weight training

[Gene Econ]

Originally Posted by Warrior-Mentor

Hey Gene, Why would the beer kegs be filled with water?

WM:

He, he, he. I know where this one is heading.

I did some work with the Hooaas a few years ago and noted a bunch of dented beer kegs scattered about the parade field in 2/75 so I asked a CQ what was up with the beer kegs. Apparently the Hooaas of 2/75 used to mob about with beer kegs filled with water doing something like Rugby once a week. Never really did understand what they were doing but they all seemed to get a big kick out of the PT. Sometimes you take the Hooaas as Hooaas and don't bother to try and figure out what they are doing or why.

Gene

[ccrn]

I appreciate the comments and those who voted. As a result Ive gone back to lifting freeweight as well as calisthenics.

While a lot of the guys I know here (Unit) are on a three day schedule Im doing four as follows:
1.Arms
2.Shoulders and back
3.Chest
4.Legs

Abs are everyday.

I like the four day regimen for recovery.

My problem is where to add pushups. It doesnt seem to work well for me on chest day and arm day. One guy here suggested adding a fifth day just for doing pushups, and maybe putting my leg day in the middle of my schedule and do pushups that day too. That way Im doing pushups twice a week.

Others seem to think that would get in the way of recovery for chest and arms. These are guys who max the APFT so I respect their opinions but Im concerned about not doing pushups more often.

Any opinions are most welcome.

Again thanks for all the input-

[Five-O]

As far as integrating push ups....instead of doing the standard flat bench, incline bench then fly's etc......slide in push ups instead of one of the bench excercises once a week. Then, once every 3-4 weeks do only push ups for the week.

This approach will keep you in the ballgame for the PT test and still give you the size and strength the free weights provide. As a PT test approaches switch to PU only and you should be in the 90 point range easily. If you are looking for strength....substituting PU in one excercise (after your heavy lifts) will not hurt your bench and transitioning to PU every 3 or 4 weeks may help protect against shoulder injuries associated with doing heavy bench.

IMO you should not devote a whole day to arms unless you want to be a competitive body builder. Arms get worked well by doing bench, shoulders and back. Adding one or two arm excercises on one of your major muscle group days should be sufficient.

[Hiclaude]

ccrn,

Your schedule sounds awesome. One thing that I don't think you should do is hit your abs everyday you work out. We all know that having a strong core is very important, but you have to realize that working this section of your body is the same as almost any other. Think about it like this - would you work your triceps or thighs everyday (all four days)? This is counterproductive because your abdominal muscles need time to heal from the previous day's activity. IMO, you should have no more than 2 days of abs a week.

Thanks for listening

[Solid]

I perform ab exercises every day (along with back-bridges) and it seems to me that the abs and other 'core' muscles recover at a far greater rate than any other ones. As such, it becomes possible to exercise them four days a week, using the remaining days for a short rest period.
I was mindful of the fact, however, that by doing ab exercises without the backbridges I was potentially overpowering my abs relative to my back, which would (I've heard) lead to back injuries. For this reason, for every 2 mins I spend doing a set of abs, I spend 1 min doing a concentrated back bridge a la Furey.


Solid

PS: Re: Pushups- Perhaps doing dumbell lifts while lying on a swiss ball would work the supporting muscles and core as much as pushups, but with greater-than-body weight?

[VAKEMP]

Hello everyone. It is interesting to see what others do to maintain/improve their physical fitness. I am currently going on my 10th year in the USMC, and am considering a career change into the Army. At this point, it is more a question of what the Army will allow me to do if I crossed over, and not whether or not I will actually make the transition.

Currently, my training consists of running every day during the week, doing push-ups throughout the day every day of the week, and doing a pull-up/timed ab workout on M-W-F. My runs differ in length and intensity in an effort to have a more balanced workout, instead of focusing just on speed or endurance. My goal is to maintain the physical fitness requirements of both the USMC and the Army so that I have a smooth transition. I have yet to actually test myself on a timed 2-min push-up workout, but I have realized that being able to do 20 pull-ups does not automatically mean I can max out the push-ups for my age group, which luckily for me is the highest.

I am also aware that form is very important for the push-ups on the APFT, so I have been keeping my head forward, my back straight and bring my chest down to the deck on every repetition. I feel my training for the USMC PFT is adequate. I have had to recover from an injury I sustained while participating in the MCMAP program, and now I am in better shape than I was before the injury.

I have done weight training before, and I am sure I will incorporate weight training into my workout again once my performance plateaus. However, I am still noticing gains with my current routine, so I don't see a need to fix what ain't broke.

Long story short, I currently stick to bodyweight-only exercise!

