Military Fitness
carmenkacharos
Posts: 4
Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
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Replies
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Stay clean, eat clean. I did Army Basic Training last year and I was so out of shape for a fitness test. But you're not alone! Our first company physical training test, 90% of us failed. That was during the first 3 weeks. As weeks go by (we did PT every 4 am), we got stronger and our last PT test (week 12) we got a 100% pass rate.
My basic training was in Missouri and your instructors will definitely get you on the right track. I know when it hit 100+ degrees, they force us to drink lots and lots of water.
Wish you the best of luck and if you need anything you can always add/message
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Completed Army basic training at Ft Benning Ga in 2010 and started in July so I know what you mean about the heat!!!!Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
They have it so dumbed down now that when it get very hot they dont push you much. There are heat standards they follow. They dont want to see anyone fall to the heat as they have too much invested in you. As for PT?
They start at the bare bottom. Some of us who ran alot actually saw our run times get WORSE because they started at teh basics. Would be like telling a marathoner to go back and only do the C25k plan.
Talk to your recruiterr about different exercises/runs/etc that you will be required to do. Each branch is different and I will spare you the typical ribbing between Army and Chair Force personnel.......
Your recruiter should be able to help you out and seak some military forums. Many recruiting depots have weekly training sessions they put recruits through.
I would say go out and run, run, run and do pushups and situps. Find out what the USAF standards are and train and CRUSH them. Being physically fit and ready to go will go a LONG way in relieving the stress that is basic training. If you do those three exercises and whatever else they may do in the PT test you will be just fine!!!
Basic is alot about mind games and the less you have to worry about the better going in.
About the heat....this is what I found which surprised me. It didnt bother me that much even thought it was Ga in the summer. When you are at home in your civilian life and it gets hot you think you feel miserable and want to go into the AC. YOu feel that way becuase you usually do have an option of going into AC.
IN basic you dont have that luxury so you dont even think about it. I think it is worse in the civlilian world than it was at basic when it gets hot. IN basic.you have to just suck it up and bear it and soon it doesnt not even become an issue.
Goodluck...0 -
My goal is to join the Army reserves here in Canada. I haven't quite decided whether to go full time, or just stay with reserve.
Regardless, I am overweight and out of shape. Last fall I hit 230 at my lowest after losing over 75 lbs, and now have crept up to 256.6 lbs. I am working on losing the weight and rehabing my knee....as I had surgery a few weeks ago and I am still not allowed to actually run on a treadmill....I am limited to elliptical and AMT.
My goal is to lose weight, gain the muscle back that I lost and be able to easily meet the new requirements for the physical test.0 -
Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
I went from Aug to mid-Oct. Don't worry about the heat. You will be terrified to be seen without water, and you will also be getting up at 4am :laugh:0 -
Welcome , when i joined the air force i too was over weight.. i will not recommend doing what i did to get my weight down, because now that i am not so naive, i know that starving yourself isn't going to get you any where. Sorry i am not any help but i just wanted to say welcome and good luck in basic!
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Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
If you want to train for something you'll need to know what that something is. I'd find out what I was going to be required to do in boot camp. Then train for it.0 -
Don't worry about it so much.They don't expect you to be perfect when you get there, but your training will get you where you want to be. It's going to be hard, but you'll manage. If you really want to get started, find the Air Force physical fitness testing guidelines and work at them. Running and pushups will definitely help you. As far as the heat, don't worry about it. They will ensure you drink plenty of water and train you to notice signs of dehydration. The best way to stay safe is to pay attention to yourself and those around you and let someone know if you're about to fall out. By the way, I was Army, not Air Force so I think the experience may be a little different. Best of Luck to you!0
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Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
I went from Aug to mid-Oct. Don't worry about the heat. You will be terrified to be seen without water, and you will also be getting up at 4am :laugh:
Yeah this, and you won't be working out if it's too hot. Ex-Air Force here.
Ask your recruiter to show you the exercises you'll be doing in basic, and practice at becoming really good at those. And run. A lot. My recruiter told me not to worry about getting in shape pre-basic training. He said I would get in shape when I got there. Yeah, I was embarrassed and singled out and was a total and complete fool for not working on it at least a little. Don't do what I did.
