OK.
these people are trying to help you
loseing 20 pounds is easy, do more, eat right
getting your run time down by a few minutes is not easy
staying strong or getting strong while loseing weight is not easy
go back read the posts on this thread
read posts in bodybuilding on cutting and eating
read posts in beginners on training
read posts in conditioning
at first what you read may sound confuseing
don’t overthink what you read
belive those that have sereved or are severing your time in service is what you make of it
getting prepared to go in is a big part of it
i trained for almost a year to prepare
military police 1977-1980
[quote]Almack9 wrote:
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]Almack9 wrote:
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]Almack9 wrote:
[quote]cavemansam wrote:
i don’t think anybody intended to insult you or your choices
but based on your posts i think you are not faceing reality in what u are doing
29% body fat you are fat
26% body fat you are fat
if you have trouble with the run you are not fit
the more conditioned you are the stronger you are the easier basic and your school will be
this site has alot of good info for training and fat loss
step back look at yourself and be honest with your self
get up get out and -------train!!![/quote]
Im well aware that im not in great shape. I am just looking for help making it to my goals, and right now my goal is to pass the basic requirements. Once I can do that, I can worry about exceding those requirements, but for now I just want to make the requirements.[/quote]
Like I said, your perception is off. If doing the absolute minimum to pass is your goal, you are NOT ready for this.[/quote]
Have you ever heard of short term goals working into bigger goals? I dont think just suddenly becoming ripped is a realistic goal. I think it is entirely realistic to start small and make whatever adjustments I need to get the basic requirements.[/quote]
Yet, you plan to do all of this in months. You are not being realistic. I was a captain in the US Air Force. Go ahead and keep thinking I’m the one who is clueless.
[/quote]
Im not sure what you mean by all this, all I need to do is lose 3 inches and get my run time down by a few minutes. And I never said you were clueless, but what you are doing is not helping.
[/quote]
What we are trying to say is basically what you said. Set those short term goals to lose a few inches and cut a small amount of your run time. Then, once you reach those, set new ones. Like I said, your life will be a HELL of a lot easier in training if you can not only meet the minimum standard, but kick it’s ASS! I have been to several advanced shooter’s/tactical courses/schools and I have always made sure to exceed the minimum before I even got to these courses. All that is being said by the majority is this: Aiming to barely meet the standard will lead you down a dangerous path. You have no room for error and meeting the minimum is not what being in the military is about.
You have a prior USAF Captain and an Active Duty Staff Sergeant telling you what you should consider before you start on your military career. I think I would listen if I were in your shoes.
Keep in mind the entry test is basic and the easiest thing you will do while in the military if you are going to join now train the way you play mentality will come into affect. I am super unfit now and out of shape big time but i havnt always been like this and this is what i did when i was 17 and at the same stage as you.
- walk 10kms per day every 2nd day I put 10kgs in a back pack and 2lts of water (I built up to the 10kgs and walked in boots they wer ejust steal capped work mans boots)
- Every 2nd day I ran two kms
- Weight training every 2nd day I just did you every day basic split nothing fancy
- I got up every morning at 5:30 even if i just watched tv (i really think this helped as guys in basic struggled with the early starts)
But As i said in my post and as others have said take 12 months and you will find life alot easier, the military will be around in 12 months
Being a former Marine NCO turned into commissioned officer, I’ve seen enough entry level training to offer this. 26% body fat is unheard of, and it’s rather unnerving that it is acceptable. USMC standard is 18% for young men, and not I’m bashing the Army at all. 26% is the near the limit for females I think. In either case, I consider that unfit for duty.
Take the time to get into shape as a soldier SHOULD be. You might slide through training at that weight but if you don’t, you might find yourself replaced by fitter men.
BLUF: Take 6-12 months and get in the best shape you can, coming nowhere near the minimum standard. I’m willing to bet the other servicemen on this page have never come close to the minimum as it generally goes against everything a T-man stands for. Don’t be that guy; being average, at a minimum, will earn you piece of mind. Knowing that you could get dropped any time for tripping a threshold will haunt you for a long time.
I didn’t originally think about this, but maybe you also need to work on following basic direction from people. i.e. Listening when others tell you what you will need to do before you enter training. In boot camp, you will be instructed in every basic task you undertake. Being able to listen and transfer those instructions into useful actions will keep your ass from getting smoked every 10 minutes. You also have to figure that in as well. You WILL get smoked early and often. You need to be able to handle the countless sets of push-ups or other calisthenics you will be subjected to for the idiocracy of yourself and others around you. I remember days where I took part in THOUSANDS of over-head arm claps and other random crap just because the fool next to me couldn’t follow one simple direction.
