Thread: Army PT giving me trouble

Originally Posted by Kevin Brown

I'm currently at 31 pushups, 66 situps, and a 21 min run. However, on the day of the PT test I was recvering from food borne illiness over the weekend and still wasn't up to speed. I would most likey have done better on pushups and situps, also form is a problem for all the above mentioned excersises.

H&T

I'm 5'11 and 149 lbs.

I used to play lacrosse in junior high and excersised on and off throughout high school and college.

Kevin,
Given your body build, you shouldn't have any problems doing well on the APFT given the proper preparation. I'll write more tomorrow, but it sounds like the biggest thing you'll need is simply to workout on a consistent basis, whether it's with your ROTC detachment or on your own. The biggest thing to maintain a workout schedule is to do it with someone so that you've got someone to drag you along on those days where you're not as in to it. Keep in mind that training for the APFT will not get in you great all around shape, but I'll cover that ground.

Originally Posted by Kevin Brown

Earlier in the academic year at my college I joined Army ROTC and have been doing fairly well in everything except PT, espeically the PT tests. Therefore, I've been catching alot of flack for not doing well PT wise. However, I do not get what I'm doing wrong as I'm not overweight, I excersise regualry and attend morning PT sessions when I can. I mean also on paper it isn't that hard of a test.

Anyone have any advice or dealed with the same issues that I am?

You are insufficiently motivated.

20/10/10. What's that, you say? Twenty sit-ups, 10 push-ups, ten times a day. You can do one iteration in a minute...and should. You've got ten minutes a day, don't you?

The run? With your height/weight, you should be doing FAR better. 13 minutes needs to be your target for two miles.

How are you going to get there?

Run. A lot.

Do you walk to class? Ride a bike to class? Walk or ride a bike between classes?

Stay out of your car.

Play pickup basketball?

Hope you're not smoking but I knew smokers who could punch sub-13:00 minute two mile runs.

ROTC P.T. is a joke. It's designed to teach you how to lead a P.T. formation-not achieve fitness. Most of your troops will be maxing their scores if you go combat arms. You'd better be damned close, if so, if not maxing out yourself.

Kevin, you've got work to do. Bill is harsh but correct. You'll need to reach into yourself and begin pushing yourself beyond your past. I was 5'11" 155lbs. when I entered the service but there was a boatload of basketball behind that. Runs and situps were no problem to max but I lacked upper body strength and only by punching 100 pushups a day using 20/10/10 did I get where I needed.

Get to work.

Sad thing is, when I got out of the army I was in great shape. 75 push ups, 86 sit ups in one set without stopping, 2k run in ~8 minutes. Unfortunately, 2 years of stagnation (long work hours, backpacking, studying) and laziness have all contributed to all that disappearing. Problem is that I'm too lazy to kick myself back into shape. In the army I had people that did that for me: Start running, or else!

The best way to get better at push ups is to do more push ups. Drop and knock out 20 every chance you get. Then start doing them with your feet raised.

For running, you need to run as hard as you can for as long as you can to increase speed.

If you are not ready to puke at the end of the PT test run you didn't run hard enough.

Got a football stadium at your school? Run the steps.

Originally Posted by bigross86

Sad thing is, when I got out of the army I was in great shape.

You are not alone. It takes a "Dick LaLanne" type (RIP) to stay truly fit for life. The human body evolved to be energy efficient. That means going through life expending minimum calories and eating the most calorie-dense foods. It's a biological survival mechanism. Military-grade fitness is not the natural state of affairs.

I agree with what's been said. The biggest issue is mental. If no one is driving you, it's hard but essential that you drive yourself. You must lead by example in this as a Lt. To show up at a new unit, out of shape... not good.