http://optimalswat.com/blog.php Optimal Swat is a website for Law Enforcement and Military Training Programs http://optimalswat.com. en Sat, 19 May 2012 20:38:55 GMT vBulletin 60 http://optimalswat.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://optimalswat.com/blog.php http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=11 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:11:37 GMT *Functional Fitness For Law Enforcement Old School! (http://www.brinkzone.com/videos/functional-fitness-for-law-enforcement/)* ... Functional Fitness For Law Enforcement Old School!


A regional RRT group in the New England area invited me to do a seminar, and I brought John Sullivan – a trainer for Optimal SWAT – along with me to help out. The seminar was followed by a group competition using low-tech functional exercise challenges. They were broken up into teams of 10, and were timed on a long course of rope climbing, obstacle course, chain drag, keg run, farmers walk, phone pole run, truck push, tire drag, and more! Alone, one of the units was not terribly challenging, but strung together and done continuously, the difficulty mounted quickly!

As you can see, being creative with low-tech stuff found all around you is one way to develop a challenging circuit of exercises that are functional in nature and job applicable. Obviously, when working with a group this large, you will have a wide range of fitness levels, so you have to account for that fact and take into account not everyone is a cross training God or in Olympic Tri-athlete condition. These are real people with real jobs and responsibilities, not some kid who has all day to workout, so that has to be taken into account also. Anyway, it’s a short fun vid that may give people some ideas they can use in their own workouts, dept, or unit. Just low-tech, good old fashion hard work and some fun!


]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=11 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=10 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:08:57 GMT *Seminars for SWAT for optimizing health and performance... Seminars for SWAT for optimizing health and performance



Did a seminar for the Waterbury CT RRT/SWAT team at their Training Division Headquarters 4/15/09. I try to cover a broad range of topics applicable to tactical athletes, such as supplements, nutrition, and training, but considering how extensive each of these topics are, and all could be a long seminar on their own, it’s a balancing act at best.






I always supply a bunch of handouts to give them additional reading on the topics covered, as well as a recommended reading list. They, like any group of people concerned with their performance (and in their line of work, coming in second place in not an option…) they are bombarded with conflicting information on supplements, not to mention training and nutrition. My aim is always to help them narrow down the information, and per my general mission in life, separate the BS from the truth.





Via this site, additional seminars/courses, as well as my Practical Applied Stress Training (P.A.S.T) Program. For info on P.A.S.T. see Products Section of this site.

Two courses I have developed for Smith & Wesson, being offered spring and fall 2010, can be viewed on the S&W web site here:

Advanced Applied Stress Training For Law Enforcement: ]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=10 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=9 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:54:19 GMT *Reducing Musculoskeletal injuries in SF soldiers with applications to Tactical LE and other high tempo groups Note: *This is a side bar excerpt... Reducing Musculoskeletal injuries in SF soldiers with applications to Tactical LE and other high tempo groups

Note: This is a side bar excerpt from the P.A.S.T Program.


A fairly recent article in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM)* examined the Musculoskeletal injuries from 5th group.

The authors decided to quantify the rates and types of these injuries in SF using the records from 5th group, “who treated numerous middle-aged team sergeants with shoulder, back, and knee overuse injuries”
The authors noted “Special Forces, and Ranger units are about 10 to 12 injuries per 100 Soldier-months, which is comparable to collegiate endurance athletes. Of all the types of units studied, Special Forces has the highest incidence of injury rate at 12.1 per 100 Soldier-months.”

This study revealed that physical training caused 50% of all injuries, and 30% were linked to running. Injuries resulted in 10-times the number of profile days (lost work days) as illnesses with the leading reason for outpatient visits in our Group was for musculoskeletal disorders.The locations of affected musculoskeletal conditions in descending order include: back/neck (31%), ankle (10%), shoulder (10%), and knee (10%).

The authors found that “…over 40% of all clinical diagnoses in the 5th Group Clinic were for musculoskeletal problems.” This translated into injured members of 5th group being put on “light duty” an average of 20 to 30 days each which has “significant” operational impact on the unit.

It was interesting to note that in other army units studied, musculoskeletal injuries are more common in the lower extremities (e.g., knees and ankles) but in SF, upper extremity injuries (e.g., lower back, upper back, shoulders, etc) are more common. The authors theorized “This may be due to the slightly older average age of our Soldiers versus conventional units, in addition to the cumulative effect of repetitive micro trauma from airborne operations, combatives training, wearing heavy body armor, and carrying heavy loads.”

