What This Civilian Taught Tier 1 Special Forces Operators.

In 2017-2020 I worked (and lived) with very experienced retired US Special Forces Operators.

The sort of level where they would mention the location of their unit and you had all the information you needed.

And all the information you were ever going to get.

There were many of these incredibly high level individuals who came through the project.

At one time I was training about 5 of them.

All on 1-2-1 programs as they'd all been blown up, shot, fallen out of choppers, and worn down by many deployments during war time, not peace time deployments.

On the whole they were broken biscuits. All over the place.

It was a fascinating bit of my work I didn't need to do, but loved to do.

I wanted to help them be in a little bit less pain day to day. To allow them to pick up their kids without the fear of a disc flying out their spine and jamming in the wall.

The biggest thing I ever taught them was about true, effective recovery and load management.

When they were in, they were pushed until they broke, they simply had to get the job done.

They did what was needed, when it was needed and their own physical (and mental) well-being was not part of the mission set.

Once retired, the mission changed, but the mindset didn't. At least not for a long time. They were always on, their off switch either didn't exist of was broken.

We focussed on some critical areas ⤵️

• 👉 Physical training which was right for their bodies, injuries, capabilities and goals (play with kids, be in less pain).
• 👉 High quality, intentional and structured regeneration. Changing the name of recovery to 're-load' seemed to reframe it really quickly.
• 👉 Getting the rounds in and tightening the shot group. This was about quality repetition of deliberate and intentional work, be that breath work, re-load exercises of lifting. Making the connections changed everything.
• 👉 Re-load and sleep as a performance pillar. These guys got this one fast, they understood nutrition, hydration, training (ish), mental skills but the re-load side of their careers was very lacking.

Once we integrated things, on their terms, with their language, at their pace, in a way that was realistic and progressive.

They were all in.

People need to be met where they are at. Spoken to as they hear, and engaged with at a level and pace that they want to move at.

It's not about what these guys did in their careers, it's about understanding who they are as people and how to help them get what they want and communicating effectively.

I learnt more than I ever taught, for which I am forever grateful.

But I did teach them how to effectively re-load so they're ready for combat ready and combat effective for their new mission ➡️ be in less pain and increased health span.