Chapter 3 – Muscular Endurance and Strength

On today’s battlefield, in addition to cardiorespiratory fitness, soldiers need a high level of muscular endurance and strength. In a single day they may carry injured comrades, move equipment, lift heavy tank or artillery rounds, push stalled vehicles, or do many other strength-related tasks. For example, based on computer-generated scenarios of an invasion of Western Europe, artillerymen may have to load from 300 to 500, 155mm-howitzer rounds (95-lb rounds) while moving from 6 to 10 times each day over 8 to 12 days. Infantrymen may need to carry loads exceeding 100 pounds over great distances, while supporting units will deploy and displace many times. Indeed, survival on the battlefield may, in large part, depend on the muscular endurance and strength of the individual soldier.