Fitness and the Driller

Certain demands are placed on Drillers for each kind of routine they may march: solo, tandem, and drill team.

• With a solo performance, it’s all about the Driller and his/her capabilities
• With a tandem routine, the pressure is halved
• With a drill team performance the pressure is somewhat diminished

Does this mean that Drillers on a team can relax and let others carry the weight? Absolutely not! There are slight differences for each performance, but Drillers should be in top physical condition no matter the routine.

Should a Driller lift weights?

Does a chicken have lips? I don’t know, but weight lifting for a Driller is only a plus! Unless you want to look like Johnny Bravo- then you have a problem: too much bulk and not enough finesse- you need to be able to move quickly and smoothly in many cases.

What are some specific exercises?

• Cardio- you need endurance
  • Running, CrossFit, swimming, even going through your routine twice with out stopping
• Weights- light weight with many reps and many sets
  • Arms, upper torso, legs are key targets- but you must seek a balance and not neglect other muscle groups!

Why? What’s the big deal with fitness?

Besides the fact that you will live a healthier life, for competitive drill or dance, or skating (insert any other individual sport you can think of), you need to build a foundation.

DrillMaster’s two foundations

1. Educational Foundation– if you do not know the what and why of your performance, you are not going to do as well as you possibly could. Read and also study other Drillers.
2. Physical Foundation– muscles in the lower body support muscles in the upper body. All muscles support movement, in major or minor ways. Building up those muscles to support your body are very necessary if you are going to be a competitive Driller and not just play around with a rifle. See above on recommended exercises.

See you at your next competition: smarter, stronger and faster than you were before!

Thanks to James Bisher for his video, Drill Talk, that got me thinking and writing.

I’m not a doctor or physical fitness instructor. Find what works best for you and if you have unexplained pain or other difficulties, see your health care provider. Please be safe!