# Rifle strengthening exercises



## dangerboy (4 Jun 2010)

Looking to some information, does anyone know if rifle strengthening exercises are still in the CF training system.  I can remember doing them around 10 years ago but have not seem them done since then.  If they are still taught which PAM would they be in? If they are no longer taught does anyone know what PAM they used to be in, our library sometimes has obsolete PAMs kicking around.  Thanks.


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## AmmoTech90 (5 Jun 2010)

If you're talking about the ones where you hold you rifle out front, make circles with it, etc then the British L85 pams still have them.


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## Nfld Sapper (5 Jun 2010)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Looking to some information, does anyone know if rifle strengthening exercises are still in the CF training system.  I can remember doing them around 10 years ago but have not seem them done since then.  If they are still taught which PAM would they be in? If they are no longer taught does anyone know what PAM they used to be in, our library sometimes has obsolete PAMs kicking around.  Thanks.



Follow this link Manual of Physical Training - United States Army - 1914 - Rifle Exercises


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## dangerboy (5 Jun 2010)

AmmoTech90 said:
			
		

> If you're talking about the ones where you hold you rifle out front, make circles with it, etc then the British L85 pams still have them.



Those are the ones I am talking about, at the school we have a number of British videos on coaching and they all stressed doing them as part of your PWT training.  So we had people ask about them and I remember doing them as a Pte/Cpl and talking to my CSM he remembers doing them on his old small arms course.

NFLD Sapper, thanks for the link, just wondering if anyone has a Canadian source.


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## ArmyRick (29 Aug 2010)

I remember in A Coy, 2VP we did them (weapons dexterity PT) for a brief bit with a long handle bar moustached CSM. Truth be told it was really, really gay and guys would get tanked night before because it was not taxing or challenging in any way.


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## Blackadder1916 (29 Aug 2010)

dangerboy said:
			
		

> Looking to some information, does anyone know if rifle strengthening exercises are still in the CF training system.  I can remember doing them around 10 years ago but have not seem them done since then.  If they are still taught which PAM would they be in? If they are no longer taught does anyone know what PAM they used to be in, our library sometimes has obsolete PAMs kicking around.  Thanks.



Whether or not the pam was superceded I don't know.  However, those exercises were included in the British Army's "Physical Training in the Army 1979, Pamphlet No. 6, Trained Soldiers' Physical Training" - a copy (photocopy) was included in the Infantry Phase 2 student references handouts of the mid 80s.  They identified that portion of the precis as "The Infantry School Physical Training Handout, Handout #106".

And yes,  conducting those excercise could appear a little "limp wristed", but some of the other activities suggested in the pam, like the log exercises or (my favourite) jumping off a moving vehicle are very manly.


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## daftandbarmy (29 Aug 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> I remember in A Coy, 2VP we did them (weapons dexterity PT) for a brief bit with a long handle bar moustached CSM. Truth be told it was really, really gay and guys would get tanked night before because it was not taxing or challenging in any way.



Try doing it with a C6 then :'(

We called it 'Pogey Drill', not related to EIC at all as it was in Britain. I recall that it was stress position-like torture that never seemed to end. No matter how fit you were, it seemed to find the weakest muscles and make them ache for days.

It started off with a warmup, like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCQa-h39DVk&feature=related.... then progress to things like holding the weapon in front of you, straight armed, at shoulder height for a count of 10, or 20, or 30 etc etc


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## OldSolduer (29 Aug 2010)

ArmyRick said:
			
		

> I remember in A Coy, 2VP we did them (weapons dexterity PT) for a brief bit with a long handle bar moustached CSM. Truth be told it was really, really gay and guys would get tanked night before because it was not taxing or challenging in any way.



Randy Northrup was the CSM. I remember those days Rick and Danger.....I also remember them on SAIC. There must be something in the College of Knowedge.


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## vonGarvin (29 Aug 2010)

Jim Seggie said:
			
		

> Randy Northrup was the CSM. I remember those days Rick and Danger.....I also remember them on SAIC. There must be something in the College of Knowedge.


I'll check tomorrow.


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## OldSolduer (29 Aug 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> I'll check tomorrow.



Thanks. The SARP ran them as part of SAIC.


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## AmmoTech90 (29 Aug 2010)

Dangerboy,

Found the Brit pam, if you have an email account that can take 8 megs fire me a PM.


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## vonGarvin (30 Aug 2010)

Technoviking said:
			
		

> I'll check tomorrow.


I checked and found nothing


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## SeanNewman (30 Aug 2010)

Rest assured these are still getting done in course environments.  Nothing on them in the Army Fitness Manual, though:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24067618/B-Gl-382-003-Army-Fitness-Manual


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## daftandbarmy (30 Aug 2010)

Some relevant links on 'Pokey Drill':

Rifle strengthening exercises built into a UK training program:
http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9D6CC39B-BAA7-44D7-A6CA-A0906DA7B8BB/0/20090323UWebsite_ITC_ProgrammeStaffAsst.pdf

Arrse thread on the subject:
http://www.arrse.co.uk/military-history-militaria/37478-pokey-drill.html

US Army undergoing said exercises (har har):
http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/DF-ST-93-05490.jpg


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## Haggis (30 Aug 2010)

Unfortunately nothing in the Close Quarter Combat, Operational Shooting or basic rifle/carbine manuals either.  Perhaps we'll have to dust off an old sergeant major or two.


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## Haggis (30 Aug 2010)

daftandbarmy said:
			
		

> US Army undergoing said exercises (har har):
> http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v26/DSumner/Special%20Ops2/DF-ST-93-05490.jpg



He's USAF, not US Army.  Note the rank badge.


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## vonGarvin (30 Aug 2010)

Can't find it on DP 1 Infantryman


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## SeanNewman (30 Aug 2010)

God knows that in 1994 on Infantry QL3 and again from 2002-2004 on Infantry Officer training I spent a total of several hours with every weapon in the platoon in front of me or above me, so someone better find that damn reference or else I'm going to sue the hell out of my instructors!  

(And take that money to pay off course candidates who I ordered to hold their weapons in front of them or above them).

Personally I see no problem at all with this sort of PT, as long as the man issuing the order is suffering with them and not pulling the old "I went through it before so you will now" card.  I have no time at all for the old "mark time while I drink Tim Horton's" mentality.


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