EP010: Developing a First Class Physical Readiness Training Program

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If you’ve spent more than a week in the Army, you know we “train as [we] will fight.” What is often overlooked in this training philosophy is physical fitness. Our guest today on the Leaders Huddle podcast, Captain Tony Soika, holds a B.S and M.S in exercise science and is an instructor in the Department of Physical Education at the United States Military Academy, West Point. CPT Soika is the perfect advocate for Army Physical Readiness Training (PRT), and wants leaders to move away from “how things used to be.”  Having helped develop FM 7-22 (Army Physical Readiness Training), CPT Soika explains the importance of customizing a physical training program that meets the needs of the individuals and mission requirements. We’ll also discuss how PRT is designed to prevent injuries and how to facilitate recovery for special populations, and how to conduct PRT with in limited environments.

If you want your unit to perform at its max physical potential, prepared to execute its assigned mission, this is the episode to get you started.

References Mentioned

• FM 7-22  —  Army Physical Fitness Training
• CPT Tony Soika  —  Why the Army can’t get PT right: Everyone’s an expert…and a little lazy
• TSAC-F  —  Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator

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Host: CPT David Weart
Guest: CPT Tony Soika
Editor: CPT Micah Klein, CPT Guillermo Guandique