Re: Joining the Army in a year and need fitness tips
I can help here. Firstly, I'm not a doctor. You should talk to a doctor before beginning any kind of strenuous workout regimen. It may behoove you to get a heart rate monitor as well. I'd also get good, proper running shoes (the ones you need may not be the ones you want) and I'd get a pair of combat boots that are fitted properly. In general, you get the running shoes a little on the loose side, while getting the boots a little on the tighter side. Has to do with feet swelling.
While I'm thinking of it, ask your recruiter about any workout or PT programs they might offer, especially if you live near a base. When I joined in Spring '01 (age 24), they gave me a temporary Army ID so I could workout at Redstone Arsenal near home until I got to Benning in May. Sometimes those pre-entry programs will set you up with a workout partner.
If you have to do it on your own, DelFuego had some good, short and simple advice above. Join your local Y and LIVE in the pool. Treading water in the deep end and using both your arms and legs is a good workout; start with arm flotations to keep you going at first, then switch to nothing, finally to weights. Try to go as long as you can, an hour at least. Swimming is also good, as is running laps in water up to your chest/shoulders (you may want to wear pool shoes for that). If you have others, water polo is a great workout and a lot of fun. All of this will burn you real good without impacting your joints. This is good to know, you can keep in shape this way when you get injured. And based on your height, size and age, you will experience some musculoskeletal pain at some point.
A good book for on-your-own that worked well for me before I shipped out was "The United States Navy Seals Workout Guide" by CMC Dennis C. Chalker, USN (Ret.). While you may not be a Seal, the workouts in the book are well designed for soldiers and are designed to build you up from zero. You may not be able to keep up with the tempo, in that case repeat a week and so on until you can progress. Nearly all the exercises in that book are exercises we did either in basic or at my unit later on.
For you, I'd try to focus on meeting all the PT test standards before joining, but from what I understand, they changed all that, so I don't know what to tell you. Ask your recruiter for that. But being able to run 5 miles in 40 minutes or less with no problems will make basic a lot easier, and so will being able to knock out 100 or so good pushups in 2 minutes, 100 or so situps in 2 minutes, and as many pullups as possible. So will being able to move at no less than 4mph with a 35-40lb. rucksack on your back for 12 miles. This last part should be easy for you due to your size once you build up your strength. I was 6'2-6'1 and did well on road marches, really well.
If you do all of this, and for a year, you will be so well prepared for the physical part of basic that it won't be a challenge at all. If you show that kind of self determination, discipline and fortitude prior to basic, then the sky's the limit after and you'll do well.
