Jim's Fitness Journey: Part III

Teammates, more fitness inspiration from Jim K, a sensational athlete -- and great communicator -- from Greece. He's a charter member of Team Perfect! Did you take the challenge I made the last time Jim blogged, to sign up for the weekly fitness challenges on our Perfect Fitness Facebook fan page? Check it out! AMM

One year before enlisting for my obligatory military service, I purchased a book by Dockery which got me into all round fitness, running, lifting weights, swimming & calisthenics. It felt really good! This triggered me to do some further searching on Navy SEALs and I decided to attempt Stew Smith’s “BUD/S warning order” (picture above is of one of Stew Smith's books). I would have a free weights session at the gym and then get back home for a one hour session of calisthenics (not recommended to anyone since it can cause serious injuries due to severe muscle strain).

Those Navy SEAL fitness books managed to boost my endurance and fitness levels to a point that I’d never thought of I was capable of achieving. Before I started doing the workouts in those books I had considered myself to be fit because I could lift some serious weights even though I wasn’t bulky at all. This showed how wrong I was, free weights didn’t offer the functional strength “SEAL fitness” did!

I couldn’t join the special forces because of terrible eye sight (I’ve had eye surgery recently) so I said to myself “if you can’t join them at least why not be as fit as these guys are?” I stopped lifting weights and got into the advanced level of "BUD/S warning order" with all my heart, always keeping up with the pace, just driven only by my personal will to become “SEAL fit” .

Excessive running (6-7 minutes/mile) almost daily, swimming almost one hour each day, and calisthenics had managed to reduce my body fat to a level I had never imagined. Yes, I’d exercise about 3 hours a day and there was a short period that I’d suffer from serious stomach cramps because of those workouts’ intensity. Those cramps were probably the hardest pain I’ve ever endured so far, it felt as if someone was cutting through my stomach with a knife and they lasted for about 2 weeks. But even this couldn’t keep away from exercising, and I kept saying to myself to be patient and that they’d go away when my body got accustomed to this physical exertion, and they did. Today I can recognize the symptoms and prevent this from occurring but I was determined to reach the fitness levels Navy SEALs had set and there was nothing that could stop me.

My military service (in Greece) was rather frustrating for me because I had reached the fitness levels set by Navy SEALs and I was determined to stay there. I did a daily workout on my own and in fact people were giving me strange looks because I was the only one in the camp who would exercise voluntarily. I recall a competition between our company and another one where I was asked to compete against x-special forces guy on pushups, he kept yelling and shouting that he’d beat me easily but in fact he dropped face first into the ground and I kept on going for an extra twenty reps before being stopped by the cadets who had the roles of referees (I could keep pushing out more reps though). By the way, that guy never talked to me again!

Part IV: Maintaining Navy SEAL fitness level after military service

Jim K

Tom Rancich on Teamwork

Look who came to visit Team Perfect! Teammates, for those of you who don't know him, former SEAL Tom Rancich was the first guest blogger on CHARLIE MIKE. Tom and I go way back! I met Tom during BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL) training. I was class leader of BUD/S Class 181 but was pulled out for medical reasons and rolled into Class 182. Tom was the class leader of BUD/S Class 182 – when I came in halfway through as the assistant class leader. Tom was pulled for medical reasons but I was secured. And the story Tom tells is that he was the one to get my guys into shape, thus making my job ever so much easier!

And here we are, years later, and Tom's still making my job easier. As longtime Perfect Fitness teammate Nancy in NC said, "SEALs are all about teamwork [] Any tips on team building and motivation?" Tom Rancich was and is the best leader ever -- that being said, I'm re-running a blog from him on Teamwork -- thanks brother! AMM

Question from Nancy in NC: So, you and Alden are obviously great motivators. How do you take a group of individuals, with their own self interests and personal goals, and motivate them to work as a team? I'm not referring to exercise here, but more team building at work or in a civic club situation.

