How I'm Working Out to be a Better Fighter Pilot
I need to adjust a few things...
“What kind of physical training is required to make sure you’re fit to fly fighter jets?”
Until this past year? Not much.
Truthfully, flying is much more mentally taxing than it is physically exhausting. That’s because for the vast majority of pilots—even some military pilots—if you’re not landing on a ship, flying a fighter, or dropping off troops in a dust storm at night, flying is and should be pretty gentle. I know, tell that to a T-45 reservist leading their first Forms flight in almost a year…
Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty stressful about flying an approach down to minimums in actual IMC conditions. So, yes, many jobs are capable of spiking your heart rate. No, a junior analyst at J.P. Morgan doesn't need to optimize their VO2 Max training to perform, nor do most aviators.
Most...
And that’s where I’ve recently changed my answer to the question in the opening paragraph.
Now, I would say I train for peak performance during ACM (air combat maneuvering) and longevity in the cockpit.
To accomplish those two goals, I focus on three areas:
Neck-specific strength training
“Gritty” workouts
Mobility
Neck-specific strength training: It’s no secret that Formula 1 drivers spend a lot of time on their neck strength and mobility. The G’s they experience in any given turn, braking zone, or crash can have massive consequences on performance and health if they aren’t properly trained. As I’ve gone from flying the Cessna to the F-18, I’ve realized how much we fighter pilots also ask of our necks and how critical it is to train accordingly.
“Gritty” workouts: Another thing I’ve learned is how much it sucks to be in a two-circle fight on the deck with no other options but to endure the G’s and stick it out just a little longer. You need to be physically in shape and you need to have the mental training and ability to push through the desire to quit. That’s why I always incorporate “gritty” workouts: CrossFit workouts for time, Zwift workouts with a final sprint, anything that requires you to dig deep at the finish and build some grit.
Mobility: Mobility is probably the most overlooked—but most essential—area of fitness, and it’s something I’m finally starting to work on. After seeing multiple physical therapists for back and knee pain, I’ve realized that if I want to perform at my best, I need to make joint health a priority.
So there it is: how I’m training and spending my workout time to be the best fighter pilot I can be. An ever-evolving practice that hopefully gets more specific and beneficial with time.
If nothing else, it saves me from not having an answer to the first question in this post—or, worse, making fun of the P8 bubas in order to feel better about myself while they’re flying around Spain and drinking sangria.