Girl Training for Boot Camp/Spec Ops

Dnosek

Hi! I'm a 24yo female who recently joined the Navy. I leave for boot camp late may and am hoping to gain a bunch of muscle before then. On top of that I really want to be a search and rescue swimmer which is considered spec ops. In order to get that I have to take a physical fitness test that's pretty rigorous. I've never been terribly athletic, not that I'm in terrible shape, and I don't need to lose any weight. I need to gain muscle and strength.

I just got a gym membership and have been trying to work out, but I get so nervous and awkward working out in front of other people, but bc of my schedule I can't go in the middle of the night or before dawn in the morning (I work nights).

A couple questions:

Will gym awkwardness go away? How do I feel comfortable going over to the free weights and grabbing my measly 8lbers when other women are grabbing the 50s???

Best way to quickly build mass/strength? I've been trying to increase my protein intake and eating frequently and within an hour after work outs. I work out about 4 times a week cardio/strength.

I need to be able to do 50+ push ups, 50+ crunches (I'm not doing too shabby on those), and at least 5 pull-ups. What's the best way to build up my strength in these areas???

Thanks

89nunu

Have a look for the women who bulk group

Gym awkwardness goes away! Once you know what you are doing, know the people that train at the same time and increase the weight. It's different for everyone but was quite fast for me

Eat 1g protein per lb lbm to lb body weight and eat about 250 calories over tdee (some guys do 500 but as a girl 250-300 should be enough unless you don't mind a lot of extra fat)

What's your routine? Do you do full body 4 times a week? That sounds to excessive, you need to get your muscles some rest in order for them to recover properly and ibcrease

Holly_Roman_Empire

I don't have a lot of advice for bulking, but for someone that is just getting ready for basic training right now, I would focus on nailing the basics first. I was in the Air Force for 4 years, and for pushups, situps, and pull-ups, the best advice to get better at them is to just do them. If you can't do regular pushups yet, start on your knees.

I'm not sure what the PT for the Navy is like, but other exercises to practice at: burpees, mountain climbers, jumping jacks, and arm circles. (Sounds silly to do arm circles, but in my BMT, we had our arms straight out for minutes at a time. If nothing else, it was just for punishment.) If you're not running, then start running. A lot. Run for time instead of distance.

As for gym awkwardness, the best thing you can do is not care what everybody else is thinking. Everyone had to start somewhere, including those that are picking up the 50 pound weights. I mean, come on, you're going to be in the military, so you should already think you're as bad*ss as them!

Other military exercises: 8-count body builders, and pyramid pushups. Look them up on youtube or something. They suck, but you might have to do them. I did.

contingencyplan

Suspension trainer. There is a program called TRX Force using one that was designed specifically to prepare you for that test. Also look into the Ultimate Sandbag Selected! training program which is similar.

geekyjock76

Five months is a very short amount of time, to be honest; so I'd be realistic considering the goals in question. Between the two goals, your strength will be the one area which is enhanced the most.

How many lbs of muscle are you trying to add?

How long have you been lifting for?

In five months, you won't be able to increase lean mass by much - maybe 5 to 6 lbs at best which will also be accompanied by an equal amount of fat gain. Regardless, you'll need to lift progressively and heavy, training each muscle group 2-3 times per week, consume 1.1-1.5 grams of protein x lean mass in lbs and eating about 250 calories above known maintenance.

I don't know how new you are to lifting, but if you're just starting out, your volume and load will start low until increased strength allows you to up the number of sets and weight you do. As a beginner, you're looking at: 50-65% of your 1 rep max; 8-14 reps to muscular failure per set; 2-3 sets per exercise; 30-60 second rests between sets; and spending 2-3 seconds in both the eccentric and concentric phase of the exercise.

For your tests: lat pull downs, assisted pull ups, push ups and dumbbell chest presses will help. With that said, I wouldn't focus too much on just those and recommend compound lifts as well such as barbell squats, deadlifts and overhead press. You may want to talk to a trainer who is experienced in the above lifts to learn proper form so you can achieve the greatest benefit, though.

