PT Benchmarks and Goals vs. Requirements
 

Maxing out the PFT notwithstanding, what are some adequate PT goals to acheive prior to entrance into SFAS and the Q Course?
I understand that maxing out the PFT should be regarded as the bare-minimum, but above and beyond pushups, pullups, situps, rucking and running what types of exercise specific activites should a recruit train for? Your advice is greatly appreciated.

This has been flogged to death here.

You might want to read the stickies and work your way through this and the SFAS threads, and maybe do some searching.

The SFAS handbook is another good place to find some PT advice.

Best of luck.

TR

Thanks!

Heart rate monitors
 

anyone out there might be able to advice me on a good heart rate monitor ?
Thanks

I'm using an Ironman Road Trainer, and haven't had any issues with it. Has worked like a charm for a while now.

I use the tip of my index finger and my watch. I count heatbeats while I watch the second hand sweep 30 seconds then I multiply by two. . . while continuing to run, maintain my pace, and not trip. But I'm "old school" and don't have a chip in my shoe so I can't critique my run via the internet and I don't have an IPOD so I can't listen to motivational recordings. (In a pinch -- I count to four over and over and over. Sometimes, I sing softly about a rookie trooper, too.) Oh! and I plan my route with a "two dimentional representation of a portion of the Earth's surface drawn to scale". While running, I measure my distance by counting to 73 over and over and over. (Sometimes I drive my car after the run). AND, I drink water.
Technology is over-rated. :D

How old ARE you?!? :D Do you wear shoes? Are they PF Flyers or Keds? :p

Keep it up OLDer MAN! and Richard and I won't let you drive at all on the Baja road trip. You can sit in the back and scare the little kiddies with that nasty thing you do with your dentures!:D
ps I can 'run faster and jump higher', too

Dozer I would like your permission to print this out and put it in front of my desk so my victims uhh i mean my customers can have a reality check. So the next time one of them tries to tell me he/she can't run good today because of a forgotten Ipod I will point out your proper training technique.

This doesn't work where I run. It usually goes like: 38, 39, 40, 41, wow, she's going to get a black eye, umm.., 28, 29, 30.

So many times during land nav. 20, 21, 22, look at those quail... Where was I? 30, 31, 32, I hope I get chili mac tonight... Good thing I have a backstop.

Check the heart rate,...
 

Forget modern technology, it will fail or be unavailable when you need it. Do you currently know your heart rate "at the rest"? Do you know how to check? What is your rate "under-load"? For example, 'Rucking with pack, 80#'s, 4 miles/per hr.', rucking with pack, 80#'s, 6 miles/per hr., etc. Keep track on a 3x5 card. This process will soon be committed to memory.

Once you have a system is place, it is easily adjusted to obtain desired goals. Train to increase in desired stages, 10, 20, 30%. When you can carry, lift, swing, ruck 1/2 of your own body weight for an extended period of time, 1-2 hours with little effort - your on to something.

I'd be honored! Oh sure its not QUITE "Somewhere a True Believer is . . . " but. . . :cool:


Zonie,"nee neer nee ner nee ner.) :D

FWIW - knew guys in Group who could max the APFT and looked good strutting around the HQs but weren't worth a shit on a Team - knew lots of guys who never could max all events of the 5 event APFT (which was taken in boots and fatigues) and looked at the APFT as little more than another of the general Army requirements for record keeping purposes - but put 100+ lbs on their backs and turn them loose in the woods for months at a time and you were hard pressed to keep up with them and they would never quit - didn't use gyms much, either - as Joe Alderman said regarding our PT program, "We aren't gonna be fighting any wars in any damn air-conditioned gymnasiums!" - which is why we were outside year round and paid little attention to the weather or whether or not someone could max out the APFT - the only real measures were whether or not you were skills proficient, 'good in the woods' and could hang with the Team. ;)

MOO - as Kenny the Kangaroo* might've put it, "I can jump higher than you...but you've gotta figure it out for yourself."

Richard's $.02 :munchin

* Tennis shoes reference for us FOGs.

I'll add to that. There were the guys who kept bragging about their low body fat ratios. Deploy em and no matter how strong they were in garrison they were the first to fade in the woods. It seemed just being in the woods overloaded their metabolisms. The guys who ate balanced in garrison and had a few extra pounds at infil seemed to get more energy not less.

Then there was the can of coke after a few weeks on drinking nothing but water. :eek: That always took me for a ride!:D