Ten Weeks Before a Residential Academy With Minimal Equipment
An agency has 10 weeks before a 22-week residential academy. Eight pre-recruits train three mornings per week at a commercial gym with dumbbells up to 50 lb, a pull-up bar, a 200 m track, and no barbell or sled. Academy PT is daily: 3–5 mile runs, high-volume push-ups and sit-ups, an obstacle course, and two to three ruck marches per week. Baseline: push-ups 22–48, 1.5-mile 11:40–14:20, all can do at least 5 pull-ups; two recruits have never run more than 3 miles. Recruits work full-time, some on night shifts. One recruit has mild shoulder pain with overhead pressing. No recent injury history exists apart from the shoulder. The agency wants measurable improvement without arriving overtrained. Graduation standards are 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, a 13:00 1.5-mile, and 6 pull-ups.
1. Identify the three highest-priority physical targets and construct a weekly template across the 10 weeks. Show how you sequence running, calisthenics, and strength while respecting the equipment and schedule.
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Highest-priority targets: (1) aerobic durability to tolerate daily 3–5 mile runs, (2) push-up, sit-up, and pull-up muscular endurance, (3) lower-body strength maintenance for rucking and obstacle work. With only three sessions, each day must serve two goals.
- Mon: interval run - 6×400 m at goal 1.5-mile pace (about 2:10–2:20 per 400 m) with 90 s walk; then 5 rounds of 10–15 push-ups, 5–8 pull-ups, 20 sit-ups, 60 s rest.
- Wed: 20–25 min tempo at RPE 6–7; dumbbell goblet squat 3×10, split squat 3×8/leg, Romanian deadlift 3×10, farmer carry 3×40 m.
- Fri: 35–50 min easy run plus 6×60 m strides; circuit of push-ups, inverted rows, sit-ups, and side planks.
Weeks 1–3 build volume; weeks 4–6 add intensity (400 m repeats, tempo to 30 min) and reduce one circuit round; weeks 7–9 simulate academy days with back-to-back run and calisthenics days; week 10 cut volume 40–50%. Progress push-ups by total reps (for example, +10% weekly), not to failure. Because academy PT is high-volume, the third day should not become a second long run.
2. Justify why you would not simply replicate academy PT in the final 3 weeks, and describe two modifications for the recruit with shoulder pain.
Read the worked answer
Do not replicate academy PT. The academy supplies a large, unavoidable dose of running and calisthenics; adding more in weeks 8–10 raises cumulative load before arrival and increases overuse risk. The goal of the final block is to demonstrate readiness and arrive fresh: keep one quality run, one tempo, one long easy run, and reduce total volume.
Shoulder modifications: (1) replace overhead pressing with neutral-grip dumbbell floor press or landmine press within a pain-free range, and add band external rotation 2×15; (2) if pull-ups provoke pain, use inverted rows or band-assisted pull-ups, and keep push-up volume submaximal. Use a pain rule: ≤3/10 during exercise and no increase the next morning is acceptable; otherwise refer and substitute. Recheck before week 7.