How to survive in the desert | Building a desert shelter

It's like a scene from Hollywood's most cliched films - a guy, sweating like a pig, meandering through the vast desert with little to nope hope of survival.

Yet somehow, he survives against all odds and reasonable doubt. At XT46, we know it's not that easy (even with breathable, awesome training shirts). But we'll make desert survival one step simpler by telling you that best way to build a desert shelter if you ever find yourself knee deep in sandy purgatory.

According to Discovery:

To build a shelter, find a low spot or depression between dunes or rocks. If necessary, dig a trench 45 to 60 centimeters deep and long and wide enough for you to lie in comfortably. Pile the sand you take from the trench to form a mound around three sides. On the open end of the trench, dig out more sand so you can get in and out of your shelter easily. 


Next, cover the trench with your material. Secure the material in place using sand, rocks or other weights. Check all sides and ends of the shelter to make sure it is secure. If you have extra material, you can further decrease the midday temperature in the trench by securing the material 30 to 45 centimeters above the other cover. This layering of the material will reduce the inside temperature 11 to 22 degrees C (20 to 40 degrees F). 


Another type of below-ground shade shelter is of similar construction, except all sides are open to air currents and circulation. For maximum protection, you need a minimum of two layers of parachute material. White is the best color to reflect heat; the innermost layer should be of darker material.


Remember, deserts get fairly cold at night. This shelter could make or break your chances of survival.

Military Salary | How much do soldiers get paid?

It's a question that many ask, but few actually know. XT46 is here to help you understand just how the military pay system works.

Currently, the military compensation system has over 70 separate types of pay and allowances, according to Military.com. -- that's a lot to keep track of, especially if you're knee deep in military training. In general, annual military pay raises are linked to the increase in civilian wages. However current laws governing annual pay raises no longer guarantee that military pay will be at automatically set above civilian average pay increases.

There are two broad categories at play here: "Pay" and "Allowance". Typically, pay is money which is based upon remuneration for employment, while allowance is money necessary for the efficient performance of duty. Generally speaking, pay is income, while allowances are reimbursements.

Given how many ranks there are in the military, it's difficult to judge just how much money a soldier makes - could be $1,600 a month for younger recruits, could be substantially more as experience racks up. But here is a military pay calculator to help you learn more.

Do you think soldiers are underpaid?

Krav Maga | Hand to Hand Combat techniques

Ever had a fellow bro buck up to you? For the sake of argument, we'll assume "Yes."

What would you do? Would you be able to defend yourself, or would the confrontation end with a shower of four-letter words and teardrops?

We wanted to share a bit about Krav Maga, a self-defense combat art developed originally in Israel. Outside Israel, Krav Maga is used by various special police, military and intelligence forces, such as American CIA, FBI, US Marshals, USAF, DEA, Federal Air Marshals, various police departments (SWAT teams), etc.

Krav Maga is known for its brutal counter attacks and efficiency.

A few examples: 
Thumbstrikes to the throat
Hammerfists to the face
Palm-heel strike to the kidneys

See the below graphic for a set of vital targets, as deemed worthy by Krav Maga.

After seeing the diagram, have some food for thought: Learn more about Krav Maga or, if you're facing someone who knows its techniques by heart, prepare for your innards to transform into the texture of squashed grapes.

Want to learn Krav Maga techniques? Check out these resources:

Combat Guide

Krav Maga wiki

Best MMA resources | Top Fighting sites

If you're like us, you're all about the bone-jarring, jaw-smashing sport of MMA. Some people might take issue with fighting , but hey, we're guys and we like a good face-smashing every fortnight or so.

Since we're a premier outfitter of mixed martial arts training gear, we wanted to share a few of our favorite MMA websites with our community.

MMA Fighting - A good news site with raw videos and photos, all surrounded by community-driven conversation.

Sherdog - A debatable choice, but you'll never find more controversy than Sherdog. Share opinions at your own risk!

MMA Junkie - A dark horse choice, but we love their play by play during live events. Thorough detail and consistent updating.

So tell us! What's your favorite MMA website?

Strange UFC Facebook post | Rashad knockout photo posted before fight

Prior to the biggest fight of his career, the UFC has -- for some reason -- posted a photo of "Suga" Rashad Evans being knocked out by Lyoto Machida. Click here to see the post.

Evans is scheduled to face Jon "Bones" Jones for the UFC light heavyweight title in less than two weeks. Not exactly the Facebook post Rashad's camp would likely want to see.

Check out the photo below.

Several fans backlashed on the post, questioning the MMA organization's motives on posting such a photo prior to a high-profile championship fight. Though no official statement has been made, the UFC post only states that it is part of "The Making of a Grudge Match."

Wonder what Rashad thinks about this? Does he even know? Might want to pass this along to your MMA buddies and see what they think.

Military back on alert? | Obama Threatens Military Action

Wondering what the military thinks about this? It seems that tensions continue mounting in the Middle East -- enough to entice President Obama to bring out major threats against Iran.

From Reuters, citing a recent interview:

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued his most direct threat yet of U.S. military action against Iran if it builds a nuclear weapon, but in a message to Israel's leader ahead of White House talks he also cautioned against a pre-emptive Israeli strike.
 "As president of the United States, I don't bluff," Obama warned Iran in a magazine interview published on Friday, three days before he will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington.
 

