FITNESS FOR HALTON RECRUIT TRAINING

[hbellis]

Hi all

Im set to join the RAF in May and was just wondering if anyone new much about the fitness that goes on there. I know about the standard fitness test which you have to pass, im more concerned about training for the day to day fitness as all the info I have doesn't really go into the specifics!
Im anyone knows what you have to do please get back to me. Im just upping my training at the moment and really want it to be useful for Halton!

thanks

Hayley

[Alex Himself]

You don't need to be a machine when you go to Halton, i passed out from there in Feb, and enjoyed the PT there, although they are very anal about alot of things. Such as having a sharp crease down your PT sleeves.

People actaully failed to do 13 pressups, when they did the fitness test but still completed training.

if your not fit now, you will be by the end of the 9 weeks, even though your wont really notice your progress.

Alot of PT Lessons involve circuit training, sit ups, shuttle runs, press ups, tricep dips, dorsal raises etc... Youll also do outdoor circuits, which involves sprints, or interval training. Most of these are a maximum effort exercise.

You'll do a fair few cross country lessons which can be hard, you'll initially do a streaming run, where your split into 3 running ability groups, make sure you get in group one. i think the biggest run we did as group 1 was 3 miles, but seemed alot more, the pace was pretty good going.

Youll do a bit of swimming, the test is easy and doesnt matter if your not a strong swimmer, they dont beast you about it. Swimming circuits can be quite hard though.

Don't expect to do any sport until the flight competition in the last couple of weeks. We did footie, basketball, volleyball and swimming gala.

Week 3 you'll be going to work with the regiment for 4 weeks, and this is a PT lesson in itself. Make sure you run everywhere, even when you have your bergen on your back which is actually quite heavy and annoying. They'll make you do regiment style pressups as well, the ones where you have your hands in a triangle shape together under your chest. You'll do these when you fook up, not a bad idea to practice these.

If you've got Q's, write them and ill get back, if i can.

Alex

[Rizzarazzu]

Here's an excerpt from a thread i posted here http://thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=201047 detailing PT at Halton.

PEd

PEd at Halton isn't that bad, unless you are completely out of shape and haven't prepared yourself physically and mentally to push yourself (rather than be pushed) to your limit. I was quite apprehensive about PT prior to joining - i'm not the fittest of individuals, but as long as you push yourself and give 100% effort to everything, you will be okay. The PT staff were generally cool and as long as you turn up with a big bag of enthusiasm and all your kit is to the required standard, you'll not regret a single session. Bear in mind that you'll be punished as a flight for any foul-ups on kit, so make sure you make the effort for your team and ensure others are doing so - it can be irksome having to do lines at the end of a gruelling circuits session just because one guy turned up with his t-shirt in rag-order or with mud on his shorts.

The PEd is divided into 3 areas - Aerobic training (running), Strength training (circuits) and Swimming. You will have to perform the RAF fitness test in the 1st few days of the course. For those that don't know, this comprises the bleep test and a number of press-ups and sit-ups in one minute. For those that went to OASC, this is not a maximal session - you stop once you have reached the RAF standard for your age. Also, this is not a pass/fail session - it's just an initial assessment of your fitness although you will be re-assessed at the end of the course and you are required to pass it - if you haven't, then you obviously haven't made the effort to improve and this reflects badly. If you pass it on the first attempt, you are then given the opportunity to perform the max. effort test at the end of the course.

Your next PT sessions will be a Pool introduction - i found this quite tough as i'm not the best swimmer. You do widths of the pool in varying strokes, interspersed with pool-side efforts of press-ups, sit-ups etc... I only did 4 swimming sessions during my course though, and one of them was the RAF swimming test - 2x 25m lengths in CS95 shirt and trousers - no boots. This is a pass/fail assessment but if you fail you will be given a 2nd opportunity to pass - you will not be re-flighted if you fail.
If you perform well in the sessions, they become more relaxed and you'll start seeing games introduced to them, so max. effort every time.

The next PT event will be the streaming run or your introduction to gym circuits.

Streaming Run

A 1.5 mile run around the rugby pitch area at Halton. Not completely flat ground but no real hills involved. The idea is that you give it the max. effort to achieve the quickest time you can. After the run, the intake will be divided into 3 groups - the quicker group will be group 1, the middle group will be group 2 and the slower group will be group 3. At the end of the streaming run, group 1 then go off for a run of about 3 to 4 miles around Halton village at a steady pace. Group 1 should then expect any subsequent runs to be of roughly 6-8 miles in distance and they will involve some hills.

