[.ca] The Special Ops Workout: The Elite Exercise Program ... (ISBN 1578261325)

Redundant and boring workouts:
Does it REALLY matter that a guy can do pull ups at a regular shoulder width grip and then must do a bunch with a wide or narrow grip? I think not. Strength and conditioning specialists know that doing the same exercise from all different angles accomplishes nothing, except maybe giving yourself a case of tendonitis or bursitis. Its a medical fact that a muscle's shape is genetically determined and that "hitting it" from different angles will not change its shape. This book is another canned workout book, full of boring and redundant exercises that just fill up space. I find it hard to believe that USSOCOM really does these workouts. At most this is remedial fitness stuff. The advice on rucking is nothing that great either. Im an accomplished hardcore, long range backpacker and frankly, the standard Army advice is poor in many respects. The British SAS has far better fitness advice and their physical training evolutions and selection course are superior to anything used in USSOCOM. The SAS are extremely accomplished "walkers" who have the trained physical ability to cover ridiculous amounts of distance on foot, in extremely rugged terrain, at fast paces carrying heavy loads. Again, it doesnt matter that you can do a gazillion different abdominal exercises from all different angles or do wide grip, narrow grip and medium grip pull ups. Who cares. All that really matters is that you can do cross country rucksack marches at fast paces, in rugged terrain using land navigation techniques. And oftentimes do it in bad weather and at night. And swim well for waterborne missions and river crossings. And negotiate obstacles carrying equipment and weapons. That is real combat related fitness. Its also termed functional, combat related fitness. This supposed "USSOCOM fitness" book is just sissy stuff. It has a distinct health club/bodybuilder tone to it. Stew Smith and GetFitnow's first several fitness books were pretty good. But the last several they've published have not been too great. This is one of their books Id put in the "poor" category and recommend against purchasing. Quite frankly, this book is just a collection of mediocre bodybuilderish workouts utilizing many redundant variations of calisthenics. And then uses "USSOCOM workout" in its title to sell it.

LIke the other books in teh series, a harcore workout:
This book was just as good of a workout as the other books in the series. I did not get it for the advice, or even for the verbatim workouts. The workouts make a nice base for creating your own. But, the workouts are great just as they are. The four different six week workouts are nice for the variety.

From the author of the workout:
Before I get accused of plagarism, I have to state that I DID NOT write the book - I wrote the workout portion and added some helpful hints on mental toughness, swimming and wrote the foreword, but I did not write the meat of the book. Nor did I write the tips on rucking - the US Army did...they know rucking better than any of us. I gave the book five stars because it is good. Mike Mejia is a great fitness writer who added a creative and effective 12 week program to get ready for the advanced 6 weeks workouts I wrote on Army, Navy and Air Force Special Ops training. The workouts are tested over 2-3 years of clients who successfully completed all of the above training. The workouts work and the info on SOCOM is a plus...

Eh.:
This book is worth buying only for Stew Smith's workouts. I personally liked the Army stuff the most of anyting he's done(which isn't available in the other books). It's basic, simple bodyweight exercise for the most part. Running, rucking, swimming, rope climbing, and lots of cals. My complaint was with Mejia's "SOCOM" workouts. They're the kind of trendy stuff that Smith wisely eschews in all of his other books. The pictures are...unmotivational. (If I wanted to look like that guy, I'd buy a cookbook instead of a workout book)

Better than expected...:
This book contains a wealth of information that any hopeful for SOCOM would be a fool to miss out on. The men that wrote this book know what they are talking about. Stew Smith has not only completed BUD/S himself, he has helped countless others do the same thing. If you really want to be an "operator" then buy the book, and DO WHAT IT SAYS. It can't do the work for you, but it will show you what you need to do.