Eat healthy fulfilling foods, and try to get used to 3 meals a day because that's what you'll be served. Drink tons of water. I mean it. Start drinking a lot of water now because you will be forced to when you're in. And you don't want to have to pee every 30 minutes because your body isn't used to it.0 -
First off, CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK. :drinker:
As the proud momma of two Airmen (since 2008), I can tell you that August in SA is pretty miserable for the parents. Both of my boys said they didn't notice the heat much until they were allowed back in the AC.
My eldest son's recruiter suggested a website for a pre-bootcamp workout that they both used (my youngest son's recruiter didn't know anything about it). They had varying degrees of success with it as they started out in *very* different places but both said they were glad they started it.
www.military.com/military-fitness/air-force-basic-training/air-force-pre-boot-camp-workout
Please feel free to IM me and I can give you some information for your parents/SO that is helpful for graduation.
~Libi0 -
Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
To prep for boot camp you may want to start a couch to 5k program at the minimum, 25k would probably be best. next is a 100 push up plan. Not necessary but something to think about pull ups, sit ups, crunch or planks.
The military is all about calisthenics and endurance physical and mental stress. If you can eliminate the physical stress as much as possible all you got to worry about is the mental.
Do not worry about heat stroke, dehydration or any thing else the drill instructors will be forcing you to drink so much water your teeth will float.
Good luck.0 -
Congrats on making a decision to join the military not to many people make that sacrifice. Thank you! You will be fine don't stress about it. Just work on push-ups, Sit ups and a 2 mile run, that will get you a long way. By the way I am Prior Army. Have fun, Good luck and be PROUD of the choice you made!! I am!0
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Drop and give me twenty! JK...While you need to get ready for basic, you'll need to pass a fitness assessment to continue and for the rest of your career. At your age, you need to be able to (at least) accomplish a 1.5 mile run in 15:50, sit-ups 42 (1 min), pushups 27 (1 min) and have no larger than a 34 inch waist. This will give you a fitness assessment score of about 77 (the minimum to pass is 75). Google "hundred pushups" and "hundred sit-ups," it's a structured 6-week program that is challenging but will help you get some
focus if you don't no where to begin. As far as running goes, if you are out of shape start small...go out and run until you need to stop, walk the rest of the way until you get a mile and a half under your belt. Once your able to run a mile and half without stopping, you can start thinking about speed work/getting faster. Feel free to add me as a friend, if you'd like some help or have questions in the future. I'm active duty Air Force and max my PT tests.0 -
Never joined the forces myself, but I love this guy and this 8 week routine is designed to focus on what you will need for the PT; running, push-ups, and sit ups. Kind of accelerated but even without joining the military it's dramatically improved my health and was a good jump start to more advance work outs http://scoobysworkshop.com/get-boot-camp-ready/0
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Oh yeah and Thanks for joining up. Better you than me
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I've got another 8 months-ish until I retire from 20 years in the Air Force. PT is a pretty big thing so be prepared to run a lot. Waist measurement, 1.5 mile run, and as many push ups and situps in a minute that you can do. If you do a quick G00gle search for Air Force PT standards, you'll find the table we use. Just match up your age group, gender and try it out and see where you stand. Don't worry too much about basic. Your recruiter or MEPS will figure out if you're even eligible to enlist, or they'll make you wait until you meet the standard. If they send you to basic, it's all mind games there. Lots of running and PT. I was in poor shape when I got there and probably the best shape I've been in a long time coming out. Just keep your head up, "yes sir/no sir", and just give the PT thing an honest try and you'll do better than you think. Congrats and good luck with your career.0
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I'm only 5'2" And female, I weigh 141lbs, which is normal for my height and build. I've always been more on the "curvaceous" side. I am more worried about strength, endurance and some inches around the middle than actual weight loss.0
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Thanks! I will keep that in mind! Appreciate the no ribbing about the chair force! LOL I get enough of that from my husband. Marine corps for ten years. totally needed a more realistic opinion. Marines are insane about their physical demands!
Completed Army basic training at Ft Benning Ga in 2010 and started in July so I know what you mean about the heat!!!!Trying to get prepared for military boot camp. I joined the air force, and I am terribly out of shape. Anyone else trying to get ready for the military? ( my boot camp will be in texas during the heat of summer, fearful of death by heat stroke)
They have it so dumbed down now that when it get very hot they dont push you much. There are heat standards they follow. They dont want to see anyone fall to the heat as they have too much invested in you. As for PT?
