How Did/Do You Stay Fit In Military Service?
 

I'm using this an an unofficial method to document how those who are or were in the military stayed fit. It doesn't matter if you served in WWI with @Tcoat or you're part of the latest conflicts around the world. I'm trying to gain further knowledge of what service members did while in garrison or deployed to maintain or improve their level of fitness. For transparency, I'm trying to develop effective methods to help improve exercise for those within the tactical community. I realize this is a random place to ask such questions, but I know we have a decent population on this amazing forum of prior or current service members. I'll list a few things I did while stationed at Ft. Bragg:

Running. And lot's of it!
Ruck marches =/>6mi - sometimes full battle rattle
Push Ups & sit-ups - usually to failure
Pull ups (was a must to pull your risers down(or so they say))
Flutterkicks & planks
Rope climbing
Overhead arm claps
Up-Downs (burpees were not the hit cool thing at this time)

I was not very knowledgeable at 18 to know what to do to condition myself better. So time spent at the actual gym was minimal. I also went through physical therapy while in due to a multitude of injuries. Please feel free to add what you did! :thumbup:

Push ups, pullups, 3 mile run!
These are the things that we do for fun!

A 17 to 22 year old metabolism and resilience meant I never had to try to stay fit! It just sort of happened.
I drank a lot.
Smoked a pack a day (at least more when drinking).
Sat in a truck or ready room for much of my enlistment.
And since mostly on air bases had loads of fun with nurses, supply clerks, and any other form of female predominate positions in that era.


If I was running it was because the Junior Ranks was closing soon and I had to get there.
If I was doing sit ups it was because I had just woke up.
If I was doing pull ups it was because I had fallen down and need the bar to brace me to get back up.
If I was doing push ups it was because... Well see the last note above.


The odd part is that even today (40 years later) I am still more fit than the average for my age even though I have done nothing to stay this way.

We had to "make it rain" in our barracks. Any combination of squats, pushups, burpees, planks... anything that would raise the temperature in the barracks such that condensation would form on the walls.

We did this a LOT. We had these idiots who would break out into Michael Jackson solos in the middle of the hallways (where it echoed the most), resulting in this frequent form of discipline.

Lol that sounds pretty awful

It sucked LOL. In hindsight, I went in weighing 157 lbs soaking wet, went up to 178 in muscle in just a month and a half. Civilian life set in and I stayed at a satisfied/"attractive" 225 for the last 13 years.

restricting my diet to a consistent regime


hate,
tobacco
caffeine

sleeping for 4 hours only
putting my body on lean burn mode, and over stressing it.

side effects, your hair turns grey, people have a general disdain for your existence ( the feeling is mutual) and your gumline will receed


but Ive been 240 lbs for 10 years and under 38 inches so thats a plus

Same as Tcoat; be a young degenerate.


In hindsight, I think it would have been better to pick a hobby that's extremely active. Rock climbing is fun, a great workout, and builds functional muscle. Change it up with Tough Mudder, Spartan Races, and such.

That sounds like some normal basic training shit and doesn't reflect the day to day operation of most units.


I managed to avoid all that stuff.
From 1972 until 1976 I was sea Cadet. Back then the cadets trained with the reserves and were qualified on the same level (imagine the uproar of 13 year olds training on automatic weapons today). In late 76 I went into the reserves. Since I had already qualified on everything except grenades and gas mask they waved basic on the condition that when the next basic course ran I would get those items signed off. I then went right into my trade training as a driver which took 6 weeks. A couple of week later and I was driving for the basic course so just threw a couple of grenades and went through the gas shack. The result is I have a basic training certificate that is dated a month after my trade qualification one. Then in mid 77 I transferred over to a regular unit and all my qualifications remained. The end result was that I was shipped over to Germany as the Canadian equivalent of an E-4 when I was barely 18 years old. After I got my aircraft refueling certification I was bumped up to E-5 when I was still only 19. It was sometimes embarrassing since many of the guys of the same rank were pushing 5 or 6 years of regular service.

Very much so. Bad knees sent me home before the real fun started :(

Oof that's no bueno. I got injured in basic but soldiered on( no pun intended). It wasn't till I messed my knees and back up during some jumps that it was curtains for me.

I've never been in the military, but I've heard some Navy guys do towbar presses.

I have video


https://media.giphy.com/media/5GoVLqeAOo6PK/200.gif

AM.Cardio: 5km run every second day (which is walking now, I'm 54 now and my joints are kaput)

PM. Weights: the days I dont do cardio, which is a mix of Olympic lifting and power lifting, with some assesories thrown in (cool kids now call it crossfit).

