This Leg Day Workout Will Prepare You for Military Service in Any Climate

If you are looking for a leg-day workout that will help you prepare for military service, look no further. Take your workout outside, regardless of the elements, and get to work. Getting used to different seasons will help you become acclimated to many types of climates you may encounter during any deployments or training selections.

Using weighted calisthenics (with sandbags, kettlebells, backpacks or weight vests) makes your squats and lunges a little harder. Add in hills, soft sand running, rucking and swimming with fins, and you can create a unique leg-day workout that will help you build strength, speed and endurance. More importantly, the combination of these elements of fitness will help you with full-body durability and work capacity.

Do you want a workout that will make you a more durable tactical athlete without having to lift heavy weights in the gym? If so, then this leg-day workout is just what you need.

Squats

Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. Slowly lower your body as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping your back straight and your weight on your heels. When your thighs are parallel to the ground, pause for a second and then slowly stand back up.

Aim to do three sets of 8-12 reps to build leg muscle, then try five sets of five reps to build strength with heavier weight in the gym. But when outdoors with lighter weight (backpacks, weight vests or sandbags/kettlebells), try bigger repetitions per set, accumulating up to 100-200 reps in a workout.

For instance, try five sets of 20-40 reps with or without weight. Between squat sets, rest with another activity like cardio or core work for a few minutes. Planking and light stretching are great options to "rest."

Between exercises, "rest with some form of cardio." This can be an easy jog, bike, row or other option to shake out the legs prior to the next leg exercise. Try one mile of running or 10 minutes of nonimpact cardio activity.

Lunges

Lunges are another great leg workout. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with one leg, keeping your back straight and your weight on your heel. Lower your body until your back knee is almost touching the ground, then push yourself back up. Alternate legs with each repetition.

Lunges can be done with a reps/set scheme or for distance. Try larger sets and reps in the range of 3-4 sets of 20+ reps per leg with light weight (30-40 pounds chest-carry sandbag) to simulate chest-carry log lunges you may see, depending on your training. Try to build up to 100-400 meters of nonstop walking lunges in a workout.

Rest with some form of cardio for 5-10 minutes.

Jumps

Jumps build power. Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your body into a half-squat and then explosively jump up as high as you can. Land softly and repeat. You can jump vertically or as a broad jump for distance. Try three sets of five reps, with light stretching between reps and sets. Stay warmed up for these explosive leg exercises by adding some dynamic stretching movements.

Cardio That Is Difficult on the Legs

You can place the run or ruck before or after the above circuit of leg exercises. Soft sand running will increase leg stamina and endurance. Find a beach or a soft sand area and start running. If you cannot find a beach, try the hills. If that is not possible, try a stair stepper with a weight vest. Or bike at high resistance levels for 20-30 minutes. These are great options to work the legs and lungs.

Rucking

Rucking, a form of exercise that involves walking or running with a weighted backpack, is a full-body workout. Start by putting on a weighted backpack and walk. Pick up the pace by trying to shuffle, using short strides. Add in soft sand, and you have a combination that will build steel-plated legs.

These rucks can progress from 20-30 minutes to several hours in length. Be patient and progress logically. Build up to 25% of your body weight as a good standard while training, but start off with about 10% if you are new to rucking or not a weightlifting athlete.

Swimming with Fins

Swimming with fins is one of the best ways to build leg strength and endurance without the impact of load-bearing activities, especially if you use the big scuba fins like Jet or Rocket Fins (military issue for most special-ops diving courses). The fins will provide extra resistance in the water and help to build muscle, increase mobility and add a therapeutic option to training.

We typically end with swimming for that reason to help "top off leg day". Try 20-30 minutes of swimming with fins and/or treading water with them. If going into diving/spec ops programs that involve swimming, you will need to build up to 60-90 minutes of this event.

By incorporating these exercises into your leg-day workout, you can increase your leg strength, stamina and endurance. This will help you prepare for military service and become a more durable tactical athlete. Lifting heavy weights in the gym is fun, but it is not the only answer to building strong legs and preparing for military service that will require load-bearing activities for long periods of time in all kinds of weather.

-- Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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