Bear Grylls will put new Army recruits through their paces in bid to stop them quitting

NEW Army recruits will be put through their paces by TV survival hero Bear Grylls from next week – in a bid to stop them quitting.

The former SAS man's fitness bootcamp business kicks off a new partnership with Army recruitment contractor Capita on Monday.

Around 100,000 people apply to join each year – but thousands drop out because they cannot hack the gruelling fitness and outdoor skills required.

Gryll's bootcamp fitness firm Be Military Fit (BMF) is now stepping in to stop them quitting before phase one training begins.

He told The Sun: "Around 30,000 men and women are put through to day one of basic training but they lose a lot in the early days.

"The truth is some recruits aren't prepared for the standard of outdoor resilience and fitness that's needed to succeed.

"BMF is going to help the Army overcome the issue of losing too many of these promising men and women using tailored fitness programmes and expertise from our vastly experienced team of instructors and experts.

Around 30,000 men and women are put through to day one of basic training but they lose a lot in the early days.

"Corporals will know when the squaddies turn up on day one; 'yep, this guy has turned up to all 15 BMF sessions, here's a report from a BMF instructor, he's used to functional, outdoor training, taking instructions outdoors as part of a team, and it gives recruitments confidence before day one'."

Grylls, 46, is also gunning to get more women troops on the frontline.

Around 20,000 would-be female soldiers apply to join the Army each year – and ten percent of them are forced to quit because of problems with fitness and resilience.

Despite this, Army top brass are conscious that women who do sign up frequently out-perform their male counterparts.

Grylls said: "We see time and time again that women have proven to be some of the most promising and tough recruits we've had in the Army in recent years.

"They're just as strong as men, and that's why we're going to help get more females fighting fit and full of confidence ahead of their Army careers."

Be Military Fit, which Grylls bought with old army pals in 2018, already runs outdoor group fitness classes for civilians across 140 sites nationwide.

More than one million people tuned into special BMF online fitness classes during the first coronavirus lockdown earlier this year.

The adrenaline-junky TV star is now urging everyday Brits to get themselves mentally and physically strong for England's second lockdown.

We see time and time again that women have proven to be some of the most promising and tough recruits we've had in the Army in recent years.

He said: "It's been such a tough year for everyone and I'm ever-mindful of that but you have to roll with the punches and be nimble, like a martial artist.

"My best advice to the public this time around is to adapt and overcome the situation we have been presented with.

"You don't need fancy gym equipment or treadmills and thumping music to stay fit. The days of your typical gym workouts are long gone.

"Use your environment to your advantage. Grab a backpack and fill it with household items like books or water and do exercises with it on your back.

"Use outdoor spaces to train. Strong trees or bars for pull-ups, benches for dips, obstacles like kerbs for jumping up and down.

"Getting outside and experiencing fresh air is well documented to be linked with happiness and we know what to expect with lockdown this time around."

As Britain begins its second lockdown of the year, Grylls is currently in the US filming a new series of hit show Running Wild.

He said: "There's huge challenges filming during a pandemic. Shooting is done in bubbles, we need special work visas and there's all sorts of health and safety stuff to adhere to.

"I had been flying back to the UK to get my boys to school and doing the dad thing, then flying back to the US for filming, so the last few months for me have been particularly busy.

"We started the year with the new series of The Island, which we were about to start filming the very first day of on March 24, but we had to pull it at the last minute because of the coronavirus lockdown.

"But like I always say. Adapt and overcome."

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