Customer Reviews

Elite Forces Manual of Mental and Physical Endurance: How to Reach Your Physical and Mental Peak

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As a combat veteran, former paratrooper, and 20-year combatives student/teacher, I thought this book would be interesting and maybe I would learn something new. However, I was pretty disappointed. Maybe for someone who knows very little (like almost nothing) about fitness, nutrition, and the military there would be some useful knowledge, but I see little value beyond that. The book teaches the same tired old nutritional nonsense that has been making this nation fatter and fatter for the last 20 years, namely the high grain, high carbohydrate, low protein prescription for weakness. I know it's what the 'food pyramid' preaches, but just look around and ask yourself if it seems to be working! Do a Google search for 'TBK fitness', dig around on that site and you will have a much better shot at learning something truely useful about nutrition and fitness, and it won't cost you a thing. (No, I'm not affiliated with TBK, it's just a good no-nonsense fitness/nutritional site). The military content of this book can also easily be replaced with a small amount of Google-work; I'd recommend passing on this one.

I purchased this book in Australia where it's titled, "The SAS and Elite Forces Manual of...".

I was extrememly impressed with the topic coverage and the depth that the author went into. Mr. Stillwell touches all the bases here... detailed pysical and mental preparation, several exercise regimens, nutrition fundamentals, basics on hand-to-hand combat and ending with a nice intro to "advanced techniques".

Mostly, I was impressed with the section on mental preparation, as this is a crucial area that similar books tend to gloss over, or exclude altogeher.
In this book we have interesting and detailed writing on things like goals, positive attitude and thinking, controlling emotions, meditation, self-esteem, and confidence.

The section on physical preparation is also excellent. Containing sample workout schedules, easy-to-understand illustrations, and just plain good information on exercise.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who is endeavoring to join the military or take on any daunting challenge. Or to anybody who is just interested in improving themselves mind, body and spirit.

May the Force be with you.

This book is geared toward the armchair enthusiast, and would be minimally useful to someone looking to improve their fitness beyond a beginner level (although I wouldn't recommend it to a beginner either). It's a survey of basic fitness activities, a truly impressive collection of trite do-your-best-and-never-give-up verbiage, and random pictures of soldiers in training or action with captions like "soldiers need to master the environment if they are to master their enemy". There are also brief excerpts from various units' training schedules, a ten-page self-defense chapter that talks about deterring bullies via posture and handgun disarms, plus basic nutrition and brief unrelated tips on desert, arctic, etc survival. The chapter on 'advanced mental and physical training' covers pull-ups, crunches, and has a full-page illustration of how to do an eskimo roll in a kayak.

This is an excellent reference book for diet, exercise and if you're dedicated a great way to get the ball rolling on your own personal boot camp.
Packed with interesting information it includes different sections of the forces exercise regimes and how to take proper care of your body.
I found this to be a valuable resource for physcial fitness.

I threw it in the garbage to prevent it from falling into anyone else's hands or to let myself by associated with it by merely having it. Very poor - DO NOT BUY.

It has a little bit of everything that is found in field manuals and Boy Scout guides. It isn't a physical training guide for elite forces. It is an example of "puffery" at its worst.

This book is not some in-depth review of the training which special forces worldwide really go through. It is a synthesis of basic training programs along with a mixture of other amateur fitness and meditation-relation information. In all, a poor selection for people wanting serious training along the lines used by elite military forces of the Western world. I was disappointed and stopped midway.

Overall I was rather disappointed with this book. It wastes several pages on "inspirational" stories, and although it discusses mental aspects such as confidence and goal setting, there isn't particularly anything that you couldn't figure out for yourself. Same with most of the treatment on physical conditioning. Anyone with some background in sports or fitness and halfway decent intelligence could figure out most of if for themselves. It mentions specific fitness requirements for a few elite units, but you could probably get the same info just by going to a recruiter (who would probably have the most up-to-date information anyway). There are a few useful tips on nutrition and survival techniques, as well as a few hand-to-hand combat techniques, but overall I wouldn't rate this book as being worth buying.

The following is not a critique of the book and, instead, the following is meant for wood-bee individuals striving to get into the respective branches spec-ops units. First off, I was a Recon Marine so I know a little bit about the fitness and mental requirements. Second, I wasn't Rambo and won't ever assert that I was. So where's the wisdom? Mental hardness is not something anyone can read in a book and then suddenly possess it. Mental hardness can definitely be developed but, I am quite certain some are born with a greater capacity for dealing with situations that require immence amounts of mental fortitude. Since most of us never push ourselves as hard as we can go it would benefit wood-bee spec-ops guys to fins someone to push them through crazy intense situations. Also, you might want to consider taking one weekend of your life, gather a pack with a extra couple pairs of socks, two power bars, lots of water, and a phone in case you get lost of in trouble. Put about 50-80 pounds in the pack and walk for about 10-12 miles out into the middle of nowhere, hopefully on a semi-cold and rainy day or a clear stupid hot day, then find a hide site and sit there throughout the day. At night, strap on your pack and walk even further out into the middle of now where and pretend your running some mission for the next 5-8 hours. Walk to another hide site and sit there all day and repeat the next night. Remember not to sleep the entire time, do this alone and, if this type of activity seems doable or even fun, then try it a few more times and then this should help you decide if you mentally have what it takes.

Fitness wise, here's some ideas. Run, run and run smart. Build up to the point where 12 miles is easy. Get used to long forced marches/runs. For all you wanna-be Seals, not only do the above as well as run bu swim, swim and then go swim some more. Finally, for all the Recon/SF wanna-be's, take the above and just double it while adding in less food and sleep. Enjoy!

For the price you pay the book is well worth it. It does seem like a beginners guide to military fitness but for some that is good, however for me it wasn't. Although it does have some great workout schedules included. Like I said worth the small price.

The whole book can be summed up in two ideas, "mind over matter" and "physical fitness impacts mental fitness." The stories in the forward are good, but the rest is really basic common sense. Great for someone with no military experience (or that cannot think on their own).