Is My Personal Trainer Full of Shit?

[quote]Evolv wrote:

[quote]usmccds423 wrote:
Have fun with pit stops… lol…

Quarterdeck:

[/quote]
Oh man, those look like the barracks at the rifle range… We were there and my rack mate was taking a shower and mocking one of our drill instructors and unknowing to him that DI could hear him. So the DI goes in the shower and pulls him out butt naked onto the quarterdeck making him push singing “I wanna be a drill instructor!” with soap suds still on him. Ah man… what a place… the humility… [/quote]

Lol, that’s hilarious!

Graduated from Echo Company at OCS Summer 2013. Here’s what I would recommend.

First off, what is your build? Are you big and thick (like that monster Reed up there) or are you skinnier? If you’re a bigger guy, the runs and PT are going to be rough, so I would recommend focusing more on bodyweight workouts, Stew Smith style workouts ect. If your on the smaller side, I would actually recommend doing some heavy lower body (basic squats and deadlift) to help strengthen your lower legs because the rucks are going to be brutal.

Reed has recommended the closest program to what I myself did and would recommend. On the rucks, the biggest thing is conditioning your feet so they don’t get blisters, so make sure you break in a good set of boots and do everything you can to avoid blisters. Make sure to build slow and hold a solid pace. You don’t have to sprint, but you’re not fucking around either. You’re training.

You also run a LOT less than you used to at OCS. Most of the runs are fartleks (1/8-1/2 mile jog, stop and do an exercise, repeat for 4 miles) or as part of some sort of course, like the Endurance course. I also agree that learning to run with a bit of weight (20 lbs) is more than sufficient, but super useful for these courses. IIRC, there’s only like 3 straight “runs” in OCS now-the PT is a little more creative.

In general, a solid program could look something like this

Monday- Lower Body Strength (1 push, 1 pull, 1 leg and 1 or 2 accessories, anything that works the lower back especially) and a few (~15 min total) intervals. Can be track sprints, incline treadmill sprints, hill sprints ect
Tuesday- Upper Body Repetition- Something like the MARSOC short card, PPPA workouts, pretty much anything by Stew Smith
Wednesday- Long easy run 5+ miles
Thursday- Upper Body Strength (Bench, OH press, Row, and Pull ups) and ab circuit
Friday- Fartlek Run (go to a track, every 400-800meters stop and do bodyweight exercises)
Saturday- Ruck training

Keep the strength work STRENGTH work. Don’t focus on building muscle.

And to all my old-school devil dogs and enlisted grunts…believe it or not, but they don’t use PT too much as punishment. 10 push ups for a rifle violation is pretty much the only thing they can give you now. Of course, they’re sneaky about how they make your life miserable, but there’s no sand pits and they don’t smoke you like that. Instead they give you 300 word essays you have to write instead of sleeping, in pen, with no mistakes. Sucks in it’s own way I guess.