Areas for a soon-to-be soldier

[Sandy Eggo]

Any veterans or current servicemen or women that know which areas I should be focused on training my body? I'm 17 and I'm enlisting in the U.S. Army next year and want to be prepared. 5'11, 170 lb. Average build, leaning toward the skinny side. I have at home a pull up bar, treadmill, stationary bicycle, regular bicycle, jump rope, dumbbells with [plenty of] weights, bench w/ bar and weights, and a pool.
Any other details or specifics you need to know just ask.

If anyone has any help, I appreciate it very much.

 

[Dutes]

W;[hile not in the service myself I do have a number of friends who are in the Australian Army (one of whom is in the SAS). I would recommend having a look at what the actual requirements are. If you are required to run a certain distance in a certain time or better, do x number of push ups in a fixed time frame etc. then train to do that.

Are you doing any work atm?

Find out what you are required to do (talk to recruiters, or depending where you are the information is probably available online), and if you are doing work atm then let us know what you are doing.
If we know what you need to achieve and what you are presently doing we'll be able to provide a lot more specific advice.

 

[xtonymarsx]

In the military, you only need to worry about running, pullups (depending on the service), situps, and pushups. Just start knocking as many as you can. I'd get into a full body weight program too, just so you get the added benefit of "total" fitness.

 

[Charlie Golf]

First I just want to say "Thank you" for your service to our country.

Here is a guide for soldiers headed to BCT:

You can plan on doing a lot of running and calisthenic exercises in Basic as well as a lot of body-weight lifting (pullups, pushups, climbing, etc.) The other thing you can plan on doing a lot of is "humping" (no not that kind ) heavy loads of gear on extended marches.

So both upper and lower body strength and endurance are of utmost importance as well as cardiovascular endurance. Flexibility is very important too.

Some plyo stuff and speed work is probably a good idea too.

Sounds like you've got a lot of stuff at your disposal for everything. The pool, bike, and treadmill are excellent for CV stuff...but you also are gonna be doing a lot of running outdoors so acclimate your body to that if you can.

A full-body workout alternating between strength and endurance phases sounds like it might be a good way to start out.

With what you have available weight-wise maybe center it around:

Presses
Pullups
Squats
Dips
Rows
Deadlifts
Abs

Familiarize yourself with US Army PFT standards and be sure that you are absolutely smoking those before you report. Since you've got about a year, maybe start yourself on a weight and cardio routine and then "test" yourself every month against PFT standards.

Assuming you're male from your stats, your age group needs a minimum of 35 pushups, 47 situps, and run 2 miles in 16:36. To max it (should be your goal before you report for training) you wanna be able to crank out 71+ pushups, 78+ situps, and complete the 2 miles in 13:00.

Also, check with your recruiter as they may have some groups to prepare you physically for Basic...I know the Marines do that.

Here is another good article about the physical fitness of recruits:


Good on ya' and thanks again!

 

[Sandy Eggo]

In the military, you only need to worry about running, pullups (depending on the service), situps, and pushups. Just start knocking as many as you can. I'd get into a full body weight program too, just so you get the added benefit of "total" fitness.

Planning on getting a physical MOS, so I don't want to just qualify, I want to be more than proficient at what I'll be doing.

W;[hile not in the service myself I do have a number of friends who are in the Australian Army (one of whom is in the SAS). I would recommend having a look at what the actual requirements are. If you are required to run a certain distance in a certain time or better, do x number of push ups in a fixed time frame etc. then train to do that.

Are you doing any work atm?

Find out what you are required to do (talk to recruiters, or depending where you are the information is probably available online), and if you are doing work atm then let us know what you are doing.
If we know what you need to achieve and what you are presently doing we'll be able to provide a lot more specific advice.

I'm currently a lifeguard at a local water park. And as for what I'm going to be required to do, I don't know what my MOS would be at this time, but I want to do something physical, possibly dealing with artillery like my father did.

First I just want to say "Thank you" for your service to our country.

Here is a guide for soldiers headed to BCT:

You can plan on doing a lot of running and calisthenic exercises in Basic as well as a lot of body-weight lifting (pullups, pushups, climbing, etc.) The other thing you can plan on doing a lot of is "humping" (no not that kind ) heavy loads of gear on extended marches.

So both upper and lower body strength and endurance are of utmost importance as well as cardiovascular endurance. Flexibility is very important too.

Some plyo stuff and speed work is probably a good idea too.

Sounds like you've got a lot of stuff at your disposal for everything. The pool, bike, and treadmill are excellent for CV stuff...but you also are gonna be doing a lot of running outdoors so acclimate your body to that if you can.

