British Army Fitness Tests to be Re-written

After the decision by the MOD to open ground close combat roles (i.e. Infantry and Armoured) to women last year, the British Army’s fitness test will be evaluated to ensure women can (physically) qualify for these front line roles. Although all roles will be open to women from 2018, the new physical training standards will… Read More

Royal Marines Commando Training: Incidence of Stress Fractures & Time to Return to Training

Research Paper Title Incidence and Time to Return to Training for Stress Fractures during Military Basic Training. Background Currently, little is known about the length of time required to rehabilitate patients from stress fractures and their return to preinjury level of physical activity. Previous studies have looked at the return to sport in athletes, in… Read More

Personal Trainers & the Client-Centric Element

When researching for an article I am writing, I came across this article by PT Direct which looks at functional training and personal trainers (PTs). Although the topic of the article is ‘Functional Training’, the principles outlined by PT Direct regarding client desires, goals and abilities (encompassing customer service) is what I’m looking at. For… Read More

Materials Handling Ability in the British Army: Any Difference between Regular & Reserve?

Research Paper Title Materials Handling Ability of Regular and Reserve British Army Soldiers. Background The main objective of this research was to compare the materials handling ability, aerobic power, and body composition of fully trained Reserve and Regular male British Army soldiers (∼6–7 years of military experience). Methods Twenty-one Reserve soldiers and 15 Regular soldiers… Read More

“Leather” and the Fighting Spirit: Sport in the British Army in World War I

Research Paper Title “Leather” and the Fighting Spirit: Sport in the British Army in World War I. Excerpt The assiduous and organized cultivation of sport, and what is more important the spirit of sport, has become one of the most distinctive marks of the British Army, and it will be a task worthy of the… Read More

A Warrior’s Mind…

“A sharp mind is the warrior’s edge.” Unknown You can learn more by reading ‘Sharpening the Warrior’s Edge’ which is the first text which examines survival and combat performance from a scientific perspective. Author Bruce K. Siddle methodically brings together one hundred years of research which identifies the relationship between survival stress, the heart rate… Read More