Marines!! - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

zarcher · 03-31-2008, 06:22 AM

I have finally desided to enlist in the Marines.

I'm a little over weight and need work on the sit-ups.
Any suggestions on the most affective work out routine?
Does the Marines use sit-ups or crunches? I read some where they changed from KIP pull-ups to dead hang pull-ups and changed from sit-ups to crunches.

Right now I'm working out minimum 45 minutes per day.
Started with an eliptical machine, now I have started to do bar bell curls and shoulder presses for the pull-ups.

Any suggestions would be nice.

Thank you in advance.

13Fox · 03-31-2008, 06:43 AM

Best way to get in shape for a PFT event is to do the actual event. I.E. do pushups to get better at pushups (in the proper form), situps/crunches to get better at those, etc.

While supplemental exercises will help your overall fitness level, sometimes sticking to the basics will help.

And start running...it seems to be the thing most people have a hard time getting motivated to do, I know I hate it, but its just a part of being in the military.

Good Luck!

**XDONBOARD** · 03-31-2008, 06:49 AM

Shoulder presses won't help pull ups directly. You need to do lat pull downs or actual pull ups. Primary muscles used in pull ups are arms (biceps) and upper back.

Devil Dawg · 03-31-2008, 07:07 AM

Push

Run

Crunch

Push

Run

Crunch

....Repeat until you can do a 300 on the PFT, and then PUSH some more. That is about the best advice out there. You will need to be able to do a 300 to get promoted ahead of the herd. You can go into boot camp a little weak on other things. The friendly staff of tour guides and nature hike leaders are there to help you. Don't worry about the pain, it is only for 2 weeks. The mental part is all 13. PUSH. Everyone and every platoon spends ample time doing push-ups, sit-ups, MoFo, etc. in the sand. Just make sure you can hit a 300 prior to boot camp and you will be fine. If you are on delayed entry, get with your Recruiter. He is more than willing to help assist you find the proper level of motivation. He will not do the work for you, he will help you push past that Nasty Seavillian flab to find your inner Leatherneck..

NOW PUSH

Smoke_Works · 03-31-2008, 08:03 AM

Just get in shape a bit, boot camp will do the rest. Heck I was a diet private (never have been on any of those silly charts) and I was in the top ten of my initial PFT and finished third phase with a 290 PFT, with an injured knee. I could climb the ropes no problem. I didn't train at all before boot, then I was 18 and just out of high school too. Best to work on some mountain climbers and bends/thrusts as well. Try to callous up your hands, I recall daily PT when we hit the pull up bars at MCRD with the bloody tape on them, then push ups on the hot asphalt with open wounds on your hands, then back up on the bloody bars, ah the good times.

Devil Dawg, that's funny, I still lace them left over right too. Semper Fi

**Cannibul** · 03-31-2008, 08:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zarcher

I have finally desided to enlist in the Marines.

I'm a little over weight and need work on the sit-ups.
Any suggestions on the most affective work out routine?
Does the Marines use sit-ups or crunches? I read some where they changed from KIP pull-ups to dead hang pull-ups and changed from sit-ups to crunches.

Right now I'm working out minimum 45 minutes per day.
Started with an eliptical machine, now I have started to do bar bell curls and shoulder presses for the pull-ups.

Any suggestions would be nice.

Thank you in advance.

If you are a WAM and will be training with the 4th Recruit Training Battalion then you can do dead hangs. But otherwise you might as well join the Army.

If you are a bit slow or your Googlefu sucks then what I mean is only the Wide Assed Marines aka Women Marines,

I just checked the latest PFT standards. And boys now do crunches? WTF?? And what is this 28:00 for the 3 mile run as a passing grade?

