A few questions

[voodoo sprout]

Hello, I'm just wondering if anyone can answer a couple of questions for me please? Note that I will be joining the RM in September 2003, after completing my A levels.

1) At the moment I weigh just over 50kg, which is well below the limit. However, I have been unable even on a 4000 calorie/day diet, to put on any weight. As such I have worked out that the only viable way to put on weight is by bodybuilding and hopefully putting on muscle weight to reach the requirement. Problem is, UK military training seems to focus very much on endurance, which is at odds with excess muscle. So does the weight have to be maintained during/after commando training, and if so, what happens if I drop below it?

2) I've been reading a lot about the UK military generally suffering quite bad manpower shortages in the medical field, while in the RM there are plenty of general duties people. So what kind of shortage of medical assitants (just to check commando medical assistants are the generic "medics" which operate within front line units?) is there in the marines, as that is my other option? As if there is a significant shortage of them I may be more useful to the RM as a medical assistant.

3) I'm not sure about organisation of subdivisons within the brigade, but as I understand it at the moment, you have mountain leaders. These are grouped together in the Brigade Patrol Troop, who alongside specialists from artillery and signals etc, form the brigade recce force. Is this right? If so, what are the prequisites for selection as a mountian leader 1/2 class, the BPT, recce forces, or other units (if my understanding is wrong)?

4) At the moment I'm not too keen on reaching any real rank or position of command for a number of reasons, so is it possible or easy to decline promotions?

Thanks a lot for any help chaps .

[K24io]

1) If you are built like a brick shithouse you can still be a commando. You won't suffer muscle wastage in RM. You won't lose a great deal of muscle weight.
50kg is about 8 stone is that right?


8 stone is a fair bit away from minimum. What height are you? think it's height linked.

2) Up until recently all marines did 2 years general duties after completing training ( Can someone else confirm this?). Recently they have started to train people directly for certain trades- mainly driver and mechanic I think - check out www.royal-navy.mod.uk and look at marine pages.

3) Not sure I completely understand question but I'll attempt o answer a bit. Lots of units make up the brigade, its not even exclusively Royal Marine (29Cdo Artillery etc). Check the last copy of the GLobe and Laurel for a full list. There are roughly 24 specialisations available to a general duties marine. These depend on both ability and rank.
http://www.civvie-street.co.uk/ then look at royal marines then job descriptions. Doesn't have them all but its a start.

Brigade Patrol Troop are all mountain leaders. Have responsiblity for most recce tasks along with SBS. ML course is quite popular but if you enjoy your mountain warfare training and do well you will get in eventually. Not sure if you have to be a one stripe corporal first. ML course is f***ing hard. Not all ML's are with BPT. A lot of them teach mountain warfare and cold weather warfare to other units and also other countries.

You would have to do general duties first.

4)You can stay marine for your entire life if you want, looking at around 2-4 years before you'd be promoted anyway.


Hope this helps,
K

1) At the moment I weigh just over 50kg, which is well below the limit. However, I have been unable even on a 4000 calorie/day diet, to put on any weight. As such I have worked out that the only viable way to put on weight is by bodybuilding and hopefully putting on muscle weight to reach the requirement. Problem is, UK military training seems to focus very much on endurance, which is at odds with excess muscle. So does the weight have to be maintained during/after commando training, and if so, what happens if I drop below it?

2) I've been reading a lot about the UK military generally suffering quite bad manpower shortages in the medical field, while in the RM there are plenty of general duties people. So what kind of shortage of medical assitants (just to check commando medical assistants are the generic "medics" which operate within front line units?) is there in the marines, as that is my other option? As if there is a significant shortage of them I may be more useful to the RM as a medical assistant.

3) I'm not sure about organisation of subdivisons within the brigade, but as I understand it at the moment, you have mountain leaders. These are grouped together in the Brigade Patrol Troop, who alongside specialists from artillery and signals etc, form the brigade recce force. Is this right? If so, what are the prequisites for selection as a mountian leader 1/2 class, the BPT, recce forces, or other units (if my understanding is wrong)?

4) At the moment I'm not too keen on reaching any real rank or position of command for a number of reasons, so is it possible or easy to decline promotions?

Thanks a lot for any help chaps .

[wilson]

My tip is to see your sports studies tutors at your college and ask them to assist you with a diet and training regime as you are far too under weight at present to join the RM. You weight will be assesed by your height but for BMI only. You still have to be around the min weight requirment to get in.

You shouldnt have to much problem with putting on the weight if you follow the correct advice! just remember that ev erything takes time! some of the guy's like myself have been training for months to get ready for PRMC! so dont rush or panic just follow the correct advice.

Aye,
wilson

[Adam Downie]

For the weight issue put yourself on a high protien diet with quite high carbohydrates do your body building work with some running to burn the carbs off thus keeping body fat down. Like someone said it very much depends on what height you are. Im 5'10 and weigh 67kgs Only been training aroung 1-2 months and i put on 1-2 kgs.
Remember the basic rule you need to eat more then you burn off.
Try some weight gain suppliments if things get desperate

AD

[voodoo sprout]

Thanks for the advice . At the moment I try to keep up a good diet and have been using weight gain supplements to help, but at the moment I don't have access to appropriate bodybuilding equipment so it'll be around christmas before I can start putting on mass, if that doesn't give me long enough I've still got a potential training time of a few years so I should get there eventually.

For the specialisation issue - does that mean that you can ask to be put on a medical assisant course after completing the basic commando course and serving time as general duties? As that sounds like an attractive option.

