Welcome back, scholars. Let's talk about how to advance in the real world and get into Sapper School.
Quick overview (why this matters)
Sapper School is a combined test of physical endurance, small-unit engineer trade skills, land navigation, leadership under stress, and close-quarters problem solving. Success requires balanced development across: aerobic capacity & ruck conditioning, strength & power, agility/obstacle proficiency, fieldcraft/land-nav, basic combat engineer knowledge (demolition theory, mechanical breaching, fortification, expedient construction), and casualty care/leadership under fatigue.
Performance benchmarks (target goals to be competitive)
Aim to hit or exceed these before the course. These are realistic but challenging standards — adjust if your home unit has higher/lower norms.
Physical
Ruck: 12 miles with 35–45 lb pack (adjust to your unit standard) in ≤ 2 hr 30 min (progress toward this). If you can do 12 miles in 2:00–2:30 with pace holds, you’ll be comfortable.
Run: 5 miles under 35–40 minutes (steady aerobic base); 2 mile under 13–15 min is a useful indicator.
Strength: 3 rep max deadlift ≥ 1.8× bodyweight (functional lifting for carries/drag); 5 rep heavy front squat, strong hip extension.
Power: Broad jump ≥ body height (good sign); 10–20m sprint under 2.0–2.6s.
Bodyweight work: 60+ pushups in 2 minutes, 80+ situps in 2 minutes, 8+ pullups.
Obstacle: Competent on standard obstacle course elements (rope climb, wall climb, monkey bars) — practice them repeatedly.
Skill / cognitive
Land nav: Day and night navigation: find 8/10 points within time limits; pace count accurate to ±5% over 1–2 mile legs.
Range estimation & map plotting: Rapidly convert grid coordinates, orient a map by terrain features, and plot firepoints under pressure.
Combat lifesaver / casualty care: Able to clear airway, control hemorrhage, apply tourniquet, treat shock, and perform casualty carry/drag under fatigue.
Basic field engineering theory: Know blast safety zones conceptually, safe handling/transportation rules (policy-level), and the fundamentals of mechanical breaching tools.
12-week progressive training plan (big picture)
Goal: build a durable, powerful, ruck-ready soldier who can operate under sleep loss, perform precision land-nav, and lead under stress.
General rules
Train 5–6 days/week with two higher-intensity days, two moderate days, two skill or mobility days, and one active recovery day.
Progressive overload: every 2–3 weeks increase volume/intensity; every 4th week is a deload/recovery week.
Prioritize sleep, hydration, and protein. Track load to avoid overtraining.
Weeks 1–4 (base & skill foundation)
Mon — Long aerobic + ruck: 8–10 mile ruck at conversational pace (pack 30–35 lb). Follow with 20–30 min mobility.
Tue — Strength (lower focus): heavy deadlifts, front squats, Romanian deadlifts, core. Finish with 6×200m tempo runs.
Wed — Land-nav & field skills: 2–3hr day-nav practice (map, compass, pacing). Evening: 45 min of pullups/pushups circuit.
Thu — Interval/HIIT: 8×400m at 90% effort w/90s rest or hill sprints. Then explosive work: med ball slams, broad jumps.
Fri — Strength (upper focus) + obstacle work: pressing, rows, farmer carries, rope climbs, wall climbs.
Sat — Ruck progression: 10–12 miles at moderate pace; include short speed intervals (e.g., 10×1 min fast).
Sun — Active recovery: mobility, yoga, breathing, light swim or bike.
Weeks 5–8 (intensity & specialization)
Increase ruck weight to 40–50 lb on long ruck days; include tempo ruck (sustained faster pace) once per week.
Add night land-nav sessions once a week. Practice plotting and moving to points at night using red lens and headlamp discipline.
Strength: shift to more explosive lifts (clean pulls, trap bar jumps, sled pushes) and carry work (sandbag, yoke).
Add simulated casualty carries after long runs to train fatigue + movement.
Twice weekly obstacle/rope/gymnastics skill sessions.
Weeks 9–12 (peak + specificity)
Simulate Sapper event cadence: multi-day back-to-back long rucks with reduced sleep, day/night land nav, timed obstacle circuits and leadership lanes.
Include one or two full-dress ruck marches: 12–15 miles at race pace with mission gear.
Work on speed & recovery: shorter high-intensity intervals with short recovery to mimic patrol stressors.
Conduct mock lanes where you must perform map work, casualty care, knot tying, rigging, and leader tasks under time pressure.
Implement German Volume Training: 10x10's. Skullcrushers, Tricep Extensions, Ab Crunches, Bicep Curls, Pec Decks & Shoulder Press
Deload weeks: every 4th week reduce volume by 30–40%, keep intensity but lower total reps/volume.
Field skills and drills (non-explosive, high-value)
Land navigation
Master pace count: practice on known distance until you’re ±5% accuracy.
Terrain association drills: given a map, predict the route features, then confirm on ground.
Night nav: train with limited light, use red lens, practice emergency off-grid navigation.
Rigging & mechanical breaching (non-explosive)
Knot work: bowline, clove hitch, figure-eight, prusik, alpine butterfly. Drill until you can tie blindfolded.
Mechanical breaching concepts: use of halligan, sledge, pry, wedges — practice mechanical advantage techniques, breaching sequences (non-destructive practice on doors with props).
Wire & demolition safety theory: study the safety distances, fuse types (policy-level), marking, and evacuation procedures — do not practice.
Obstacle & mobility
Rope climb (feet technique), wall climb (shoulder & grip strength), log carries, monkey bars. Structure sessions to build technique and efficiency.
