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This is my current training schedule:

Mon:3.5 mile run and a strength/endurance circuit

Tues:rugby training

Wed:weights(strength)

Thurs:circuit and hill sprints

Fri:3.5 mile run andcircuit

Sat:rest

Sun:rugby match

Can someone please tell me if this is to much or not enough.
Also i just randomly do press ups pull ups and sit ups whenever, is this a good idea?

Question,

Are you doing this for PRMC???

yeh, i think ill be doing prmc in about 6-8 months but if i go to uni i wont be doin poc for about 3 years

6-8 months give you ample time to train properly and controlled so that you should be on a good form for PRMC.

If anything, you would be best removing the Weight training and making it a rest day.

You have Six days of training and only one day of rest. Weight training would not do much good as a single day training aid to PRMC (to do with losing strength on the 4th day from not keeping a constant weight strength program).

PRMC and the commando course requires 75-80% running and the rest as strength. I.E you will run during the bleep test more than anything as well as running round the assault course, the 3 mile run, running for warm up, etc.

Your program would be better as:

Mon:3.5 mile run and a strength/endurance circuit

Tues:rugby training

Wed:Rest or substitute a good swim (to relax)

Thurs:Circuit Or hill sprints with an exercise at the bottom of the hill

Fri:3.5 mile run

Sat:rest

Sun:rugby match

Ideally you should have a rest day after your Rugby match, so it is worth alternating between the suggested week above and this one:


Mon:Rest or substitute a good swim (to relax)

Tues:rugby training

Wed:3.5 mile run and a strength/endurance circuit

Thurs:Circuit Or hill sprints with an exercise at the bottom of the hill

Fri:rest

Sat:3.5 mile run

Sun:rugby match

However, doing this over and over will not allow you to improve (you get stuck on a set level of fitness and finish up maintaining it).

So every two weeks you should increase your load slightly. This can be done by doing a 4 mile run and then a 4.5 mile one two weeks later.

You should also increase the circuit exercises you do. The main exercise to befit you for PRMC is Press-ups, Sit-ups, Squat thrusts, Pull-ups, Squats.

To increase the intensity of the circuit increase by either adding a few extra each time (10x sit up then 12x sit up and onto 15x sit up). Or by doing 30 second of sit-ups then 45 sec's and up-to a minute).

When you increase the intensity test the water I.E try doing 12x sit ups as a circuit (increased from 10x) and see if you are ready for it, if not hold off a week till you are.

Running should also be varied as to be either a good sold gentle run for distance (6 Miles instead of 4 miles hard) and can even be 1 mile warm up,4 x 1/2 mile sprints and another mile warm down (total 4 miles covered).

If you find a sprint session hard then do an easy run, if your feeling sore and generally worn down, then reduce the intensity to recover. You should always train around pain and never through it.

You should reach a stage by PRMC where you can do 6 mile gentle runs with ease, a good hard 4-5 mile run and have the right sort of strength for the tests (The strength you need is circuits using normal exercise as these are what you will be tested on).

If you find circuit sessions becoming tedious you can introduce light dumbbell weights for extra resistance, but don't need to gain excessive strength through weights as this is often a hindrance and makes PRMC harder on your body (75-80% running on tests to 75-80% body strength of you, it's gonna hurt)

Follow all this, and you will be one of the best on PRMC and easily pass. Trust me, I'm a PTI

thanks alot mate, but are u sure i dont need more strength because at the moment id say im quite weak. Thanks again

I'm certain.

You don't need strength from weights. By gaining strength from weights, you might get the ability to lift bulk weight. But this is the wrong sort of strength for PRMC.

You need a good all over repetitive strength, the sort of strength gained from doing circuits.

If you did lots of bench press and no real circuits, you would get on to PRMC and struggle to get through the test as your mot being tested on physical lifting capacity.

A good repetitive strength means you can repeat the press up time after time, haul yourself over the 6ft wall, jump over the leaning gate, pull your self under the cargo net and swing across the monkey bars.

I started my recruit training never having done any form of circuit training or press ups. My training never involved lifting weights for strength, but doing general circuits to gain everyday strength and repetitive ability.

I put the effort into this style of training and Earned my Green lid with out batting an eyelid and finishing up with the fastest endurance course run and Tarzan assault course time.

Don't feel by not doing weights you are not gaining strength. You are gaining strength through circuits and gaining the right sort. This knowledge should ease your mind, and given time and devotion, you will soon notice the difference in your circuit ability's and eventually a better belief in what you can do, have achieved and will achieve.

thanks alot i cant wait to ace prmc now!

No Prob's

Note to Mod's: This is not a one liner avoidance thingamie bob

I know its not directed towards me, but thanks alot for some great and really helpful advice, skiffle.

