eaters. Vegetarians mustensurethattheygetenoughproteinfromothersources.Appropriatesupplementsshouldbeaddedaswell.

BESTMEAT:wildgameor100percentgrass-fed,localleanmeats.

SECOND BEST MEAT: organic, naturally raised and hormone and antibiotic free(locallygrownwhenpossible).

THIRDBESTMEAT:conventionalmeatasleanaspossible:□FlankSteak

□ChickenBreast

□LeanHamburger(beef,bison,buffalo)andminimallyprocessedsausage□ChuckSteak,Turkey(including ground and Top Sirloin Steak minimally processed sausage) □ Veal, Game HenBreasts

□GameMeat,PorkLoin,PorkChops

□BeefJerky(lowsodium,leastamountofingredients,nosoysauce,ideallyorganic)Fish

BESTFISH:wild,freshorfrozenatseaisbest.

SECONDBESTFISH:cannedfishinwateroroliveorfishoil,withminimalsalt.

□ Bass, Herring, Salmon, Bluefish, Lobster □ Scallops, Cod, Mackerel, Shrimp, Clams □Mahimahi,Tilapia,Crab,Mussels,Trout□Crayfish,OrangeRoughey,Tuna,Flatfish□Oysters,

Walleye,Grouper,Perch

□Haddock,RedSnapper,Halibut,RockfishEggs

BESTEGGS:100percentfreerange,organic.

SECONDBESTEGGS:omega-3enriched,DHA.

THIRDBESTEGGS:hormoneandantibioticfree.

Vegetables

Vegetables should be themain source of carbohydrates.Vegetables are also agoodsourceofprotein.Nonstarchyvegetablesshouldbeabigpartofeachmeal.Virtuallyallvegetablesofferexcellentnutritionalvalue.

BESTVEGETABLES:organic,locallygrown,inseason;freshorfreshfrozen.

SECONDBESTVEGETABLES:nonorganic,locallygrown;freshorfreshfrozen.

THIRD BEST VEGETABLES: bought fresh at the store, either grown as locally aspossibleorimportedorganic.

□ Artichoke, Celery, Mushrooms, Seaweed □ Asparagus, Collards, Mustard Greens, Beets,Cucumber, Onions, Spinach □ Beet Greens, Dandelion, Parsnip, Swiss Chard □ Bell Peppers,Eggplant,Parsley,SweetPotato/Yam□Broccoli,Endive,Peppers(allkinds),Tomato□BrusselsSprouts, Green Onions, Pumpkin, Tomatillos □ Cabbage, Kale, Purslane, Turnip Greens □Carrots,Kohlrabi,Radish,Turnips

□Cauliflower,Lettuce,Rutabaga,WatercressFruits

BESTFRUITSOURCE:organic,locallygrown,inseason;freshorfreshfrozen.

SECONDBESTFRUITSOURCE:nonorganic,locallygrown;freshorfreshfrozen.

THIRDBESTFRUITSOURCE:boughtfreshat thestore,eithergrownas locallyaspossibleorimportedorganic.

□Apple,Cherries,Lychee,Plums

□Apricot,Cranberries,Mango,Pomegranate□Avocado,Dates,Nectarine,Raspberries□Banana,Figs,Orange,Rhubarb

□Blackberries,Gooseberries,PassionFruit,Strawberries□Blueberries,Grapes,Papaya,StarFruit□Boysenberries,HoneydewMelon,Peaches,Tangerine□Cantaloupe,Kiwi,Pears,Watermelon

□CassavaMelon,Lemon,Persimmon

□Cherimoya,Lime,Pineapple

□DriedFruit(unsweetened,unsulfured,andlimitthequantity)NutsandSeeds

Nuts and seeds pack protein, fatty acids, enzymes, antioxidants, as well asvitamins and minerals (especially potassium and magnesium). Nuts inmoderationarehealthy,butoverconsumptionwillstallweightloss.Cashewsareespecially delicious but surprisingly high in carbohydrates and also contain alargeamountofomega-6fattyacids(omega-6fattyacidsarelessdesirablethantheomega-3fattyacidsfoundinfish).