Marksmanship & range drills
If you have a range and authorization, practice weapon transitions, immediate action drills, mag changes, shooting while moving, and low-light shooting. Otherwise, dry-fire with coach. Emphasis: efficient shooter mechanics under fatigue.
Casualty care (high priority)
Become certified in TCCC/combat lifesaver level care: hemorrhage control (tourniquet), airway control, chest seal basics, casualty evacuation. Practice repeatedly under stress/fatigue.
Communications & leadership
Radio procedures, brevity codes, maintaining comms under stress, establishing hasty security, taking/relaying grid coordinates quickly. Run leadership lanes where you must make decisions under time and sleep stress.
Problem-solving under stress
Train with timed navigation + casualty + kit-break tasks: e.g., find point, treat casualty, rig a litter, move to rally point — all timed.
Study curriculum & reading list (what to study)
Focus on practical textbooks and doctrine-level material. Don’t try to manufacture explosives — study safety, theory, and pro-level texts.
Recommended (conceptual)
Field manuals for combat engineering and land navigation (unit-issued materials — get current FM/TC/ATP docs if available).
Map & compass study guides; practice 1:50k and 1:25k scales.
Tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) manual.
Knot books and rigging references (Prusik, mechanical advantage).
Basic explosives safety doctrine for awareness (safety buffers, storage, transportation) — read policy-level docs only.
Small-unit tactics, demolitions history/theory (conceptual), breaching doctrine (mechanical vs explosive).
Gear checklist (what to own and know)
Essentials
Rucksack (ALICE/MBITR/large patrol pack), well-fitted with frame and hip belt
Boots: well-broken in, military grade, two pairs
Good sock system (liners + wool)
Hydration system (2–3 L bladder), spare water bottles
Map case, lensatic compass, protractor, pace counter (or practice without)
Tactical multi-tool, fixed blade knife, tape, zip ties, paracord
Headlamp with red/green filters, spare batteries
Tourniquet(s), individual first aid kit (IFAK) with chest seals, hemostatic dressing
Gloves for rope/rigging & breaching practice
Ear protection, shooting glasses if legal to use weapons in your environment
Small notebook, pencil, permanent marker, 9-inch folding hand saw (where allowed)
Clothing: wool/synthetic base layers, Gore-Tex top, gloves, hat
Optional but useful
Sandbag(s), kettlebell, atlas stone (or heavy improvised object), pullup bar, heavy sled for strength work
Lightweight bivy or poncho for overnight field training
GPS for cross-checking practice (but learn without dependency)
Nutrition, supplements & recovery
Nutrition
Energy balance: heavy training needs calories. Lean protein intake ~1.6–2.2 g/kg/day to rebuild muscle. Carbs timed around training to fuel ruck and HIIT.
Electrolytes: if sweating heavily on long rucks, supplement with electrolytes to maintain performance.
Emphasize Mediterranean / whole foods: quality protein (chicken, fish, eggs), starchy carbs for long sessions (rice, potatoes), healthy fats (olive oil, nuts), vegetables for micronutrients.
Supplements (evidence-based, optional)
Creatine monohydrate 3–5 g/day for strength/power recovery.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) for recovery and cognition.
Proper vitamin D if deficient.
Caffeine for acute performance but moderate; don’t overuse in field situations.
Protein powder for practical post-workout feeding.
Recovery
Sleep: aim 7–9 hours nightly; practice sleep restriction like the course (deliberate deprivation) so you can handle it, but make recovery weeks priority.
Active recovery protocols: contrast baths, foam rolling, mobility.
Injury prevention: hamstring, hip, ankle eccentrics; prehab for shoulders and knees.
Mental prep & leadership training
Stress inoculation: do repeated training under sleep deprivation and caloric deficit to learn decision-making under fatigue. Simulate scenarios where you make key comms/leadership calls under pressure.
After action review (AAR): practice quick verbal AARs under time pressure — what went wrong, who did what, corrective actions.
Emotional regulation: breathwork, cold exposure training, and mindfulness drills help maintain composure when tired.
Team chemistry: Sapper School is often teammate dependent — practice trust exercises, carry drills, and leadership rotation so you can lead and follow.
How to test yourself (mock Sapper day)
Create a full-dress simulation:
0500 wake, light breakfast, pack to 45 lb.
0600: 12–15 mile ruck at mission pace with scheduled movement (simulate contact or recovery breaks).
1200: short nutrition break, then 90–120 min land-nav lane: 6–8 points (day/night versions across same week).
1500: casualty scenario (treatment + carry + rigging a litter).
1800: leadership lane where you must plan an engineer task (mechanical breaching, temporary fortification) and brief it to a peer, then rotate.
2200: limited sleep, then night navigation or mock lane at 0200.
Assess: time to complete, missed points, casualties treated, leadership/communication score.
Common mistakes to avoid
Training only cardio and neglecting strength/carries. Sapper tasks require power for lifts, carries, and breaching.
Over-practicing explosives theory or attempting live practice without authorization. Learn doctrine; don’t DIY.
Not doing night nav. A surprising number fail because of poor night skills, not fitness.
Ignoring basic casualty care. Medical failure is a course-killer.
Poor kit prep — make packing and kit redundancy second nature.
Final checklist before the course (two weeks prior)
Achieve at least 90% of target benchmarks (ruck pace, run time, strength numbers).
Complete two consecutive weeks of sleep-restricted training to practice functioning on less sleep.
Certify or refresh Combat Lifesaver and BLS/CPR.
Run several night land-nav sessions.
Ensure gear is serviceable, boots broken-in, and IFAK stocked.
Taper in the last 5–7 days: reduce volume but maintain intensity to be fresh on day one.
This is how you train, thank you for viewing!