Building the Elite: The Complete Guide to Building Resilient Special Operators

by Jonathan Pope, Craig Weller

For the past 10 years, Craig Weller and Jonathan Pope have trained people for the toughest SOF selection courses in the world. They've trained candidates for courses in every branch of the U.S. military, as well as five other countries, including British SAS selection.

Their clients have a 90% success rate which means 9 of 10 people make it through. (BUD/S and SFAS have drop-out rates ranging from 60-90%, FYI.)

In Building the Elite, they give a detailed look at their SOF training system - from big-picture principles to practical exercises and programming guidelines.

This is a 538 page textbook, with in-depth chapters on a variety of topics that you'll reference for years.

Topics covered include: systems theory, complexity, movement & physical resilience, psychological performance, stress inoculation training, managing pain & fatigue, skill acquisition, mental skills, nutrition, strength training, running, rucking, swimming, and building workouts.

Genres: Military Fiction

538 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I selected this book based on a recommendation from a coach I respect.

This isn't a typical programming or conditioning theory book. This book is targeted at those who prepare special operators for the military.

It doesn't read like a typical programming book. This reads more like a reference book.

My favorite chapters involved energy metabolism and how to shift into a flexible metabolism.

As far as I know, this is the first review of for BUILDING THE ELITE and it is worthy of five stars.

[Thor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an academic quality book with referenced/linked research. The format / structure builds from 1. high level systems perspectives, 2. down through cognitive and then 3. energetic systems and finally ends with 4. physical and diet programming plans / advice.

If you're involved in sports, military or any industry where physical fatigue and performance are critical then you need this book. It has far surpassed its audience of special operations candidates and should be read across a multitude of industries.

Awesome work.

[Ramiro Torres Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

This book is full of useful, and easy to understand, information that applies to all aspects of training, fitness and life.

[Matthew West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was recommended from a fellow coach, and it did not disappoint. This is an absolute monster of a book; I highlighted over 100 sections total. And to that point: this is probably the best book on training I've ever read. Bar none.

I don't care if you're interested in pursuing a career in special ops; if you want to become a better runner, swimmer, or just get healthier, this book is the guide you want.

The authors take a comprehensive look at living and training efficiently and effectively, while covering almost all the bases. The authors are well-versed in systems ideology, endurance training, psychology, and physiology--to the point where they bring it all together in such a tight-knit way.

The human body and training the human body is a complex endeavor and shouldn't be boiled down to basics. These two do an amazing job of creating a way of thinking about training that takes into account working with individuals in a complex environment. Can't recommend this book enough for serious coaches and trainers. I will be coming back to this regularly as a high school coach.

[Sietze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two guys built a company to prepare soldiers who want to join special forces for selection. In this book, they detail how they do it. Quite interesting stuff on movement, energy systems, and exercises, but a lot of technical detail. I suppose that's to expected from a guide.

[Chengzhi Wu Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stew Smith has all the practical applications of SpecOps training, however Building the Elite has the Underying Principles