BESTNUTSANDSEEDS:organic,raw,unsalted,andshelled.

SECONDBESTNUTSANDSEEDS:nonorganic,raw,unsalted,andshelled.

□Almonds,Pecans,BrazilNuts,PineNuts□Cashews,Pistachios,Chestnuts,PumpkinSeeds□Hazelnuts,SesameSeeds,MacadamiaNuts,SunflowerSeeds

OTHER

□Coconut(rawunsweetenedflakes,milk)□AlmondMilk(organicwithminimal ingredients)□NutFlours(minimizeuse)

□Nut/SeedButters(nopeanutbutter)

Fats

Fatisessentialtoyourwell-beingandhappiness.Certaintypesoffatprovideagreatsourceofenergyandareanessentialpartofmanycellularandhormonalprocesses.Fatmakespeoplefeelfull.OILS:agoodsourceoffat.

BESTOILS:organicextra-virginoilspackedindarkbottles.

SECONDBESTOILS:nonorganicextra-virginoilspackedindarkbottles.

THIRDBESTOILS:organicvirginornonorganicvirginallindarkbottles.

□Avocado(onthefruitlistbutconsideredafatsourcemorethanafruit)□OliveOil,WalnutOil

□CanolaOils,Flaxseed,CoconutOil

Herbs,Spices,andAnythingNice

Avoidexcessiveamountsofsugarandsalt.

□Allspice,Ginseng,Pepper

□Anise,GreenTea,Peppermint

□Basil,Horseradish,PoppySeed

□BayLeaf,JalapeñoPeppers,PomegranateSeeds□Cardamon,Jasmine,Rosemary

□CayennePepper,Lavender,Safflower

□CelerySeed,LemonBalm,Saffron

□Chamomile,LemonBasil,Sage

□Chili,LemonMint,SeaSalt*

□Chives,LemonMyrtle,Spearmint

□Cilantro/Coriander,LemonThyme

□Cloves,Licorice,Tamarind

□Cumin,Majoram,Tarragon

□CurryLeaves,Mint,Tea

□Cocoa,MustardSeed,ThaiBasil

□Dandelion,Myrtle,Thyme

□Dill,Nutmeg,Turmeric

□Fenugreek,Oregano,Vanilla

□Ginger,Paprika,Wasabi

□Ginkgo,Parsley,Wattleseed

OTHER

□RawAppleCiderVinegar(avoidallothervinegars—theymaybemadefromgrainandthereforearenotgrainorglutenfree—uselimeorlemonjuiceasasubstituteforvinegar)□Honey(raw,organiclocallygrownhoneyispreferable;honeyisstillaformofsugar,souseveryminimallyoravoidcompletely)□AgaveNectar(raw,organiclocallygrownagaveispreferable;agaveisstillaformofsugar,souseveryminimallyoravoidcompletely;honeyisactuallybetterforyouthan

agave)Beverages

□CleanFilteredWater,Coffee(trytolimit)□HerbalTea,BlackorGreenTea

*Useinmoderation—trytoavoid.

APPENDIX4

Substitution,Scaling,andStandards

Ifwedidallthethingswearecapableof,wewouldliterallyastoundourselves.—THOMASEDISON

Awide variety of equipment is required forSEALFIT.Manyof the exercisesprescribed are initially difficult to execute. Please don’t get discouraged.Remember what I said at the beginning of SEALFIT–Navy SEAL trainingstartedwithasinglepush-up.Youcandothis!Let’stalkaboutsubstitutionandscaling. Substitution occurs when you substitute one exercise for anotherbecause:

■Youdon’thavetherightequipment.

■Yourbodyisn’tworkingthewayyou’reaskingitto.