Dnosek

My goal isn't about bulking necessarily. It's just not losing.

These are my goals:

Running: 1.5 miles in less than 12 min (I'd like 10)
Swimming: 500 m in less than 12 min
Push-ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Sit ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Pull ups: 5-10

I'm running/swimming 4 days a week. I try to do push ups whenever I can (it's mostly angled or girly push ups) and sit ups.

Mostly, my routine has been: Running 1-2 miles, yoga for stretching for 15-20 min, and then doing push ups/sit ups/squats/lunges. But now I have a gym membership I feel like I should do more.

oosterman

Sam is the guy you need to talk to.

http://www.fullforcetrainingacademy.com/

he is one of if not THE expert on spec ops training. and he is dedicated to the strength and conditioning to our men and women in uniform.

Holly_Roman_Empire

My goal isn't about bulking necessarily. It's just not losing.

These are my goals:

Running: 1.5 miles in less than 12 min (I'd like 10)
Swimming: 500 m in less than 12 min
Push-ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Sit ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Pull ups: 5-10

I'm running/swimming 4 days a week. I try to do push ups whenever I can (it's mostly angled or girly push ups) and sit ups.

Mostly, my routine has been: Running 1-2 miles, yoga for stretching for 15-20 min, and then doing push ups/sit ups/squats/lunges. But now I have a gym membership I feel like I should do more.

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan already. I had some friends in BMT that went above and beyond the PT standards, and they had a gym membership and a trainer before going in. If you have the money for it, it might be worth it to look into a trainer that can design a workout plan around your specific goals.

navyrigger46

SAR Swimmers don't fall under SOCOM, but the physical assessment is similar, the training after that is not even close. You need to be doing a solid amount of running and swimming in addition to push/pull exercises. Look up the BUD/s Warning Order and start with that workout program. It's a program developed for prospective SEAL candidates prior to entering BUD/s, and it's pretty much what is done during indoc. Don't worry about building mass, you don't want or need it for SAR school, you need strength and endurance. Pushups, Crunches, and Pull-ups, as well as running and especially swimming. That's just to get your foot in the door, once you're there you are going to be doing a lot of dips, flutter kicks, leg levers, 8 count body builders and other such exercises, the last thing you need is extra weight, in fact depending on what time of year SAR school classes up for your group, a layer of fat is extremely helpful.

In SAR school, just like in BUD/s, the first people to DOR are the ones who have a lot of muscle to pack around but can't swim a proper sidestroke or run a half marathon. In SAR school they'll teach you a hybrid sidestroke, but you'll need to be a proficient sidestroker before you go, if you can't do a 500 side in under 10 minutes you have no business even applying.

My advice is to get on the routine in the BUD/s Warning Order, Buy a pair of Ducks Feet (those are the fins they issue in SAR school, they're super rigid and take some getting used to) Swim five days a week, both with and without the fins, start running in boots and utes, the boots they'll issue are called Bates Lites, you can find them on Amazon for about $60. Forget about putting on loads of muscle in the weight room, it's not about how much you can bench or squat, and pull-ups are important, you need to do five just to get in the door, and that'll be post swim, pushups, and crunches, and just before the run, and you don't have a lot of time in between so make sure you can do at least 7-10 before you leave, because if you can only do five, when you take the test you'll only manage three, trust me, I've seen it.

Feel free to friend me id you'd like any further advice.

Rigger

RGv2

My goal isn't about bulking necessarily. It's just not losing.

These are my goals:

Running: 1.5 miles in less than 12 min (I'd like 10)
Swimming: 500 m in less than 12 min
Push-ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Sit ups: 50+ in under 2 min
Pull ups: 5-10

I'm running/swimming 4 days a week. I try to do push ups whenever I can (it's mostly angled or girly push ups) and sit ups.

Mostly, my routine has been: Running 1-2 miles, yoga for stretching for 15-20 min, and then doing push ups/sit ups/squats/lunges. But now I have a gym membership I feel like I should do more.

