zero to pcoy fitness...

[alex4013]

just a wee query for any pti/para types out there..

I'm currently at fitness stage "utter bollox"....

was wandering what anyone in the know thinks a reasonable timeline to go from out of breath after 10 minutes walking to p coy physical fitness level would be...

I'm 32/33(soon) 6ft and 17.5 stone.

was very fit in the dim and distant, almost mythical, past.

having done a bit of stuff in the past i knoe pcoy is a lot to do with mentality as well, i looking at physical fitness.

now i don't intend to go for it as i've buggered my army career and cannae get back in..

this is without injuries, reasonable training schedule and 99% theoretical.

pti's ex/serving para types input welcome.. if you're not actually in the know/suitably qualified don't be mong, post your pish elswhere..

cheers!!

[Sarastro]

Having done just that, have to agree with the Guv, perhaps even longer.

Taken me 2 years, but first 6 months of that was essentially doing physio re-learning how to walk, and 90% of last year I spent injured and unable to run properly. But gone from literally unable to do a proper pressup or run more than 800m without dying, to doing P-Coy in just over a month (though currently still having to beast myself twice a day to get up to scratch).

Basic point is: it's possible, but it will be long, very hard, and you should assume that you are going to get injured a lot, which will make it longer - it simply will happen if you are completely rebuilding your body from the ground up.

By the way, bit confused why are you asking, since you say you don't actually intend to go for P-Coy?

[alex4013]

just interested...

when i was fit i could set myself a goal and be fit for that goal in the alloted time frame..

now being extremely unfit i'd still like to set myself some goals as an aid to getting back into reasonable shape..

the choice of p coy was largely due to me never having actually got there when i was training for 4 para. (my own fault, not blaming injuries or other circs, it was a lack of desire, plain and simple.)

obviously i realise the only way to see if i was fit for pcoy would be to do it however it isnt an option now.. i just wanted the mental exercise of the planning the training etc aswell as valuing the input of any curious pti/para types on the boards.

[Tartan_Terrier]

Why isn't it an option any more?

You're still young enough, in fact you're ten years under the new max age.

If you're motivated enough to get yourself P-Coy fit, you should be motivated enough to complete your training.

Best of luck.

T_T

[MarkBunt]

Why isn't it an option any more?

You're still young enough, in fact you're ten years under the new max age.

If you're motivated enough to get yourself P-Coy fit, you should be motivated enough to complete your training.

Best of luck.

T_T

Thought army age limit was 33?

[Boxingmad]

just a wee query for any pti/para types out there..

I'm currently at fitness stage "utter bollox"....

was wandering what anyone in the know thinks a reasonable timeline to go from out of breath after 10 minutes walking to p coy physical fitness level would be...

I'm 32/33(soon) 6ft and 17.5 stone.

was very fit in the dim and distant, almost mythical, past.

having done a bit of stuff in the past i knoe pcoy is a lot to do with mentality as well, i looking at physical fitness.

now i don't intend to go for it as i've buggered my army career and cannae get back in..

this is without injuries, reasonable training schedule and 99% theoretical.

pti's ex/serving para types input welcome.. if you're not actually in the know/suitably qualified don't be mong, post your pish elswhere..

cheers!!

Alex,

I'm in pretty much the same boat as you so you're not alone. I've got a book called Fighting Fit by Adrian Weale which is a good place to start as it gives you different types of programmes but that gets you up to a good standard of fitness. Might be worth having a look at. Also, Paratrooper 01 has put a good training programme which he made himself which started from nothing up to his commencement of training at Catterick.

http://www.mfat.co.uk/forums/viewtopic. ... ht=#189130

Hope this helps.

[alex4013]

Cheers Box mate..

I actually have fighting fit by aw.. it is a good read aswell as full of good advise.

the training programmes are pretty good also.

Main reasons it isnt really an option is,

a, family commitments
b, work
c, and the biggy,... i tried to rejoin a couple of years ago but was refused by army manning and records at glasgow.

thinking it was just army i was no longer welcome at i tried raf aux reg in edinburgh... again turned down.

so i've given up to try and be a father/husband type...

(if i'm honest i'm still considering applying again but to be honest not sure i want to go through another 7 months of waiting for m and r rto say no... got a life and wife etc to sort out!!)

[Boxingmad]

The exercises are only half an hour to an hour, so the time commitment shouldn't really be too much of an issue, and once you start training you'll start to like it and really get into it. You should do it just to get fit, and not have the spectre of the army hanging over you. Besides, when you complete the programme you'll feel a lot better about reapplying, if that's still what you want to do. But do it just to get fit and look great - nothing wrong with that is there?

[alex4013]

good points boxingmad, nothing wrong with getting fit for fitnesses sake.. perhaps even the possibility of cutting heart attack risks etc

I'm getting a bike so i can ride to work and back...i'd walk/run it but there's no showers at my work and i need to ease myself back into the exercise again, so its easier on the knees aswell!!

i was thinking it would be about a year from my literal standing start to achieving that level of fitness, but i'll be happy with a few stone weight loss and general toning up of all the floppy bits that have materialised over the past three or four years.!

[Boxingmad]

Good stuff - cycling is a good one as well. I have a friend in 4 Para who was fairly overweight and unfit when he decided to join. He enrolled in British Military Fitness www.britmilfit.com and the weight & fitness situation improved very quickly indeed, basically because their sessions involve lots of bodyweight exercises being done whilst on the move in a park so your CV gets better as well as your strength. As you get fitter you go to the next level of fitness grade. I couldn't believe it when i saw him after a period of time - his beergut had gone and he had cheekbones as well! And of course, he went on to pass P Coy and is now in 4 Para and going to Afghanistan next year.

He is a good benchmark to use, as he was very fat and unfit when he started and he is now lean & strong and in the Paras - no need for expensive gym membership either.

[alex4013]

i was looking at britmilfit and was impressed with what i saw.. only problem is i think they only do 1 sesh a week in edinburgh (maybe two but i'm sure the 2nd is a wednesday which is my late work night,,.. will look it back up though)...

was speaking to a mate of mine who was a junior para and we concluded that we would love to do the 1st 6-7 weeks of army basic again... just to have the thrashing and the comraderie of that intensity again would be a massive boost to fitness, weightloss and life ambitions.

boxingmad mate,.. out of interest what coy was your 4 para mate in?

I tried for 15 coy in scotland.. what a fu**ing laff we had at times... that to me sums up the TA, and indeed the army.. fu**ing mates and a fu**ing laff!!

Increased output of calories + decreased consumption = weight loss... fact.

[Boxingmad]

He's in 10 Coy down London town. He's having a whale of a time, and has recently been to the Brecons for the weekend beasting himself with some of the other 10 Coy lads.
There's a real sense of regimental pride, even more so now that they're going to war in Iraq & Afghanistan with the regs. Recruit training's pretty evil though, although on a limited basis. But as you say it's great fun.

Hopefully the other session won't clash with your late work night, but even one BMF session is not a bad thing.

[alex4013]

the bikes ordered, should be here within two weeks.

going to be cycling to/from work with a bit of jogging along the way to keep blood flowing to the old meat and two veg.....

am considering britmilfit more seriously now that its been mentioned again... its a lot easier to keep going when there's 10-20 of you covered in p**s sweat and mud!! and as you say, one a day a week is better than nothing... I think combined with the cycling it would prove a pretty effective weight loss/toning up programme.. i can always start throwing other things in as i get fitter and more able to cope with the physical stress of more exercise..

who knows if the current recruitment crisis continues i might just give 15 coy or the local infantry a call after Xmas..