Military Review English Edition September-October 2014 | Page 22

Empower master fitness trainers. The Army
should empower master fitness trainers with the same
level of education, responsibility, autonomy, and professional reward as drill sergeants and recruiters. The
master fitness trainer program holds much untapped
potential. Structured properly, used consistently, and
empowered with adequate resources, it could help
streamline and improve U.S. Army PRT. It should not
supplant current NCO and officer responsibilities for
planning and administering PRT programs. Rather, it
should empower leaders and soldiers with information,
coaching skills, and injury prevention techniques. As
evidenced by the popularity of extreme conditioning programs (which could include CrossFit) and the
explosion of functional fitness-type equipment (such
as bumper plates, lifting platforms, kettlebells, medicine balls, and large pull-up cages) in military gyms,
many soldiers already perform a variety of functional
movements at high intensity; the master fitness trainer
program could help ensure they do so safely.
Drill sergeant and recruiting positions are benchmarks in an NCO’s career progression. They are
considered a stepping stone for promotion, so those positions are highly desirable. Commanders must recommend an NCO for drill sergeant or recruiting school by
name; without the commander’s recommendation, the
NCO cannot compete for the position. Master fitness
trainer positions should be elevated to similar status.
The master fitness trainer course is four weeks
long; it should be expanded to at least 12 weeks to
adequately prepare NCOs for their future positions.
At a minimum, basics of exercise physiology, sports
psychology, and biomechanics should be covered.
Master fitness trainers should receive training from
USA Weightlifting (Olympic) coaches, strength and
conditioning specialists certified through the National
Strength and Conditioning Association, and other
strength, conditioning, and coaching professionals on
the fundamentals of functional movements. Examples
of movements to study include the squat, dead lift,
and press; their variations and progressions; and lifts
of increasing complexity such as the clean, jerk, and
snatch. Master fitness trainers should learn to teach
a variety of plyometric, kettlebell, barbell, and gymnastic techniques. They should learn how to improve
a soldier’s running or swimming form and learn how
to scale ba