Question of the Week: How Much Should You Squat Before BUD/S? The Truth About Strength and Navy SEAL Training

One of the most common questions prospective Navy SEAL candidates ask is:

“How much should I squat before I go to BUD/S?”

The answer surprises most people.

The squat is important.

But not nearly as important as most candidates think.

I learned this lesson the hard way.

My Biggest Pre-BUD/S Mistake

Before entering the Navy, I trained like a bodybuilder. This was in the 1980s and the local gym was a few blocks away from my high school.

I spent countless hours in the gym doing squats, bench press, preacher curls, and machine work.

There was no CrossFit or instructional DVDs on how to train back then. I thought I was doing the best that I could by going to the gym and lifting.

Then I arrived at BUD/S.

Suddenly none of that mattered.

The instructors didn’t care how much I squatted.

They cared how fast I could run.

How well I could swim.

How many pull-ups I could do.

How long I could carry a boat.

How long I could carry a log.

How long I could perform when cold, wet, tired, and exhausted.

I quickly discovered there is a huge difference between gym strength and BUD/S strength.

Do You Need Strength for BUD/S?

Absolutely.

Let’s get that out of the way.

At BUD/S you will carry:

Inflatable boats
Telephone poles (logs)
Scuba tanks
Rucksacks
Your teammates

Weak athletes suffer.

Strength helps.

The mistake is believing maximal barbell strength is the answer.

It isn’t.

BUD/S is a strength-endurance event disguised as military training.

You need enough strength to handle heavy loads repeatedly while maintaining endurance and recovery.

The Real Question: How Strong Is Strong Enough?

Most candidates ask:

“Should I squat 315?”

“Should I squat 405?”

“Should I squat twice my bodyweight?”

The better question is:

Can you run 4 miles in soft sand?

Can you swim efficiently?

Can you perform 20 pull-ups?

Can you recover and do it again tomorrow?

Many experienced candidates and operators agree that once you achieve a reasonable level of strength, additional gains often provide diminishing returns if they hurt running and swimming performance.

My Recommended Strength Standards

These are not official standards.

These are practical benchmarks.

Minimum Strength

Bodyweight squat x 20 reps
10+ strict pull-ups
50+ push-ups without stopping
Sandbag carry for 1 mile
Ruck hike 5 miles with 35 pounds

Good Strength

1.5x bodyweight squat
15-20 pull-ups
80-100 push-ups
80-100 sit-ups
Comfortable carrying awkward objects

Excellent Strength

2x bodyweight squat
Strong overhead pressing ability
Excellent work capacity
Competitive PST scores

Notice something?

The squat is only one piece of the puzzle.

Why Running Is More Important

Most candidates underestimate running.

That mistake ends careers.

At BUD/S you run everywhere.

You run to chow.

You run to evolutions.

You run in boots.

You run in sand.

You run when tired.

Then you run some more.

Many former candidates point to running performance as the single biggest predictor of success before shipping to training.

If adding 50 pounds to your squat causes your run times to suffer, you are moving in the wrong direction.

The Best Strength Exercises for BUD/S

Instead of focusing exclusively on barbell numbers, build functional strength.

Sandbag Carries

One of the closest things to log PT.

Carry on one shoulder.

Carry overhead.

Carry for distance.

Ruck Hiking

If you want to get better at carrying weight, carry weight.

Simple.

Pull-Ups

Probably the most important upper-body exercise for candidates.

Lunges

Build strength and durability.

Step-Ups

Excellent for endurance and lower-body resilience.

Overhead Press

Useful for preparing shoulders and upper back for boat and log work.

Bodyweight Squats

High-repetition bodyweight work develops the endurance you’ll actually use.

Strength Endurance Beats One-Rep Max Strength

A guy who squats 500 pounds but struggles to run three miles is going to have problems.

A guy who squats 275 pounds, runs well, swims well, and recovers quickly is much closer to being BUD/S-ready.

Remember:

BUD/S is not a powerlifting meet.

It’s an endurance competition with heavy objects mixed in.

Sample BUD/S Strength Workout

5 Rounds:

20 Sandbag Squats
20 Push-Ups
10 Pull-Ups
20 Walking Lunges
200-meter Run

Finish with:

30-minute ruck hike
35-pound backpack

This workout develops strength, endurance, and work capacity simultaneously.

Lessons from the Community

One theme appears repeatedly among former candidates and SOF athletes:

Cardio is king.

Strength matters.

But nobody remembers your squat PR when you’re carrying a boat through soft sand after days of limited sleep.

Many successful candidates recommend becoming well-rounded rather than chasing elite lifting numbers. Focus on endurance while maintaining solid strength.

Final Thoughts

So how much should you squat before BUD/S?

Enough.

Not maximum.

Enough.

Strong enough to carry heavy things.

Strong enough to survive log PT.

Strong enough to help your teammates.

But not so focused on strength that you neglect running, swimming, recovery, mobility, and endurance.

If I could go back and prepare for BUD/S again, I would spend less time chasing squat numbers and more time running hills, swimming in open water, carrying sandbags, doing pull-ups, and building work capacity.

That’s what wins at BUD/S.

Not the biggest squat.

The most durable athlete.

The candidate who can perform all day and come back tomorrow ready to do it again.