This article covered a bunch of additional info about injury rates and other details interested parties (trainers, docs, etc) can look up the full article for additional details there. Of most interest to me, was their comments on prevention:


“Finally to focus more on prevention, Special Forces Groups should modify unit physical training programs to incorporate the fitness and performance fundamentals used in today’s top athletic programs. Military researchers have shown that modified physical training programs can result in lower injury rates with improvements in physical fitness. Training regimens that emphasize core strength and cross-training would likely increase physical readiness while decreasing the incidence of spine and lower extremity injuries.”

I agree with all of the above. As mentioned, training hard and training smart, are not always the same thing. The latter leading to greater performance and reduced injury rates, with improved operational readiness and (potentially) greater operational longevity for the SF soldier. The top coaches involved in “today’s top athletic programs” follow similar guidelines I mentioned regarding programs that follow a wave form pattern vs. a linear pattern I had mentioned in other blog posts here.
I’m happy to see the medical and training community within the SOF community is starting to see the benefits in both performance -and reduced rates of injuries – following more modern concepts in training already being utilized by the top athletic programs and or coaches in the field. The authors finished their report by summing it up nicely:


“By making these changes to training and resourcing, Special Forces Groups will be investing in our most lethal weapon—the individual Special Forces Soldier.”

* Clinical Diagnoses in a Special Forces Group: The Musculoskeletal Burden
James H. Lynch, MD, MS and Mark P. Pallis, DO, FAAOS. Journal of Special Operations Medicine (JSOM): Volume 8, Edition 2 / Spring 2008, 76-79 ]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=9 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=8 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:47:15 GMT Part 3 of the CT SWAT Challenge 2008. Can't resist the toys! :AR15firing:

]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=8 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=7 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:42:19 GMT Part 1 covered the killer PT course for this event, here are the shooting stages: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRfsod5RBgA Part 1 covered the killer PT course for this event, here are the shooting stages:

]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=7 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=6 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:19:59 GMT *Vid From The toughest PT stage in SWAT Competitions* Here is part 1 vid of the 2008 CT Challenge. I did the PT... Vid From The toughest PT stage in SWAT Competitions

Here is part 1 vid of the 2008 CT Challenge. I did the PT course first. I was not able to get vid of all the stations unfortunately, but got enough to give those were not there a good idea of the event. Will have vids that cover the shooting events, and other stuff up shortly. Enjoy:


]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=6 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=5 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:03:09 GMT *First Annual Boston PD Pistol Shoot * I was recently invited to a match at the Boston PD, by my good friend,... First Annual Boston PD Pistol Shoot

I was recently invited to a match at the Boston PD, by my good friend, Boston PD officer, Rodney Best. Here’s a vid from that day.


]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=5 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=4 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:51:44 GMT *Army makes big purchase of TRX Suspension Trainers* As a fan of the TRX Suspension Trainer, and as someone... Army makes big purchase of TRX Suspension Trainers


As a fan of the TRX Suspension Trainer, and as someone who uses one semi regularly personally – as well as with the tactical LE/SWAT teams I have worked with – I think this is $$$ well spent for the Army. Below is the press release. You can see a short vid of yours truly using one at home HERE

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – The Army has purchased 3,205 TRX Suspension Trainer “Fitness Anywhere,” kits to help deployed Soldiers get complete-body workouts wherever they can find a beam, doorway or tree limb to anchor the resistance-training device.

Soldiers already have mounted several of the systems to Humvees, tanks and cargo crates. The Force Trainer kits were bought by the Army Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command.
MWR employees at Fort Belvoir, Va., will send 205 of the combat-boot-sized systems to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the recreation kits for deployed troops. Three thousand more were issued to Army units for a pilot program at Fort Bragg, where about 100 Soldiers volunteered for train-the-trainer clinics with instructors from Fitness Anywhere, Inc.

Source: www.military.com

OS Bottom Line: The TRX Suspension Trainer is not be all end all, have their limitations (as everything does…) but bang for the $$$ and the ability to use them pretty much anywhere (hence the name…) this seems $$$ well spent. For the non soldier, the TRX is a great addition to a home gym, people looking to add more functional type exercise, etc. and I highly recommend it. :cool: ]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=4 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=3 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:44:04 GMT *CT SWAT Challenge PT Stages 2009* As expected, the P.A.S.T style training paid off and it was “mission accomplished” for the major goals we set... CT SWAT Challenge PT Stages 2009

As expected, the P.A.S.T style training paid off and it was “mission accomplished” for the major goals we set for the NEMLEC SWAT/RRT:

Goal for this year, break the top 10:

The team I worked with was 7th out of 37 teams (last year they were 14th out of 33 teams)

Be #1 team from MA:

They were the number one team from MA (there were 6-8 teams from MA). The second closest team from MA was 4 places (the MSP team) who took 11th place, a very respectable placing for their first attempt BTW.

