Press ups & benching

[Stoof]

Hi,

I have a question, and after browsing here for quite a while this looks like the perfect place to ask. I'm 16, and started college last month with the aspiration of joining the marines at 18 when I leave. I've been steadily improving my fitness for short period of time now, and am slowly improving. I still have one problem though, which is fairly essential as all military training involves an extensive amount of press ups when doing physical training. However, I currently can barely manage five press ups, and can currently only bench 15kg 3x10. Obviously this is to do with my chest muscles, but as appose to the rest of my body, I seem to be making very slow progess with my chest.

Since I've been working out I've seen quite sharp improvements in every other part of my body, so I'm just wandering if I need to change the excersises I'm doing, or if this is just the way it goes. I work on my chest twice a week, lifting the most I can in three sets of ten. Is this the way I should be doing it, or should I step up to something like 3x6 of 20kg.

Thanks in advance, and I realise this is a cheeky first post but the information I have already gained from this forum has pretty much helped me get on track. I also realise it will be 2 years until I do get anywhere near training, but obviously joining the marines is not your everyday walk in the park, so I'm aiming to get as early start as possible.

[Pilgrim Norway]

Stoof - welcome here by the way !

You're 16.... take it easy - it will all fall into place.

Leave the weights for a bit - or don't do so much lifting in your sessions.

Try calisthenics instead. Exercise your upper trunk with the old style
arm lifts, upwards, to the sides, forward etc - repeated in series while
you do jumps - feet apart then together, feet apart then together -

Take a look at this -

http://www.myfit.ca/exercisedatabase/se ... ipment=yes

Do some easy running - road or cross country - whatever, so that you
can increase your lung capacity - don't aim for speed - that'll come too,
later, all in good time.

Get your chest working for you first - the rest is just pain

As for your aiming to join the Corps - as they say on the High Street
"Wise choice Sir"

Go for it

[Stoof]

Thanks alot for the information, I'll be sure to give some of them excersises a go tomorrow! As for running, I started building up my CV a good few months ago now, and am starting to get good times at 2.5 miles atm, so soon enough I'll push be aiming for the magic three miles, and upwards. Recently quit smoking aswell, so my lungs are still not at their maximum capacity, but it all comes in time I guess!

Thanks again

[1582Smith]

It's not all about rushing to get bigger. It took me 2 months to start seeing progress. Just work it out qnd when you feel so change the weight by a little. and the more you do that the more progress.

[Pilgrim Norway]

Stoof - Sixteen is a good age to stop smoking .....

I stopped in 2007, the evening prior to my operation for cancer -
after almost sixty years of smoking......

It's never too soon to stop lad

I ran, climbed, skii'd, dived, sailed and paddled while I was smoking
but it cost a lot and I didn't smoke to excess while I was in the Corps.
Running marathons, skiing marathons, paddling marathons - all done and dusted.

I suppose you could say that "I got away with it" - doing everything while
still smoking - the 'price tag' came much later .....

"They" took away stuff that I'd signed for and was still using .... and made
me some new 'stuff' that I manage to cope with today.

Just lucky I reckon .....

Good thing you're quitting the habit - you'll be fit and will be able to buy
that car, sailboat, cottage - whatever..... and you'll run the legs off others

[Bees]

Try this out pal,

3 x a week

5 reps as heavy as you can on the bench followed by 10 press ups
Repeat this 5 times.

Also thats a lot of pushing exercises so you've got to balance yourself out otherwise you'll be setting yourself up for injuries so do some pulling exercises, chins are the obvious choice for a potential marine.
Aim for 3 x 6

If you cant get to a chin up bar, single arm rows followed by bicep curls should do the trick.

Make sure you eat well and keep learning about how to train.

Any questions welcome

Failing that the Royal Marines Website has everything you need.

[803troop]

Stoof,

If I was you I'd leave the weights out and concentrate on doing press ups. That is what is required.

Looking and your bench numbers/weights you really concentrate moving your own bodyweight first. Press ups utilse roughly 70% of your bodyweight. Work on them until you can do at least 3 sets of 25 within your training.

PM me if you need to know more.

Baz

[Stokey_14]

At 16 (I'm 17 by the way) I’d say it'd be a wise move to find a sport or outdoor hobby (s) that you enjoy, for the past year or more I’ve been putting everything into Boxing, I absolutely love it! It's great for fitness, discipline, meeting new mates and as an added bonus you get to smash each other up in a ring most nights

Now boxing might not be your thing but there’s something out there for everyone!

Stick at it mate and don't try to rush it, also on the other hand make sure your doing enough to see improvements you don't want to get stuck doing the same thing day in day out as you'll soon get bored and not very far!

Leave them nasty little white sticks alone as well... they achieve sod all bar shrinking your wallet (and meat and two veg if those stop smoking adverts are anything to go by! )

All the best

Stokey