I was in the Army for 8 years.

If you want a sub 10 1/2 mile, you should be putting in more than 1-2 miles per training session...more like 2-3. How long (time wise) is a 1-2 mile training run?

When do you plan on hitting that 50+ pushups? TBH, that's a lot. There were males in Basic/AIT that would struggle with getting to 50+. How many REGULAR pushups can you do now? How many pushups do you do per training session?

Situps are situps....50+ in 2 minutes should be completely achievable before may.

Edit: You're not going to gain much muscle by May, but can make huge strength gains. Gaining Strength =/= Gaining Muscle.

southpaw3833

Hi! I'm a 24yo female who recently joined the Navy. I leave for boot camp late may and am hoping to gain a bunch of muscle before then. On top of that I really want to be a search and rescue swimmer which is considered spec ops. In order to get that I have to take a physical fitness test that's pretty rigorous. I've never been terribly athletic, not that I'm in terrible shape, and I don't need to lose any weight. I need to gain muscle and strength.

I just got a gym membership and have been trying to work out, but I get so nervous and awkward working out in front of other people, but bc of my schedule I can't go in the middle of the night or before dawn in the morning (I work nights).

A couple questions:

Will gym awkwardness go away? How do I feel comfortable going over to the free weights and grabbing my measly 8lbers when other women are grabbing the 50s???

Best way to quickly build mass/strength? I've been trying to increase my protein intake and eating frequently and within an hour after work outs. I work out about 4 times a week cardio/strength.

I need to be able to do 50+ push ups, 50+ crunches (I'm not doing too shabby on those), and at least 5 pull-ups. What's the best way to build up my strength in these areas???

Thanks

Good luck with everything. Plenty of military folk around here for support if you need it. I can tell you from experience just do the best you can to prepare yourself for when you leave for basic and follow on schools. You can't really prepare for what is coming once you report. But they will get you ready in a hurry! Just push through and never quit!

samcorvus

Check out this forum.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/9478-navy-recruits-sailors

It had a lot of great information and helpful members when I wa considering whether to go Navy or Marines.

Holly_Roman_Empire

SAR Swimmers don't fall under SOCOM, but the physical assessment is similar, the training after that is not even close. You need to be doing a solid amount of running and swimming in addition to push/pull exercises. Look up the BUD/s Warning Order and start with that workout program. It's a program developed for prospective SEAL candidates prior to entering BUD/s, and it's pretty much what is done during indoc. Don't worry about building mass, you don't want or need it for SAR school, you need strength and endurance. Pushups, Crunches, and Pull-ups, as well as running and especially swimming. That's just to get your foot in the door, once you're there you are going to be doing a lot of dips, flutter kicks, leg levers, 8 count body builders and other such exercises, the last thing you need is extra weight, in fact depending on what time of year SAR school classes up for your group, a layer of fat is extremely helpful.

In SAR school, just like in BUD/s, the first people to DOR are the ones who have a lot of muscle to pack around but can't swim a proper sidestroke or run a half marathon. In SAR school they'll teach you a hybrid sidestroke, but you'll need to be a proficient sidestroker before you go, if you can't do a 500 side in under 10 minutes you have no business even applying.

My advice is to get on the routine in the BUD/s Warning Order, Buy a pair of Ducks Feet (those are the fins they issue in SAR school, they're super rigid and take some getting used to) Swim five days a week, both with and without the fins, start running in boots and utes, the boots they'll issue are called Bates Lites, you can find them on Amazon for about $60. Forget about putting on loads of muscle in the weight room, it's not about how much you can bench or squat, and pull-ups are important, you need to do five just to get in the door, and that'll be post swim, pushups, and crunches, and just before the run, and you don't have a lot of time in between so make sure you can do at least 7-10 before you leave, because if you can only do five, when you take the test you'll only manage three, trust me, I've seen it.

Feel free to friend me id you'd like any further advice.

Rigger

Wow.
This is why I suggest focusing on the basic training for now. ^^^This is going to take some time.

