52-Week Low-Impact Plan · AF Special Warfare

Robert's Zulu Prep

Overall Readiness

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No start date setNo fitness test logged yetNo VO2 max logged

Fitness Test (80%)0%

Marker = every event at the minimum

Training Consistency (10%)0%

Sessions logged in the last 28 days

Nutrition (10%)0%

Days on target in the last 14

Training

Week

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VO2 max (from watch) Week notes

Start every training day with the 8 to 10 min warm-up in Plan Overview.

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Progress

Higher on the chart is always better, so times run fastest at the top. Dashed line: IFT minimum. Solid line: week-52 goal. Hollow dot: below the minimum.

Date	Wk	Pull	Sit	Push	1.5 mi	UW	500 m	Result
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Date	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Water	Sleep	On Target
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Date	Wk	Weight	Change	Body Fat	Lean Mass	Notes
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Forerunner 970: Swimming

Pool Swim activity, with the pool size set to the real pool (25 m or 25 yd) before starting.
Press the lap button to rest at the wall so rests don't count as swimming.
Use Drill mode for kick and drill sets. The watch can't count those lengths, so enter them.
Sidestroke may show up as "mixed" or the wrong stroke. Distance and time are still right.
The watch counts strokes for the watch arm only. The sidestroke stroke count in the log is both arms, about double the watch number.
Underwater swims aren't tracked. Log them by hand.

Forerunner 970: Getting Data Out

All activities: Garmin Connect on the web → Activities → All Activities. Scroll to the bottom so everything loads, then Export CSV. Brings in time, distance and heart rate, plus SWOLF and strokes for swims.
One workout: open it, gear menu → Export to TCX.
VO2 max: Garmin Connect app → Performance Stats. Type it into the week.
FIT files ("Export Original") aren't supported. Use CSV or TCX.

How It Fills the Log

Imported workouts appear on the matching day of the week log with a "Use watch data" button.
Swims also fill in the average SWOLF. Lower is better, so watch it drop as technique improves.
Re-importing a file skips anything already brought in.

Other Watches (Apple Watch)

Health export: Health app → profile picture → Export All Health Data. Unzip and upload export.xml. This brings in workouts and VO2 max (Cardio Fitness).
GPX files from the export's workout-routes folder also work.

One year to go from new swimmer to passing the Initial Fitness Test with a margin, then through Assessment & Selection and the 16-week Zulu course. Swimming comes first, then pull-ups, then sit-ups.

Fitness Test Targets

IFT Event (In Order)	Minimum	AFPC Recommended	Week-52 Goal
Pull-Ups (2 min)	8	13+	15+
Sit-Ups (2 min)	50	70+	75+
Push-Ups (2 min)	40	70+	75+
1.5-Mile Run	10:20	< 9:50	< 9:30
25 m Underwater × 2	Pass	Pass	Pass, relaxed
500 m Surface Swim	12:30	< 11:00	< 10:30

Test order and rest: pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups with 2 min between, then 10 min before the run and 30 min before the swims. Underwater work always has a buddy watching from the deck.

Low-Impact Rules

Run 3 days a week, max. 10 to 20 mi a week, adding no more than 10% a week. Do the rest of the cardio on the bike, rower, elliptical or in the pool.
Take an easy week every 4th week (about 40% less volume). Recovery is what keeps the body healthy for a full year.
Soft surfaces when possible. Rotate two pairs of shoes. Jumping work only in small doses after week 25.
Rucks are walked, never run, and start in week 25.
Sleep 7 to 9 hours. Sharp or one-sided joint pain means a day off from running.
Check the watch each morning. If the Forerunner's Training Readiness is Low or Poor, or HRV status is Unbalanced or Low, swap the day's run or ruck for an easy bike or swim. Keep the planned strength work, but stop 2 to 3 reps short.

Warm-Up Before Every Session

About 8 to 10 min, adapted from the Ranger/SF guide's dynamic warm-up. The guide's bounding and burpees are high impact, so they stay out until week 25.

Move	Time	How
Easy Bike, Row or Jog	5 min	Just get the blood moving.
Butt Kickers	1 min	Slow jog pulling heels to the butt, knees down then knees up.
Frankenstein Walks	1 min	Walk and kick each leg up toward the opposite hand, 10 per leg.
Side Steps	1 min	30 sec each direction, mixing in a few squats.
Calf and Shin Raises	1 min	Alternate lifting heels and toes. Builds the lower legs for running and rucking.
Light Stretches	1 to 2 min	Arm across the chest, arms back for the chest, standing thigh stretch and hamstring stretch, 10 to 15 sec each.
Foam Roll	After	Back, IT band and shins, 1 to 2 min each. Use it as the cool-down on hard days.

