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gettin ready for boot
- Thread starter miniman93
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Re: gettin ready for boot
I was not in the Marine Corps but I was a Ranger and served 3 years on the trail as a Army Drill Sgt. You need to work your core big time. Crunches, burpees, air squats, pushups, leg lifts (hanging from a pullup bar, pullups, and running. Run long and short distances. 3 miles run one day, off a day, than run 2-4 iterations of 400 meters at a pace that is almost unbearable.
This is just a quick overview. If you want more help feel free to PM me.
I was not in the Marine Corps but I was a Ranger and served 3 years on the trail as a Army Drill Sgt. You need to work your core big time. Crunches, burpees, air squats, pushups, leg lifts (hanging from a pullup bar, pullups, and running. Run long and short distances. 3 miles run one day, off a day, than run 2-4 iterations of 400 meters at a pace that is almost unbearable.
This is just a quick overview. If you want more help feel free to PM me.
Re: gettin ready for boot
run, run, run and run some more. push ups, sit ups etc will be handy also.
run, run, run and run some more. push ups, sit ups etc will be handy also.
Re: gettin ready for boot
In the corps for fitness tests, Pull ups are key, they are the "money maker" Crunches, and core workouts for boot camp. Stick to becoming lean and high cardio. Don't try and bulk up, it will not help you, at least not until you get to the fleet.
In the corps for fitness tests, Pull ups are key, they are the "money maker" Crunches, and core workouts for boot camp. Stick to becoming lean and high cardio. Don't try and bulk up, it will not help you, at least not until you get to the fleet.
Re: gettin ready for boot
a regiment of swimming, and running will get your cardio up and build a good core. You can substitute biking for running for lower impact to save those knees (god help yah you will need em, knee injuries are a serious thing). Switch off swimming and running every other day and do pushups and crunches when your at home watching TV. When I got ready for boot, I started a few months in advanced, and my recruiter advised me to do 20 pushups every hour on the hour at least twice a week.
My schedule was somewhat like this, and I increased runs by .5 miles every week. Swimming by 5 extra laps a week, and doing 5 extra pushups and crunches a week.
Monday:
Run 1 mile
Tuesday:
pushups and crunches 20 of each every hour on the hour
Wednesday:
Swim 20 laps
Thursday:
usually a rest day, and did a few mile walk with a ruck
Fridays:
pushups and crunches again
Sat:
Swim or ran depending on how i felt
Sun:
rested by playing ultimate frisbee or some sort of sport with friends.
hope it helps...
Look at or ask your recruiter for your age group PT standards and shoot to exceed those by boot and you won't be sucking like some of the lard asses that sat on their couches with friends eating and drinking talking about joining. It will help a lot.
a regiment of swimming, and running will get your cardio up and build a good core. You can substitute biking for running for lower impact to save those knees (god help yah you will need em, knee injuries are a serious thing). Switch off swimming and running every other day and do pushups and crunches when your at home watching TV. When I got ready for boot, I started a few months in advanced, and my recruiter advised me to do 20 pushups every hour on the hour at least twice a week.
My schedule was somewhat like this, and I increased runs by .5 miles every week. Swimming by 5 extra laps a week, and doing 5 extra pushups and crunches a week.
Monday:
Run 1 mile
Tuesday:
pushups and crunches 20 of each every hour on the hour
Wednesday:
Swim 20 laps
Thursday:
usually a rest day, and did a few mile walk with a ruck
Fridays:
pushups and crunches again
Sat:
Swim or ran depending on how i felt
Sun:
rested by playing ultimate frisbee or some sort of sport with friends.
hope it helps...
Look at or ask your recruiter for your age group PT standards and shoot to exceed those by boot and you won't be sucking like some of the lard asses that sat on their couches with friends eating and drinking talking about joining. It will help a lot.
Re: gettin ready for boot
Keep in mind that it's been almost 20 years since I went to MCRD, so you're recruiter can give you some current info, but a few months before leaving I bought the best running shoes available, if you're still allowed to bring your own (check w recruiter) then DO IT. Good running shoes with after market insoles prevented injuries like shin-splints that caused other guys to drop to medical.
Break them in during this time period and RUN!!!!
Again, things change, but there's an Initial Strenght Test (which you should have done at your recruiters) and you'll do again upon arrival at MCRD. If you suck on the IST, then you go to Pork Chop Platoon, period, no excuses. It used to be 1.5mi run, sit ups (now crunches) and pull-ups. Get the passing numbers from your recruiter and be damn sure you can do it before you go.
Do pull-ups and crunches in pyramids:
10 pullups then 50 crunches while you rest
9 pullups then 40 crunches while you rest
8 pullups then 30 crunches while you rest
etc
If you cant do that many, then do as many as you possibly can of each to start with and then keep working down as described.
Push ups aren't scored, but you will do thousands of them, and the guys who fail first always draw the unwanted attention. DO NOT BE THAT GUY.
