Hey guys. I finished RSC 4 weeks ago and had been goin to the gym 3 times a week ever since. I was just wondering if maybe i should scrap the gym all together and just concentrate on running every day? Im already moderately strong, 13 chinups 40 pressups.
Any way the routine i have now is like this.
Monday, 2 mile best effort.
Tuesday, gym.
Wednesday, running for 45 min on track at local school with interval training included.
Thursday, gym.
Friday,4 mile steady run.
Saturday, gym.
Sunday, rest.
Would it be best for me to scrap the gym days and run instead. Maybe go to the gym on a saturday and work all of my upper body. I have a chin up bar at home so i could easily do chinups, pressups and situps at home.
I can currently run the 1.5 mile in 8.56 but i really need to work on long distance running.
If any one has any advice on what i should do i would be grateful to hear it from people who know what they are talking about. I want to be as fit as i can when i go to basic in august. Thanks.
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Weights training
Shortman,
What regt/corps are you joining? I think the type of fitness you do depends slightly on what you want to join.
If you were going for infantry, i would suggest plenty of running, swimming and cycling, because the better your cardio fitness is when you start basic, the easier you will find the fitness.
What regt/corps are you joining? I think the type of fitness you do depends slightly on what you want to join.
If you were going for infantry, i would suggest plenty of running, swimming and cycling, because the better your cardio fitness is when you start basic, the easier you will find the fitness.
Well, obviously the fitter you are, the easier you will find the PT during basic, so its up to you how intensly you want to train.
Weights are always good for upper body, but i very much doubt you will be doing any weights training during basic training. More likely you will be doing gym sessions, and exercises using your own body weight, such as pushups, pullups, burpees, star jumps, situps etc etc...
I would suggest leaving the weights alone, and focusing on the type of exercises i mentioned above. You will find loads more of these exercises on this site, and on the internet. Or if you want, give me a PM and i will square you away with some ideas (Para-style exercises
)
Weights are always good for upper body, but i very much doubt you will be doing any weights training during basic training. More likely you will be doing gym sessions, and exercises using your own body weight, such as pushups, pullups, burpees, star jumps, situps etc etc...
I would suggest leaving the weights alone, and focusing on the type of exercises i mentioned above. You will find loads more of these exercises on this site, and on the internet. Or if you want, give me a PM and i will square you away with some ideas (Para-style exercises
)
Yeh - Circuit training is the way forward!! The only other suggestion I may make would be that maybe you should not focus on distance, and focus on time and quality instead. Otherwise, as you get fitter your times get shorter and you miss out on those extra minutes of quality training! Also IMHO I would swap the two miler for 30 mins of quality hill sprints.
I recommend starting off by doing a cycle of deadlifts and presses, maybe 4 days a week, no more than 2 exercises per session, they have to be the big lifts. keep the reps low, 2-5 and rest at least 2 minutes between each set. You wont put on weight but you will stregthen your joints and ligaments and muscles too ready for the training to come. Also go hiking a few days a week barefoot, yes thats right, barefoot, you`ll stregthen and callous up your feet and the connective tissue and also stregthens the back.
After a month or so of the above ditch the gym and start training for being a soldier, push ups and sit ups are out, how often as a soldier do you use your chest and triceps? hardly ever, as for your core muscles, they should be exercised standing up as that is where you are most of the time.
For the upper body stick to pull ups but vary them for each workout, do multiple sets, single sets, assisted etc, keep your body guessing.
Think about combat, its all about running, ducking then getting up and moving again, long steady runs dont train you for this. Instead, put your kit on, grab something than immitates a weapon and sprint, then do some burpees to simulate the up/down movement, up again, sprint, crouch, then run with your weapon raised etc.
For another workout, get an awkward shaped object, pick it up, put it on your shoulder and walk, this simulates carrying ammo, injured comrades mortar tubes etc.
