Will came to G2G Coaching with one goal in mind. He had to get army ready.
Fresh out of uni and weighing around 100kg, Will had his sights set on joining the Army as an Officer. He wanted to join the Parachute Regiment which is no easy feat.
The Parachute Regiment unit is known for brutal fitness standards with an unforgiving selection process. And as much as strength plays a role in getting army ready, speed and conditioning matters just as much to securing a spot.
It’s no surprise that, according to the Ministry of Defence, only 47% of applicants make it through the process.
To have his best chance of being part of the 53% that make it, Will needed a programme. He needed a place to train. He needed support from pros. And he needed like-minded people who he felt comfortable and confident to progress with.
The Challenge
Will’s challenge to get army ready was actually three-in-one.
First, he needed to drop a significant amount of mass to be army ready. About 10% of his body weight. This was to meet the fitness requirements for joining the Parachute Regiment which is strict about applicants’ Body Mass Index (BMI) scores.
Second, he had to drop the weight without losing all his strength. Strength he’d built playing rugby for years. Strength that would be essential to survive the application process and thrive as a recruit in the Parachute Regiment.
At the same time as having to balance this, Will had a history of shoulder issues. In particular, he was worried a left rotator cuff might stop him from getting army ready before he’d had a chance to get started.
Enter G2G Coaching
Will found G2G Coaching through his younger brother. His brother had been another member who’d trained to get faster and stronger for rugby. Safe to say a love of rugby runs in the family!
Will noticed the difference that G2G Coaching was making for his brother and wanted the same thing:
“After my brother’s 3 months at G2G I could noticeably see the difference and how it transferred onto the rugby pitch. So it was a no-brainer to join up.”
In the early days, what stood out to Will from the start of training with G2G Coaching wasn’t just what happened on the gym floor. It was how much the team of coaches cared about where he was trying to go and how they could help him get there.
This is a prime example of the difference that semi-private coaching can make.
Will told his strength and conditioning coach at G2G, Donnie Macfadyen, about the Parachute Regiment and his goal to get army ready.
His coach Donnie then went away and read up on Para selection and requirements in his own time. He dug into anecdotes about Army life, and watched documentaries like the P Company test series to understand exactly what the physical demands involved.
“It really showed that they cared about where I wanted to go. I noticed in my training sessions all the coaches at G2G show the same interest and passion towards their members.”
Not only that, access to a private gym in Edinburgh with coaches on the floor made a huge difference to his training.
G2G gave Will the space and support he needed to follow through on his programme and get army ready. In a place where the coaches knew his name. Where he could train alongside familiar faces and without ever having to queue for equipment.
An Army Ready Strength & Conditioning Programme
The strength and conditioning programme itself was built around Will’s specific situation. Lose the mass, keep the strength, and strengthen that troublesome rotator cuff to stabilise the shoulder he was worried about.
Will liked that whenever an exercise didn’t feel right, the G2G coaches didn’t just push through it. Instead, they’d ask what was bothering him about the movement. Or they’d offer a cue to fix the technique. Sometimes they would swap in an alternative that hit the same muscle group the following week.
Eight months on, Will walked into his Army Officer selection board at 88kg. It was the fittest he’d ever been. He had zero worries about his shoulder injury. He gave it everything. He got army ready.
Will Became His Own Personal Trainer
Selection is a four-day assessment of fitness, academics, and leadership. It’s like nothing else. So, even if he wasn’t successful on his first attempt his feedback speaks for itself.
“My fitness standards were way above the required standard. That goes to show G2G had fulfilled their job in helping me achieve my goals. Their continued belief in me makes me want to join the Army more and more. If you’re looking to achieve fitness, rehab, or sporting goals in your life, I couldn’t recommend them highly enough.”
He’ll continue to train. And he’ll do it carrying the knowledge G2G Coaching passed on to maintain those army ready standards himself. That’s the benefit G2G Coaching offers over personal trainers and other programmes.
Got a Goal in Mind? Get in Touch.
Are you looking to get army ready like Will?
Do you want to grow stronger for the sports you love? Or maybe you’re trying to manage a health condition like back pain, neck pain or shoulder pain?
Strength and conditioning is a science-backed approach to training that gets you back to your best. And you won’t be doing it alone.
We’re G2G Coaching, a private gym in Edinburgh with strength and conditioning coaches on the gym floor at all times. You get a personal programme tailored to your body that you follow at your own pace. And regular reviews with coaches to make sure you keep pushing your limits in a way that’s safe and sustainable.
If that sounds appealing, we offer a free strength and conditioning assessment upfront. It’s not a sales call or a pitch, we promise. It’s an honest free assessment with a qualified strength and conditioning coach from the G2G team.