And I believe 50kg is about 8 stone, with the minimum requirement being 60kg or about 9 stone. And about the mountain leader/BPT question, I should have said that more clearly but basically I'm interested in specialist infantry units (special forces excepted), and as far as I know that is the BPT and brigade recce force. But if the BPT is comprised of ML's, I think the ML course requiremens are the first step. Can anyone confirm the prequisites though, so far I know that the fitness level is on par with SF (and god knows there's enough info on that flaoting around), and it's possibly a neccsity to hold a rank.

And if anyone else has anything more they'd like to add, please feel free.

[K24io]

Brigade Patrol Troop is special forces.
You have to do the ML course to be in it.

Im sure about that.

You might have to be at have at least 1 stripey to get in.

You will have to do general duties, so doing GD then doing medical assistants is only way you can do medical stuff. Think the medical side is on a par with paramedic.


On weight side, bodybuilding equipment you need is just heavy weights, any gym will have them. Only other supplement that might work is Creatine, if you buy the proper maximuscle stuff ( and you can stand the taste enough to use it right) then you can add a fair amount in a short time with correct training.

I've no doubt someone will reply and say creatine doesn't work/makes you grow hair in your eyes etc. It works for bout 70% of people I think. Doesn't work for me but might be decent for you.

Just a suggestion.

K

Thanks for the advice . At the moment I try to keep up a good diet and have been using weight gain supplements to help, but at the moment I don't have access to appropriate bodybuilding equipment so it'll be around christmas before I can start putting on mass, if that doesn't give me long enough I've still got a potential training time of a few years so I should get there eventually.

For the specialisation issue - does that mean that you can ask to be put on a medical assisant course after completing the basic commando course and serving time as general duties? As that sounds like an attractive option.

And I believe 50kg is about 8 stone, with the minimum requirement being 60kg or about 9 stone. And about the mountain leader/BPT question, I should have said that more clearly but basically I'm interested in specialist infantry units (special forces excepted), and as far as I know that is the BPT and brigade recce force. But if the BPT is comprised of ML's, I think the ML course requiremens are the first step. Can anyone confirm the prequisites though, so far I know that the fitness level is on par with SF (and god knows there's enough info on that flaoting around), and it's possibly a neccsity to hold a rank.

And if anyone else has anything more they'd like to add, please feel free.

[england_4_ever]

Hi, i'm near to 6 foot 2, how much should i weigh? i am also rather slim.
cheers guys.Steve

[barrybudden]

I wasn't that much more than 8 stone dripping wet when I joined at 19 years old and there were smaller lads than me running about. I read a book called super squats by Randal P Strossen I think. He said he put on lots of weight in a few months following this routine. I just squat, he was drinking lots of milk as well.

Don't let the weight put you off, nothing short of pure ignorance and determination will get you through.

As far as the medics go the Royal Navy supply them but you can do an FA1 or FA2 course.

To be an ML you have to be a corporal. You would be as well trying not to get pinged for a driver, signalar or such like.

[TheCount]

Hi, i'm near to 6 foot 2, how much should i weigh? i am also rather slim.
cheers guys.Steve

Try this link

http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm

It lets you calculate you age/height/ammount of sex and gives you their Ideal wieght, Im 1 kilogram over my Ideal of 69kg @ 5ft 8"

[Adam Downie]

hmmm not too bad my ideal weight is 68kg i weigh 66kg That will soon increase when i really start the upper body in a week or too.

[Beast]

If you want to gain mass, creatine is not the ideal solution.
Creatine only helps you to gain extra performance while training, which works by providing the energy for intense muscular contractions.
You will gain mass while using this supplement as it causes water retention.
As soon as you stop taking it, you will rapidly loose the extra weight.
In order to gain mass, i would advise a high protein supplement called "Whey".
But with the right eating habits theres no need to use supplements, just eat four square meals a day high in protein.
A can of tuna a day for lunch won't hurt either.

[El Prez]

I've posted something similar yonks ago. When a troop joins CTC the members are as representative of the human race as you can get. All shapes and sizes and more specifically weights. You don't have to be heavy or extremely muscular, just fit. The training, lifting, running and general workload builds muscle tissue slowly but inexorably. The food is plentiful and ideal in terms of protein. Milk of course is an easy food to take on board. So just concentrate on getting there, then let the training team and the course do it's job. Don't wreck yourself trying to anticipate what they'll throw at you.

[voodoo sprout]

The problem with weight is that while they do say you should have a weight proportional with your size, there is a bare minimum of 60kg to be elligable, and I doubt I'll get any further than the recruiting office (who even have their own scales of all things) if I'm underweight.

And thanks for the clarification Barry, looks like I will at least be going for corporal .

[tony dean]

Voodoo sprout, (cool name!! )

When I was in my school days, I too was mr slim jim. At 6.1 and 9.5 stone I was built like a bean pole!
The following worked for me.
First, if anyone wants to put on weight and there a smoker, then you gotta quit im afraid. No two ways about it quit or stay skinny.
Secondly, you gotta stuff your face at least 4-6 times a day. plenty of protein (whey protein like jay said) combined with weights 3 times a week and you soon pack on weight. feeling thirsty? dont bother with water, a pint of milk does the trick!
In a matter of a couple of months i put on a stone!
Now im 22, weigh around 12.5 stone, and im a handsome, lean mean fighting machine, fending of women left right and centre with a pooey stick




well, im 12.5 stone and a handsome, lean mean fighting machine anyway....







Alright, im 12.5 stone and handsome...







Ok,ok, im 12.5 stone...













For fu......ok, im a 12.5 stone fat knacker and squat in rob parrys loft
happy now?

[El Prez]

That'll explain the crack and the sideways shuffling noise.