■Youdon’thaveapartnerforthe“partnerworkout.”

■Youhavealegitimateinjurythatyouneedtoworkaround.

It’s impossible to account for every situation. I suggest that you join acoached training environment like a CrossFit gym or hire a private trainer(hopefullybothwillhavetheexpertisetoguideyou,but there’snoguarantee).SEALFITisheretohelp,sopleasefeelfreetocallusat(760)634-1833.

Substitutions

■ROWER:SDHPat75#/55#forthesamerelativedurationastherow.

■BUDDYCARRYORPULL:BuddyCarry—farmer’scarryatbodyweightfor400m.Pull—sprintswithmedicineball,althoughthisdoesn’tequatetotheintensityofabuddypull.Canyoufindabettersubstitutewithyouravailabletools?

■GHD:wallballsit-upsorkettlebellsit-upsstartingwiththekettlebelloverhead.Situpholdingthekettlebellandholditinfrontofyou.

■ROPE-TOWELPULL-UPS(SIXPERROPEASCENT):Ifyoucan’tclimbtherope,holditandloweryourselftotheground.Maintainastraightbackandtightcore—aninvertedplankposition.Formiscrucialfortheclimb—useyourfeettoholdyoubystandingontherope,onefootontopoftheother.Useyourarmsonlytoreachhigherforthenexthandhold.

■NOSANDBAG?Makeone.

■NOWEIGHTVEST?Buyone,orcarryadaypackwith20poundswrappedinablanket.

■NOKETTLEBELL?Useadumbbell.

■NOBARBELLOR PULL-UPBARS?Hmmm—you’ll need to buy both or find anOlympic liftinggymthathasagoodpull-upstation.GloboGymsarenot theanswer.ManySEALFITathleteshave been kicked out of Globo Gyms because they scare the people “working out”! CrossFitgymsarepoppingupallacrossAmerica—findoneandtell themyou’re trainingforSEALFIT.Youwillprobablyfindlike-mindedSEALFITtraineestobuildateam.

Scaling

■PULL-UPS:Jumpingandband-assistedpull-upswilltrainyoutoperformadeadhangandakip.Kippingpull-upsareagreatskilltolearn.Idon’thavetheabilitytoteachthosethroughprintatthistime.CometoSEALFITHQandwe’llteachyouthekipandbutterflypull-up.

■PUSH-UPS:Useyourknees,oraGHDtopushagainst.Forhandstandpush-ups(HSPU),elevateyourfeetonaboxandexecuteinvertedpush-ups,orusetwobandsfromapull-upbar.Putonehandoverthebar,theotherhandthroughtheband,andplaceyourheadthroughthesecondband.Wrap it aroundyour shoulders so it supportsyouasyouperform theHSPUdirectlyunder thepull-upbar.Thisiseffective,butslightlyscaryonthekick-up.Justdoit!

■WEIGHTEDMOVEMENTS: Scale the load until you can handle it. A good coach is worth hisweightinironforsupportinlearningtheliftsproperly.WeteachthemallatSEALFITAcademy.

■OTHERSCALINGISSUES:PleaseseeourWebsiteorgiveusacallat(760)634-1833.

StrengthStandards

SEALFIT standards establish loads during maximal rep (i.e., 1 RM, 3 RM)sessions.This isasimpleandcleanwaytomeasurerelativestrength,acrucialaspect of getting SEALFIT. Strength builds a foundation of performance andconfidence.Combinedwithgoodflexibility,jointmobility,andcorestability,itenhancesyourdurabilityasbothanathleteandprofessional.

STRENGTHSTANDARDS(RELATIVETOBODYWEIGHT)

BACKSQUAT: Men1.5BW Women1.0BWDEADLIFT: Men2.0BW Women1.5BWPUSHPRESS: Men1.0BW Women.75BWBENCHPRESS: Men1.5BW Women1.0BWSQUATCLEAN: Men1.25BW Women1.0BWCLEANANDJERK: Men1.0BW Women.75BW

StaminaStandards

Staminaallowsyoutomoveyourbodymoreefficientlyandtocarryheavyloadsfurther.