Load carry (pack) whenever I can bother to do it) load weight never gets more than 25kg now. See: I'm 54 and CBF.

i was never in the military, but i have a bs in ex science and a CSCS like you. when it comes to simple exercises for anyone, anywhere, i have a hard time thinking of an exercise tops the infamous burpee. it does not get any more fudamental than hitting the ground then jumping in the air. 100 for time is a blast.

Agreed! And one that's even better is the burpee w/ broad jump. Most troops these days need more explosive output than endurance and it's a great way to train for it! Also pretty nice I'm not the only one on the forums with the CSCS! :party0030:

I was not in the military. But I graduated from NMMI. PT was at 0600

We ran 2 to 4 miles three times a week. Push ups, sit ups, pull ups, flutter kicks etc.

I am still the same size and weight as in high school. Diet is 90% of what you look like. Working out makes you stronger.

I'm turning 40 in a few months.

Minimum: 10,000 steps a day. It is harder in the winter time.

To avoid injury: Warm-up and stretching are more important now for me than in the past.

I am about to start my "get ready for summer" workout.

5lbs dumbells. All arm excercises, except bicep curls. Pull ups work the bicep in conjunction with the other arm muscles. I do squats and lunge squats with dumbels.

I have lifted weights seriously. I didn't stretch enough and ended up getting tennis elbow in both elbows. VERY PAINFUL. I did gain 12lbs of muscle in a couple years though and was able to maintain less then 10% BF. For my body type, my vegetarian diet, and my T level: this was pretty decent.

https://i.imgflip.com/3pszy3.jpg

If this looks familiar: This is the barracks in "men who stare at goats"

Navy guys stay fit by dancing with Marines.


Marines stay fit by eating crayons.

And Air Force guys stay fit by... Well... Damned if I know




https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fa/3d...05c853d614.jpg

I was never in the military and I'm not fit. Although when I played soccer as a kid/young teenager I was in incredible shape. 150lbs 6-pack abs not built but had that cut shape miles of cardio 3x a week will give you. I remember we would have pasta parties to carb load so we could run forever the next day. This is why I laugh when people are on a low carb diet. Not saying it doesn't work but carbs are how you have the energy to burn that fat in the first place... if you were actually going to exercise.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Did someone say PT?


humfrz
:scared0016:

Yessir! Time to form up!

DROP YOUR COCKS PUT ON YOUR SOCKS, time for PT boys, be out front in 5.

OK, first sergeant, form the company up for PT.

I'll be observing here from my jeep.


humfrz

Yes sir, I can see where your coming from, so sir, get your PT kit on, or your going to be late, sir.

Well, now, back in the old Army, PT was conducted while the soldiers were in their combat uniform (fatigues) minus the gear and helmet.

None of the reflective gear they wear today. Hell, if some driver can't see 181 swinging d _ _ ks running down the road he deserves to be beat to death by 180 trained killers!

As far as me being late, that wasn't possible, because it didn't start till I got there - :iono:


humfrz
CPT INF Commanding

:happyanim:

That Jeep today.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XPaT9NOJODw/maxresdefault.jpg

Bloody grunts.......

You guys either kill it, break it or make it pregnant :thumbup:

"For the fallen"

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children
England mourns for her dead across the sea,
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow,
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again,
They sit no more at familiar tables of home,
They have no lot in our labour of the daytime,
They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires and hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the night.

As the stars shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

- Written by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943)

To all the US service men and women, thankyou for your service.

Rode my bike everywhere. I did a fifty mile loop at least three times a week. Also a lot of long-distance swimming, a couple miles at a time. Was always fun to jump into a big ass lake and swim across it.


I wouldn't try that now.

Yep, about the same shape as I'm in today - :sigh:


humfrz

Ohhh do tell about this! I have fond memories doing plenty of PT in fatigues. Those were the worst days. Also the fancy digital camo that came out in the mid 2000's made us stick out so badly in the NC forest, we didn't need reflective tape :lol:

Hell, you can still do it - just find a smaller lake - :D


humfrz

That was very thoughtful of you - :thanks:


humfrz

lol :clap::clap::clap:

I've watched a documentary, many years ago. They made an experiment on a young man and old man. Both were not fit at first. They applied the same program and measured the muscle weight increase, and some other things that I don't remember. In the verdict, they said, there is no significant difference between young and old. You can always get fit, if you exercise!

So, I'm waiting to be 80 years old to start to do some sports thing. :D

Wait, I'm driving a sports car. Does that not count?

As long as it's manual....

damn.. :(

Of course that counts! Flexing getting in and out, left leg working the clutch, right arm working the shifter......


humfrz

Well it does have paddle shifters so you can get some exercise.


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pr...pSyd3EUtoWsi1l
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca88...oM7Cx_GPFlDtwY

ironic, this "how to stay fit with minimal equipment" thread turned out to be how every one is having to exercise during the covid quarantine.