EvoIXGSR · 03-31-2008, 09:31 AM

Try to catch and rape a small black bear, best workout possible next to roping a deer. Other than that, I would recommend just doing the test itself as training.

matlt · 03-31-2008, 02:13 PM

If you're overweight and don't live a physically active life as it is, you ought to work out more. I'd suggest spending 45 minutes every other day just running. Do push ups and sit ups until you cant anymore one day and run the next day. If you need to run 3 miles for a pt test, run 4 5 or 6 miles to prepare for it. Is it required? No, boot camp will be all the conditioning you will need, will it make it a hell of a lot easier? Definitely. And there is no magical work out, there is no magical diet. If you want to become better at doing something, do it. Why lift weights to get ready for pull ups when all you need is a bar? Work on exercising other parts of your body after you've met your pt requirements.

jeepinbanditrider · 03-31-2008, 02:27 PM

Current Marine Corps PFT consists of:

Dead Hang Pull up's for Males/Flexed Arm Hang

for Females

Crunches

3 mile run.

You won't run an actuall PFT untill later in Boot Camp at first you will do what is called the Inital strength test which the requirements are basically half of a real PFT.

IIRC it was
1 pull up
20 some odd crunches and
a mile and a half run in the same time as the 3 mile run on the real PFT.

Here's what I do usually.

Run 20 mins out in one direction and come back to where I started for a total of 45 mins or so of running one day then the next day I'll work on my crunches and pull ups. That gives your diffrent muscle groups one day of rest between new sets.

I usually don't keep track of miles that I try to run at any one time becuase it's depressing LOL. I just go out for 20 mins and then come back. It usually adds up to 4 or 5 miles. The only real way to get better at the 3 mile run is to run farther than 3 miles.

SeabeeDiver · 04-03-2008, 06:41 PM

One word: Crossfit

check out Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness

It's functional fitness, with a heavy emphasis on core strength and pullups. It's heavily embraced within the SPECWAR/SPECOPS communities among all services, as well as Marines (a couple of my friends are BN XO's and have their entire BN's doing it). It's scalable to your current fitness levels; the rub is that you need to push yourself. Check on the website and see if you have a local Crossfit affiliate.

03-31-2008, 06:22 AM	#1
zarcher XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 89	Marines!! I have finally desided to enlist in the Marines. I'm a little over weight and need work on the sit-ups. Any suggestions on the most affective work out routine? Does the Marines use sit-ups or crunches? I read some where they changed from KIP pull-ups to dead hang pull-ups and changed from sit-ups to crunches. Right now I'm working out minimum 45 minutes per day. Started with an eliptical machine, now I have started to do bar bell curls and shoulder presses for the pull-ups. Any suggestions would be nice. Thank you in advance. __________________ "Don't criticize them; they are what we would be under the same circumstances"-- President Lincoln "Respect is earned not given"

03-31-2008, 06:43 AM	#2
13Fox XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Topeka, Kansas Posts: 168	Best way to get in shape for a PFT event is to do the actual event. I.E. do pushups to get better at pushups (in the proper form), situps/crunches to get better at those, etc. While supplemental exercises will help your overall fitness level, sometimes sticking to the basics will help. And start running...it seems to be the thing most people have a hard time getting motivated to do, I know I hate it, but its just a part of being in the military. Good Luck! __________________ Paul Cope Students for Concealed Carry On Campus Washburn University School of Law Campus Leader Rock Hard FISTERs, Eyes of Death Artillery lends dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.

03-31-2008, 06:49 AM	#3
XDONBOARD XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Peoria, AZ Posts: 3,367	Shoulder presses won't help pull ups directly. You need to do lat pull downs or actual pull ups. Primary muscles used in pull ups are arms (biceps) and upper back. __________________ Michael XD-45 compact XD-40 sub-compact XD-9 sub-compact I'd rather have my XD and not need it, then need it and not have it.... I hereby certify that the person described hereon has been granted the privilege of carrying a concealed weapon in compliance with Arizona revised statute 13-3112.

