Physical Fitness (Jogging, Diet, Cardiovascular, and Strength )

[George Wallace]

Read this Topic.

 

[Lumber]

Resting I'm usually at about 70-80bpm...if I'm nervous it could be as high as 100 sometimes. You can imagine that when I work out my heart rate sky rockets to over 150.

70-80bpm resting and 150bpm during activity are not "disgustingly high" at all. Your target heart rate for the kind of fitness training you will be doing is somewhere between 140-160bpm.

 

[AD]

Alright so maybe "disgustingly" was the wrong choice of adjectives.
If it's really not that bad then I'm concerning myself for nothing, and I will continue with my workout regiment, maybe adding some swimming to improve cardio.
Thanks for your response!
Happy PTing everyone!

 

[KMJAB]

WHEN are you checking your resting heart rate? Check it first thing in the am, before getting up. It does not sound like you have a serious problem, but it would help to start with the right set of measurements. Checking your resting heart rate when nervous is NOT checking your resting heart rate. After running, check your rate. Then check it again after 1 min and 2 minutes.

Once you have these numbers,, then you can start asking whether your heart is crazy (so crazy - oops, going off on a sixties rock and roll tangent).

Read the thread and pay attention to VO2 posts. You might also want to add yoga. Some meditative breathing exercises might be a good addition.

Hijack:

This is also the first I heard of folks doing BOTP at start of May, I thought IAP started in May and BOTP in July, or is there an extra BOTP for May - June?

 

[Lumber]

Hijack:

This is also the first I heard of folks doing BOTP at start of May, I thought IAP started in May and BOTP in July, or is there an extra BOTP for May - June?

Last Year BOTP started in MAY because RMC and Civi-U had just finished School. IAP started in July because highschool had just finished.

 

[AD]

I check my heart rate before I start stretching for my run, and immediately after cool down. I also randomly check when I'm sitting around watching TV haha, and it's still around 80. Once again this is normal to me, but the PSP staff didn't seem to think it was very peachy.
The VO2 threads on here are every helpful, I'm just curious since I've been steadily working out (interval training, circuit training, etc) and showing little VO2 improvement.
I'll give the yoga a go, thanks!

I'm not overly concerned since I don't get chest pains, and don't hyperventaliate (anymore). Army.ca has helped me out before, and I thought I'd pose my questions in any case. Thanks again

Reply to your Hijack: I'm scheduled for BOTP for 12 MAY to 27 JUN. There are other courses starting later in the summer. There are 2 serials running on the May 12 date.

 

[RiverDriver]

If you are looking to build upper-body strength, or increase your failing point for push-ups and chin-ups, try a pyramid work out. It worked for me. Here's the best description of a pyramid workout that I've found: http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/pt-pyramid

 

[chris the merc]

If you fail RFT, would your release series be 5(d)?

 

[warren_t]

RiverDriver-thank you for the Fitness link-specifically the Pyramid. I enjoy the change or muscle confusion workouts.

I have gone through P90X and continue to do so. It is an excellent program. Plyometrics, Yoga, Core Synergistics, Stretching, Abs and the Specific Muscle Group exercises. CV is the core to my weight maitenance. The Stair climber (machine looks like a reverse escalator), treadmills, etc. Lots of variety to achieve the cummulative CV fitness result. Diet determines my abd tone (six pack  or not). Canned food-including sauces etc minimal, tuna, salmon ok. For me anything with high sodium is a no no, fresh food-the optimum. Fast food-1x per week. I still cheat diet wise- a slice of pizza, or a TH donut. Try not to eat at bedtime, I have protein only.
Recovery drinks-also critical to response to training. During and after.
Thanks for all these tips.