Keep on hiking though, take a sandbag with you and an entrenching tool and fill it with soil. When your knackered from the hike Do some farmers walks (you see them in strongman events) clean and jerk them too, the clean and jerk (an olympic lift) trains for explosive speed, if you have a pack of equipment and a weapon and your being fired at you need the speed and power to get your body up and pumping, how is a push up gonna help you with that, how is a bicep curl going to help?
Im not saying dont do push ups, you can do circuits but make them functional, wear a weight vest, hug a sand bag in one arm as you do it, do zigzag runs, ducks etc and especially one limb movements like one leg squats and one arm push ups.
Training in a nice gym with sauna and steam room etc is nice but doesnt prepare you for combat. The above suggestions will make you strong and fast, a better soldier and the hiking will give you excellent stamina.
After a month or so of the above ditch the gym and start training for being a soldier, push ups and sit ups are out, how often as a soldier do you use your chest and triceps? hardly ever, as for your core muscles, they should be exercised standing up as that is where you are most of the time.
For the upper body stick to pull ups but vary them for each workout, do multiple sets, single sets, assisted etc, keep your body guessing.
Think about combat, its all about running, ducking then getting up and moving again, long steady runs dont train you for this. Instead, put your kit on, grab something than immitates a weapon and sprint, then do some burpees to simulate the up/down movement, up again, sprint, crouch, then run with your weapon raised etc.
For another workout, get an awkward shaped object, pick it up, put it on your shoulder and walk, this simulates carrying ammo, injured comrades mortar tubes etc.
Keep on hiking though, take a sandbag with you and an entrenching tool and fill it with soil. When your knackered from the hike Do some farmers walks (you see them in strongman events) clean and jerk them too, the clean and jerk (an olympic lift) trains for explosive speed, if you have a pack of equipment and a weapon and your being fired at you need the speed and power to get your body up and pumping, how is a push up gonna help you with that, how is a bicep curl going to help?
Im not saying dont do push ups, you can do circuits but make them functional, wear a weight vest, hug a sand bag in one arm as you do it, do zigzag runs, ducks etc and especially one limb movements like one leg squats and one arm push ups.
Training in a nice gym with sauna and steam room etc is nice but doesnt prepare you for combat. The above suggestions will make you strong and fast, a better soldier and the hiking will give you excellent stamina.
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themattmeister
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- Joined: Mon 21 Mar, 2005 11:19 am
- Location: Bristol, U.K
I can just see it now; Shortman running through the local park ducking and diving with a saucepan on his head and a broom in his hand with no shoe's on. You'll look like a right Barry George.
You wouldn't have to worry about getting fit for basic training because the men in white coats will have you.
I would carry on with the Gym mate as everyone loves a strong lad, although circuit training would be a good replacement for one gym session, and maybe try to only rest for a minute in between sets when you do go to the gym.
The reason I think you should go to the gym is because I was a bit taken a back when I saw saw some potential officers on a recent trip to HMS Bulwark, most of them could do loads of press ups but only because they had mincy little frames. Any uneeded bulk you get from the gym will soon drop off you in basic training, but you should still have that explosive power that you don't get from fannying about with press up's you do on a two second beeper.
PS I haven't done any training in the forces yet, its just my opinion.
You wouldn't have to worry about getting fit for basic training because the men in white coats will have you.
I would carry on with the Gym mate as everyone loves a strong lad, although circuit training would be a good replacement for one gym session, and maybe try to only rest for a minute in between sets when you do go to the gym.
The reason I think you should go to the gym is because I was a bit taken a back when I saw saw some potential officers on a recent trip to HMS Bulwark, most of them could do loads of press ups but only because they had mincy little frames. Any uneeded bulk you get from the gym will soon drop off you in basic training, but you should still have that explosive power that you don't get from fannying about with press up's you do on a two second beeper.
PS I haven't done any training in the forces yet, its just my opinion.
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You made me laugh out loudI can just see it now; Shortman running through the local park ducking and diving with a saucepan on his head and a broom in his hand with no shoe's on. You'll look like a right Barry George.
You wouldn't have to worry about getting fit for basic training because the men in white coats will have you.
! My mums probly thinking what I'm doing.