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A PHILOSOPHICAL INSIGHT TO THE ARMY PHYSICAL TRAINING SYSTEM – A CULTURAL CHANGE
CHASSIS – ENGINE – STEERING
WO2 (QMSI) C Suffield RAPTC BSc (Hons) ASCC
There is a culture of Physical Training (PT) being administered to the solider as opposed to the soldier feeling part of the process. Equally, the engrained almost archaic notion that if you are not crawling out of every gym session then you haven’t trained hard enough highlight some of the barriers that we as an Army must overcome. These cultural and out-dated approaches to PT are key drivers in the development of the new Army Physical Training System (APTS) that was introduced as part of a wider physical development project titled Programme THOR (Training Human Optimisation for Readiness).
When we step back and look at professional sport and the approach to performance optimisation a structured system is employed balancing gym sessions, coaching sessions on the field and game time. These factors are considered and adjustments are made to either activity to promote progression and reduce the likelihood of overtraining that may lead to injury. In professional sport ‘on field coaching’ is known as technical/tactical training. When the whole piece is integrated and monitored a progressive and appropriate system is delivered. A typical day for a professional athlete includes a strength and conditioning session in the morning followed later by a coaching session on the field of play. The physical demands of these two sessions are monitored and intensity and/or volume are adjusted so that the athlete isn’t over training or repeating certain skills or drills that may increase the potential for injury.
When using this in a military context and drawing from the readers own experiences, how many of you have completed a bergan march on PT (strength and conditioning session) then ‘Tabbed’ to the ranges (technical/tactical training) before completing a range package (game)? Additionally, how many of you have been for a steady state run (that wasn’t steady and we were all in a state...!!!) and then completed a range package or something equally demanding? My point is this, when these components of fitness are compared, we are training the same energy system and the same muscle groups in the same way and wonder why we get injured or plateau whilst arguably promoting overtraining. Also, throw into the mix your own training where you choose to go for a run. AGAIN, to put this even more simply, you have done an endurance PT session, endurance range package followed by an endurance run! I am not for one second saying that endurance training isn’t important, I am trying to provide an example of why we need to evolve to enhance human optimisation for readiness.
If I talk about strength training, there is a dated opinion that this is (1) body building or (2) circuit training. To stress it again to help labour the cultural change to PT, circuit training normally requires muscular endurance and please feel free to add this to the increasing number of endurance sessions in the example above that you subject your bodies too weekly. Strength training involves multiple elements that can increase muscle size, explosiveness and maximal strength in a functional way that transfers to performance on the battlefield. If I use a car analogy; historically we have trained endurance and ran continuously for years. This approach has seen the engine (heart) become more powerful. Unfortunately, when this power (torque) is transferred to the chassis (the body) is weak and buckles (injury) because we have never strengthened it. If we introduce strength training the chassis will adapt and optimise our military training. If I am stronger I can apply greater force to the ground and I cover more distance with every step. If I can apply more force at a lower physical output, I am more economical. If I
WO2 (QMSI) Colin Suffield RAPTC presenting on the Army Physical Training System
am more efficient and cover greater distance with each step when running or tabbing I am a less tired, more switched on and have more in the tank for the next task.
Using the analogy above I have created an American muscle car, powerful in a straight line but can’t corner. This is no use to the modern solider and the need to improve agility is paramount. Think of an agile professional footballer or rugby player and draw comparisons to hard targeting. Tell me what the difference is other than the pay and maybe physical ability but you get my point. We don’t move in straight lines, we are constantly moving over uneven ground but how often are you taught to move correctly, certainly not on a steady state run or tabbing in a straight line?
If we improve strength, agility, coordination, aerobic and anaerobic fitness we are now a formula one car that can adapt to the demands of the modern battlefield. If these qualities are trained in an inclusive environment, the soldiers will feel part of the process and understand the why of each session. It is important to reflect on this new system of training and realise that the culture and approach to PT in the military has changed and our approach must also adapt.
Using the professional sports team approach to planning and delivery of physical training, GPS data is used to monitor the total number of steps taken in a session and this is factored in. I am a realist and know that this isn’t readily available to every soldier but the new APTS has implemented strategies to reduce ‘junk mileage’. The intensity of these sessions has been modernised to allow all soldiers to train at the appropriate intensity based on their ability. Think back to the steady state run from earlier. How many of you are training hard versus coasting? How many times has ‘fitness’ been judged on your running ability? When this is balanced against the strain placed on a soldier with a weak chassis the effects on the body and morale are clearly seen and we revert back to PT being administered to you.
It is beyond the scope of this article to go into every detail but the APTS is based on blocked daily undulating periodisation that factors both green and physical training. Progressive loading is