I’m not saying you won’t be able to squeeze by with the minimum, but why do that to yourself? You’ll have tons more to worry about than just your PT ability. Why not set yourself up for success rather than just meeting the standard?
While I think that Proffessor X and njrusmc have made some valid points, I don’t see the need to tell an obviously highly motivated person to put his goals aside because everything’s not peachy-keen and perfect. So what if hes overweight? I saw plenty of overweight guys in basic drop a bunch of weight and excel at PT by then end of training. Heck, I’d say that the worst guys around tended to be skinny little whiners who were held back by lack of motivation, not weight issues. And let’s not confuse the issue by acting like the OP is looking to get by on the bare minimum. He has plainly stated that the minimum requirement is his short term goal not his stopping point.
Sure, in an ideal world he should get his BF down below 10% and be ready to knock out +300 on his first PT test. And yes, as was pointed out before, excessive weight can lead to stress fractures and other training related injuries. But where would any of us be if we only committed to a challenge when everything was perfect? He sounds like he’s ready to do the damn thing so I say go for it. But be ready when SHTF.
my .02
I really don’t mean to sound whiny, but at the bottom line I didnt come here looking for criticism. I really do appreciate what the majority of you have said, and taking that in mind, I’ve decided to push it back by atleast a couple months. I’ve said before that for me, I think a year is unrealistic, but listening to what alot of you have said I do believe that 1 month is unrealistic. So now I’m going to shoot for 6 months enlistment date. Thanks for those of you that have offered advice and constructive criticism, and to those of you that have maybe been overly critical of the newby, thanks for the motivation.
[quote]Almack9 wrote:
I really don’t mean to sound whiny, but at the bottom line I didnt come here looking for criticism. I really do appreciate what the majority of you have said, and taking that in mind, I’ve decided to push it back by atleast a couple months. I’ve said before that for me, I think a year is unrealistic, but listening to what alot of you have said I do believe that 1 month is unrealistic. So now I’m going to shoot for 6 months enlistment date. Thanks for those of you that have offered advice and constructive criticism, and to those of you that have maybe been overly critical of the newby, thanks for the motivation.[/quote]
Bottom line is, if you REALLY want to get through, you can. I know in my case, I was just trying to get you to realize taking a little time to prepare a little better would allow you greater oppurtunity for success. Good luck, man. I really do wish the best for you. If you want any advice or have any questions offline, I’d be glad to help out if I can.
A 36" waist and 43" gut is embarrassing at 5’10".
If you are so overweight, and sized, you wont be able to pass the PT requirements day to day. Sure SCRAPPING through the basic PT test is one thing, but doing it daily, for weeks on end, is sure as shit one other thing. Don’t kid yourself.
Sure, lose 10kg, thats do able no worries, but I can’t see your motivation for wanting to be the bottom of the pile, lowest standards man around. If you were in my PL I’d be pissed. You will become a liabilty for your PL/COY at those figures.
If it is no hassles to delay enlistment by 6 months do that. Drop INCHES, drop POUNDS, stay that way for a while, not just hitting the figures and signing up, be comfortable at that weight and maintain it. It’ll make your life/PT easier and your bosses wont want to kick your arse full time.
My 2c.
[quote]sexyxe wrote:
A 36" waist and 43" gut is embarrassing at 5’10".
If you are so overweight, and sized, you wont be able to pass the PT requirements day to day. Sure SCRAPPING through the basic PT test is one thing, but doing it daily, for weeks on end, is sure as shit one other thing. Don’t kid yourself.
Sure, lose 10kg, thats do able no worries, but I can’t see your motivation for wanting to be the bottom of the pile, lowest standards man around. If you were in my PL I’d be pissed. You will become a liabilty for your PL/COY at those figures.
If it is no hassles to delay enlistment by 6 months do that. Drop INCHES, drop POUNDS, stay that way for a while, not just hitting the figures and signing up, be comfortable at that weight and maintain it. It’ll make your life/PT easier and your bosses wont want to kick your arse full time.