A full-body workout alternating between strength and endurance phases sounds like it might be a good way to start out.

With what you have available weight-wise maybe center it around:

Presses
Pullups
Squats
Dips
Rows
Deadlifts
Abs

Familiarize yourself with US Army PFT standards and be sure that you are absolutely smoking those before you report. Since you've got about a year, maybe start yourself on a weight and cardio routine and then "test" yourself every month against PFT standards.

Assuming you're male from your stats, your age group needs a minimum of 35 pushups, 47 situps, and run 2 miles in 16:36. To max it (should be your goal before you report for training) you wanna be able to crank out 71+ pushups, 78+ situps, and complete the 2 miles in 13:00.

Also, check with your recruiter as they may have some groups to prepare you physically for Basic...I know the Marines do that.

Here is another good article about the physical fitness of recruits:


Good on ya' and thanks again!

Thanks Charlie, and nothing's official yet but according to my practice ASVAB test results, I shouldn't have any problems with getting in. And thanks for that guide. Those exercises you listed shouldn't be at problem for me at all, as I'm pretty fit, I just want to get a jump on things. As for the outdoor running, I actually prefer that to the treadmill, I've been running to my high school and back (~7m round trip) 4 times a week for that past 3 months. And yeah I read about those pre-training marine courses, there's a marine base, MCRD, over here that offers that, might go check that out, I'm sure the two branches have next to identical standards. I guess I don't have a whole lot to worry about, and I know I'll be going over all this with my recruiter (who used to be my history teacher in middle school, so that should go smoothly), I'm just anxious I suppose.

Thanks again to all the replies, and if there are any more, please feel free to share what you have.

 

[Dallen]

Any veterans or current servicemen or women that know which areas I should be focused on training my body? I'm 17 and I'm enlisting in the U.S. Army next year and want to be prepared. 5'11, 170 lb. Average build, leaning toward the skinny side. I have at home a pull up bar, treadmill, stationary bicycle, regular bicycle, jump rope, dumbbells with [plenty of] weights, bench w/ bar and weights, and a pool.
Any other details or specifics you need to know just ask.

If anyone has any help, I appreciate it very much.

Hi, they have a standard of fitness that you have to pass. The army is pretty easy, if I remember. I did it for fun. Check out their websites. It's based on gender, age and time.

 

[illiniphase4]

Any veterans or current servicemen or women that know which areas I should be focused on training my body? I'm 17 and I'm enlisting in the U.S. Army next year and want to be prepared. 5'11, 170 lb. Average build, leaning toward the skinny side. I have at home a pull up bar, treadmill, stationary bicycle, regular bicycle, jump rope, dumbbells with [plenty of] weights, bench w/ bar and weights, and a pool.
Any other details or specifics you need to know just ask.

If anyone has any help, I appreciate it very much.

Close-chain exercises are very important. These are exercises in which the distal portion of your body (hands/feet/limbs) remain stationary while the rest of your body moves. These include push-ups, pull-ups (vertical/supine), lunges/squats, etc. Particularly in the ground components, they will challenged you with in your ability to lift yourself with full equipment.

Endurance is going to be another area that is extremely important. 20 mile marches, 6 mile runs, 2 mile swims, etc.

 

[Sandy Eggo]

Close-chain exercises are very important. These are exercises in which the distal portion of your body (hands/feet/limbs) remain stationary while the rest of your body moves. These include push-ups, pull-ups (vertical/supine), lunges/squats, etc. Particularly in the ground components, they will challenged you with in your ability to lift yourself with full equipment.

Endurance is going to be another area that is extremely important. 20 mile marches, 6 mile runs, 2 mile swims, etc.

The 6 mile runs, is this fully geared or just lightly? Because I run 7 miles 4 times a week currently, but it's dressed very lightly (basketball shorts/tank top)... I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out afterwards but I do feel worked..

 

[illiniphase4]

The 6 mile runs, is this fully geared or just lightly? Because I run 7 miles 4 times a week currently, but it's dressed very lightly (basketball shorts/tank top)... I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out afterwards but I do feel worked..

Typically staring off you will only make long marches in full gear. However, full pack runs or obstacle courses aren't uncommon either. Run distances will be varied, but increasing over time. It's the same with marches. You seem to have a good endurance cardio base built up though if you are hitting 7 miles 4 days per week. Perhaps it would be a good time to cut back on one of those long runs and include a moderate to high intensity interval-training type session.

 

[Sandy Eggo]

Thanks a lot.