From the moment a recruit arrives at basic training, they begin a military bodybuilding program that will end up changing them mentally and physically. Some branches of the military have vigorous methods of physical exercise because the missions of those armed services require a bodybuilding program that will help them survive when they are sent out on impossible missions.

It is the responsibility of the company commanders to help recruits train their bodies. Strong bodies will be needed by service members to help support them for many hours at a time while carrying heavy gear and while performing exercises that will prove useful in hand to hand combat. The military is totally committed to helping a soldier prepare for combat situations in many ways, and building a sound body is only one method.

The Navy SEAL program is one of the military bodybuilding programs that few people can successfully take part in. The rigorous exercise programs offered in SEAL training are some of the toughest in the world, with the Marine Corps basic training coming in a close second. These bodybuilding programs incorporate weight lifting, endurance tests and various survival exercises to create a human being that might seem super-human to outsiders that are not used to such excellence in body shapes.