BODY-WEIGHT MOVEMENT STANDARDS (ELITE LEVEL) BW SQUAT: > 100 in 2minutesBWPUSH-UP:>100in2minutesBWPULL-UP:>20in2minutesBWSIT-

UP:>100in2minutesEnduranceStandardsRun:1.5milesin9:00

Run:3milesin20:00

Run:6milesin45:00

Run: 14miles until completionRuck: 26mileswith 40# until completionSwim: 500meters in8:00

Swim:1milein35:00

Row:2,000metersin7:45

Row:5,000metersin20:00

RunningandRuckingForm

Your running form makes a big difference in terms of increasing efficiency,increasingspeed,anddecreasingjointimpact.WeendorseposerunningforLSDefforts.Keypoints:

■“Fallforward”intothenextstep.

■Standtallanddon’trunhunchedover.

■Landflatonthemidtoforwardpartofthefoot(ratherthanthetraditionalheel-toestrike).

■Takeshorterstepsforafasterrepetitioncadence(90stepsperminute).

■Movefootincircularrotation.

■Swingarmforward.

Ruckingisagreattrainingtool,butcanputseriousstrainonyourbody.Trytolimitittoacoupleoftimespermonth.Guidelines:

■Don’tjogorrunwithyourpack.Rather,stepupyourwalkingpace.Ifyouwanttorunwithloaduseaweightvest(i.e.,withMurph).

■Landflatfooted.

■Leanintothestride—striveto“fallto”thenextstep,similartoposerunning.

■Increaseyourcadencebytakingsmallerandfastersteps.

■Breakinyourboots.

■Wearchafinggearandtwopairsofsocks.

■Prepareyourfeetforalongruckhikewith2ndSkinormoleskintopreventblisters.Treatblistersimmediately.

■Carrytheloadonyourhips,notyourshoulders.Hipbeltswereinventedforthis,sousethem.

APPENDIX5

Definitions,Acronyms,andAbbreviations

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH: To get strong in a functional manner—such assquatting, lifting, pushing, and pulling—we use movements that are natural,safe, and holistic. Engage the core before using the extremities. Functionalstrength development requires simultaneous core strength development.SEALFITcombinesstrengthworkanddurabilitytoensurecorestabilitygrowsalongsidestrength.

RELATIVE STRENGTH: Strength exhibited is relative to the size of the deliveryvehicle. A 165-pound man with a 300-pound deadlift (1.8 pounds lifted perpoundofbodyweight)isrelativelystrongerthana210-poundmanwitha350-pounddeadlift(1.6)eventhoughthelargermanisliftingmoreweight.

ABSOLUTESTRENGTH:Definedas theamountofmusculoskeletal forceonecangenerateforanall-outeffort,irrespectiveoftimeorbodyweight.

This form of strength can be demonstrated or tested in the weight roomduring the performance of a maximal, single-repetition lift. While onlypowerlifters,Olympiclifters,andCrossFitterswillneedtodemonstratethistypeof strength in competition, all athletes need to develop absolute strength as afoundation for other biomotor abilities such as strength speed, strengthendurance,agility,etc.

Absolute strength is displayed through twomuscular actions:CONCENTRICMOVEMENT:Theabilitytoovercomearesistancethroughmuscularcontraction.

Themuscleshortensasitdevelopstension.

ECCENTRIC MOVEMENT: Displayed when a muscle lengthens as it yields to aresistance.Eccentricstrengthisnormally30–50percentgreaterthanconcentricstrength,meaningthatyoucanlowersignificantlymoreweightingoodcontrolthanyoucanactuallylift.