They start at the bare bottom. Some of us who ran alot actually saw our run times get WORSE because they started at teh basics. Would be like telling a marathoner to go back and only do the C25k plan.
Talk to your recruiterr about different exercises/runs/etc that you will be required to do. Each branch is different and I will spare you the typical ribbing between Army and Chair Force personnel.......
Your recruiter should be able to help you out and seak some military forums. Many recruiting depots have weekly training sessions they put recruits through.
I would say go out and run, run, run and do pushups and situps. Find out what the USAF standards are and train and CRUSH them. Being physically fit and ready to go will go a LONG way in relieving the stress that is basic training. If you do those three exercises and whatever else they may do in the PT test you will be just fine!!!
Basic is alot about mind games and the less you have to worry about the better going in.
About the heat....this is what I found which surprised me. It didnt bother me that much even thought it was Ga in the summer. When you are at home in your civilian life and it gets hot you think you feel miserable and want to go into the AC. YOu feel that way becuase you usually do have an option of going into AC.
IN basic you dont have that luxury so you dont even think about it. I think it is worse in the civlilian world than it was at basic when it gets hot. IN basic.you have to just suck it up and bear it and soon it doesnt not even become an issue.
Goodluck...0 -
When I went in the AF a zillion years ago I could do push ups and sit ups like a crazy person but could barely run a mile - believe me they "helped" me learn how! I went Aug/Oct - man is that hot. You will drink more water than you think possible! We had one woman who lost so much weight they had to force her to eat extra food so she wouldn't drop below weight. Good luck!0
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Welcome to the AF family! Lots of good advice...practice running outside...if you can't continue to run for 30 minutes straight, keep working on it and then work on throwing some speed intervals. Also, push-ups and sit-ups, make sure you start doing them everyday (starting now) and try to do at least one more each day. I'm doing all this stuff too--I have my PT test in three weeks--after two babies, it's definitely been a challenge!
Just do your best!0 -
I was in the Air Force, but its been a few years!!
The main thing you need to be in shape to do - RUN!! You do a lot of running and walking and marching. PT mornings consist of a run, sit ups, push ups, pull ups and some other workouts. But the only thing you are tested on is the run, sit ups and push ups.
Start now, start the C25K program now and it should help prepare you for basic. Work up to 40 sit ups and 20 push ups in one minute. They don't throw you to the wolves, but you will have to be able to complete these three items before week 5.
Have fun in Rainbow Week!!!
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I'm only 5'2" And female, I weigh 141lbs, which is normal for my height and build. I've always been more on the "curvaceous" side. I am more worried about strength, endurance and some inches around the middle than actual weight loss.
I'm 5'2" also and did Army basic 15 years ago in South Carolina in the summer. Get ready to sweat! The recommendations to start a running program like Couch to 5k and a pushup challenge or program are legit. If you can already run 1.5-3 miles non-stop, and want to improve your speed/endurance, sprint intervals can help. If you have access to a gym or a weights set, I would highly recommend trying to get in a round of something like Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting for Women. These programs are designed for increasing strength and the progressive loading will help strengthen muscles and tendons and increase bone density. All this will help you reduce the risk of injury during periods of prolonged activity. Before leaving for basic I started hitting the gym and ran (sort of) and also hit the weight machines, but I had no real plan so it was inefficient. I did start to work out with the ROTC on campus and realized I wasn't in great shape at all. Basic training changed that for sure and it was all progressive. Do what you can. Work on the three basics of the PT test: push-ups, sit-ups, run. The rest will fall into place.
ETA: Fixed grammar.0 -
http://www.afpc.af.mil/affitnessprogram/charts.asp
This will show you what you need to work towards.
Also do not take more than a small light weight duffle bag with you. The first night right off the bus we stood at attention for what seemed like hours holding our gear. Anyone who dropped their stuff was immediately attacked by multiple TI's and just trashed. If you are close to being overweight you will probably be a "Road Guard" and get extra attention so dont stress about it too much, it will be different from anything you have ever done but it will be a great experience.
