# Soldiers Of Fitness



## Pat.Sim (29 Aug 2013)

I'm just curious if anyone has heard of this, they run in Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Ottawa, and Toronto. It looks like a good gig prior to enrollment. I would like to hear feedback if anyone has done this. 

If anyone is interested the website is www.soldiersoffitness.com

Sorry if this had been brought up beforehand, nothing came up with the search.


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## Uberirdisch (11 Feb 2014)

It's unfortunate nobody replied after so long so I will give you what information I can if you are still looking for it.

I have spent a few years with SOF, off and on, some summer and some winter. I can easily tell you it will not only prepare you physically for what to expect, ie conditioning, areas to improve and work on, even nutrition, but it will also prepare you mentally, more than any other civvie PT available.

Bottomline is it is not Bikini Boot Camp as they like to say. If you are late, you and your entire team is punished, if you quit, you and your team is punished, if you fight, you and your team is rewarded. Catch my drift? Waking up at 0430 for those cold, cold mornings was some of the best PT I have ever been apart of. Much more creative than any course PT I have been apart of todate. 

One competition saw 2 teams fighting to push Cpl Colin Reid's (President of SOF) chevy pickup up a hill, each side only thwarting the other by completing a series of exercises in a short time span initiating a switch of position. Another competition was focused on tactical movement, one member would hold a stress postion with a bar (7-10lbs) to simulate a C7, while the other bounds forward for about a 50m sprint for an overall distance of who knows, it sucked but it was rewarding. Those who were deemed to have been shot would need to be lifted, via fireman carry by their partner back to a line of departure and start from there.

I assure you, no other PT program will also teach you to tune out that little voice in your head like SOF. Some mornings when they tell you how far your running, what your carrying/hauling you would not think it was possible in the time to complete it. However everytime I finished SOF, there was no better feeling but to consider what we accomplished in a matter of 1hr and 15m roughly (warm up/cool dwn for 15m overall).

You may enter as an individual, but I assure you if you stick to the program it will teach you to be a leader, a follower, and overall a damn good team player at all times. I always recommend the program to every new Pte, and I always challenged fellow Offr's to join me when I was a part of the course.

These days I find myself missing my old friends at SOF, at some point I will be going back. The team support was always amazing, but I won't BS you at first it is definately awkward. But the old dogs will whip you into shape, they aren't afraid to tell you how it is for sure.

However don't let me scare you from joining no matter your level of PT. Nobody will ever, I repeat, ever would give you a hard time about being out of shape. They will however give you a hard time about quitting...

It's good for you, it builds character...


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## Emilio (13 Feb 2014)

Uberirdisch said:
			
		

> It's unfortunate nobody replied after so long so I will give you what information I can if you are still looking for it.
> 
> I have spent a few years with SOF, off and on, some summer and some winter. I can easily tell you it will not only prepare you physically for what to expect, ie conditioning, areas to improve and work on, even nutrition, but it will also prepare you mentally, more than any other civvie PT available.
> 
> ...



This sounds freaking amazing! Does anybody know if there are any similar programs in BC?


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## vdignard (14 Feb 2014)

I've been part of SOF Ottawa (Soldiers of Fitness) for almost 4 years now and I do have to say that it's the most amazing program I've ever done. 

When I started I couldn't run more than 2 minutes without stopping to take a break. It would of been easy for me to say that I quit because everyone around me were so good. Within 10 minutes of starting the class, every single person there were encouraging me and were running with me because we are a team and we start together and finish together. 

It didn't take long that lasting friendship were made and the new people from all kinds of background that you meet. Age is not important when you're with SOF. I'm a 23 years old and there's people that are in their mid-fifties and are kicking my butt in pretty much everything we do. It gives you motivation to keep trying and become better so you know when you're at that age, you're still going to be able to keep up.

Every day that you attend it's always different with all kinds of mission where you have to travel to different locations and accomplish what is ask while carrying all kinds of equipments with different weights. You start your morning telling yourself that there's no way you will be able to accomplish it. At the end of the course, you actually finished the mission and you tell yourself that it is possible to do it and there's no longer those little voice that would of prevented you before. 

What I like about SOF is that it's not just a place you go to work out, it's a place where you learn about yourself, your capabilities and others.  

SOF has also put other activities together apart from the regular training which helps us bond even more. For the past 2 years, we've put a team together for the Dragon Boat Festival in Ottawa which raises money for different organizations and they also do a lot of race which also raises money for organizations. 

Every year they put together a program that is called Survivor. It's essentially a 48 hours weekend that we spend in the wood somewhere and we learn how to survive. They teach us all kind of survival skills and gives us challenges for us to practice what we've learned. This program pushes you mentally and physically to your breaking point. I've done this weekend for 3 years now and every single time I amaze myself with what I'm able to do.

All in all, SOF is a amazing program to help you get in shape to join the army. In April it's going to be 4 years that I'm with SOF and I'll stay with them until I can no longer attend.


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## daftandbarmy (14 Feb 2014)

vdignard said:
			
		

> I've been part of SOF Ottawa (Soldiers of Fitness) for almost 4 years now and I do have to say that it's the most amazing program I've ever done.
> 
> When I started I couldn't run more than 2 minutes without stopping to take a break. It would of been easy for me to say that I quit because everyone around me were so good. Within 10 minutes of starting the class, every single person there were encouraging me and were running with me because we are a team and we start together and finish together.
> 
> ...



I wonder if you could spin some of your activities to raise some $ for this good cause?
 E.g., 
http://woundedwarriors.ca/media/events/events-single/?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=233&cHash=1c6cd822b22ee24513960f2d046616d1


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## vdignard (18 Feb 2014)

It would be a amazing thing to do. It's a shame that we're not in the Vancouver area.


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## daftandbarmy (19 Feb 2014)

vdignard said:
			
		

> It would be a amazing thing to do. It's a shame that we're not in the Vancouver area.



No worries, WW is a cross Canada/ North America thing:

http://www.woundedwarriors.ca/


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## vdignard (21 Feb 2014)

That's cool, I could definitely check that out. Thanks!


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