Kind of off topic, but basic training is more of a mental challenge to most people than a physical one.
[quote]guitarman10518 wrote:
I understand that when you have muscle,lose it, its easier getting it back campared to never having it. Why is that though? I’m looking for some what of an technical answer.[/quote]
This is due to a commonly observed, but only partially understood phenomenon called “muscle memory”. Here is a link to a fairly recent article offering one explanation for this phenomenon.
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
Kind of off topic, but basic training is more of a mental challenge to most people than a physical one.[/quote]
Well, yeah. I do know that when I did basic at Fort Benning, I ran into quite a few people there who seemed pretty mentally challenged.
I went from a scrawny 130 going into USMC bootcamp and got out weighing 160… still scrawny but a ripped and more muscular scrawny. Just eat everything you can in the chow hall and try to eat PB&J every chance you get. I lived off PB as much as I could.
The good news is that most bases have really good gyms for you to work out in. And if they dont then there are still pull up bars everywhere and sandbags that you can play with.
Bump. Im leaving for the Army in a month.
To tell you the truth, don’t even sweat working out with heavy weights when you are in Basic. For one, you have about zero free time, and second, you’ll be too damn hungry and tired to work out any extra from what you’ll be going through.
Have fun, and don’t sweat BRM (Basic Rifle Marksmanship)
For all the Army guys, I’m confused. Do you really have the opportunity to lift weights while in basic training?
[quote]malonetd wrote:
For all the Army guys, I’m confused. Do you really have the opportunity to lift weights while in basic training?[/quote]
The answer is no. When I went through 5 years ago, we had maybe an hour of free time. Basic Training is not like “Stripes” where they had booze, cigarettes, long hair and could go off post and go partying.
You get maybe an hour of free time, and no priviledges to go anywhere. Plus, you’re run almost to death every day doing something, and the ability to lift weights would be impossible based on the small amounts of food you’re able to consume during your 6 minutes of mealtime and the fact that one is too tired at the end of the day to go lift.
Well its been awhile since basic for me 30 years.
What no one has mention much of is the heat. Let me set a scene for you Fort Jackson S. Carolina WW11 barracks no AC July and August. On the march back to the barrack at the end of the day. Your balls are on fire your light headed and seeing stars you have been force marching for an hour and half no water no breaks the bad news is your only halfway home the good news is your already halfway home.
I dont know much of how Basic is ran today but if I were doing it again I would go in lean and do alot of running to get pepared.
All the big guys struggled the most because they had to carry extra weight. Alot of muscle does you no good in Basic.
NOW DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY
[quote]jbnh007 wrote:
Last I knew, the Air Force uses an exercise bike for their version of a physical fitness test, the Army “jogged” 1.5 miles, and I don’t remember about the Navy. There’s a pretty broad difference across the board.[/quote]
The AF no longer uses the bike unless someone is physically unable to run.
PFT for the AF is comprised of 1.5 mile run, pushups, situps and a waist measurement/BMI measurement.
[quote]gatesoftanhauser wrote:
malonetd wrote:
For all the Army guys, I’m confused. Do you really have the opportunity to lift weights while in basic training?
The answer is no. When I went through 5 years ago, we had maybe an hour of free time. Basic Training is not like “Stripes” where they had booze, cigarettes, long hair and could go off post and go partying. [/quote]
You mean you didn’t get to mud wrestle with chicks and hook up with hot female MP’s?
Seriously, so many people are mentioning lifting weights, but I know we didn’t have that opportunity when I went through USMC boot camp. I didn’t know if Army was different.
[quote]JokerFMJ wrote:
jbnh007 wrote:
Last I knew, the Air Force uses an exercise bike for their version of a physical fitness test, the Army “jogged” 1.5 miles, and I don’t remember about the Navy. There’s a pretty broad difference across the board.
The AF no longer uses the bike unless someone is physically unable to run.
PFT for the AF is comprised of 1.5 mile run, pushups, situps and a waist measurement/BMI measurement.[/quote]
I went to Army basic in 1987 and we never “jogged” 1.5 miles. We RAN 2 miles. My run has slowed considerably, no longer in the 13 minute area.
And we never saw a gym during our time in basic or AIT.
[quote]malonetd wrote:
The answer is no. When I went through 5 years ago, we had maybe an hour of free time. Basic Training is not like “Stripes” where they had booze, cigarettes, long hair and could go off post and go partying.
You mean you didn’t get to mud wrestle with chicks and hook up with hot female MP’s?
Seriously, so many people are mentioning lifting weights, but I know we didn’t have that opportunity when I went through USMC boot camp. I didn’t know if Army was different.[/quote]
Nahh, never. Lifting would be suicidally crazy, being how tired you are, and the fact that you’re on “barracks arrest” (confined to the barracks area) all 9 weeks.