# How do you guys conduct physical fitness?



## Evilegend308 (2 Apr 2007)

Guys already read the subject so you know what I'm curious about. As of right now I'm serving in the US Army and have been for 3 years. I like to keep my PT up and I'm always looking for new ways of doing things expecially since sometimes I get called to conduct PT formation for my troop. Doing the same thing over and over again gets boring. Any tips or suggestions would be great expecially from you sergeants and up out there. Also, I'm intrested in how PT is conducted, who leads it, etc.

Thanks a lot!

Specialist D.

PS If my unit finds out I'm conversing with the Canadians I might get tard and feathered for being a heretic *gasp*


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## Sig_Des (2 Apr 2007)

Not sure what kind of training you guys perform, but what abbout crossfit?

http://www.crossfit.com/

Something a lot of units are starting to get into.

Other than that, there's the oft-hated, but in-the-end great circuit training, and if it starts getting repetitive, just start switching the excersizes up a bit.


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## Evilegend308 (2 Apr 2007)

Usually it's running monday, muscle failure tuesday, then back and fourth like that till friday. Run about 6k depending on the weather, it gets around -31c around here. Muscle failure consist of a lot of push-ups and varations, sit-ups, crunches, squats, nothing real special or anything new to your average joe. I know after a while of doing the same thing your body begins to plateu and you to see little improvement. Expecially when doing mass PT where some people can do more or less than others, so you kind of have to start doing PT on your own. So that's the training we do in general incase you were curious, Sig_Des.

I read up on the crossfit training. Great stuff but I find some things like the box jump something I can't bring to the troop which is also why I was wondering about how you guys conduct PT. We never go to the gym unless on our own. Usually it's formation, then find some real estate because you're in for a little smoke session. I'll have to look at crossfit more to see what I can use, but it looks great. I don't know where I heard it from but on average the Canadian Army has more fit soldiers with the US being just a little bit under. And with a few soldiers barely meeting standard in my troop, you guys got to be doing something right hence me asking. And as far as conducting PT/drill, something I can't do squat about except changing up the excercises, seeing how other countries do it intrst me, expecially when I see something else somebody else is doing which makes more sense and starting to wonder who the hell wrote regulation.

Anyway, mucho thanks, Corporal.


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## Sig_Des (2 Apr 2007)

Evilegend308 said:
			
		

> Usually it's running monday, muscle failure tuesday, then back and fourth like that till friday. Run about 6k depending on the weather, it gets around -31c around here. Muscle failure consist of a lot of push-ups and varations, sit-ups, crunches, squats, nothing real special or anything new to your average joe. I know after a while of doing the same thing your body begins to plateu and you to see little improvement. Expecially when doing mass PT where some people can do more or less than others, so you kind of have to start doing PT on your own.



To tell you the truth, our unit-run PT pretty much runs the same, depending on the unit. Throw in some ruck marches, etc.

Some units are really starting to get into the crossfit.

I know for myself, currently working in a headquarters environment, we do personal PT in our Gym, and it's up to us how we do it. I could spend the entire time doing yoga, I guess, if I were so inclined.

One aspect you might add to your push-ups, sit-ups, etc's a little more interesting is look at the Tabata method...pretty good description here:

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=04-046-training

Hopefully you should leave a few puddles after running your troop through a few exercises using it


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## DVessey (3 Apr 2007)

Just a wee little OCdt chiming in with his two cents.

I think I've already talked about how great CrossFit is. I've been doing it and reading up more and more on it since last November.

Circuit training is great, but I think the trick is to make it interesting and competitive.  
There's a great link to a video here: http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/002208.html about "The sport of fitness". 
For example, divide your troop into teams of two. Decide on a series of say, ten exercises. first member of each team starts doing the first event, while the other runs a certain distance (say 200-400m). second member does first event while first member runs. first member does second event while second member runs.. etc etc. The first fireteam to finish wins.
Or, set up a circuit of 3 events, give your teams 20 minutes to get through as many rounds as possible. most rounds wins.


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## medaid (3 Apr 2007)

Like Sig_Des said, there's the occasional ruck march. Which for those of us on course consists of waking up in the morning, and the Pl WO saying, 'okay, ruck up! BFT Workup!' and off we go for 13k at a slow and gentle pace of the giants, and hard for little midgets like me  : Anywho, you guys could also try sports right? I mean I have PT sessions where we go out and play a nice game of Football (American) or Football etc. It's great for team building and great for morale. Seriously, I can completely understand the mundane day to day, run till you drop, push-ups, crunches till you spill your cookies can sometimes be more detremental then good  Good luck to you though! 

p.s I noticed you said specialist, what are you a specialist in?


