Powerlifting + Strongman = Better Athlete? (and How)

[vermilionleech]

@TrainForPain

Do 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups

In sets? or just until I’ve done all of them?

[paules]

I’ve never met someone who worked so hard at getting in shape with plans to join the military who didn’t have any boxing/wrestling/martial arts in the mix of their training. I’m a little puzzled.

[SkyzykS]

Do them till you puke, then do them in your puke.

Not joking.

[JoeMo]

If you need motivation go down to your local base between 0530 and 0700 for morning PT and ask yourself, "do I want to be in the back of the pack getting screamed at by the Senior NCO’s. BAHAHAHA

[caesium32]

I saw you mentioned you watch Alan Thrall’s YouTube channel. He actually just put up a good video about this sort of thing if you haven’t seen it.

[vermilionleech]

What video is that?

[reconbyfire]

Here is my last suggestion since this thread is a complete run around

Do: Built like a Badass by Joe Defranco. Just extend the one mile run to 2 or 3 and incorporate Indian runs

You get better at pushups, situps, pullups, and running by doing just that. Timed: Max reps in a minute or 2 minutes depending on service and country. Run, u need to look at the requirements

IF you dont want to go into the military do whatever the heck you want. Just enjoy it.

If your run sucks do the couch to 5k program. Thats 3 miles.

[ActivitiesGuy]

Not ex-military myself (but one of my best friends went through Marine OCS, and I like a lot of usmc’s posts so I think I pretty much qualify, right?)

Anyways, these replies…

@anon50325502

I say this every time one of these threads pops up and it usually gets ignored, but I would stop lifting 3-6 months out and instead concentrate on BW exercises and improving your endurance. You will do a ton of BW exercises and running in boot. You won’t be deadlifting you 3RM.

@TrainForPain

I see these threads a lot. I don’t feel like anyone takes the military seriously. It’s always something about I love lifting, but I have to run fast so I’ll add a couple miles at some point. Your job comes first. The military is a full-time, all-consuming job (at least combat units). The standards you mentioned above are not easy. If you want to succeed, that needs to be your priority. Priority doesn’t mean fit it in with other stuff you like doing when it’s convenient. It means it is the only thing that matters, and if you get to do some of the stuff you enjoy too then that’s a nice bonus. I don’t think lifting and BW/ running are mutually exclusive, but I think the way you (and every one of these I’ve read) are thinking about it is probably backwards.

@TrainForPain

When you look at what you wrote, though, you’ll see what I mean about priority. You laid out all the steps you’ll do of your lifts (even your leg raises), and then have “on x day I’ll run a mile”

@TrainForPain

You also need miles under your belt - basic will test you, you will never do anything rested, and it’s not the time to deal with the added stressor of many more miles than you’re used to.

…ought to be set such that ANY TIME someone starts a thread about training for (military unit) here, they appear.

It’s incredible how many times these threads are “So if I just keep doing 5/3/1 but start running a timed mile once a week, I should be good?” This was a terrific post:

@TrainForPain

Dude, not being sarcastic at all, I think you should get off the Internet right now, put on your shoes, and:

1. Do 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups

2. Run 25 minutes without stopping

3. Do 40 push-ups, 50 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups

4. Reassess

All the better if you feel like crap right now and don’t want to.

…and somehow OP missed the boat and said “What would that achieve?”

[TrainForPain]

Thanks! I actually got a little frustrated and stopped replying at that point. I get that the military is a young person’s game, so it will be kids that are joining, but I feel like it’s ok to expect a level of maturity that at least recognizes experience. USMC’s screen name leaves little doubt to his background, for instance.

I’m honestly glad Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet when I was coming up. We had to just ask coaches (because we all played sports) or someone’s dad who was a veteran what they would do. It also felt way too silly to ask, in real life, “my run isn’t very good, so how many days a week should I bench press?” It kind of forced you to just start doing things.

If OP happens to read this, there is no shame in not being right about something you haven’t done. When I left the Army, I was trying to break into an industry that my wife’s friend had been successful in for years. She gave me some advice on interviewing all the way through how to conduct my first 6 months. I didn’t think “well I should do this;” I just did what she said, and, over the course of months, it made sense to me why. When you read this about someone else, it makes so much sense you think “of course, no kidding,” but it’s hard for all of us to actually apply this ourselves for some reason.

[oldbeancam]

@TrainForPain

there is no shame in not being right about something you haven’t done.

Dude, if ANYBODY reads this they should think this way.