I've never done any weight training and thats put my mind at rest that I don't need to

Thanks.

While we are on the subject, I could really use an informed opinion. I'm currently training 5 days a week, and I'm hoping to do my PRMC in late april or early may. The problem is I've only been able to train since the beginning of december after a long break due to a fractured foot (perfectly healed now). Here is my weekly schedule.

Mon: 6am Swim, 10am Run, 12am PRMC circuit (ie press-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups)
Tues:6am Swim, 10am Sprints, 12am Circuit training
Weds: As mon
Thurs:As tues
Fri: As mon but I go indoor climbing instead of the run.

I find the schedule pretty gruelling but its all progressive I suppose. Basically, my only concern is will the 5 months-ish between now and my desired PRMC date be enough for my fitness level to improve sufficiently, especially with the time lost to injury? All input gratefully recieved!

If you do specific strength work with weights but are careful too avoid bulking up (keeping reps very low and tension high) but also get in a job lot of pressups circuits etc, then can the two co-exist?

Whilst I don't deny Paula and most of the top athletes (Seb Coe never did any real serious weigth training programs as he worked mostly with Fartlek, and Breandon has addmitted he never did as it wasn't the done thing in his day). Most Atheletes (including myself) have set training program's including Periodisation Programs to aid there running.

But they do not do weights for strength. There programs are set so that the winter period often becomes there time for Endurance and Stamina Weigth circuits rather than straight strength circuits. This can also include Weights to gain Power (specific to sprints).

The problem with fitting in weights for strength is usually the time taken to find the indaviduals starting point (Took 4 weeks in my training program to condition and then evaluate the starting point). This has led on to a 6 month periodisation program (3 periods of strength gain, 2 periods of Event specific Conditioning- Javelin and 1 period of general body conditioning).

With each strength gain period ( 4 weeks of work at a set % of 1 lift, 3 lift and 5 lift maximum rep's I.E your max acheivable), you have to assess the stage you are at at the end before moving on. For me to do this program my running training has been reduced to nothing but jogs for the first 2 months and a steady increase in mileage towards the end.

To gain true strength, Muscle bulk or greater power/ endurance and stamina requires a continuous program. Or you would never gain the strength correctly, after a session you have a strength gain for 3 days and start top lose it on the fourth day (Don't understand that fully as my coach hasn't explained that to me fully). This means all ideas of repitition and interval training for my Steeple chase events is out the window, as I have to submerse into a Weights program.

Back to the main point.

For PRMC most lads turning up do not have any serious form of training background behind them, and so need to build up a strong basis from which to start so as we (The PT Branch) can build on to reach the physical fitness of that needed to become and maintain as a Marine.

As I have said, 75-80% of PRMC and even Commando training for that matter is running (Bleep test, Between Assault course obstacles, 4/6 & 9 mile speed march, 30 miler, basic fitness test, 3 mile PRMC test, during Troop change for diffrent lessons, to get scran in time, to get a 5 mon quick change done, for a Beasting.....).

To train for a PRMC you need to concentrate on basic fitness requirements. Running and general circuits (as this is basic and also what you are tested on). If you feel the need to do weights, then as I have said, add Dumbbells to a circuit for resistance. But don't think you need to bulk up.

Once you have passed PRMC and are in a Recruit Troop, the PTI's will add some weight strength circuits (but not till after a solid basic background has been built in). If strength is a problem for an indavidul, remidial PT will bge used to help the indavidual gain the strength in the correct area and way.

To add a specific form of strength weights to PRMC is very difficult as you have to know the indaviduals abilities and have a background to work on (which often means basic conditioning before setting or starting the program). The age of people attending PRMC is often between 16-18 which means a reasonable background is not there.

This is why the PT branch do not recomed weights for strength as preperation for PRMC (also not a real requirement). Lads training for PRMC sometimes don't have the 6-8 months to train in, some only have as much as 2. Which dosen't leave time for Weights, but is just enougth to set a good background.

If you aren't fit, get fit first - it's the most important area to crack. Long endurance runs (6-9 miles), shorter stuff (3-5 miles) and speed work (sprints, 400m efforts and 800m efforts).

After that you can start to build up the weights to increase your upper body strength.

It's important I think to get the distance in your legs as much as it is to run the three miles fast and you'll find that by doing this your 3 mile time will come down. I have managed a 10k in 42 mins and 3 miles in 18:39mins by working this way and I'm not amazingly fit and I still have a paunch!!!

(The chaps at the work running club are 20 odd yrs older than me and put me to shame I can tell you )

If you're not particularly strong then work on the weights. I know a lot of guys worry about putting on too much bulk but that won't happen over night so as long as you keep an eye on it it shouldn't be a problem.

Having said all this, I would wait until I post my PRMC result before taking my advice if I were you