At the end of the streaming run, group 2 then go off for a run back around the streaming run course at a steady pace, with some fartlek style shuttle run exercises thrown in and a couple of stops for press-ups, sit-ups. Group 2 should then expect any subsequent runs to be of roughly 4-6 miles in distance and they will involve very few hills, if any.Times will be set by the PEd staff in which to complete the runs but the PTIs always run with you and set the pace.

At the end of the streaming run, group 3 then go off for a run around the rugby pitches at a steady pace and Group 3 should then expect any subsequent runs to be of roughly 1.5-2miles in distance and they will not involve any hill-work but they will have exercises thrown in.

During your stay at RTS, expect to do around 4 or 5 runs, including the streaming run and the cross-country competition (i'll go into this later) at the end of the course. Always RUN as fast as you can - even if you can manage no more than a canter, never walk as it shows a lack of determination. The PTI staff will excuse lack of fitness, but they won't excuse lack of determination - this also goes for fit people that aren't running to the best of their ability and prefer to saunter around in Grp 2 or 3. Also, bear in mind that if you perform well in Grp. 2 or 3, you may be moved up to Grp 1 or 2, this also works in reverse if you can't manage the runs in your Group.

Gym Circuits

Easily my most enjoyable PT sessions.They do exactly what they say on the tin - gym circuit exercises that vary every time. Push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, shuttles and much, much more designed to improve your muscles - arms, legs, abs, the lot. Hard work - you will sweat like never before - but give 100% as these are the sessions that really do wonders for your all-round fitness. Each session lasts between 1.5 and 2 hours and laid out around the gym will be about 10-15 different exercises and the flight/ intake will rotate around the exercises in small groups, completing 2,3 or 4 circuits - it may be interspersed with laps of the gym or shuttle runs, who knows ! All i can say is that they are enjoyable, always put the effort in and you'll be rewarded. By the 3rd session the PTIs will have the crazy dance music (the Prodigy etc..) pumping out as you work and this works as a fantastic motivator to give that extra bit of effort. I really enjoyed all my circuit sessions and you really feel your fitness improve after them. I can't give you the low-down on these too much as they will vary a lot.

To sum-up PEd as a whole, you will do around 3-4 sessions a week in Phase 1, all mixed. You must give 110% effort to everything to succeed and you must always ensure your kit is spot-on - razor-sharp creases in t-shirt sleeves, shorts and t's pressed nice and flat, name tag on the right side, everything spotlessly clean or they will make your life less enjoyable. When you get changed prior to a lesson do it in no less than 5 minutes and after every lesson ensure you are showered and changed and on parade outside in less than 10 minutes. You must shower after every lesson - 10 mins sounds impossible, i know, but it is do-able and you won't want to hang around in the showers, believe me, the temperature is never right !

Hello Alex, by the way !

How's things going at Cosford ? We got ourselves a bit of a reputation on pass-out day. We're basically an example of how NOT to behave at the end of course disco - but i won't go into it too much. We had a cracking parade though - indoors, but one of the top 3 from the last 5 years, drill-wise, according to the Regiment D&C Staff.

Still at Halton on ADF for this week, then i have a week off and then i'm off to Cranwell.

[hbellis]

Hi Alex thanks for that!

I'm not too worried as I run a lot - so now just working on my strength and getting my running a bit faster! doublt i will be in the top running group - im slow but i can do long distance!!

Slightly worried about swimming circuits so going to work on swimming too!! Hopefully I will be ok - but i think the harder i work now at my fitness the less of a shock it will be at halton. Also doing circuit training twice a week!

I am determined to keep up with the boys!

thanks for your help!

Hayley

[Alex Himself]

yo rizza, going good ta, Cosford is like a holiday camp compared to halton, glad your parade went well, our was shocking, the worst perfomance we did i think, video looks funny though.

pizz up afterwards was good though.

add me alexhimself54321@hotmail.com if you use msn,

alex

[SHOOT_ME]

I did work experience at Halton with the PT section. The fitness isnt too hard because it is actually designed to make you fitter.

[Proud_Rock]

Penguin fitness now that would be a change of pace. just wait unitl the rock apes get hold of you techys lol

Halton piece of piss!!!!

just make sure your trainers are tied up and you put your bib on te right way around !!!