EDIT:
Something else I have heard is that running barefoot increases your run time. I believe the reasoning behind this is that when you run barefoot, you are working more muscles than when you run with shoes on. So, if you train by running barefoot, when you strap on your shoes and run it would be like swimming with fins compared to running without.

I haven't actually tested this myself. Has anyone trained like this and noticed a difference?

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally Posted by VAKEMP

Something else I have heard is that running barefoot increases your run time.

So does running naked through a bee swarm, but I wouldn't recommend that either Perhaps you meant decrease your run time?

[VAKEMP]

Originally Posted by Jack Moroney

So does running naked through a bee swarm, but I wouldn't recommend that either Perhaps you meant decrease your run time?

Whoops! Yes, I meant decrease. I must have been thinking about increase run score and butchered it there at the end. Thank you for pointing that out.

[Gene Econ]

Originally Posted by Jack Moroney

So does running naked through a bee swarm, but I wouldn't recommend that either Perhaps you meant decrease your run time?

Yo Jack:

This is getting real weird to me. Twenty foot long pole to vault over a pile of mouse turds.

I wonder sometimes exactly what ideas guys have about the military in terms of physical fitness.

Bottom line is this. For the bi-annual PT test you need to be able to run real fast and do a bunch of sit ups and push ups. That is only done twice a year and honestly, no one gives a damn what your score was unless you fail the thing. In SF, the PT test is something you do and forget about before you have even taken your after breakfast shit following the test. It is as useless in terms of duty as the Train Fire qualification course.

In the military -- Marine Corps / Army / Rangers / SF -- doesn't matter the branch -- your morning PT will not get you into condition as units don't have the time to get guys into condition between field exercises or deployments.

If you want to be in better condition than most in the military -- dedicate another hour or 90 minutes after duty to what ever discipline you like to do. Karate, swimming, lifting, running, bicycle riding, rowing, boxing.

Moroney and I lifted weights. Hooaa. Jack did some weird exercises due to his back condition but he lifted real heavy and lifted daily. At the time I was a body builder / power lifter who followed the concepts of Franco Columbo. I used some pretty significant amounts of weights as well. I would also cross country ski when there was snow and would run when there wasn't any snow.

You adapt to your conditions but one thing is for sure -- if you want to be a cut above the rest - work out for that extra hour or so. Forget heading out for a beer. Ain't worth it when you hit fifty plus years old guys. Hit the gym or the road or pool and do your routine.

Then go to some restaurant where you can get broiled or baked food and eat a good 1500 calories of the three food groups. Finish it off with a good piece of berry pie or a huge plate of fruit and hit the rack by 2100.

On weekends spend at least five hours per day on a firing range practicing your marksmanship skills. Doesn't matter your shooting discipline but have a discipline to follow and be the very best there can be. Set some goals and achieve them. Then set higher goals and achieve them. Shooting is training and is also PT.

There you guys have it in a nutshell. Do your thing, but do something. You will never regret it.

Gene

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Gene Econ

Yo Jack:

This is getting real weird to me.

Gene

Me too, thanks for pitching in on this. Practicing to take a PT test to me always sort of seemed like studing to take the SAT or GRE. When you got done all you could do was excell at either test but that only let you get into the academic disciplines where the work really started. Troops, the PT test is only an indicator, and not a very good one at that, that you are physically fit to meet the minimum demands of the service for your age and branch-that's it. You have to go way beyond that to do all that is going to be expected from you. This is one area, among others, where the "train as you fight" slogan has absolutely no relationship to reality. If it did, the PT test would be a combination of the biathalon, bayonet course, obstacle course, at night, in extreme weather conditions and under fire.
This is nothing more than a gentlemans gathering in shorts, running shoes, and color coordinated T-shirts where folks worry about wet-bulb readings and comfortable weather conditions. Stop obsessing about it, set your standards higher than required and just do it!

[ccrn]

Originally Posted by Gene Econ

There you guys have it in a nutshell. Do your thing, but do something. You will never regret it.

Gene

Thanks for that reminder.

I have all those things in mind. That is why I run, swim, ruck, and shoot weekly while CONUS.

I want more power as well as endurance and now my question has been well answered regarding that. Dont mean to beat a dead horse.

Perhaps if others want to continue using this thread they can comment regarding specifics incorporating weight lifting into miltiary fitness. Or not.

Thanks very much of all the input I truly appreciate it-

Respectfully

[geronimo]

Something that I do since I hate push-ups is to just get on the bench about a week before a PT test and do 100 reps of just the bar every other day until the test. It seems to get the muscle memory back and helps with my push-up speed. I usually max the test unless I'm really dragging that day.