NomNomNinja

Hey, Michael here. I just got out of the Army after 5 years active duty. I was also training to be a combat diver before I was injured in Afghanistan. My advice to you is to find combat diver workouts. They're way tough, but push yourself through it and you'll find yourself in the best shape of your life. They are high cardio, circuit training with moderate to no weights. You do NOT want to put on a bunch of mass. Lean muscle is what you should want, and the ability to tread water for as long as possible with extra weight. I hope I helped, and GOOD LUCK!

RGv2

Hey, Michael here. I just got out of the Army after 5 years active duty. I was also training to be a combat diver before I was injured in Afghanistan. My advice to you is to find combat diver workouts. They're way tough, but push yourself through it and you'll find yourself in the best shape of your life. They are high cardio, circuit training with moderate to no weights. You do NOT want to put on a bunch of mass. Lean muscle is what you should want, and the ability to tread water for as long as possible with extra weight. I hope I helped, and GOOD LUCK!

OP is female, there is zero chance she is going to put on "a bunch of mass" before May, unless you're speaking of fat. That line of you do not want to put on a bunch of mass, Lean muscle is what you should want is confusing, and IMHO makes no sense.

j75j75

SAR Swimmers don't fall under SOCOM, but the physical assessment is similar, the training after that is not even close. You need to be doing a solid amount of running and swimming in addition to push/pull exercises. Look up the BUD/s Warning Order and start with that workout program. It's a program developed for prospective SEAL candidates prior to entering BUD/s, and it's pretty much what is done during indoc. Don't worry about building mass, you don't want or need it for SAR school, you need strength and endurance. Pushups, Crunches, and Pull-ups, as well as running and especially swimming. That's just to get your foot in the door, once you're there you are going to be doing a lot of dips, flutter kicks, leg levers, 8 count body builders and other such exercises, the last thing you need is extra weight, in fact depending on what time of year SAR school classes up for your group, a layer of fat is extremely helpful.

In SAR school, just like in BUD/s, the first people to DOR are the ones who have a lot of muscle to pack around but can't swim a proper sidestroke or run a half marathon. In SAR school they'll teach you a hybrid sidestroke, but you'll need to be a proficient sidestroker before you go, if you can't do a 500 side in under 10 minutes you have no business even applying.

My advice is to get on the routine in the BUD/s Warning Order, Buy a pair of Ducks Feet (those are the fins they issue in SAR school, they're super rigid and take some getting used to) Swim five days a week, both with and without the fins, start running in boots and utes, the boots they'll issue are called Bates Lites, you can find them on Amazon for about $60. Forget about putting on loads of muscle in the weight room, it's not about how much you can bench or squat, and pull-ups are important, you need to do five just to get in the door, and that'll be post swim, pushups, and crunches, and just before the run, and you don't have a lot of time in between so make sure you can do at least 7-10 before you leave, because if you can only do five, when you take the test you'll only manage three, trust me, I've seen it.

Feel free to friend me id you'd like any further advice.

Rigger

^^ This sounds about right to me. I have a friend who just graduated high school and wants to go into the Army and become a Ranger. Problem is he has stuck mostly to lifting weights and has gotten really bulky and strong as f***. I keep telling him to just stick to our martial arts training, calisthenics and run; doesn't listen. I think the average guy loses 10-15 lbs during training, boy is he in for a rude awakening lol. On a side note you may want to check out a Masters swim program near you. We have a coach at the swim club I work at who helps prepare Air Force recruits who want to try out for the PJ's year round. The recruiter keeps bringing by more candidates so I guess he is doing a pretty good job.

missnelso04

May I just butt in on this thread with nothing useful to say about bulking, but to say thank you to all those here who have, are, or are planning to serve in the US military.

Good luck OP!

Holly_Roman_Empire

May I just butt in on this thread with nothing useful to say about bulking, but to say thank you to all those here who have, are, or are planning to serve in the US military.

Good luck OP!