What do you think?

Fighter Knocks Himself Out Cold | Worst fighter ever?

We've seen some suspect fighters before (see below), but this takes the cake. Nothing says "best MMA fight ever" like a dude who can knock his own lights out. We're talking "out-cold, call your momma" sleep. Watch as our nameless hero smacks his face on the canvass. What a trooper. Maybe his opponent needs some new MMA shorts, because he probably crapped himself in disbelief.




As for the worst fighter ever, we'd have to give that to our Mullet Boxer friend, Brian Sutherland. Aside from punching like an overcaffeinated rabbit, SuperMullet takes it up a notch by flopping like a drama queen after a single punch to the kisser.

Veterans and tech jobs | Soldiers looking for work

This infographic should help veterans looking for work. Besides getting your butt in gear with rugged running shorts, returning home from war overseas should be as easy a transition as possible. So at XT46, we wanted to share a post about tech jobs our soldiers might be interested in.

Credit goes to Publicyte for the original article.

Too fat for the armed forces? Lose weight for the military

It was roughly 7 years ago when the Air Force set new weight requirements for joining. As you can see from the chart below, there's no difference between men and women. So whether it be taking your running shorts out for a test drive or breaking in some new workout clothes, we're going to whip you into shape for recruitment.

Push-ups
While the push-up primarily targets the muscles of the chest, arms, and shoulders, support required from other muscles results in a wider range of muscles integrated into the exercise.


According to some treacherously complex math, when you are doing a full-blown pushup, you are "lifting" about 56% of your body weight (the other 44% is held up by your feet). In other words, for an average 200 pound person, doing one pushup is similar to (but not exactly the same as) doing a bench rep of 112 pounds. This is a great way to tone those muscles and trim the fat.


Losing weight? Sit-ups probably not the best way.
Losing weight is all about eating high quality foods and exercising regularly to burn excess calories. You can try to lose weight just by doing sit ups, but it is not the smartest or most efficient way to lose weight, according to this dude. In order to burn 3500 calories in 2 weeks, you can do (on average) 1,000 sit ups a day or walk or jog 2.5 miles a day. So it's best to grab your mesh training shorts and hit the road.


Burpees

Grab a towel for this one. You're gonna be sweating. Bodybuilding.com says Burpee Intervals are one of the best conditioning drills. These intervals consist of Burpees and shadow boxing. For example, you will perform...

• Burpees x 30 seconds (squat to leaping position, then push-up and repeat)
• Shadow box x 30 seconds
• Continue for 2 - 3 minutes

You will begin with 30 seconds of Burpees, and immediately follow with 30 seconds of shadow boxing. Continue this pattern for a full 2 or 3-minute round. You will then rest 1 minute (or 30 seconds) between each round. Shed the pounds like mad and tighten those muscles.

Happy 70th Birthday to Muhammad Ali

He's one of the greatest fighters to ever set foot inside a boxing ring. His personality and flamboyant outpourings defined a generation of sports.

Happy birthday to you, Muhammad Ali. You're an inspiration to fighters everywhere, and it's an honor to suit up in fight gear if not to be half the pugilist you became. We strive to be better, fight harder, work tougher and live longer because of you.

Best ab workouts for men - Starting off

Look, we all want a set of abs to brag about. Problem is, the six pack is probably buried under a keg unless you're an extreme training addict, MMA fighter or genetic freak.

So it's time to get off the couch and start a routine to swear by. It's 2012 kids, and we aren't getting any younger. You want extreme training? We'll give it to you.

Here are a few workouts to help sculpt those abs into something worthy of a magazine cover. You'll find getting ripped isn't as impossible as it looks.

Elbow planks

- A good warmup for beginner and intermediate ab workouts.

Assume a pushup position, but with your elbows bent and your weight resting on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Now brace your abs as if someone were about to punch you in the gut. Hold for 30 seconds. Rest 30 seconds, and repeat once.

  

Single leg side planks

- A good warmup for beginner and intermediate ab workouts. Lay on your side and extend your upper body with your forearm perpendicular to your body. Lift your leg and keep it there as long as you can. For an extra challenge, use ankle weights.

Hip lifts 

- Lay down on your back. Keep legs straight and don't let them rock back as your lift your hips. Keep palms on the ground facing up - don't use your hands to push up. Only use your hips for raising - it's tougher than it looks!

Meet the women of MMA | Fighting Femme Fatales

Somewhere between blood-stained MMA shorts and sweaty training gear is the "art" behind mixed martial arts.

For most folks, gaping gashes and splintering bones aren't the defining points of beauty. But if you look hard enough - even in MMA - you'll find a reason to stop and smell the roses.

Except in this case, these roses are Venus Fly Traps.

Some women break hearts. Women like Gina Carano (start of the upcoming movie "Haywire") or Kyra Gracie will break your freakin' arm. These aren't the girls mommy warned you about - they're the ones she'd never dare speak of out of pure, unwavering fear.

Female MMA competition is usually more prominent in Japan, but as the MMA circuit continues to explode stateside, more and more girls are trading their pom poms for padded gloves.

So here's to the women of MMA - may you fight like a girl and bleed like a Spartan.