If you’re anything like me then you’ve probably wondered if you could meet the Navy SEAL physical requirements. We all know that it takes an incredible amount of dedication and mental toughness to pass Basic Underwater Demolition SEAL school (BUD/S). In this article we will examine some excellent fitness research that predicts just how fit you need to be to get through BUD/S. We will also cover minimum physical requirements and competitive scores for the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test (PST). Keep reading for more.
If you’re interested in becoming a SEAL then you have to be extremely fit. You must have well rounded fitness that includes things like maximal strength, aerobic capacity, and much more. One of the most common mistakes people make when training for any military selection process is only practicing for the test.
Remember that the Navy SEALs fitness test is the job interview. It’s the lowest bar you must pass to get to the next step of the training pipeline. I don’t know about you, but you aren’t likely to be successful if you only train for the first step of a marathon!
As I alluded to above, I’m going to cover some great research on what it takes to be successful in the Navy SEAL training pipeline. You can also compare those traits to other similarly difficult Special Operations Forces pipelines like US Army Special Forces, or Marine Corps Scout Sniper School. Here’s a quick overview.
Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Requirements Overview
- 3 mile run time most predictive (60%) of completing Hell Week
- 800m swim is approximately 30% predictive of success
- Minim PST requirement should not challenge you if you plan on success
- Upper body strength / pull up strength also predicts success
In the next section we’ll cover the minimum / competitive requirements for the Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test or PST. After that we’ll review more in depth research information on what actually predicts successfully completing “Hell Week.” Before we get to that, don’t forget to join the email list.
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Navy SEAL PST Requirements: Officer and Enlisted
The Navy SEAL Physical Screening Test is the first physical fitness test you must overcome to become a SEAL, and get to boot camp. This is your job interview, and as such you should blast the minimum requirements out of the water. It is 5 different events done in one day, with rest in between. There’s a 500-yard swim (no time limit), push ups, curl ups, pull ups, and a 1.5-mile run.
As you can see in the graphic below, there is a wide range between the minimum standards, and the average scores. This info comes directly from the U.S. Navy, and as such, I think the average scores are what you should be aiming for as your personal minimum. That is, if you see yourself on a SEAL Team one day.
If I put my fitness programming hat on, it’s very clear that you need a large aerobic capacity, as well as a high anaerobic capacity to beat the minimum scores on this test. I can also tell you that even though these are calisthenic based exercises, you will actually need to develop quite a bit of upper body strength to do well.
Contrary to popular belief, just doing calisthenics isn’t the best way to get better at calisthenics. I bet you never thought you’d hear me say the bench press is a functional exercise!
This will be a common theme in this article. The physical preparation that you need to pass these events is more than just practicing the specific movements that you will be tested on. Now that we’ve covered the PST, let’s look at some research to see which physical traits actually predicted successful completion of Hell Week.
Physical Traits Predicting Hell Week Completion
The most physically challenging portion of BUD/S is Hell Week. This grueling week long event pushes everyone to their limit, and is often the event that causes many prospective candidates to fail. Several years ago researchers collected data on prospective SEAL candidates.
They put them through a battery of standardized physical fitness tests, completely separate from the SEAL PST. They then compared performance on these various tests with successful completion of Hell Week. The results are quite informative.
Surprise, surprise, swimming and running ability are the most predictive of completing Hell Week. I did find it interesting that running was about twice as predictive as swimming, but there is likely a very simple reason for that.
Running fast requires a large aerobic engine, as does swimming. However, swimming is incredibly technique dependent. This means that swimming technique is likely the trait that is predictive in an 800m swim test.
If you plan on training for this pipeline, then you should take note that deadlift was the least important. Upper body physical strength was important, so you can’t completely neglect strength training. Now let’s take a look at how fast you need to run 3 miles to do well in Hell Week.
I find it interesting that the majority of Navy SEAL candidates finish between 20 – 21 minutes on the 3 mile run. This average run time yielded a 12% chance of completing Hell Week. Candidates running 3 miles in less than 19:00 minutes had a 30% chance of completion. You must be a very strong runner if you want to maximize your chances of becoming a Navy SEAL.
In the next section we’ll compare these findings to some interesting psychological research on the topic of grit. As you’ll see, grit is more predictive than any amount of push ups or pull ups.
Mental Toughness Research for BUD/S
If you read my article on the traits that predict Marine Corps Scout Sniper School completion you’ll recall that there are some interesting predictors of success. Things like living in the mountains, and having failed the school before were very predictive. The biggest predictor was the psychological trait called “grit.”
This is what it sounds like, your willingness to persist in uncomfortable, and challenging environments. They found that a 1/10 point increase in the personality trait of grit correlated to a 60% increased chance of school completion.
Like many things in life, you can train to increase this trait. Conveniently enough, that is best done with hard painful tasks, with no immediate pay off. That sounds a lot like physical readiness training to me!
Notice I’m not telling you that you can manifest yourself through SEAL training. I’m telling you that your physical preparedness, is much less important than your mental preparedness. In reality, the two go hand in hand. Make sure you don’t neglect either.
In the next section I’ll review a few programming options to get you started on the right track for your BUD/s preparation. I’ll also provide some other great resources as well.
Finding Your Next Workout Program
I’ve been coaching athletes and writing programs for years. I want to make it perfectly clear that these programs are designed to be good initial building blocks for those attempting BUD/S in a year or two. These are not good programming options for final BUD/S prep. I’ll provide you with some good options for that later on.
If you have some casual gym experience, and proper form on the basic lifts, then I would recommend my 7 month beginner to intermediate functional fitness program. This will build up your anaerobic, and aerobic energy systems, while strengthening your body with a lot of heavy lifting.
This programming series is built around one of my most popular premium programs, the 12 Week Muscular Growth Program. Just like my other premium programs, I include a lot of detail like percentages, coaches notes, and specific warm ups / cool downs.
Ideally you will be able to get through all the calisthenic based requirements for the PRT by the end of this program. You will also have built a resilient physique that is highly resistant to injury. This is often one of the least understood pieces of military fitness programs. After all, what good is your performance if you break your ankle the first time you step on a rock?
Once you achieve an acceptable baseline of strength and fitness, I recommend transitioning to BUD/S specific programming. You should do this about 6-12 months away from your anticipated ship date. You can find a specific BUD/S or Navy SEAL training program from Mountain Tactical Institute. They’ve been around for a quite a while and have a solid reputation. Now let’s finish this article up.
Final Thoughts
There are no ifs ands or buts about these Navy SEAL Physical requirements. You need to be an elite athlete to become a Navy SEAL. Notice I don’t say you need to look like an elite athlete. I’ve met Navy SEALs that look like any standard Costco dad. You need to focus on performance, not aesthetics. A competitive time on your run, is better than a low body fat number.
This sounds obvious, but I can tell you that throughout the 2 years of training I went through in the Marine Corps, I routinely saw guys training like they were getting ready for a bodybuilding competition. It should come as no surprise that that training style didn’t help them run 7 miles back to the barracks, after being in the field for a week.
If you’re serious about this style of training, you need to build your base of strength and aerobic capacity first. You can then work on the specifics of passing the PST. Now get out there and get training! Don’t forget to join the email list below.
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