Being Green on a Tracker Is Bare Minimum

No one should raise their right hand and think about being a bare minimum human. Even just writing that seemed a little aggressive. But, the reality is that we signed up to serve at the highest level. That starts with "true" readiness. Not being green on a tracker that was completed with PT gear, a controlled environment, and rep counters who just want to get back to work. It's about evolving our own personal standards, and letting the PT test outcome take care of itself. That's the goal: Train for real world demands, and crush ANY PT test.

Think about your worst day. The one where there is no start and end time. No known demands. No backup in sight. A dump of adrenaline that's nearly impossible to control. This can be in uniform or in day to day life. It's the day we all pray doesn't happen. When that day comes, the mentality that got you "green" on a tracker won't cut it. Now, imagine showing up to that moment after spending years saying:

"What's the minimum for HRP?"

"I won't run 2-miles in combat…"

"The waist tape is useless…"

"What do I need to pass?"

“I'm just too busy…” (if busy is the baseline, lets just drop that word)

This minimum standard mentality gets people hurt. Are the tests perfect? No. But your training should be so above and beyond that test updates, times, and "spot checks" should take up 0 mental bandwidth. That doesn't mean practicing the test, training 6-7 days per week, or a massive time commitment to an already stressful schedule. It means that targeted training MUST be the priority.

4 Targets that elevate YOUR standards (and make any test a breeze):

1 - Command Presence

Whether we want to admit it or not, appearance is the first line of defense. Our goal is to showcase discipline, confidence, and work ethic. A police officer's presence should make someone think twice about acting up. Military members and firefighters should carry a sense of pride, clean, professional, and well-put together. Leave no doubt in people's mind that you can handle the demands.

Body fat: Waistape takes up 0 mental bandwidth

Posture: Heads up, shoulders back, and you're confident from training

Uniform fit: Reveals daily personal and professional standards

Bottom line: If you're afraid to step on the scale or uniforms getting a little snug, this might be the gut check you need (pun intended).

2 - Handle Your Bodyweight (BW)

I've seen a ton of metrics out there that tactical athletes should be able to hit. Some are great, others are not. There is just too much nuance to be able to have "perfect" metrics to target. But, I have some general bare minimum standards (that now go above and beyond):

Squat variation - Minimum: 1 x BW / Target: 1.75-2 x BW

Bench variation - Minimum: 1 x BW / Target: 1.5 x BW

Deadlift variation - Minimum: 1x BW / Target: 2-2.5 x BW

Conditioning - Minimum: Run 3 miles in under 27 minutes / Target: Sub 21minutes

Carry - Minimum: Farmer carry 50% BW in each hand for 30+ sec

Calisthenics - Minimum: 6-8 strict pullups, 40+ pushups unbroken

Bottom line: If you can't move yourself, you can't move others. Plus, how will you not crush a PT test with these targets?

3 - Something hard on the calendar

We live in an overfed, temperature controlled, distracted society where resources are abundant. Think about it, when is the last time your back was against the wall and you were truly tested. I'm not mad about the evolution in society, and I take advantage, like everyone should. But, we also need to realize comfort can kill capacity (if we let it).

The reality is this: voluntary stress inoculation builds involuntary resilience. When you choose to put yourself in uncomfortable situations in training, you're building the mental and physical capacity you'll need when the real world doesn't give you a choice. Put a strategic "gut check" on the calendar, or something that forces you to show up.

Rule #1: Choose something that fires you up

Rule #2: It must be relatively hard (50/50 shot of hitting the target goal)

Examples: Races, strongman / powerlifting comp, public speaking event, skydiving, backcountry hike with a loaded pack, tactical games.

Bottom line: You will learn a lot about yourself in the process. Stress test in training, before you're tested in the real world.

4 - Recover

We need to make sure we are recovering and adapting to the stimulus and not just "getting tired". Remember, any idiot can make you tired… That's not hard. But, at the same time, it's more than a passive rest day. These are things I enjoy that help me recover, both physically and mentally:

15 minutes of distraction free psychological space per day (ex. yoga nidra)

Night routine where we are detaching from technology and journaling and reflecting (I use Frontline Focus Journal)

7.5k+ steps per day without distractions

Reading (Current read: Wooden on Leadership)

Bottom line: That current problem that you're trying to solve? You already have the answer. Implementing psychological space will give you the "aha" moment to be able to find it.

My promise:

You're one standard away…From winning in training, uniform, and life.

That doesn't start with following the "good enough" status quo of searching for the minimum standards. It starts with elevating yours.

If you don't know where to start, and want to target ONE weakness that could fail you in the field…

Take our free assessment (takes 3-minutes)

We'll ID the biggest physical gap before it becomes a liability, and show you how to fix it.