So you should do push-ups in the same way:
Max number of pushups you can do then RUN in place while resting for 2-3mins
reduce your pushups by 5 or so and RUN in place in between
keep doing it till you can't do one single push up, then rest and do it some more
On days you're not running you should be humping a weighted backpack on sand and up and down whatever elevation you can find. If you have hills and mountains use them, otherwise find some stairs or bleachers. Your goal is NO slower than 15min miles with a weighted ruck over terrain. On smooth ground you should be moving so fast with your pack that you're almost running. In fact, you may as well run with the ruck too, because unless things have changed, you're going to do a good bit of that as well.
There's really no way to be in such good shape that boot camp is "easy" because as a group you're going to get pushed until the strongest and fastest can't go anymore, then you're going to keep pushing. What you can avoid is being THAT GUY that is always getting singled out for dropping early. You drop early one too many times and you get dropped from training.
Congratulations on the decision to step-up. Sorry if I ran long on the reply, but I vividly remember killing myself getting ready without knowing what I was doing and figured I'd pass along some lessons learned.
Semper Fi
Keep in mind that it's been almost 20 years since I went to MCRD, so you're recruiter can give you some current info, but a few months before leaving I bought the best running shoes available, if you're still allowed to bring your own (check w recruiter) then DO IT. Good running shoes with after market insoles prevented injuries like shin-splints that caused other guys to drop to medical.
Break them in during this time period and RUN!!!!
Again, things change, but there's an Initial Strenght Test (which you should have done at your recruiters) and you'll do again upon arrival at MCRD. If you suck on the IST, then you go to Pork Chop Platoon, period, no excuses. It used to be 1.5mi run, sit ups (now crunches) and pull-ups. Get the passing numbers from your recruiter and be damn sure you can do it before you go.
Do pull-ups and crunches in pyramids:
10 pullups then 50 crunches while you rest
9 pullups then 40 crunches while you rest
8 pullups then 30 crunches while you rest
etc
If you cant do that many, then do as many as you possibly can of each to start with and then keep working down as described.
Push ups aren't scored, but you will do thousands of them, and the guys who fail first always draw the unwanted attention. DO NOT BE THAT GUY.
So you should do push-ups in the same way:
Max number of pushups you can do then RUN in place while resting for 2-3mins
reduce your pushups by 5 or so and RUN in place in between
keep doing it till you can't do one single push up, then rest and do it some more
On days you're not running you should be humping a weighted backpack on sand and up and down whatever elevation you can find. If you have hills and mountains use them, otherwise find some stairs or bleachers. Your goal is NO slower than 15min miles with a weighted ruck over terrain. On smooth ground you should be moving so fast with your pack that you're almost running. In fact, you may as well run with the ruck too, because unless things have changed, you're going to do a good bit of that as well.
There's really no way to be in such good shape that boot camp is "easy" because as a group you're going to get pushed until the strongest and fastest can't go anymore, then you're going to keep pushing. What you can avoid is being THAT GUY that is always getting singled out for dropping early. You drop early one too many times and you get dropped from training.
Congratulations on the decision to step-up. Sorry if I ran long on the reply, but I vividly remember killing myself getting ready without knowing what I was doing and figured I'd pass along some lessons learned.
Semper Fi
Re: gettin ready for boot
come on guys, he can do all this when he is in boot camp, why not do what you cannot do then - drink a lot of beer - watch TV all day - eat pizza, chips etc
then BC will be a nice change instead of more of the same
come on guys, he can do all this when he is in boot camp, why not do what you cannot do then - drink a lot of beer - watch TV all day - eat pizza, chips etc
then BC will be a nice change instead of more of the same
Re: gettin ready for boot
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: George63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">come on guys, he can do all this when he is in boot camp, why not do what you cannot do then - drink a lot of beer - watch TV all day - eat pizza, chips etc
then BC will be a nice change instead of more of the same </div></div>
Because I personally saw people who did that prior to boot at 30th AG, they filled up on the fatty food line stuffing their faces like they did back home and probably never did a pushup or ran in their lives.
Didn't turn out well for them when they got to the sand hilton...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: George63</div><div class="ubbcode-body">come on guys, he can do all this when he is in boot camp, why not do what you cannot do then - drink a lot of beer - watch TV all day - eat pizza, chips etc
then BC will be a nice change instead of more of the same </div></div>
Because I personally saw people who did that prior to boot at 30th AG, they filled up on the fatty food line stuffing their faces like they did back home and probably never did a pushup or ran in their lives.
Didn't turn out well for them when they got to the sand hilton...