 

[Delta]

My question is, i can do everything, push ups, sit ups, but i can‘t run... i don‘t know why.. i get winded very easily.. any suggestions on how to increase my running?

definitely in through the nose, out through the mouth; when inhaling, imagine you are trying to pop your lungs, when exhaling, just blast all the air out ASAP through the mouth

another thing that really helped me out was using treadmill's heart rate monitor, the treadmill  at which will adjust the intensity to keep your heart rate in a specific zone

 

[EuroCanuck]

Hello everyone, I wish to know what's the ideal rest period in between sets. Is it different from pushups/situps (high reps) and things like dips/pullups (low reps).
I'm a good runner (2.4km under 9 minutes) but I am, and always have been terrible at pushups. I can hardly do 20 even after training for the past few months.. I usually rest about 1 minute in between sets (5) which results in about 10 pushups. Should I increase rest so I can do my max (20) every set?

 

[Narcisse]

Tell your head that you want to do 50 push-ups and post your result here again. It's the best thing to do, play with the mental, the only thing in life that stop an human !

 

[Radcliffe]

sorry about the grammer mate

and thanks for the advice

I'd stay away from crossfit for now. Crossfit is for people who already have a good level of fitness. You can't do 20 pushups so you really shouldn't be doing king lifts or 400 meter weighted runs, you're just going to hurt yourself and see no improvement in your fitness.

Let's see! I can run 1.6 kilometers in about 5 or 6 minutes at my fastest. I can do 50 push ups perfectly fine, and up to 100 if I pushed myself, and am as fit and healthy as an ox! I should ace everything here, commandos!

Also 1.6k in 5-6 minutes isn't INSANELY fast. I do 8k in 31 minutes. 5 in 19:30. 2.4 in 8. That's very impressive for pushups though if you can actually do 100 proper military pushups. Good job.

 

[The_Falcon]

I'd stay away from crossfit for now. Crossfit is for people who already have a good level of fitness. You can't do 20 pushups so you really shouldn't be doing king lifts or 400 meter weighted runs, you're just going to hurt yourself and see no improvement in your fitness.

Also 1.6k in 5-6 minutes isn't INSANELY fast. I do 8k in 31 minutes. 5 in 19:30. 2.4 in 8. That's very impressive for pushups though if you can actually do 100 proper military pushups. Good job.

And obviously you don't have any idea what you are talking about wrt crossfit.  Crossfit is for anyone and everyone, all the workouts can be scaled down to accomodate people at all fitness levels (that doesn't mean necessarily making the workouts "easier" per se. Example, substituting push ups from the knees or wall for regular pushups, jumping pullups/negatives for regular pushups, using lower weights etc).  Reading the FAQ/Getting Started section of the mainsite, will tell you that right off the bat. 

 

[kyfho1]

Right now I can do about 30 pushups, Also I can run a mile in 10 minutes(i realize this isnt good) but I havent tried to push myself on the running yet so I am working on that.
I have spent hours upon hours looking up threads on here and other websites trying to find the perfect way to set up a work out schedule for myself to get the best results possible over a 2 month stretch.
I created a work out regime for the following two months and it includes a 60 min fast walk on my treadmill monday through friday in the mornings. Also tuesday and thursday nights another 60 min fast walk.  And on mon/wed/fri nights a 30 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) which is 1 minute walk 1 minute jog 1 minute run 1 minute sprint, then repeated until i get over 30 minutes and a 5 minute cool down.

Now on monday wednesday friday I have included 2x sets of pushups and also a 5 minute ab workout.
Tuesday thursday, squats and leg excercises.

I am confident this routine will get me where I need to be only I am worried I might be pushing myself too hard on the treadmill.  So far I havent had any problems I do proper stretching before every walk or run, but I would like some peoples opinions on whether this is a little too hard and maybe what I could do to give me more results and less risk of injury.


One other question I have is that I have been trying this 5 minute ab exercise I found in another thread, I will post it below.. but anyways, after I complete this workout, the couple days after my hips HURT real bad.
I realize I have to work out the hip flexors and lower back at the same time I work out my abs or this could result in injury aswell.  Is there any exercises anybody knows of that could help me with this? I do not live near a gym so anything that could be performed at home would be valuable. 

Thanks again and here is the 5 minute abs exercise I was talking about..

The point of this is to do each excercise for 1 minute, and then switch to the next right away, thus giving yourself a full 5 minute ab workout.

