Fitness

[Calamity_Jane]

I'm in need of some advise with regard to fitness improvement...

Can someone please tell me the best way to improve your fitness? For example:

1) Running, what is the best way to improve your speed and indurance?

2) Sit-ups, is the only way to improve these by actually doing them on a daily bases or do you simply start off slowly and gradually increase the amount you do?

3) Press-ups, how do you build up your upper body strength? (baring in mind I'm female) again is the best way to improve these by gradually increasing the amount you do?

If you know of any tips to improve your general fitness, please will can you share them..

Cheers xx

[Boz]

Running - You can improve this by starting off at a short distance (say 500M) and each week build up the distance slowly. Your speed will come with strength, which will come with more running.

Sit Ups - You can do the PTI's favourite. Pyramids. Set off doing five, pause, four, pause, three, pause, two, pause, one, pause. Then back upto 5 with a pause between each set. Increase the starting amount if you think you can do more.

Press ups - Exactly the same, pyramids.

Hope this has been a help to you, remember if it hurts, stop and rest for the day. What trade are you looking for?

[Calamity_Jane]

Boz... Thanks for your advise, Ill let you know how I get on!

With regard to trade, Im going for CIS (Communications and Information Systems specialist), got my apptitude test on Tuesday (any advise?). I did actually apply for Officer in December but unfortunatly have been encouraged to come back in two years. So instead of wasting the next two years and because I realised just how much I want the RAF im going for trades and working my way up the ladder!!

[gnrgreenhill]

AFCO have some usefull booklets on improving your fitness!

[HotShot]

I watched Coach Carter a few weeks ago, and in that the exercise 'suicides' were used alot, and I remembered them from football training. Started doing them then, and already I feel 1 hell of a lot fitter.

For those who do not know what suicides are, its where you Run to a point say 10m away, and back, then 15m away, and back, then 20m, and back...then that classes as 1 rep. I set myself a certain amount to do per week, as with press-ups and sit-ups, as this helps alot more than just doing a certain amount a night.

I advise this to anyone wanting to get fit. Good luck

[melly742]

For those who do not know what suicides are, its where you Run to a point say 10m away, and back, then 15m away, and back, then 20m, and back...then that classes as 1 rep.

I advise this to anyone wanting to get fit. Good luck

This looks like something I could like...
would this build endurance? and how many of these do you do?

thanks

[HotShot]

It depends on your fitness. Personally, I do 20 (15 at my 800m speed, then nail the last 5). Then I do my other workouts (keep to my 3500 sit-upts and 3500 push-ups a week) and then when they are finished, I just do as many suicides as I can at 800m speed.

[melly742]

thanks

[Biggles1211]

AFCO have some usefull booklets on improving your fitness!

Yes, the Royal Marines ones are very good. Unfortunatly, the RAF ones don't provide much advice in regards of a suitable, progressive training regimen.

[clarky]

Calamity you seem to be in the same postion as me. I went for officer but was advised to try again in a year or two, so I'm going for CIS as well. Had my aptitude test a few weeks ago and was OK for this trade. How did you do? Have you got an interview date yet? Mine is next Thursday. I'm not as worried now that I've been through the officer selection process and the advice on these forums has really helped too!

[welsh bird]

Hey everyone,

I am just looking for a bit of advice.... as I keep getting told conflicting information .. at IOT are female recruits expected to do full or half press ups ?

Thanks in advance..

WB xo

[chrispob]

HotShot....you mean Shuttles!!

yeh there a great way to get fit, try them on a slight incline after a few weeks, ull all be ready to run a marathon after that!

[lew]

I'm in need of some advise with regard to fitness improvement...

Can someone please tell me the best way to improve your fitness? For example:

1) Running, what is the best way to improve your speed and indurance

Running, try doing some farklet training, this simply means speed play, i.e. start running at your normal jogging pace then do say 100 yards as fast as you can, then go back to the normal jogging pace, and repeat, (little tip) lamp posts are set pretty much 100 yards apart saves all that time trying to measure distances.

Mix it up, don’t just stick to one route, and a set distance, as you will very quickly become a-custom to what you’re doing, do shorter faster runs, over varied terrain, as well as longer slower runs.

Sprints, these are good for developing explosive power and anaerobic endurance fit some of these in to.

Rest. Make sure you rest for a day every few days or you will find yourself getting to a point where you don’t see any improvement. And start to pick up injuries.

2) Sit-ups, is the only way to improve these by actually doing them on a daily bases or do you simply start off slowly and gradually increase the amount you do?

As has already been mentioned, do pyramids, also do some crunches, and test your maximums every few weeks to make sure your improving.

3) Press-ups, how do you build up your upper body strength? (baring in mind I'm female) again is the best way to improve these by gradually increasing the amount you do?

I can only tell you how I improved my own press-ups when I first started doing them, but this may not be relevant for you seeing as you’re a girl.

I would set myself a number to do that I knew I would be able to do but would struggle with i.e. 30, do these then drop to my knees and do as many as I could until I got muscle failure, (means you cant physically do any more) I would do this 4 times a day or a week, having one day off during the week, then add another 5 onto next weeks target, this way got me from an embarrassing 15, to 50 in about 6 weeks or so.

Pyramids are good to.

Hope that helps a bit, these are all methods I’ve used, that have worked really well for me, failing that, there is a resident RMR PTI who has been helping people on a thread call “training” I think, you could have a look through that or have a chat with him.

lew


Cheers xx [/quote]

[lew]

I'm in need of some advise with regard to fitness improvement...

Can someone please tell me the best way to improve your fitness? For example:

1) Running, what is the best way to improve your speed and indurance

Running, try doing some farklet training, this simply means speed play, i.e. start running at your normal jogging pace then do say 100 yards as fast as you can, then go back to the normal jogging pace, and repeat, (little tip) lamp posts are set pretty much 100 yards apart saves all that time trying to measure distances.

Mix it up, don’t just stick to one route, and a set distance, as you will very quickly become a-custom to what you’re doing, do shorter faster runs, over varied terrain, as well as longer slower runs.

Sprints, these are good for developing explosive power and anaerobic endurance fit some of these in to.

Rest. Make sure you rest for a day every few days or you will find yourself getting to a point where you don’t see any improvement. And start to pick up injuries.

2) Sit-ups, is the only way to improve these by actually doing them on a daily bases or do you simply start off slowly and gradually increase the amount you do?

As has already been mentioned, do pyramids, also do some crunches, and test your maximums every few weeks to make sure your improving.

3) Press-ups, how do you build up your upper body strength? (baring in mind I'm female) again is the best way to improve these by gradually increasing the amount you do?

I can only tell you how I improved my own press-ups when I first started doing them, but this may not be relevant for you seeing as you’re a girl.

I would set myself a number to do that I knew I would be able to do but would struggle with i.e. 30, (setting yourself achievable goals is important, as you don’t want to get de moralised when if you constantly fail the ones your set) do these then drop to my knees and do as many as I could until I got muscle failure, (means you cant physically do any more) I would do this 4 times a day or a week, having one day off during the week, then add another 5 onto next weeks target, this way got me from an embarrassing 15, to 50 in about 9 weeks or so.
Pyramids are good to.


Hope that helps a bit, these are all methods I’ve used, that have worked really well for me, failing that, there is a resident RMR PTI who has been helping people on a thread call “training” I think, you could have a look through that or have a chat with him.

lew