Military

Options
sdood01
sdood01 Posts: 2 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi guys,
So in May I will be graduating from college, and after that I plan on going into the military (either Air Force or Army, still deciding). Although I am not over weight, I am definitely not in shape, and I know that basic training is going to be killer. I'm basically trying to get motivated, and looking for a good work out program to get me ready for basic. If anyone has any advice I would love to hear it!
Thanks :)

Replies

  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    Options
    Look up each respective branch's PT test. Start training for it early so you don't epically fail in basic.

    Typically: running 1.5-2mi, 2min each of push ups, sit ups, pull ups.

    If you don't run now, look into Couch 2 5k.
    If you have access to a gym with free weights, look up Stronglifts or Starting Strength. If you don't have access, look up Nerdfitness bodyweight routine, You are your own gym, and Convict Conditioning.
  • cameronmattox
    cameronmattox Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Basic training is not nearly as difficult or physically demanding as it seems to be from movies. With that being said, I would concentrate on four major areas:

    1) Push ups. Do do a lot of push ups. A good, quick work out that I often use is that I will do as many push ups as I can as quickly as I can, and then when I've reached failure, I flip over and do sit ups. When I do sit ups till failure I flip back over and do more push ups till failure (which tends to not take very long, as I already did them once), then back to sit ups and then I'm done. It's quick and can be done in just a few minutes right after you wake up.

    2) Sit ups. See #1 for details on how to get better at them.

    3) Runs. Just run as best you can. The Army does a two mile run and the Air Force does a 1.5 mile run. Just get your body used to running, even if it's very slowly, but not stopping until you've at least run those minimum distances. Work your way up the best you can, but at basic training you will do tons of running.

    4) Walk. With weight. This is probably more important for Army than Air Force. In Army BCT you will do lots of road marches that are several miles long, and even when you aren't, you'll often be wearing body armor and carrying around an assault pack (a backpack) all day with some weight in it. So grab a backpack, throw some weight in it (start at 20 pounds or so, work up to 45 or 50) and just go walk for a few hours. Bring head phones and listen to music or text books to study or whatever keeps your mind busy. Honestly, this will probably do more than anything else to get you ready for BCT, both because it's what your body will have the most difficulty adjusting to, and because it will help you get rid of weight so quickly (because no matter what, jogging for 30 minutes just isn't going to burn as many calories as walking with weight for three hours).

    Let me know if you have any questions.

    -SGT, USARMY
  • AvonBell
    AvonBell Posts: 107 Member
    Options
    I think the air force also looks at pull-ups.
  • TrevorJ76
    TrevorJ76 Posts: 33
    Options
    Air Force doesn't do pulls as part of the PT test. In basic they do them during PT, but they're not part of the test.
    If you show up to Air Force BMT unable to pass the PT test -- 1.5 mile run, 1 minute push ups, 1 minute sit ups you will be sent home. Intial PT test is the first Saturday morning. Failures are gone by Monday.
    You can look up run times and push up/sit up numbers by googling AFI 36-2905.

    Source--me, former Air Force MTI.
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
    Options
    ~:glasses:
  • amwbox
    amwbox Posts: 576 Member
    Options
    Hi guys,
    So in May I will be graduating from college, and after that I plan on going into the military (either Air Force or Army, still deciding). Although I am not over weight, I am definitely not in shape, and I know that basic training is going to be killer. I'm basically trying to get motivated, and looking for a good work out program to get me ready for basic. If anyone has any advice I would love to hear it!
    Thanks :)

    1. If you have a degree, investigate going in as an officer. Pay is better, treatment is better, benefits are better.
    2. Do not listen to recruiters. Its literally their mission to lie to you and meet quotas.
    3. Think hard about which branch you want to join. There are significant cultural differences.

