what is tactical athlete course army

by Ms. Cynthia Ryan III 7 min read

The Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C) mission, is to be the premier educational/ physical training center in the United States Army. Providing a practical and scientific approach to physical dominance for the modern Army Soldier.

The Tactical Athlete Program aims to change how the Army conducts PT and looks to reduce the number of related injuries. TAP focuses on building the Soldier's flexibility, agility and mobility while maintaining stamina and helping troops to meet and exceed the PT standards.Sep 2, 2010

Full Answer

What is the tactical Athlete Performance Center?

The Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C) mission, is to be the premier educational/ physical training center in the United States Army. Providing a practical and scientific approach to physical dominance for the modern Army Soldier.

What type of fitness do tactical athletes use?

We use strength and conditioning and sport specific gym training to build horsepower (strength, sprint cardio) and staying power (strength endurance, mental fitness, endurance cardio) for work capacity development. Sprinting ability, and repeat sprint conditioning, under kit load, is a primary work capacity fitness demand for tactical athletes.

What does it take to become a tactical athlete?

As a tactical athlete, you can continue progressing in a wide variety of training programs. The key is to find something that you enjoy doing -- whether it's powerlifting, obstacle course racing, triathlons, yoga or something else -- and is challenging and exciting.

Why do tactical athletes do aerobic training?

The aerobic base work is designed to make athletes’ “slow mode, faster” as well as develop joint and connective tissue strength. Blue tactical athletes have a swim-based mission demand. Last Fall we began experimenting with pool-based swim and fin training on the tactical side.

What is a tactical athlete?

defines a “tactical athlete” as an individual who trains for combat readiness using a comprehensive athletic approach. Tactical athletes use all facets of strength, power, speed, and agility to improve their combat fitness level to their highest potential.

How do you program a tactical athlete?

10 Tactical Athlete Programming FundamentalsTrain in the “gym” to perform outside it. ... Start programming with the fitness demands of the work or mission. ... The needs, wants, weaknesses, strengths, and opinions of the individual athlete are not a concern. ... Periodize, Program, and Progress. ... Keep it simple.More items...•

What is tactical fitness training?

Tactical fitness is not about workouts; it's about work. It is not about working out to get good at working out. It is about creating programs that carry over into real-life movements, like lifts, carries, crawls, runs, rucks, swims and mobility, even analytical and creative thinking.

What is TAPC army?

The Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C) mission, is to be the premier educational/ physical training center in the United States Army. Providing a practical and scientific approach to physical dominance for the modern Army Soldier.

Who is Tony Sentmanat?

Tony Sentmanat is a Marine Corps Veteran and retired Law Enforcement SWAT Operator with over 18 years of Real World experience. He is a life long practitioner in Mixed Martial Arts with extensive experience as a Law Enforcement Combative's Trainer and has been a Firearms Instructor for over 16 years.

How strong is Pavel Tsatsouline?

When he decided to test himself, it turned out that his 360-pound deadlift went up to 450 and he suddenly could do a strict pullup with over 100 pounds.

Why tactical training is important?

Understanding Tactical Training It builds muscle memory throughout your body and many people find that having tactical training helps them in sports and with their athletic performance. It's also training for your brain, and it teaches you what to do in stressful situations, even without having a firearm or weapon.

Why is tactical fitness important?

It is designed to help the operator better perform their job so they do not put themselves, their partner or people they are trying to save in greater danger. Tactical Fitness coordinates all of the elements of fitness.

Is tactical preparation a form of training?

Tactical preparation is the process of acquiring professional knowledge by players, learning and improving skills that enable the player to choose the optimal solution in each game situation and apply it effectively.

How long is tap good for?

Keep in mind non-retiring veterans and non-Army retirees can use TAP for up to 180 days after separation. Retirees may use TAP on a space available basis for the rest of their lives. 4.

Can you do SFL tap online?

You can now complete all required SFL-TAP courses online through the Joint Knowledge Online (JKO) website. If you choose to complete online courses, please remember to print your certificate of completion and present it to SFL-TAP staff in order to receive credit for completing the course.

Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C)

The Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C) mission, is to be the premier educational/ physical training center in the United States Army. Providing a practical and scientific approach to physical dominance for the modern Army Soldier.

Mission

The Tactical Athlete Performance Center (TAP-C) mission, is to be the premier educational/ physical training center in the United States Army. Providing a practical and scientific approach to physical dominance for the modern Army Soldier.

What is tactical athlete?

Who is a tactical athlete? Tactical Athletes cover a wide array of people. Both men and women. They may be employees or volunteers for their community, state or national organizations. Whose missions are to protect civilians against various threats, both domestic and international. Tactical athletes include, soldiers, military contractors, police officers, firemen and women, paramedics and any other person that uses there body for there job to protect and serve. The population I work with is the US Army’s active-duty soldier population, so that is whom I will focus on in my writing. With the highest populated military base in the world, Fort Bragg, NC 1/2 mile from our doors it’s only fitting.

Why is physical fitness important for tactical athletes?

Hence why physical fitness is a huge component in there preparation and training. If a tactical athlete weren’t in peak physical condition, their ability to complete their job could be limited. This could result in their death or someone else’s, so the stakes are high. There is way more on the line for these guys and gals then a competitive sport athlete.

What are the characteristics of an athlete?