OLYMPICLIFTS:Advancedmovementsthatteachtheabilitytoapplyforceintheproper sequence—from the core to the extremities.Olympic lifts also developthe ability to apply strength, speed, and power to accelerate an object from adeadstand,whichcantranslatetoavaluableskillinafightoracrisis.Theliftsteach one to receive force from amoving body (i.e., catching the load at thebottomofthesnatchorthetopoftheclean).TheonlydownsidetoOlympicliftsisthattheyarehighlytechnicalskillsthattakemanymoonstodevelop.AswithallthingsinSEALFIT,patienceisavirtue.

PRIMARY AND SUPPLEMENTAL STRENGTH EXERCISES: As discussed earlier,SEALFIT’s primary exercises for strength include the back squat, push press,deadlift,andbenchpress.These liftswerechosenfora reason,but they’renotthe only lifts we use. We rely on the Olympic lifts, complexes, kettlebells,dumbbells, sandbags, tires, sledgehammers, logs,andavarietyofbodyweightexercises.Weneverrunoutoffuntoystoplaywith.

SUPPLEMENTALSTRENGTHEXERCISES:Supplementalstrengthexercisesareusedinworkcapacity trainingandonoccasion in lieuofaprimary strength.Theseincludebutarenotlimitedto:

TOTALBODY

■Olympiclifts

■complexes—barbellcomplex,CurtisP,FrogComplex,ManMaker■thruster

■tireflipsandsledgestrikes

■sandbagget-upsanddrills

■Turkishget-ups

■kettlebellanddumbbellwork

UPPERBODY

■push-upvariations

■pull-upvariations

■ringdips,push-ups,andmuscle-ups■handstandpush-ups

■buddycarry

■farmer’scarry,farmer’swalk

■otherteamdrills

LOWERBODY

■lungevariations

■step-ups

■airsquats

■buddypullswithbands

AcronymsandAbbreviations

AMRAP:asmanyroundsorrepsaspossibleATG:asstograss

BBPLEX:barbellcomplexBP:benchpress

BS:backsquat

BW:bodyweight

CLN:clean

C&J:cleanandjerkC2:ConceptIIrowingmachineDL:deadlift

DB:dumbbell

FS:frontsquat

GHD BACK OR HIP EXTENSION: glute-ham raise (developer); posterior chainexercise, like a back extension GHD SIT-UP: sit-up done on the glute-ham

developerbenchGPP:generalphysicalpreparedness,aka“fitness”

GTG: grease the groove, a protocol of doing many submaximal sets of anexercisethroughoutthedayHSPU:handstandpush-up.Kickupintoahandstand(useawallforbalance,ifneeded),bendarmsuntilnosetouchesfloor,andpushbackup.

HSQ: hang squat (clean or snatch). Start with bar “at the hang,” about kneeheight.Initiatepull.Asthebarrises,dropintoafullsquatandcatchthebarintherackedposition.Fromthere,risetoastandingposition.

IF:intermittentfastingKB:kettlebell

KTE: knees to elbows; similar to TTB described below METCON: metabolicconditioningworkoutMP:militarypress

MU:muscle-ups.Hanging from ringsyoudoacombinationpull-upanddip soyouendinanuprightsupport.

OHS:overheadsquat—full-depthsquatperformedwhilearmsarelockedoutinawidegrippresspositionabove(andusuallybehind)theheadPC:powerclean

PD: pood, weight measure for kettlebells (we use pounds at SEALFIT) PR:personalrecord

PP:pushpress

PSN:powersnatch

PT:physicaltraining

PU: pull-ups, possibly push-ups, depending on the context REP: repetition—1performanceofanexerciseRFT:roundsfortime

RM:repetitionmaximum.Your1RMisyourmaxliftfor1rep;your10RMisthemostyoucanlift10timesROM:rangeofmotion

