Seconds after this iconic photo was taken in 1942, this young officer leading his men into assault, Alexey Yeremenko, was killed.
God rest in peace the strong souls of the warriors who gave their lives for a just cause, from the ruins of Stalingrad to the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan. We will never forget. For the living doing their duty today, here is a training tip.
The Russian Hockey Deadlift
A Marine in the middle of a firefight is not going to have the luxury of using OSHA’s guidelines—“Use your legs, not your back!”—when picking up a fallen comrade or moving heavy kit. The following exercise from the arsenal of Russian hockey players is supposed to condition one’s back against ergonomically unfriendly loading. This is what the late Dr. Mel Siff called “injury prevention by imperfection training.” It is a risky strategy and you could get hurt, but you chose to risk a lot more when you put on your country’s uniform.
Deadlift a light kettlebell with both hands.
Then hinge your hips to the side and slowly lower it to one of your heels.
Straighten out and twist to the other side.
2-3 sets of 15-20 reps are traditionally performed.
He Did Not Return From the Battle
I will finish this blog with a war song. Gone for over thirty years, Vladimir Visotsky remains my favorite singer. He stabbed with his lyrics and raw emotion. But you do not need to understand the words to appreciate that He Did Not Return From the Battle is one of the best songs about the war ever written.
A soldier asks his brother-in-arms for a smoke and hears silence. He is jolted with a reminder that his friend was killed in action the day before…
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