Training Methods and Training Instructors' Qualification Are Related to Recruits' Fitness Development During Basic Military Training.

Adequate physical fitness is essential for successful military service. Military organizations worldwide therefore make continuous efforts to improve their army's physical training (PT) programs. To investigate the effect of the training methods and the qualification of PT instructors on the development of recruits' physical fitness, the present study compared the outcomes of 2 training groups. Both study groups participated in approximately 145 minutes per week of PT. The control group executed the standard army PT prepared and supervised by army PT instructors. Content of the PT in the intervention group was similar to that of the control group, but their training sessions' methods were different. Their training sessions were organized, prepared, and delivered by more and better-qualified supervisors (tertiary-educated physical education teachers). After 10 weeks of training, the participants of the intervention group experienced a significantly greater physical fitness improvement than those of the control group (positive change in endurance 32 and 17%, balance 30 and 21%, and core strength 74 and 45%, respectively). In both groups, the recruits with the lowest initial fitness levels significantly increased their performance. In the intervention group, but not the control, one-third of the recruits with the highest initial fitness levels were able to further improve their general fitness performance. This study demonstrates that the training methods and quality of instruction during PT sessions are relevant for recruits' fitness development in basic military training.

Effects of a 7-week outdoor circuit training program on Swiss Army recruits.

The purpose of this study was to implement an outdoor circuit training program as an addition to standard training and to examine its effects on physical fitness and injury incidence rate in Swiss Army recruits. An intervention group (standard and additional training, n = 134, 21.0 ± 1.1 years, 74.1 ± 10.0 kg, and 1.78 ± 0.1 m) and a control group (standard training only, n = 125, 20.4 ± 1.2 years, 73.3 ± 9.1 kg, and 1.78 ± 0.1 m) from the same fusilier infantry training school were compared. Physical standard training in the Swiss Army is specified to consist of 2 sessions with a total duration of at least 3 h·wk(-1). Groups of 20-50 recruits undergo these trainings in a gymnasium hall and outdoors. Standard training includes a wide range of exercises and sport activities (strength and aerobic fitness training, team sports, obstacle courses, physical fitness tests, and orienteering). The additional circuit fitness training program implemented in this study was conducted once a week for 60 minutes. It was performed outdoors and consisted of the same exercises every week (warm-up, squats, prone bridge, back and shoulder exercise, stair climbing, side bridge, single leg balance, walking on a balance beam, intermitted running, and active recovery). Volunteers' physical fitness was assessed during the first and last weeks of basic military training (7 weeks) using a standing long jump, seated 2-kg shot put, 1-leg standing test (OLS), trunk muscle strength test (TMS), and progressive endurance run (PER). Injury data were collected in medical records for the 21 weeks of military training school. The intervention group performed 1.0 session of standard training for 70.0 minutes and 1.0 session of additional outdoor circuit training for 50.0 min·wk(-1). The control group performed 1.3 sessions of standard training for a total of 70.7 min·wk(-1). After the 7-week basic military training, the intervention and the control groups showed significant improvements in OLS (35.63 and 9.79%), TMS (29.84 and 11.31%), PER (15.64 and 16.37%), and total physical fitness score (12.04 and 7.78%, p < 0.05). The intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in OLS, TMS, and total physical fitness score than did the control group (p < 0.05). No significant difference in injury incidence rate between the 2 study groups (intervention group: 14.2, control group: 13.9 injuries per month per 100 persons) was registered. The results indicate that the change from a civilian daily routine to the physically more demanding military routine led to significant improvements in physical fitness in both study groups. The additional outdoor circuit training session per week led to greater improvements in total physical fitness score but did not increase injury rates.

Impact of training patterns on injury incidences in 12 Swiss Army basic military training schools.

Non-battle injury rates are a major health problem in the armed forces today. Injury rates are related to physical demands of daily military routine. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of different physical training patterns on incidences of injuries in 12 Swiss Army basic military training schools. Therefore, injury data of 1,676 voluntary participant recruits and objective sensor data on physical demands of 50 volunteers at each of 12 trainings schools were assembled. Multiple linear regression showed that high physical demands, decreasing development of distances covered on foot, monotony in weekly physical demands, little time spent on sport-related physical training, and little time for night rest were significant risk factors for injuries. Together, those variables describe 98.8% of the variances of total injury incidence rate between military training schools. The new method used to objectively assess training demands allowed this study to investigate the impact of training patterns on injury incidence in a large number of training schools. The results of this study are important for future interventions to reduce injury incidence rates in a military setting by quantifying the injury risk potential of a large number of training patterns.