On 4 May 2004 21:39:19 -0700, [email hidden] (Gordon)
Quoted message said:I'm headed off to college and Army ROTC
What's ROTC?
Quoted message said:I've been able to come up with innumerable excuses not to
run or not to work out.
Which unit? Corps? Line infantry or something better?
Do you work?
I used to be a roofer. I'd wake up at 05:00HRS and get out
and run a loop that was 1/2 a mile away. The loop itself was
2 miles in distance. I'd never really wake up until I'd gone
halfway and then, of course, it's too late and I'd have to
continue running to get back! If I'd done well and had time,
I had the option of doing an additional 2 miles by just
running another circuit.
Get it over and done with. Less traffic and fewer
pedestrians in the way. Cooler in Summer and, in Winter, I
tend to run faster at night anyway. Worked for me.
I'd suggest an *absolute* minimum of 3 miles - you won't
ever run less in any decent unit and anything less isn't
going to do you much good unless you're completely unfit.
Most of it's in the mind.
If it's a problem, use a watch and stopwatch. Take short
breaks but keep the running pace respectable. Rest for no
longer than 1 minute. (Use the watch to monitor the break
whilst the stopwatch is stopped) Note how many breaks you
took and on the next run, try and reduce it by at least
one break.
I'd run Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Tuesday = 3 miler in
go-fast; Thursday = 5/7 miler in go-fast or boots; Sunday =
cross country weighted (37lbs) run and in boots. Upper body
training on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. If weights do 15
reps per set for "working strength". Body building will just
add weight which you'll have to carry around with you in
addition to your kit.
Just stick with 3 milers for the runs, or a fartlek 2
miler, say.
Quoted message said:I think that it all boils down to me needing a plan.
Don't think too much about it - just do. Note your times and
numbers in a diary/notebook. Take it gradually in the first
fortnight then start to push yourself proper.
Listen to aggressive or fast pace music during your warm-up
session (indoors, perhaps). *Do* warm up and down before and
after a session. Vitally important.
Quoted message said:I think that if I have something that I can look at and
it says, "You have to run today," then I might be able
to stick with it. I'm just looking for some guidance
here, a program to increase my performance in the Army
Physical Fitness Test (APFT). The test consists of
maximum repetitions of push-ups and sit-ups each in a
two minute period,
Whatever you do by yourself will always improve during the
tests. I surprised myself by doing more than *twice* so many
sit-ups as I did in self training.
Quoted message said:and a timed two-mile run.
? Is ROTC some sort of *taster* thing? The first running
test was a
1.5 mile jog as a group then an individual effort of 1.5
miles in 10.5 minutes. In go-fast.
Quoted message said:I would also like to get better at doing pull-ups.
That's a hard one. Argos do a pull-up bar that you can fit
(and easily remove) from a door frame. All you can do is
your best effort. Progress won't be so easy to notice,
compared to the other free-weight exercises. 🙁
Quoted message said:Here's my barrage of questions: -How far should I run? (I
do 2 miles in about 17:45)
3 miles
Quoted message said:-How often?
3x a week
Quoted message said:-How fast should I be trying to run when I do?
I'm a 1980s soldier wearing a different coloured beret to
the rest. For us, it was 7 min per mile in boots (road run).
It cannot be anything more than 8 min per mile in go-fast
elsewhere. Weighted run (37lbs + rifle) was 10 minute miles.
At school before I started training, I used to cheat
during cross country and *still* come in last! I'd clock
an appalling 30+ minutes on a 2.5 miler! Don't be put
off, you'll get to where you want to be if you really
want to be there.
Ever heard of "Fartlek" training? Run 1 min, sprint 1
min, jog 1/2
min. It's supposed to be done on hills/slopes but even
without, it really helps!
I'm 39 now but I still train - force of habit. I'm in for a
beasting session tommorrow after my 3 mile cross country:
150 metre sprint; run back; down 20 press-ups; 150 jog;
then all over again with the exercises being 20 sit-ups, 20
star-jumps and 20 burpees. It's punishing but it doesn't
half improve my times and reps in normal sessions. Not a
timed event, just an event to push yourself through hard.
Not for yet.
Quoted message said:-How can I improve my pull-ups? (at the moment I can
only do one)
Just do pull-ups. 🙁
Quoted message said:-How can I improve my push-ups? (I can do about 25 reps
before failing)
3 sets of as-many-as-possible reps every other day.
(3x a week)
Quoted message said:-How can I improve my sit-ups? (I can do about 40
before failing)
Same.
Quoted message said:-Should I be lifing weights at all?
Not for now. Hit your goals first.
Quoted message said:My eventual goals are:
1. 14:54 2-mile time
Why "14:54"?
Quoted message said:2. 52 push-ups (in two minutes)
3. 62 sit-ups (in two minutes)
4. 10 pull-ups (without collapsing in a heap between reps)
I don't know your weight of physique. You should be well
able to attain these goals *provided* that you don't break
the training regime.
Quoted message said:While these goals don't need to be met by the end of the
summer, the sooner, the better.
Agreed.
Quoted message said:I have a little less than four months before I report to
ROTC and I hope to be in acceptable shape by then. Please
assist me in putting together a plan, I'm grateful for
your help.
What regiment/corps?
