Brad,
Unfortunately this is an all-too-common problem in the military and especially in non-special operations units that require mechanistic PT sessions for the masses as opposed to individualized training for the athlete.
My first recommendation, which may seem like an obvious one, is to “own” the PT for your unit commander. I’ve seen this work in a few cases, where the biggest limfac for group PT is simply that no one actually wants to deal with it. If it’s something that inspires you, offer to take over the planning/programming and then utilize some of the resources on our site to help support the argument. It’s never easy to change minds…especially in the military…but strong evidence can definitely help.
Assuming that doesn’t work, the second thing I’d suggest is to creatively navigate within your constraints. If you’re mandated 3x/week of traditional calisthenics (which is often the case in the military), focus on form and sustainability versus “winning the workout.” Even if the workout calls for ridiculous volumes of push ups, squats, sit ups, etc. there are ways in which you can attack the session and have the advantage. If you can provide some examples of the workouts, I can help with this piece.
I know it’s hard…and it’s something I deal with constantly at non-SOF units within the Air Force. An intelligent approach versus just flat out telling everyone they’re wrong (even if they are) is the best way forward.
Cheers!
Drew