Swim Technique Notes

Combat sidestroke: a relaxed, gliding version of sidestroke. Count arm pulls per 25 m length. More than about 10 means working too hard, so lengthen the glide. Strong swimmers use 3 to 5 with fins. The Week by Week log tracks this count on swim days. Count both arms. The Forerunner only counts the watch arm, so its number is about half.
Hypoxic sets (surface only, from week 25): breathe every 5 strokes, then every 7, on 50s or 100s, resting 20 to 30 sec between. Never do them before or during the underwater set. Stop at any dizziness or tingling.
Swim PT (phase 4): 10 rounds of 100 m swim, then out of the pool for 20 push-ups and 20 sit-ups. It trains moving between land and water while tired.
Never swim underwater alone. A buddy watches from the deck for every underwater rep.

Workout Formats

Pull-Up Pyramid

1 pull-up, rest, 2, rest, 3, up to a near-max set, then back down. Rest no more than 1 min, doing 25 sit-ups or crunches in the rest. When pull-ups fail, finish with 5 sec negatives.

Slow-Tempo Pull-Ups

Start from a dead hang, pull up and hold at the top for 2 to 5 sec, then lower in 3 sec. Fewer reps, more time under tension. Good for breaking a plateau.

PT With the Clock

Max push-ups or sit-ups in a set time (1 or 2 min). It teaches the pace the 2 min test needs.

Push-Up / Crunch Superset

In each 2 min window: 10 regular push-ups, 10 crunches, 10 wide push-ups, 10 reverse crunches, 10 triceps push-ups and 10 half sit-ups. Rest what's left of the 2 min. 5 rounds give 150 push-ups and 150 core reps in 10 min.

Bike Pyramid

Stationary bike at 80 to 90 RPM. Start at level 1 and go up one level each minute until the cadence can't be held, then come back down. About 20 to 30 min, zero impact.

Bike and Leg PT

4 to 5 rounds: 5 min on the bike (resistance up each minute), 30 squats and 20 lunges each leg. This is the guide's no-impact replacement for run-and-leg PT, and it builds the legs for rucking.

Cindy (Benchmark)

As many rounds as possible in 20 min of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 air squats. Done every 4th week in phases 3 to 4. Log the rounds and try to beat the last score.

Rucking and Foot Care

Walk, never run, with a ruck. Short, fast steps, straightening the knee on each step. Zig-zag up steep hills and bend the knees going down.
Two socks: a thin, tight synthetic liner under the boot sock stops rubbing and blisters.
Insoles with arch support and heel cushioning. They're thick, so the boots may need to be a half size bigger.
Break boots in on walks before any loaded ruck, and keep them polished.
Build slowly. The plan tops out at 45 lb for 6 to 8 mi. The Army SF ruck program goes on to 50 lb for 18 mi in 4.5 hours, but that isn't needed for the PJ pipeline.

Weekly Template

The Week by Week tab follows this template and shows each exercise's target for the current phase.

Day	Sessions	Impact
Day 1	Swim · Pull Day 1 · Heavy	Low
Day 2	Run Intervals · Sit-Ups and Core	Moderate
Day 3	Swim · Bike or Row · Pull Day 2 · Volume	Low
Day 4	Legs and Push · Easy Run · Sit-Ups and Core	Moderate
Day 5	Swim and Underwater · Pull Day 3 · Grip and Obstacles	Low
Day 6	Long Aerobic or Ruck · Extra Swim (optional)	Low to moderate
Day 7	Rest, walk and mobility	None

Pull Day 1 · Heavy

Pull-Ups (weighted once 10 strict), 5 sets
Band-Assisted Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups, 3 sets
Dumbbell Row, 3 × 8 to 10 each side
Lat Pulldown, 3 × 10
Dead Hang, 3 × max hold
Farmer Carry, 4 × 40 m

Pull Day 2 · Volume

Pull-Ups, 10 sets at 50 to 60% of max (pyramid every other week in phase 3)
Chin-Ups, 3 × max minus 2
Inverted Rows, 3 × 12
Face Pulls or Band Pull-Aparts, 3 × 15
Hammer Curls, 3 × 10