My 2c. [/quote]
I guess I misworded something in the posts following up to this point, but in no way shape or form was being bottom of the pile my final goal. This has been a long process up til now of changing by habits and diet, I’ve already lost 50 lbs to get down to the point I am telling you all about. The point was to get help and advice to continue getting more fit. I know that I am overweight, I know that I am bigger than I should be. I am working on doing something about it. So I would prefer specific advice rather than continuous criticism of my body shape.
As far as your second paragraph goes, that just my short term goal, something small and achievable. I don’t plan on stopping once I hit those marks.
LOL. People you would have to salute already gave you all of the advice you needed concerning this issue.
You choose not to listen.
People who do things like that can be sure of one thing…that those same people will STOP trying to help.
Only a couple people have given any specific advice other than just train for a year.
Get on a good pt training schedule. Start off at least 3 days a week. Do several pushup and situp sets (making sure you go up on the total repetitions each new workout) and then run! Start with 1 mile a couple times a week with sprints on a different day- perhaps 30- 60s. Then get to where 2 miles is easy for you. Be able to run 4 miles before basic training.
My friend lost 60lbs during our basic training. It was not fun or easy for him!
I made sure I could max my pushups and situps before I went.
Good luck with the fat loss.
Specific advice-
I would do tabata everything. Push ups, pull ups, sit ups, runs, squats. 3-4 times a week.
Get a pair of boots, get a back pack and learn to walk with a decent amount of weight in it. The lightest I’ve had my gear was around the 27kg mark - That was just webbing, 3 day pack and rifle. Once you learn to walk with the weight, walk faster.
I’d stick to the tabata stuff though. That’ll help with pretty much all your problems in one.
X would be ‘better’ to ask as he was USAF, where as Im Aus Army, but much of a muchness.
[quote]sexyxe wrote:
Specific advice-
I would do tabata everything. Push ups, pull ups, sit ups, runs, squats. 3-4 times a week.
Get a pair of boots, get a back pack and learn to walk with a decent amount of weight in it. The lightest I’ve had my gear was around the 27kg mark - That was just webbing, 3 day pack and rifle. Once you learn to walk with the weight, walk faster.
I’d stick to the tabata stuff though. That’ll help with pretty much all your problems in one.
X would be ‘better’ to ask as he was USAF, where as Im Aus Army, but much of a muchness. [/quote]
Pretty much what I said but we are both aussies maybe the yanks train differently
[quote]revamp wrote:
[quote]sexyxe wrote:
Specific advice-
I would do tabata everything. Push ups, pull ups, sit ups, runs, squats. 3-4 times a week.
Get a pair of boots, get a back pack and learn to walk with a decent amount of weight in it. The lightest I’ve had my gear was around the 27kg mark - That was just webbing, 3 day pack and rifle. Once you learn to walk with the weight, walk faster.
I’d stick to the tabata stuff though. That’ll help with pretty much all your problems in one.
X would be ‘better’ to ask as he was USAF, where as Im Aus Army, but much of a muchness. [/quote]
Pretty much what I said but we are both aussies maybe the yanks train differently
[/quote]
I started some of what you had suggested, on my second day of walking the 6 miles. I havent tried it with weight yet, Ill probably start light and start that next week. Feeling pretty good though 
keep it to the 6mil or work out what the convert is from kms which we use i wouldn’t do any more than 10kms with weight and i would build up to that, walking with weight in a pack is not easy.
When walking up a hill lean into it slightly and when walking down hill lean back a tiny bit i don’t want you to go head over ass.
Once you can do the distance with a decent amount of weight extend your stride a bit before u try and walk faster this will help a great deal as most people take smaller steps when they first put a pack on.
Every day at basic we did one set max push up followed by 5 sets of half that start doing that.
Have you actually figured out how long you will be in the Delayed Entry Pogram (DEP) once you sign up? When I enlisted I was in DEP and waiting for 9 months before shipping off to boot camp.
You’re probably not going to sign up and then leave the next week… Just something to consider.
[quote]gregron wrote:
Have you actually figured out how long you will be in the Delayed Entry Pogram (DEP) once you sign up? When I enlisted I was in DEP and waiting for 9 months before shipping off to boot camp.
You’re probably not going to sign up and then leave the next week… Just something to consider.[/quote]
He has a 43" waist. The issue isn’t whether he can diet down in a few months. The issue is whether he can be that depleted and THEN go through some of the most stressful periods of his life. In that condition, I would give this at least 6 months to a year just to get half way ready for this. If he was already down to a 40" waist or less AND well trained, then I could see him being just a couple of months out from MEPS.