Ex 1.  Lie with your back on the floor, straighten your legs, and begin lifting them about a foot to a foot and a half off the ground, almost like your walking but with your back on the ground.  Don't let your feet touch the ground, they should come as far down as possible without touching the ground.  As one foot goes down, the other shoudl be going up.  Do that for one minute.

Ex 2.  Put your legs straight into the air, and begin lifting your butt off the ground. It'll feel uncomfortable at first but you'll get used to it.  This works your high abs.  Make sure not to put your hans under your hips for support.  Do that for one minute.

Ex 3. Crunches.  Yup, just do crunches for one minute.  NOT SIT UPS....crunches.

Ex 4. Straighten both legs out, keeping them off the ground and together.  Bring them into your chest, or as far into your body as you can, and then straighten them out again.  Like excercise 1, make sure not to let your feet touch the ground, and keep them straight.  Do for one minute.

Ex. 5.  Straighten your legs up into the air again , but this time bring them down to one side of your body, like your twisting yourself on the way down almost.  Then to the other side, and back and forth you go.  Do for one minute.

Now feel the burn.  I normally try to do one set using 40 second intervals, and a second one doing 30 seconds intervals.  Trust me, you WILL feel the burn.

 

[snoman317]

Hey,
I've been doing 13km ruck marches for the last few weekends. After each one, my left hip flexor became sore the next day, the first time it was quite painful. I've taken to ensuring I stretch my flexors to help this, but I was wondering if you guys have suggestions as to why the left muscle becomes sore but not my right muscle. Improper adjustment of the ruck? or maybe it's something about the way I walk? or perhaps my left flexor is just a lot weaker than my right.

If anyone has had similar experience I would appreciate some help. thanks.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Hey,
I've been doing 13km ruck marches for the last few weekends. After each one, my left hip flexor became sore the next day, the first time it was quite painful. I've taken to ensuring I stretch my flexors to help this, but I was wondering if you guys have suggestions as to why the left muscle becomes sore but not my right muscle. Improper adjustment of the ruck? or maybe it's something about the way I walk? or perhaps my left flexor is just a lot weaker than my right.

If anyone has had similar experience I would appreciate some help. thanks.

I had the same problem after I ran my last marathon and found out that I had flat feet (funny that, after only 30 years in the infantry). You might want to get cheked out by a place that makes orthotics, just in case. I wished I done that about 15 years before I found out that I had a 'mechanical' issue.

 

[punkd]

Hey,
I've been doing 13km ruck marches for the last few weekends. After each one, my left hip flexor became sore the next day, the first time it was quite painful. I've taken to ensuring I stretch my flexors to help this, but I was wondering if you guys have suggestions as to why the left muscle becomes sore but not my right muscle. Improper adjustment of the ruck? or maybe it's something about the way I walk? or perhaps my left flexor is just a lot weaker than my right.

If anyone has had similar experience I would appreciate some help. thanks.

Also if you have done a fair bit of rucking in the boots you are wearing, check the soles they should tell you something. See if the left is worn more than the right one. You might have a tendency to use your left side to bear more of the weight.

 

[snoman317]

thanks guys. I should also mention that I haven't been using the waist-strap... next time I go I'm gonna try it out.

 

[forza_milan]

Hey,
I've been doing 13km ruck marches for the last few weekends. After each one, my left hip flexor became sore the next day, the first time it was quite painful. I've taken to ensuring I stretch my flexors to help this, but I was wondering if you guys have suggestions as to why the left muscle becomes sore but not my right muscle. Improper adjustment of the ruck? or maybe it's something about the way I walk? or perhaps my left flexor is just a lot weaker than my right.

If anyone has had similar experience I would appreciate some help. thanks.

I posted something related to this topic but in a thread people wouldn't look in because it had little to do with PT.

1. The best running shoe for you: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319--4615-0,00.html

2. Wet test and what shoe is right for you: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319-326-7152-0,00.html

3. Leveling with flat feet: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-240-319-326-532-0,00.html

4. Videos on over-pronation, under-pronation and normal pronation

Perhaps putting this here will help people looking for some resources