Page:Assessment And Selection - Prep Guide.pdf/3

 (1) Fitness Habits of Action. (a)Establish Smart Fitness Habits of Action: before and after each workout, 10-15 minutes should be devoted to stretching exercises. (b)Maintain a well balanced diet and increase your water intake while conducting your daily routines. (c)Do not allow inclement weather to interrupt your training if you can help it. At A&S there is very little “inclement weather”. (d)Your workouts should be conducted in a progressive manner to avoid injuries. Overtraining or exceeding the progressive training plan will not allow proper bone growth and connective tissue conditioning. Progressive training will also ensure gains in physical strength and endurance are maintained and not easily lost. Prior to each workout, 10 to 15 minutes should be devoted to performing stretching exercises. After stretching, a 5-10 minute warm up that will warm all major muscle groups should be conducted to help prevent injury and ensure you get maximum performance from your workout. (e)Ensure you eat and hydrate properly throughout training. (2) Swimming Events. (a)All swim events are designed to be done in utilities, without boots. (b)Utilize the breaststroke or the sidestroke while swimming and swim in utilities if possible. (c)Swim at a fast pace and give as much effort to each workout as possible. (d)While treading water, vary your routine by treading with only your feet, with your hands out of the water, and then with only your arms. (e)When you start treading water, determine if you can tread for fifteen minutes without stopping; if you cannot, break it up into manageable lengths of time and then gradually lengthen the time as you get better. (f)Swimming is a requirement for A&S and these exercises will build your endurance and cardiovascular performance. (3) Hiking Events. (a)There are 2 hiking days per week; one is for working on technique and speed, the other is to work on endurance and speed over longer distances. Work to improve your technique and keep track of your hike times to track progression and improvement. Also, this will give you the ability to gauge your pace and help you determine distance travelled on an unmarked or unknown course. Improve gradually, but always seek to improve your time and endurance. As you put on miles you will also condition your feet to the task. It is imperative that your mind and body are conditioned to hike. (b)Select boots that are comfortable and well broken in, but not worn out. Use insoles specifically designed to absorb shock to reduce injuries.