Crack top 5 of at least one stage again:

4th in the sniper challenge

Goals not achieved:

The only set back was they were not able to repeat their 4th place finish in the PT Challenge portion of it, but still placed a very respectable 13th. We had a beat up crew this year with a lot of injuries, other teams really brought up their game this year (we were told by several teams they used my vids as their training guide!) so I can live with 13th. Below is my vid from the PT portion of this competition:


]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=3 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=2 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:26:21 GMT **Military members with more muscle are penalized during fitness tests.** ... Military members with more muscle are penalized during fitness tests.

Keeping with my recent theme of there being a general anti muscle bias in the media and scientific community …I’m sure this will come as no surprise to those in the military, but it’s good to see that objective data shows the bigger guys and gals in the military tend to be penalized for carrying extra muscle mass during testing. A paper by a Dr. Vanderburgh published in Military Medicine entitled “Correction Factors for Body Mass Bias in Military Physical Fitness Tests” concludes

“…recent research evidence indicates that military physical fitness tests penalize heavier service members and do not measure levels of absolute fitness, arguably just as important as relative fitness.”

His research suggests there is a 15% – 20% penalty on heavier (not fatter! ) service members during the physical fitness tests of the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force. In fact, these physical fitness tests imposes a systematic bias against heavier service members and this bias is independent of percent body fat.

This is a very interesting finding in my view and supports the fact there exists an anti muscle bias where endurance is rewarded but strength is not, even if it does not reflect the actual needs of soldiers or the general population.

The fact is, having more muscle mass (which may lead to slower run times) is more relevant to soldiers with “… the common push-up, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, and curl-up tests not only impose an unfair body mass bias, but they may have limited occupational relevance as well.”

Per my comments in a prior blog on a recent report that looked at injury rates of SF soldiers, it’s good to see researchers are starting to identify the limitations of “traditional” training used by the military and are suggesting ways of improving that training which will lead to improved performance and reduced rates of injury for the war fighter. Hopefully, these finding will trickle there way down into the training of our military forces. ]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=2 http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=1 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:52:09 GMT As I have mentioned before in my articles on the topic, supplement use appears to be very common among Special Operations military, such as Navy... As I have mentioned before in my articles on the topic, supplement use appears to be very common among Special Operations military, such as Navy SEALs as well as others. In addition to my reading what you would expect me to read, such as various medical/nutritional research, I read quite a bit of military biographies and other related topics. Once in a while you will see “real world” references to supplement use by Special Operations Forces (SOF) in some biographies, especially newer biographies.


I was reminded of that fact again as I was reading “Kill Bin Laden” by Dalton Fury. Dalton Fury (not his real name) was a Commander for one of the worlds premier anti-terrorist SOF groups, commonly referred to as “Delta Force” or just “Delta.” The book is Dalton Fury, Col.(R) personal account of the Hunt for the World’s Most Wanted Man: Bin Laden during their assault on the Tora Bora mountains in Afghanistan.


After making a killer accent in the Tora Bora mountain range, one Delta trouper was starting to suffer mild altitude sickness and was having a hard time staying awake. To counter that he had a bag full of a supplement called GU Hardrock Energy Gel. Apparently, “it was all he needed to get him back into the fight.”**


So if anyone wonders whether or not supps are used in the field by a good number of SOF, they do, and that’s been confirmed to me multiple times through both the data done by the military and from the soldiers themselves I speak with.


The product mentioned in the book is nothing but some inexpensive carbs, a small amount of amino acids, and a small dose of caffeine, more or less. These gels have become very popular with various endurance athletes. Nothing terribly high tech per se, but it apparently was of value in this situation and the extra weight and space it took up in the Delta troupers pack (and every ounce one has to lug ads up fast) was worth it in this situation.


The OS Bottom Line: As I have been saying for quite a while, supplements can have benefits to SOF and other military units, and should be taken more seriously by “the powers that be” and should be issued to units, vs. making them pay for them out of pocket


**p221 ]]> Will Brink http://optimalswat.com/entry.php?b=1