Answer: The very first thing to do is to define what your organizational needs are. Very few organizations actually need a true team, or a least a team as I choose to define it--(Team- A group of people who have undergone advanced/ specialized training and been specifically forged into a highly committed, capable, mission specific, performance oriented operational entity).

But rather they need to improve their group performance (again, as I chose to define it. Group- A task oriented compilation of people based on individual skills relative to the projected skills required). Now the reason I define things this way is that I assert that the dictionary definitions are inadequate to properly define the future requirements of the team/group and thus makes achieving that status highly unlikely.

So the first thing that an organization really needs to do is clearly and accurately define what are their:

1. Goals
2. Mission
3. Vision
4. Critical values
5. Organizational imperatives
6. Organizational philosophies

From that start you will have defined the type of people and the type of interaction/communication you need. It is a lot of work, but this will also clearly show how people are to be and most importantly, the benefit to the individuals for being that way.

I have long believed that all SEAL training and operational successes come down to two simple critical values that all SEALs must possess: Never quit, Never leave your buddy. That is the bedrock foundation of everything else we do.

Tom Rancich
_________________________________________________
Lt. Commander Thomas Rancich, US Navy SEAL (Ret.) is the co-founder of VRHabilis, a disabled veteran-owned small business that seeks to employ the highly trained and motivated veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars for work in construction and related fields. Rancich and co-founder Elliott Adler are pioneering the concept of using adaptive technology to bridge the gap between industrial and medical technology. Their company contributes proceeds to two worthy causes: a fund for the development of adaptive technology that will allow disabled veterans to pursue their desired career path and the EOD Wounded Warrior Fund.

Jim's Fitness Journey: Part II

Before I turn the spotlight over to Jim K, a sensational athlete -- and great communicator -- from Greece, I have a challenge for you: sign up for the weekly fitness challenges on our Perfect Fitness Facebook fan page. Jim's journey to Navy SEAL fitness levels demonstrates the power of having a "swim buddy" -- a fellow fanatic to show the way! Every week Perfect Pushup users challenge each other to take their workouts to the next level. AMM Back to Jim --

"A few years later I got to high school where kids were much more competitive. One summer I started doing pushups and abs to improve my overall condition. Maybe the form wasn't correct but at least I was trying! At that point I'd started going fishing with my dad where I'd row for quite extended periods of time, and I begun to realize that exercise wasn't actually so bad even though the palms of my hands would get sore with blisters and tears from extended rowing periods on a heavy wooden fishing boat.

Even without an exact workout or strict exercise pattern I kept food intake at normal levels; the big change came when I got to college where I became friends with a guy (John) who probably was "the ultimate fighting machine" on campus. He was seriously involved in weight lifting, kick boxing and various martial arts and showed me organized workouts either for weight lifting or calisthenics. I owe him big for all his good advice. This also led to further weight loss and I have managed to maintain this weight ever since (probably I could use an extra 1-2 kg though)!

So there I was, I had managed to shed weight (those extra 4-5kg) and would hit the gym almost daily making steady progress until one day I came across on the internet Navy SEAL fitness books."

Part 3: Navy SEAL fitness books and their impact on a civilian athlete

Jim K.

Advantage of Adversity Pt 1

Teammates, with all this talk about tough times, I want to discuss the benefits of adversity with you. HUH? Adversity and Benefits – since when do those two words co-exist!?! Hear me out … When I use the word adversity I mean it defined as: an overwhelming challenge – a seemingly insurmountable obstacle – a wall so thick that you have no idea how you’re going to get through it, over it, under it or around it. For most, adversity is not a welcome word, and why should it be, after all we’re human and humans are wired to avoid pain and pursue pleasure … and adversity is directly associated with pain. So it’s no wonder when folks hear about adversity their first instinct is to avoid it. A totally natural and completely understandable reaction, but here’s the rub. There’s a silver lining to adversity that is critical to know – it’s the confidence you gain from overcoming it that can’t be earned any other way. This confidence is the cornerstone of your attitude, it’s the engine of your persistence and it stokes your ability to dream bigger dreams which in turn – and paradoxically – puts you on a path to encounter greater adversity.