Pull Day 3 · Grip and Obstacles

Pull-Ups, 3 × max minus 2
Towel Hang, 3 × max hold
Rope Climb, 5 sets
Farmer or Sandbag Carry, 4 × 40 m
Bear Crawl / Low Crawl, 4 × 20 m

Sit-Ups and Core

Sit-Ups, 5 sets (2 min pace: 38 to 40 reps in the first minute)
Hanging Knee Raises, 3 × 10 to 15
Decline Sit-Ups, 3 × 10
Hip-Flexor Stretch, 2 × 30 sec each side

Legs and Push

Push-Ups, 2 min test, then 3 sets at 60%
Trap-Bar Deadlift or Squat, 4 × 5
Rear-Foot Split Squat and Step-Ups, 3 × 8 each leg
Overhead Press, 3 × 8
Back Extensions, 3 × 12
Copenhagen Plank, 3 × 20 to 30 sec each side

Swims and Runs

Swims: Warm-Up, Drills, Sidestroke Stroke Count, Main Set, Cool-Down
Day 5 swim adds 25 m Underwater and Treading Water
Run Intervals: Warm-Up Jog, Intervals, Cool-Down
Easy and long runs: Mile Splits

Phase 1 · Learn the Water

Weeks 1 to 12

Goal: comfortable in the water, swimming 200 m without stopping and a steady body-fat cut. Week 0: take a baseline land IFT and get a swim coach's assessment.

Area	What to Do
Swim ×4	30 to 45 min each. Bobbing and exhaling underwater, floating, kicking with a board, side-kick drill, freestyle breathing every 3 strokes. Learn sidestroke and breaststroke too, since both are allowed on the IFT 500 m and many candidates are fastest at sidestroke. Build from repeat 25s to 4 × 50 to 2 × 100 to 200 continuous.
Run ×3	Two easy runs of 25 to 35 min (about 9:00 to 10:00 per mi). Tuesday: 8 × 1 min steady and hard with a 90 sec walk between.
Pull-Ups	All three days as written. Bands or negatives are fine.
Obstacle Skills	Dead hangs up to 60 sec. Bear crawl and low crawl 4 × 20 m.

Week 12: 200 m continuous swim · pull-ups +3 over baseline

Phase 2 · Build

Weeks 13 to 24

Goal: swim 500 m without stopping, then get under 12:30. Pass the first full IFT. Complete the first 25 m underwater swim.

Area	What to Do
Swim ×4	Main sets: 8 × 50, then 4 × 100, then 2 × 250, then 500 continuous (aim for this by week 18). After that, swim 500s with a timer. Friday with a buddy: underwater swims from 10 m, adding about 2 m a week, 3 to 4 reps with 3+ min rest. Push off long, stay low, slow breaststroke pull. Treading water 3 × 3 min. Count sidestroke strokes per length, aiming under 14.
Bike or Row	Wednesday: 30 to 40 min easy, or a bike pyramid.
Run ×3	Tuesday: 6 to 8 × 400 m at 1:40 (10:00 pace) with 2 min walking rest. Thursday: easy 30 min. Saturday: 40 to 50 min easy, or 60 min on the bike.
Strength	Start weighted pull-ups once 10 strict reps are possible. Sit-up pace work.
Obstacle Skills	Rope climb technique (J-hook or S-wrap foot lock), monkey bars, sandbag carries.

Week 24: full IFT pass (500 m < 12:30) · pull-ups 10+ · sit-ups 60+ · 1 × 25 m underwater

Phase 3 · Performance

Weeks 25 to 36

Goal: reach the AFPC recommended scores on every event. Add rucking and full obstacle-course movements.

Area	What to Do
Swim ×4	Speed day: 10 × 50 at goal 500 pace, then 5 × 100. Endurance: 1,500 to 2,000 m. Underwater: 2 × 25 m on 3 min cycles, the way the test runs. Treading 5 to 10 min, finishing with hands out of the water. Fins swimming 1,000 m (A&S and Zulu use fins). Surface hypoxic 50s, breathing every 5 to 7 strokes. Sidestroke under 10 strokes per length.
Bike or Row	Wednesday: a bike pyramid, or Bike and Leg PT × 4.
Run ×3	Tuesday: alternate 10 × 400 m at 1:35 with 4 × 800 m at 3:15. Thursday: easy 30 to 35 min. Saturday: 5 mi easy, or a ruck. Up to about 18 mi a week.
Ruck	Every other Saturday: 25 lb, building to 35 lb by week 36, 4 to 6 mi at about 15:00 per mi, walking. Break in the training boots.
IFT Rehearsal	Every 4th week, the full test in order with real rest periods, swims included. Cindy benchmark on the Thursday of that week.
Obstacle Skills	Full rope climbs × 5, walls, vaults, low-box landings, high crawl and low crawl under and over obstacles.