03-31-2008, 07:07 AM	#4
Devil Dawg XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: The Woodlands, TX Posts: 284	Push Run Crunch Push Run Crunch ....Repeat until you can do a 300 on the PFT, and then PUSH some more. That is about the best advice out there. You will need to be able to do a 300 to get promoted ahead of the herd. You can go into boot camp a little weak on other things. The friendly staff of tour guides and nature hike leaders are there to help you. Don't worry about the pain, it is only for 2 weeks. The mental part is all 13. PUSH. Everyone and every platoon spends ample time doing push-ups, sit-ups, MoFo, etc. in the sand. Just make sure you can hit a 300 prior to boot camp and you will be fine. If you are on delayed entry, get with your Recruiter. He is more than willing to help assist you find the proper level of motivation. He will not do the work for you, he will help you push past that Nasty Seavillian flab to find your inner Leatherneck.. NOW PUSH __________________ XD-45ACP ...still lacing them left over right General James Mattis, USMC to Iraqi tribal leaders. "Allies or enemies. You make the call. I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you Faq with me, I'll kill you all." Ron Paul Is Worse for the Country than Hillary

03-31-2008, 09:31 AM	#7
EvoIXGSR XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 127	Try to catch and rape a small black bear, best workout possible next to roping a deer. Other than that, I would recommend just doing the test itself as training. __________________ XD-45ACP Tactical Bi-Tone Mossberg 500 (8-round, top folding pistol grip) SKS (yugo)

03-31-2008, 08:03 AM	#5
Smoke_Works XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hayden Lake, Idaho Posts: 487	Just get in shape a bit, boot camp will do the rest. Heck I was a diet private (never have been on any of those silly charts) and I was in the top ten of my initial PFT and finished third phase with a 290 PFT, with an injured knee. I could climb the ropes no problem. I didn't train at all before boot, then I was 18 and just out of high school too. Best to work on some mountain climbers and bends/thrusts as well. Try to callous up your hands, I recall daily PT when we hit the pull up bars at MCRD with the bloody tape on them, then push ups on the hot asphalt with open wounds on your hands, then back up on the bloody bars, ah the good times. Devil Dawg, that's funny, I still lace them left over right too. Semper Fi

03-31-2008, 02:13 PM	#8
matlt XDTalk Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 83	If you're overweight and don't live a physically active life as it is, you ought to work out more. I'd suggest spending 45 minutes every other day just running. Do push ups and sit ups until you cant anymore one day and run the next day. If you need to run 3 miles for a pt test, run 4 5 or 6 miles to prepare for it. Is it required? No, boot camp will be all the conditioning you will need, will it make it a hell of a lot easier? Definitely. And there is no magical work out, there is no magical diet. If you want to become better at doing something, do it. Why lift weights to get ready for pull ups when all you need is a bar? Work on exercising other parts of your body after you've met your pt requirements. __________________ XD 9 Service Kel Tec p32 (the gun I carry when I'm not carrying a gun) Taurus PT140 Taurus PT1911 Savage 111 30-06 S&W 638 Last edited by matlt : 03-31-2008 at 02:16 PM.

03-31-2008, 02:27 PM	#9
jeepinbanditrider XDTalk 4K Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mineral Wells, Tx Posts: 4,389	Current Marine Corps PFT consists of: Dead Hang Pull up's for Males/Flexed Arm Hang for Females Crunches 3 mile run. You won't run an actuall PFT untill later in Boot Camp at first you will do what is called the Inital strength test which the requirements are basically half of a real PFT. IIRC it was 1 pull up 20 some odd crunches and a mile and a half run in the same time as the 3 mile run on the real PFT. Here's what I do usually. Run 20 mins out in one direction and come back to where I started for a total of 45 mins or so of running one day then the next day I'll work on my crunches and pull ups. That gives your diffrent muscle groups one day of rest between new sets. I usually don't keep track of miles that I try to run at any one time becuase it's depressing LOL. I just go out for 20 mins and then come back. It usually adds up to 4 or 5 miles. The only real way to get better at the 3 mile run is to run farther than 3 miles. __________________ Stuff USPSA-A59201

04-03-2008, 06:41 PM	#10
SeabeeDiver XDTalk Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 190 FSW Posts: 38	One word: Crossfit check out Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness It's functional fitness, with a heavy emphasis on core strength and pullups. It's heavily embraced within the SPECWAR/SPECOPS communities among all services, as well as Marines (a couple of my friends are BN XO's and have their entire BN's doing it). It's scalable to your current fitness levels; the rub is that you need to push yourself. Check on the website and see if you have a local Crossfit affiliate.

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