Joining the SAS reserves with a full-time job
By Deepak Shukla · Historical account and source-led commentary
Preparing for military reserve service alongside a full-time job is a serious time and energy commitment, not just a weekend fitness project. I experienced this tension while undertaking preparatory Army training in 2015–2016 and ultimately chose not to attempt SAS selection. Get the current training and attendance expectations directly from the Army before committing your own schedule.
Where the hours come from
For me, scheduling training around self-employment forced honest choices about which commitments could move and which could not. I have written about early mornings and routines, but that is an option I used in my own life, not a requirement or a sustainable solution for everybody. Your available time needs to include work, sleep and recovery.
What it costs the rest of your life
Any substantial reserve commitment affects family, work and relationships as well as exercise. Ask the recruiting unit what regular attendance, courses and possible deployment may involve, then discuss the consequences with the people affected. The terms and expectations in my 2015–2016 diary should not be treated as today's timetable.
A schedule must fit your real responsibilities
My old habits included organising endurance training around ordinary work, but I cannot reconstruct a reliable week-by-week SAS preparation programme from those memories. A current applicant should start with the Army's training commitments, then build a realistic routine with appropriate coaching and recovery. Doing more is not automatically a better answer.
The mental side of doing it alone
Some training requires personal consistency, but you do not need to imitate selection conditions alone or in unsafe settings. Seek experienced coaching and supportive company for difficult outdoor activities, respond sensibly to injury and fatigue, and remember that military service involves collective obligations far beyond individual determination.
A note on accuracy
Entry criteria, standards and selection dates are set by the Army and change over time. Take anything current from the Army's own UK Special Forces Reserve pages; take everything below as one applicant's experience.
What is current policy, and what is my own experience?
I applied to 21 SAS and completed preparatory British Army training in 2015–2016, but did not attempt SAS selection or serve as an SAS operator. My private Georgian training was a separate experience. Military requirements belong to the Army, not to this independent personal website.
Published sources
- British Army Jobs — SAS Reserve role, entry requirements, selection and locations
Primary source for the role and the five publicly described phases; checked 15 October 2026.
- British Army — UK Special Forces Reserve overview and recruiting contact
Official route to the latest unit advice; checked 15 October 2026.
- British Army — 21 and 23 Special Air Service Reserve
Official regiment information; use the Army for current recruitment, not my historical diary.
- Soldier magazine (October 2025) — SAS Reserve recruiting feature
Dated official magazine article. Some eligibility wording differs from the Army Jobs role page; confirm with recruiting.
The Army Jobs listing and the October 2025 Soldier article use different age wording. That is a reason to ask the recruiting unit, not to pick the most convenient figure. These references are checked as of the date above, not monitored automatically.
Read next
Get my 21 SAS reserve selection prep guide
What the stages are, what I was training to before I applied, and how I'd build the twelve weeks before a selection weekend. Written from my own application, free, no pitch.