:flowerforyou:

micheleb15

SAR Swimmers don't fall under SOCOM, but the physical assessment is similar, the training after that is not even close. You need to be doing a solid amount of running and swimming in addition to push/pull exercises. Look up the BUD/s Warning Order and start with that workout program. It's a program developed for prospective SEAL candidates prior to entering BUD/s, and it's pretty much what is done during indoc. Don't worry about building mass, you don't want or need it for SAR school, you need strength and endurance. Pushups, Crunches, and Pull-ups, as well as running and especially swimming. That's just to get your foot in the door, once you're there you are going to be doing a lot of dips, flutter kicks, leg levers, 8 count body builders and other such exercises, the last thing you need is extra weight, in fact depending on what time of year SAR school classes up for your group, a layer of fat is extremely helpful.

In SAR school, just like in BUD/s, the first people to DOR are the ones who have a lot of muscle to pack around but can't swim a proper sidestroke or run a half marathon. In SAR school they'll teach you a hybrid sidestroke, but you'll need to be a proficient sidestroker before you go, if you can't do a 500 side in under 10 minutes you have no business even applying.

My advice is to get on the routine in the BUD/s Warning Order, Buy a pair of Ducks Feet (those are the fins they issue in SAR school, they're super rigid and take some getting used to) Swim five days a week, both with and without the fins, start running in boots and utes, the boots they'll issue are called Bates Lites, you can find them on Amazon for about $60. Forget about putting on loads of muscle in the weight room, it's not about how much you can bench or squat, and pull-ups are important, you need to do five just to get in the door, and that'll be post swim, pushups, and crunches, and just before the run, and you don't have a lot of time in between so make sure you can do at least 7-10 before you leave, because if you can only do five, when you take the test you'll only manage three, trust me, I've seen it.

Feel free to friend me id you'd like any further advice.

Rigger

This is amazing advice. I'm not saying this to be rude, but it's a huge mental game too, and it's concerning that you can't get over the nervousness to workout on the weights side of the gym. The good news is that boot camp will take that out of you for the most part, but you have to be mentally strong, not just physically.

Also agree with it being unnecessary to put on muscle. Most of the Navy Seals I have met don't look like Navy Seals. Not nearly as muscular and good looking as the movies.

TR0berts

I was in the Army for 8 years.

If you want a sub 10 1/2 mile, you should be putting in more than 1-2 miles per training session...more like 2-3. How long (time wise) is a 1-2 mile training run?

When do you plan on hitting that 50+ pushups? TBH, that's a lot. There were males in Basic/AIT that would struggle with getting to 50+. How many REGULAR pushups can you do now? How many pushups do you do per training session?

Situps are situps....50+ in 2 minutes should be completely achievable before may.

Edit: You're not going to gain much muscle by May, but can make huge strength gains. Gaining Strength =/= Gaining Muscle.

Very good advice here. I ran track back in high school - I was a miler. As such, let me add to what RG said about running longer distances. If you really want to increase your pace, alternate longer runs with shorter runs. For a 1.5 mile test, one day run at least 2x that - so 3 miles or more. The next time you run, run about 1/2 of that - so 3/4 mile. During the 3/4 mile run, you'll be able to run faster than you will for the 3 mile run. You won't sprint it, but you'll definitely want to up the pace. Every now and then - probably once every week or two, depending upon how often you train your running - test yourself on 1.5 miles. The alternating speed/distance runs will really help to increase your intermediate (1.5 mile) speed and endurance, thus dropping your time.

csuhar

I think others have mentioned it, already, but it bears repeating:

Look at programs designed to get people into Spec Ops shape, particularly the ones written by those who have "been there and done that", folks like Stew Smith and Mike Lauren. Those who've been through spec ops will be better prepared to provide guidance not only regarding training to perform at the necessary level, but why that training is imporant and how you can develop the right mindset.

They'll also be able to give you guidance on anything you DON'T need.

Beyond that, your gym awkwardness will go away in time. Anything new will feel awkward for a little while. I've been going to gyms for a decade, but each time I'm assigned to a new base with a new gym, it feels awkward all over again.