    *8 years service as a USAF officer.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Options
    Air Force doesn't do pulls as part of the PT test. In basic they do them during PT, but they're not part of the test.
    If you show up to Air Force BMT unable to pass the PT test -- 1.5 mile run, 1 minute push ups, 1 minute sit ups you will be sent home. Intial PT test is the first Saturday morning. Failures are gone by Monday.
    You can look up run times and push up/sit up numbers by googling AFI 36-2905.

    Source--me, former Air Force MTI.

    Damn, I didn't know they tossed you right off the bat nowadays. I joined in 98 and we just "did" PT and had seemingly arbitrary goals that had no bearing after BMT because we were on a VO2 cycle ergometry test.
  • TrevorJ76
    TrevorJ76 Posts: 33
    Options
    [/quote]

    Damn, I didn't know they tossed you right off the bat nowadays. I joined in 98 and we just "did" PT and had seemingly arbitrary goals that had no bearing after BMT because we were on a VO2 cycle ergometry test.
    [/quote]

    I joined in 97 and barely remember doing PT. They're serious about it nowadays. PT fail is one of the quickest ways out of the Air force.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
    Options
    If I had to do it over again (US Army Infantry 85'-89), I would have done some more running before reporting. I would develop a base to run at the very least 5 miles. As was mentioned above, basic isn't all that bad. There is all kinds of apps for getting better at push ups and sit ups. Grab yourself a couple of those so you can get used to that. But definitely, a good running base will go a long way. I was in for four years and we ran six days a week. I hated running...every single stride. Now I love to run. Go figure.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Options

    Damn, I didn't know they tossed you right off the bat nowadays. I joined in 98 and we just "did" PT and had seemingly arbitrary goals that had no bearing after BMT because we were on a VO2 cycle ergometry test.


    I joined in 97 and barely remember doing PT. They're serious about it nowadays. PT fail is one of the quickest ways out of the Air force.

    Trust me, I know. I've tossed out more people due to failing PT standards than anything else.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
    Options
    I remember when I joined (Candian Army) back in the early 90's my uncle (who was in the military) told me "don't worry if you aren't in shape when you get there you will be when you leave"....eh during 12 weeks of Basic it wasn't much...(Canadian tho) but it was my trades training that did it...

    We had the BFT (battle fitness test) to pass, plus our trades test (physical) as I was artillery.....

    We had to do a 13km ruck sack march in under x time on day 1, 16km march in under x time on day 2 finished up with Fireman carry for 100 meters, at least 4 chins ups, at least 25 push ups (Human rights thing) and had to lift a 109mm round from the ground up to the firing tray 7x in one min....(that's how many could be fired in one) this was all after 9 weeks...if you failed...you started over...

    I did not have to start over.

    So if it's the Canadian basic training it wasn't that hard...it's trades training if you are going combat arms...not so much if it is a support trade...but if you are attached as a support for a combat arms regiment you still need to be able to do the BFT....
  • gelica_15
    gelica_15 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    TreavorJ76 is pretty spot on about Air Force BMT. You willl have to many long marches to various points around Lackland AFB carrying issued eqipment and what not. I remember falling aleep while marching in what probably was over 75 lbs of gear, just to arrive an at obstacle course. The course took the whole day, then we had to pack our stuff up and march the two hours back to our squadron. For PT, you should practice running for 30 minutes at a moderately fast pace without stopping. Sprinkly some sprint intervals in between. Strength training was at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. We did all sorts of pushups, like Pyramid (an amazing exercise to really get the arms burning at 0530), Diamond, Wide, Fingertip, etc. We sprinted, we marched, we did situps, jumping jacks, and flutter kicks. If you can't do a lot of flutter kicks, you will by the end of BMT! Flutter kicks are what happens when some trainee was not fast enough, gave wrong answers, forgot a reporting statement, was just an idiot in general, etc. Please also keep in mind that all of the physical stuff in AF BMT is done under extremely stressful conditions. You are constantly trying to perform your best, on what is usually a lack of sleep. Maybe you can try to find BMT fitness videos on YouTube if you want some visuals. Good luck!!

    Source: Myself, BMT 2009

Categories