Re: gettin ready for boot
Low crawling 100yds as fast as you can might help. It's a full body exercise in itself. Practicing logistics runs (running with a 5 gallon jerry can or a stretcher or a buddy on your back) can help too. Just don't do too much of it. The hikes are annoying since you usually have to walk fast with your ILBE rather than run (although you do that too). Walking fast is harder than running in my opinion especially if you're not used to it wearing an 80 lbs pack. You'll thank yourself immensely if you can get up to 20 pull ups. Palm out is preferred. Get to at least 10 if you're not there already. Three max sets of pull-ups a day will get you a major increase in a month. Something to help on the obstacle course is to practice the college boy roll. Uses less strength once you can do it. Practicing the rope climb is also helpful. Most failures on the o course is the rope. If you're not comfortable in the pool, then you need to jump in and get comfortable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbwziqKlEC0
Low crawling 100yds as fast as you can might help. It's a full body exercise in itself. Practicing logistics runs (running with a 5 gallon jerry can or a stretcher or a buddy on your back) can help too. Just don't do too much of it. The hikes are annoying since you usually have to walk fast with your ILBE rather than run (although you do that too). Walking fast is harder than running in my opinion especially if you're not used to it wearing an 80 lbs pack. You'll thank yourself immensely if you can get up to 20 pull ups. Palm out is preferred. Get to at least 10 if you're not there already. Three max sets of pull-ups a day will get you a major increase in a month. Something to help on the obstacle course is to practice the college boy roll. Uses less strength once you can do it. Practicing the rope climb is also helpful. Most failures on the o course is the rope. If you're not comfortable in the pool, then you need to jump in and get comfortable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbwziqKlEC0
Re: gettin ready for boot
Good mental attitude...no matter how hard it gets, never...ever...give up on yourself. The DI's will get you through it as long as you don't quit! It's an awesome experience, good luck.
Good mental attitude...no matter how hard it gets, never...ever...give up on yourself. The DI's will get you through it as long as you don't quit! It's an awesome experience, good luck.
Re: gettin ready for boot
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _RJ_</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Become a whiskey locker recruit and stay on the DL
</div></div>
yeah til the 1st time you get crucified in said whiskey locker. pull ups are the money maker as stated before. it's hard to NOT get 100 pts for crunches, I think. rifle score and swimming can help a lot, get your wsq when you hit the fleet or boost you up and get the mvp or whatever and graduate as a lance. your rank wont matter at first because you'll still be a fucking boot and nobody cares, but time in grade is time in grade. don't worry about mass, you'll lose it anyway, do high reps for all muscle groups and run you ass off. good luck.
Semper Sometimes
oh yeah...don't fuck up
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: _RJ_</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Become a whiskey locker recruit and stay on the DL
yeah til the 1st time you get crucified in said whiskey locker. pull ups are the money maker as stated before. it's hard to NOT get 100 pts for crunches, I think. rifle score and swimming can help a lot, get your wsq when you hit the fleet or boost you up and get the mvp or whatever and graduate as a lance. your rank wont matter at first because you'll still be a fucking boot and nobody cares, but time in grade is time in grade. don't worry about mass, you'll lose it anyway, do high reps for all muscle groups and run you ass off. good luck.
Semper Sometimes
oh yeah...don't fuck up
Re: gettin ready for boot
Cardio, cardio, cardio. Being able to run and hump with a full ruck and gear is what will pull you through your first 6 months in the corps and set you up for success. Dont worry about size until your settled into your unit, and even there if your a 03 plan on keeping the lean and mean body type...
Pyramid sets of pull up/ push ups and leg lifts are always a great way to finish a pt session and ensure you've truly slayed yourself.
Just remember if your face hasn't hit the deck you still have more to put out.
Cardio, cardio, cardio. Being able to run and hump with a full ruck and gear is what will pull you through your first 6 months in the corps and set you up for success. Dont worry about size until your settled into your unit, and even there if your a 03 plan on keeping the lean and mean body type...
Pyramid sets of pull up/ push ups and leg lifts are always a great way to finish a pt session and ensure you've truly slayed yourself.
Just remember if your face hasn't hit the deck you still have more to put out.
Re: gettin ready for boot
If you passed the Initial fitness test (3 pull ups min, 1.5 mi run, and 45 sit-ups) keep in shape but don't over do it. its not Infantry Training Battalion just bootcamp. If you go in amazing shape, you will loose a ton of muscle mass and some of your initial fitness level. It doesn't matter how much you prepare, DI's will make anything suck. Everybody has mostly good advice on here, but my 2 cents, square away everything from money to relationships so you can focus on the task at hand each day, and keep in shape. Once you graduate then start whipping your butt into shape before you go to ITB or MCT. Semper
If you passed the Initial fitness test (3 pull ups min, 1.5 mi run, and 45 sit-ups) keep in shape but don't over do it. its not Infantry Training Battalion just bootcamp. If you go in amazing shape, you will loose a ton of muscle mass and some of your initial fitness level. It doesn't matter how much you prepare, DI's will make anything suck. Everybody has mostly good advice on here, but my 2 cents, square away everything from money to relationships so you can focus on the task at hand each day, and keep in shape. Once you graduate then start whipping your butt into shape before you go to ITB or MCT. Semper
Re: gettin ready for boot
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mighty Quinn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Everybody has mostly good advice on here, but my 2 cents, square away everything from money to relationships so you can focus on the task at hand each day, and keep in shape. Once you graduate then start whipping your butt into shape before you go to ITB or MCT. Semper </div></div>
Best advice you'll get regarding boot camp. Not a bad first post Quinn.
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Mighty Quinn</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Everybody has mostly good advice on here, but my 2 cents, square away everything from money to relationships so you can focus on the task at hand each day, and keep in shape. Once you graduate then start whipping your butt into shape before you go to ITB or MCT. Semper </div></div>
Best advice you'll get regarding boot camp. Not a bad first post Quinn.
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