USAF 1988-19920 -
Bootcamp sucked but I would do it again if I could I dropped 2o lbs an was n best shape of my life unfortunately I came home an quit running which made those pe test every 6 months horrible. I didn't do anything to prepare. they separated us into 3 groups based on running speed a, b, c they had us run in the morning when coolest part of day an they ease u into it gradually getting longer an faster. By the end I loved how I felt at the end of a run. full of energy an a tingly feeling runners high which I havnt been able to reach since. We ran every other day one day would be cardio an next run with sundays off. but even the every other run day would b switched one run day was your miles run and the next run day was laps of run walk run walk for the 30 minutes to get u to be able to regulate your breathing an heart beat it would go up then u calm it down. u will b ok don't stress almost everyone is in the same boat going in. As for heat if it was to hot we would do cardio inside and sometimes in midday if temps hit high enough we had to quit working and sit in shade until advisory said other wise. they have different uniform standards for different heat levels and they will make u drink so much water u will pee clear at end of day lol we use to joke there answer for everything was water headache water, cramps water, fatigue water, broke leg drink some water. they will have time where they have u take a knee when they speak and u have to drink all your water. we had beads on a strap an everytime we emptied are water we moved a bead so it was monitored how much u r drinking. I just told myself as the day began to just make it to lunch and when it hit lunch time I thought the day is half way done it0
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I got nothing other than props to you!!! I wish I would've joined. Good luck!!!!0
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You sure do have the grammar of someone in the military!Bootcamp sucked but I would do it again if I could I dropped 2o lbs an was n best shape of my life unfortunately I came home an quit running which made those pe test every 6 months horrible. I didn't do anything to prepare. they separated us into 3 groups based on running speed a, b, c they had us run in the morning when coolest part of day an they ease u into it gradually getting longer an faster. By the end I loved how I felt at the end of a run. full of energy an a tingly feeling runners high which I havnt been able to reach since. We ran every other day one day would be cardio an next run with sundays off. but even the every other run day would b switched one run day was your miles run and the next run day was laps of run walk run walk for the 30 minutes to get u to be able to regulate your breathing an heart beat it would go up then u calm it down. u will b ok don't stress almost everyone is in the same boat going in. As for heat if it was to hot we would do cardio inside and sometimes in midday if temps hit high enough we had to quit working and sit in shade until advisory said other wise. they have different uniform standards for different heat levels and they will make u drink so much water u will pee clear at end of day lol we use to joke there answer for everything was water headache water, cramps water, fatigue water, broke leg drink some water. they will have time where they have u take a knee when they speak and u have to drink all your water. we had beads on a strap an everytime we emptied are water we moved a bead so it was monitored how much u r drinking. I just told myself as the day began to just make it to lunch and when it hit lunch time I thought the day is half way done it
What this person said pretty much dead on.
Get on your running, pushups and situps. It is not nearly as difficult as your mind thinks it is. Just put up with the DS's BS and get used to getting smoked for no reason at all. No need to get mad about it, just do what they say and the time passes quickly.
Goodluck.0 -
Sure is rude to comment on someone's unfortunate grammar, especially since your own is so lacking. Also, the perception that everyone in the military is uneducated is incorrect. I resent your attitude.
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You sure do have the grammar of someone in the military!
What this person said pretty much dead on.
Get on your running, pushups and situps. It is not nearly as difficult as your mind thinks it is. Just put up with the DS's BS and get used to getting smoked for no reason at all. No need to get mad about it, just do what they say and the time passes quickly.
Goodluck.
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You sure do have the grammar of someone in the military!Sure is rude to comment on someone's unfortunate grammar, especially since your own is so lacking. Also, the perception that everyone in the military is uneducated is incorrect. I resent your attitude.
What this person said pretty much dead on.
Get on your running, pushups and situps. It is not nearly as difficult as your mind thinks it is. Just put up with the DS's BS and get used to getting smoked for no reason at all. No need to get mad about it, just do what they say and the time passes quickly.
Goodluck.
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Actually, my grammar is quite good and I scored extremely high on the ASVAB and military DLAB language testing.
When you get into the military, if you should pass the physical fitness aspect, you will see what I am talking about. I have seen man misspelled words on military signs and documents and even on a memorial rock!
I never said everyone in the military is uneducated. There are many highly educated and intelligent people in the Armed Forces.
Just give it a few years and you will look back and laugh about how correct my statement is.0 -
Anyone in the Canadian forces (Reg or Res)? Looking to join?0
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As a former Marine I'll just tell you not to sweat it...it's just the Air Force...
JK and good luck...you'll do just fine. Oorah...0
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