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## aesop081 (3 Apr 2007)

MedTech said:
			
		

> p.s I noticed you said specialist, what are you a specialist in?



In the US Army, Specialist is a Rank equivalent to CPL

http://www.army.mil/symbols/armyranks.html


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## Donut (3 Apr 2007)

MedTech said:
			
		

> Pl WO saying, 'okay, ruck up! BFT Workup!' and off we go for 13k at a slow and gentle pace of the giants, and hard for little midgets like me  :



Don't be hatin'!   ;D


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## medaid (3 Apr 2007)

I know that CDN Aviator  But as per the rank, they are usually a specialist in something right? something that rates Spec Pay, like Combat Medics etc etc


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## medaid (3 Apr 2007)

ParaMedTech said:
			
		

> Don't be hatin'!   ;D



SAYS HE WHO IS A GIANT!!! Although I have to admit, you are surprisingly light, compared to my small and rotund stature!


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## aesop081 (3 Apr 2007)

MedTech said:
			
		

> I know that CDN Aviator  But as per the rank, they are usually a specialist in something right? something that rates Spec Pay, like Combat Medics etc etc



No.  When  was teaching MOS 12B and 12C down in fort Leonard Wood ( Bridge crew member & Combat engineer) most of the students were privates but those who had college degrees were at the rank of specialist from the day they started BCT ( Basic classification training). The infantry has the same.

Did you not watch BlackHawk Down  ;D


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## I_am_John_Galt (3 Apr 2007)

Evilegend308;

Just curious, do the other branches have anything like the USMC Martial Arts Program?

Thanks and regards ...


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## medaid (3 Apr 2007)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> No.  When  was teaching MOS 12B and 12C down in fort Leonard Wood ( Bridge crew member & Combat engineer) most of the students were privates but those who had college degrees were at the rank of specialist from the day they started BCT ( Basic classification training). The infantry has the same.
> 
> Did you not watch BlackHawk Down  ;D




muahahaha oohhh okay thanks CDN Aviator  I stand corrected. Cheerio!


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## TacticalW (6 May 2007)

Personally I run on the treadmill non-stop for 6-8km trying to increase the speed a bit each time and spend a few hours working on different floor and weight excercises. For body building though I pretty much alternate between watching television and every little while getting onto a different workout just so I can do more sets of each throughout the whole day. I "never" take a break for weight excercises but for running when I'm really tired out I just do a few km so as to not break my routine. Now I actually "like" running and am used to spontaneously starting my workouts whenever I'm not busy at my house. In the last 5 months I went from average joe couch potato to the best shape of my life and pretty well built. Not exactly the most intricate training plan, but works fine for me.


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## CougarKing (6 May 2007)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> No.  When  was teaching MOS 12B and 12C down in fort Leonard Wood ( Bridge crew member & Combat engineer) most of the students were privates but those who had college degrees were at the rank of specialist from the day they started BCT ( Basic classification training). The infantry has the same.
> 
> Did you not watch BlackHawk Down  ;D



Yes. This is true- those who enlist in the US Army with a college degree from a school accredited in the States, but who chooses not to go to OCS, will get the rank of E-4 or Specialist/Corporal as long as they complete BCT and also AIT (Advanced Individual Training) or their MOS training. 

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyjoin/a/advancedrank.htm

I'll leave it to people like T6 to confirm this.

Wasn't Evilglend asking about a CF equivalent of a US Army "PT Formation", not necessarily the exercises done in them?

Yes...the same one where US GIs with their PT uniform and PT belt on would be led by their platoon leader or platoon sergeant and sound off the number of their repetitions for each exercise?

For example: the platoon leader would say "The First Exercise is...THE SIDE-STRADDLE HOP! It is a three-count exercise...Private Pyle here will Demonstrate! " then the whole PT formation would echo him and then go to the "Ready Position". When they start, the platoon leader/senior NCO present first says "EXECUTE!" and then calls the number of exercises (ex. 20 Pushups or 20 "Mountain-climbers")  while his men say "One-Two-One" and so forth, or the number of counts to complete a full repetition. Of course the "spacing" between each GI in PT formation would be at "double-arm interval".


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