When designing training programs, the majority of athletes, have some common characteristics. Speed, power, strength, endurance, and agility to list a few. But the number one is MOVEMENT. How well does someone move, are they fluid, are they stiff are they clunky? I doubt you’ll find any coach or General who would hope to have a team full of stiff, awkward, clunky movers. Great athletes are able to show off there athleticism whenever they want. Known or unknown task. Not every tactical athlete is the same, but they all should be able to do one thing well…MOVE!

What is the purpose of the Army Physical Fitness Test?

The purpose of the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is to serve as a tool for unit commanders to assess the fitness and battle readiness of their Soldiers. Although this concept is widely known, as it is read aloud prior to each APFT, the APFT is rarely applied as it was designed. Instead, unit commanders commonly use the APFT to guide unit physical fitness training. Excelling at the APFT has therefore largely become the primary purpose of physical training. As a result, instead of focusing on the unit Mission Essential Task List (METL) and battle readiness as the goal of fitness, unit commanders focus on a limited set of skills: push-ups, sit-ups, and distance running when designing their unit physical training. Units generally have 60 to 90 minutes each day allocated for physical training. Focusing on the mission in the design of fitness training is the most effective use of limited time, provides variety of training, decreases the risk for overuse injuries, and ultimately develops better, stronger warriors.

How to plan a fitness program for the Army?

Before designing a physical fitness program, it is necessary to perform a risk analysis, just as it is necessary when planning any type of training in the Army. It is not possible to prevent all injuries. There is no running mileage, for instance, below which results in zero injuries.1 Participation in any sport or fitness endeavor results in the risk of overuse or acute injuries.2 Knowing this, injury control requires implementing a risk-benefit analysis for each exercise or workout. Is the benefit, for example, of having a few excellent long-distance runners in your unit worth the risk of overuse injuries?

Why is it important to focus on the METL?

Focusing on the unit METL as the guiding set of skills for a unit’s physical training provides much more variety for training than focusing solely on the APFT. Variety increases the breadth of unit readiness while honing skills that pertain to the unit mission. By incorporating variety, commanders can reduce the risk of overuse injuries (sustained in pursuit of an APFT score) that render many of their Soldiers non-deployable. The result: a more highly trained unit with maximum deployability.

What are some examples of soldiering skills?

Many Soldiers are physically talented and skilled in areas that are unfortunately not tested on the APFT but that are acutely applicable towards the unit mission. Strength, power, speed, and agility are all examples of extremely valuable soldiering skills. Within every unit are Soldiers who may be poor distance runners but who excel at strength or agility driven tasks. These Soldiers are an untapped resource currently flagged as poor physical performers. Physical training, for these Soldiers, is a daily failure.

Why is physical training important?

Physical training is a daily opportunity to foster unit cohesion and build morale. For Soldiers who excel at distance running, push-ups, and sit-ups, physical training that is geared towards the APFT is an excellent morale builder. These Soldiers are proud of their talent and training and have a daily opportunity to succeed.

What does Fitt stand for in exercise?

Each exercise program should be considered and designes using the FITT principle. FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time, and type. When progressing an exercise program, only ONE of these factors can be progressed at a time.

What are the principles of fitness?

The principles of fitness provide an outline of basics necessary to make any exercise program successful. The following guide to terms includes a practical approach to the principles that are often memorized and quoted, but seldom applied appropriately.

Why are tactical events dangerous?

Tactical events are often most dangerous when athletes are tired and beat down from long days, multiple events, etc. Staying tactically sharp in this situation is mental stamina. As well, long, extended events, and multiple events over a long period work to grind down tactical athletes mentally as well as physically.

Why is max effort training important?

We deploy max effort strength training aimed at increasing strength with minimal weight gain. Excess muscle can be a detriment to most tactical athletes as it unnecessarily increases the load they must carry – thus slowing them down. As well, if they become a casualty, unnecessarily muscle mass increases the load their teammates must move for rescue.

What is sprinting ability?

Sprinting ability, and repeat sprint conditioning, under kit load, is a primary work capacity fitness demand for tactical athletes. As we’ve evolved, our work capacity conditioning has become much more sport specific, and now sprints, shuttle sprints, and sprint repeats loaded and unloaded are a work capacity training mode of emphasis.

Is muscle mass necessary for tactical athletes?

Excess upper body muscle mass is unnecessary most tactical athletes. The exception is for Black – patrol officers, detectives and correctional officers. Studies have shown that a patrol or corrections officer who looks fit and strong can dissuade a would-be bad guy from confrontation.

Can you train recovery from long events?

But he’ll be trashed the next day. His muscles, especially legs, aren’t used to this much volume, and won’t recover overnight.

Is distance running a fitness attribute?

Distance running isn’t one of the fitness attributes , but distance running is programmed frequently in your Operator Sessions and a little in your LE Officer sessions. What gives?#N#In an actual event, tactical athletes won’t be running, unloaded, in shorts and a t-shirt. And for years, this reality leads to us infrequently programming running. This began changing two years ago when we realized there was a “hole” in our programming on the endurance side – especially rucking. As well, with the military drawdown from Iraq and Afghanistan came a greater emphasis on garrison life, and subsequent emphasis on unloaded running for PT and assessments – and our athletes were asking for programming. What we found was significant transfer from distance running fitness to rucking performance. The two modes complement each other and allowed us to mix up our Green athlete endurance programming and improve rucking performance without constant impact from the ruck. As well, adding running addressed garrisoned athletes’ need to develop their running fitness. Finally, when we began seriously programming endurance, we found outside endurance work a welcome break from the gym and this helped address the “burden of constant fitness,” which faces all tactical athletes.

image