In the world of SEAL Team training, candidates are tested daily with all types of physical and mental adversity, such as running a 4 mile timed run only to find out (as you’re puking at the finish line) that it’s actually a 10 mile run. Perhaps the most well known military training adversity is SEAL training’s Hellweek where three shifts of SEAL instructors dish out around the clock mental and physical punishment while depriving you of all but 3 hours of sleep (total!) over 5 days. It should come as no surprise that a dramatic number of candidates decide to quit during Hellweek. However, those that make it through Hellweek, which is actually early in SEAL training (wk 6 of 35 wks when I went through) are different – they have a swagger about them, an attitude of “bring it on” – “give me all ya got” – “you’re not going to stop me” attitude. And that is exactly the attitude the SEAL instructors want to develop. This attitude becomes the foundation for creating a special breed of warrior, and it can only come from experiencing and overcoming an adversity as intense as Hellweek. My point, you can’t learn the confidence adversity teaches you in a classroom or from a book – you can’t fake it – you learn it from experience – there’s no short cut – period.

Stay tuned for Part 2: how do these lessons from SEAL Hellweek relate to you?

CHARLIE MIKE -- ALDEN

Picture of the Great Wall of China courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Chris Cassidy, Navy SEAL Astronaut

CM Teammates – NEWS FLASH – former SEAL Teammate, Chris Cassidy, landed today after being the 500th person in space (and one of only a couple of SEAL astronauts)! I first met Chris at SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV)Team TWO in Virginia Beach. I had just completed my first deployment as an SDV Platoon Commander and Chris was just arriving from BUD/S (SEAL basic training). A quiet, young professional who never boasted of the fact he was honor-man for his SEAL class – a rare accomplishment for an officer. Chris assumed command of my swim-buddy’s platoon – Stew Smith – as the Dry Deck Shelter Officer of Task Unit ALPHA.

My most vivid memory of Chris, besides his quiet professionalism, was his response when I asked him what his SEAL Team goals were – his response, after a little coaxing, almost as if he was embarrassed to state them out loud, was he wanted to be an astronaut. Not just any astronaut, he wanted to be a SEAL astronaut.

CONGRATULATIONS CHRIS – MIKE CHARLIE – your mission is complete! Today is a great day for Chris and another reminder that you are only limited by your dreams and your courage to pursue them!

HOOYAH CHRIS!

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN

Are you thirsty? H20 advice from Mojo Frog

CM SEAL Team blogger: Marcus Colburn

Let's think about this...your body is mostly water. Water covers 2/3rds of this planet. If you're getting thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Stay clear of all other types of drinks and drink lots of pure H2O! Regular plastic bottles get old and can cause foreign bad juju to harm you whereas bottles made out of more permanent materials (like steel) can be washed and won't leak bad juju into your blood stream!


We used to have a saying in BUD/S (because water is so heavy). Whenever someone tried to lighten their load by carrying less water, we just said when they complained, after they were warned to bring more water, "Are you thirsty? DUDE, IF YOU DIDN'T BRING IT, YOU MUST NOT NEED IT."

Summer is here and it gets wayyyyyyyyyyyy hot. So keep up with your fluids. Stay strong and ready!

Mojo Frog

Picture used with permission of Dreamstime.

Effective Fire and the Right to Bare Arms Workout

CMT (CHARLIE MIKE TEAMMATES) -- Memorial Day weekend is coming up fast -- the "opening bell" for water-borne and by-the-beach activities – and with it comes what we call OPERATION SIERRA OSCAR – that’s short for time to take your shirt off…are you ready to bare your arms, abs, chest and back? If you’re still sporting your winter “coat” don’t despair – follow the below workout and you’ll be proud to Bare Arms by June. Just remember, YOU are the only one can make it happen – TAKE ACTION and you’ll be surprised at what can happen.