RX’D; AS RX’D: as prescribed; aswritten—WODdonewithout any adjustmentsSBGU: sandbag get-up (like Turkish get-up, but with sandbag) SDHP: sumo

deadlifthighpullSET:anumberofrepetitions(i.e.,3setsof10reps,oftenseenas 3× 10,means do 10 reps, rest, repeat, rest, repeat) SOP: standard operatingprocedureSPP:specificphysicalpreparedness,akaskilltrainingSN:snatch

SQ:squat

SS: Starting Strength; Mark Rippetoe’s great book on strength training basicsSUBBED: substituted.TheCORRECTuseof“subbed,”as in“substituted,” is“Isubbed an exercise I cando for one I can’t.”For example, if you can’t do anHSPU,yousubbedregularpush-ups.

TGU:Turkishget-up

TLU:total,lower,upperTTB:toestobar.Hangfromthebar,bendingonlyatthewaist.Raiseyourtoestotouchthebar,thenslowlylowerthemandrepeat.

WOORW/O:workout

WOD:workoutofthedayWU:warm-up

ALSOBYMARKDIVINE

UnbeatableMindTheWayoftheSEAL

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

MarkDivine is the founderofNavySEALs.com,SEALFIT,U.S.Tactical, andUnbeatableMind.HeisalsotheauthorofTheWayof theSEAL,publishedbyReader’sDigest, andUnbeatableMind,which he self-published.Mark startedhisathleticcareerasacollegiateswimmerandrower,thenbecameacompetitivetriathlete and martial artist before attending Officer Candidate School for theNavyin1989.MarkgraduatedasHonorManofhisSEALtrainingclass#170in1990andservedonactivedutyfor9yearsand in thereserveforcefor11.HeretiredasacommanderfromtheNavyin2011after20yearsoftotalserviceintheSEALTeams.

CommanderDivinehastrainedandmentoredthousandsofNavySEALandother SpecialOperations Forces candidates to succeed in themost demandingmilitary training programs in the world. His success rate with SEALFIT inpreparingcandidatesisunrivaled.

Mark’s insights intoelite fitness, elite teams, leadership,mental toughness,andwarriorspiritdevelopmentweredevelopedoverhis20yearsasaSEALandbusinessleader,25yearsasamartialartist,and15yearsasayogapractitioner.

AreyoureadytoEMBRACETHESUCKagain?Ifso,thenpleasecomejointheSEALFITONLINE

TRAININGPROGRAM&COMMUNITY.

The 8 Weeks to SEALFIT book was intended to give you a strong foundation to the SEALFITtraining program. To continue on your journey, join the SEALFIT Online Training Program &Community of committed athletes andwarriors. This is possibly the toughest fitness andmentaltoughnessregimenavailableinanonlineformat.CoachDivinewillpushyoubeyondyourthresholdwith monthly SEALFIT workouts and you will have the added benefit of online journaling, acommunity of peers, quick connections with other SEALFIT coaches, and all the support andfeedbackyouwillneedonyourpersonaljourneytoachievingyourgoals.

Visitwww.SEALFIT.com/8weekstojointoday!

Asabookowner,youwillreceivethefirst30daysforFREE!

Theinformationinthisbookisnotintendedtoreplacetheadviceofthereader’sownphysicianorothermedicalprofessional.Youshouldconsultamedicalprofessionalinmattersrelatingtohealth,especiallyifyouhaveexistingmedicalconditions,andbeforestartinganynewfitnessregimen.Theauthorandthepublisherdonotacceptresponsibilityforanyadverseeffectsindividualsmayclaimtoexperience,whetherdirectlyorindirectly,fromtheinformationcontainedinthisbook.

8WEEKSTOSEALFIT.Copyright©2014byMarkDivine.Forewordcopyright©2014byJoeStumpf.Allrightsreserved.Forinformation,addressSt.Martin’sPress,175FifthAvenue,NewYork,N.Y.10010.

www.stmartins.com

FIRSTEDITION:April2014

eISBN9781466835894

FirsteBookedition:February2014