Week 36: 13 / 70 / 70 / < 9:50 / 500 m < 11:00 · 2 × 25 m underwater, controlled · 35 lb × 6 mi ruck

Phase 4 · Selection and Zulu Readiness

Weeks 37 to 48

Goal: keep going with the team while tired. A&S and Zulu don't test single best efforts. They test day after day of running, swimming, carrying and calisthenics with little recovery.

Area	What to Do
Swim ×4	2,000 m sessions. Swim 500 m right after a hard land workout to practice swimming tired. Fins 1,500 to 2,000 m. Treading 10 min. Underwater stays at 2 × 25 m, relaxed and supervised. Don't chase distance. Swim PT once a week.
Bike or Row	Wednesday: Bike and Leg PT × 4 to 5.
Run ×3	Tuesday: 2 × 1.5 mi at 9:30 pace with 8 min rest. Thursday: easy. Saturday: 5 to 6 mi easy, or a ruck.
Ruck	45 lb, 6 to 8 mi walking, every other week.
Fatigue Session ×1	5 rounds: 400 m run, 25 push-ups, 25 sit-ups, 8 pull-ups, 40 m sandbag carry. Then crawls and a rope climb. Keep jumping low.

Week 48: 15 / 75 / 75 / < 9:30 / 500 m < 10:30 · able to repeat hard days back to back without breaking down

Peak and Taper

Weeks 49 to 52

Weeks 49 to 50: keep intensity, cut volume about 20%. Full mock IFT in week 49.
Weeks 51 to 52: cut volume about 40%. Short, sharp swims and 400s. Last hard session 4 to 5 days before the real IFT or ship date.
Arrive rested, lean and pain-free.

Nutrition Plan

Starting targets for 6 training days a week, with maintenance at about 3,000 to 3,100 calories. Adjust by the scale: if the weekly average weight isn't moving the way the phase calls for after 2 to 3 weeks, change calories by about 150 to 200. The tracker recalculates these targets from the latest weight and body fat in the Body tab.

Plan Weeks	Goal	Calories	Protein	Carbs	Fat	Water
1 to 24	Slow cut, 0.5 to 1 lb a week	2,650	165 g	320 g	80 g	110 oz
25 to 48	Maintain weight, fuel the hardest training	3,050	165 g	420 g	80 g	120 oz
49 to 52	Taper. Keep weight steady.	2,900	165 g	385 g	80 g	120 oz

Sample Cut Day (~2,650)

Breakfast: 1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey, a banana, 2 whole eggs and 3 whites
Lunch: 6 oz chicken, 1.5 cups rice, vegetables, a little olive oil
Pre-training: rice cakes with honey, or a bagel
Post-training: 1 scoop whey and fruit
Dinner: 6 oz lean beef or salmon, potatoes, salad
Evening: 1 cup Greek yogurt and berries

Training-Day Timing

Eat carbs and some protein 1 to 3 hours before a hard swim or run session.
Within about 2 hours after: 30 to 40 g protein plus carbs.
For sessions over 75 min or rucks, bring water plus electrolytes.
Pool sessions dehydrate more than they feel like. Drink before getting in.

Rules That Matter Most

Hit protein every day, even when calories are off.
Weigh in each morning and judge progress by the weekly average.
Mostly whole foods. Alcohol hurts sleep and recovery, so keep it rare.
Supplements worth having: whey, creatine monohydrate 5 g a day, vitamin D if levels are low. Skip the rest.
Stop the cut in week 25. Under-eating during phases 3 to 4 is how injuries happen.

Sources

Stew Smith, U.S. Army Ranger and Special Forces Workout (2018): the warm-up, pull-up pyramid, PT with the clock, push-up/crunch superset, bike pyramid, Bike and Leg PT, combat sidestroke, hypoxic sets, Swim PT and the rucking and foot-care tips.
Barrett McCulloch, Bears Den Athletics, Tactical Athlete Program: slow-tempo pull-ups and the Cindy benchmark.
Left out on purpose: that program's 50 to 70 lb rucks, Murph, 300-rep days and 5-mile runs in 40 min, which break the low-impact rules. Also the Bears Den 8-week strength and hypertrophy programs, which are gym bodybuilding splits that don't fit a swim-first plan during a cut.