In SEAL Team we spend an excessive amount of time on learning to generate what we call Effective Fire – that is, making every bullet count, i.e. hitting the target as much as possible. Now not every bullet is going to hit the target, but the idea is make the large majority of the bullets fired “effective” otherwise, we’re just shooting air, wasting bullets and letting the bad guys know where we are – not good. Same rules apply for taking action toward our goals – if you take action but it’s not toward your goal than it’s wasted effort, but if you take action – however small – and the action is Perfect (on target), then even small amounts of “Perfect” action can reap you HUGE results over a relatively short period of time.

In essence, that’s what Team Perfect’s mission is – to create products that are Perfect in action so when you decide you want the ability to Bare your Arms, Abs, Back, Chest or whatever, you can take action that is as Perfect as humanly possible to achieve your desired results as efficiently and effectively as possible…all that said, as good as our products are, they’re only as good as those who decide to take action. So Fire Up your Summer with Effective Fire at your goal and know that everyone has the Right to Bare Arms!

HOOYAH!

CHARLIE MIKE – ALDEN

P.S. Enjoy the “Right to Bare Arms Workout”:

Equipment needed: Pullup Bar of some kind – Optional: Perfect Pushup, Perfect Pullup, Perfect Dip Bar

Week One
10 (Perfect) Pushups – Regular Position (one hand width wider than your shoulders) – so you can work your chest
5 (Perfect ) Pullups (if you can’t perform a Pullup do negatives – hands facing away) – so you can work your back (V-back!)
10 (Perfect) Dips – if no dip bar, then conduct Pushups in Close Position (hands in line with shoulders and elbows facing back) so you can work your Triceps
5 (Perfect) Chinups – hands facing toward you so you can work your Biceps

*Repeat this throughout the day 4 times
*Conduct every other day (4 days)

Week Two
12 Pushups – Regular
7 Pullups – hands facing away
12 Pushups or Dips – Close
7 Chinups – hands facing toward you
Sames rules as above – 4 sets day, every other day for 4 days

Week Three
15 Pushups – Regular
10 Pullups
15 Pushups or Dips – Close
10 Chin-ups
Same rules as above

Week Four
20 Pushups – Regular
12 Pullups
20 Pushups or Dips – Close
12 Chinups
Sames rules as above

If this is too easy or too hard for you then increase or reduce numbers by 2 repetitions at a time – THERE IS NO SHAME IN GOING TO YOUR KNEES TO COMPLETE THE PUSHUPS AND CONDUCTING NEGATIVES WITH PULLUPS AND CHINUPS – going to your knees on pushups or doing negatives on pullups and chinups is a helluva lot more effective “fire on your goal” than not doing anything at all – your biggest gains are on the last few reps that challenge you the most – so TAKE ACTION and CHARLIE MIKE!! ALDEN

CHARLIE MIKE: An Attitude of Action

What does the term “CHARLIE MIKE” mean?

In the Special Operations world – Navy SEALs, Delta Force, Green Berets, Rangers, Marine Force Recon, Air Force CCT/Para-Rescue, to name a few, we use the term CHARLIE MIKE as a code for Continue Mission when speaking on the radio to higher command or other teammates. Whether you’re about to jump from an airplane, dive from a boat or assault a target – CHARLIE MIKE is all about making the mission happen – it’s about Never Giving Up until you have completed the mission and hearing the words MIKE CHARLIE: Mission Complete.

Though very few folks will ever endure the training and missions of Special Operations teams, the lessons learned from these special warriors can be applied to anyone, and that’s what our blog CHARLIE MIKE is all about – encouraging folks to find their mission, whether it’s a better body or a better life, and Never Giving Up on their mission. CHARLIE MIKE blog is code for an attitude of action, and the people that post to CHARLIE MIKE are committed to taking action and encouraging others to do the same. You will never fail if you take action toward your goal, but you are guaranteed to fail if you never act. We hope those that post inspire you to set your sights on bigger, more daring, missions, and if they do, we hope you’ll post your journey so you can inspire others to do the same.

We’re on a mission – are you?

CHARLIE MIKE - ALDEN