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Semper Fidelis Society - UTC |
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Preparation
Guide for the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test As
you know, physical fitness is a trademark of Marines.
The following programs are designed to help you improve your
current level of physical fitness and improve your score on the Physical
Fitness Test. (PFT). These
programs are geared toward beginners, so you can tailor them to suit your
current level of fitness. Always consult a physician before engaging in
any rigorous physical activity. THE
ARMSTRONG PULLUP PROGRAM
Developed
by Major Charles Lewis Armstrong, USMC, this program consists of two
workouts per day, five days a week. Most
people who stick with this program are able to do 20 pullups within 4 to 6
weeks.
Every morning, do three maximum effort sets of push-ups. Major
Armstrong said that he would get out of bed and hit the floor to do his
first max set. He would then
go and shave, and return to do his next set.
A few minutes later, he would do his third maximum effort set.
The push up is one of the best exercises to develop arm strength
for pull-ups. The rest of the
routine goes like this: Monday
Do five max effort sets of pull-ups, resting one minute between
each set Tuesday
Do a pyramid of repetitions, starting with one pull-up then 10
seconds of rest, 2 pull-ups and 20 seconds of rest, 3 pull-ups and 30
seconds of rest, and so on until you are unable to do more repetitions
than your previous set. Wednesday
Do three “training sets” of overhand pull-ups three sets of
underhand pull-ups, and three sets of overhand pull-ups where the back of
your neck touches the bar. A
training set is dictated by your current level of strength.
If you are advanced, it might be 5 or 6.
Rest one minute between sets.
The goal of the workout is to do the same number of repetitions per
set, so start off conservatively, if you can only do 1, use one. Thursday
Do training sets, resting one minute between each set, until you
are unable to complete a set. Use
the same number of repetitions that you used in your Wednesday sets.
This will probably turn out to be your longest (and hardest) day. Friday
Repeat the day that you had the most trouble with during the week.
Take the weekends off. Your
muscles will need this time to recover.
Females can adapt the flexed arm hang to this program by simply
replacing repetitions with hang times.
The key to this program is regularity and COMMITMENT.
If you follow the program consistently, you should see improvement
within a few weeks. CRUNCHES
Endurance
Sets
To be able to do 100 crunches in two minutes, you must first
develop the endurance to do 100 crunches.
Get into position, and do 100 crunches without keeping track of
time. Focus on proper form.
After you do 100, rest for a couple of minutes and repeat.
You should do 2 more maximum effort sets, building up to 3 sets of
100 crunches. Speed
Sets
Get into position, and do 30 crunches as fast as you can,
while still maintaining proper form. Rest for 1 minute and repeat.
You should do 5 or 6 sets in this manner. Incline
Sets
If you have any access to an incline board, get into position on it
and do as many crunches as you can, until you cannot physically complete a
complete crunch. Rest 1
minute and repeat. Do 3 to 4
sets in this manner. RUNNING
The only way to get faster is to run, run, run. However, heading out the door and trotting along a few times a week will not do much to lower your time!!! I hear “Maam, I run three times a week and never get any faster” Ask yourself are you running or are you jogging? A little discomfort is ok and if you only run within your comfort zone you are going to stay a turtle forever.
Here is a simple plan for beginners who want to build speed and
endurance, and prepare for the PFT. Experienced
runners can modify the mileage and speed in these workouts to suit their
level of fitness and/or goals.
Every run should begin with a five minute warm-up jog, followed by
five to ten minutes of stretching, hitting all the major muscle groups.
Each run should end the same way, with a cool down jog and
stretching. Having good
flexibility will go a long way to reduce the chance of injury and improve
your times. Sunday
Long run. This is your
endurance building day. Run
4-6 miles at a slow, comfortable pace (probably 1-2 minutes per mile
slower than your current 3 mile PFT pace).
Monday
Off Tuesday
Speed Day. Find a
track, or an area where you can measure out 200, 400, and 800 meters.
After warming up, run 800 meters at a pace faster than your current
PFT pace. It should not
be an all out sprint, but should still leave you winded.
Cool down with a one lap (or two minute) jog, and repeat.
In your first few weeks, do two 800’s, two 400’s, and two
200’s. As your fitness
increases, you can adjust the intensity of your speed work out.
Wednesday Off Thursday Tempo Run. Run 3 miles
at a pace slightly slower (maybe 20 seconds per mile) than your current
PFT pace. Friday
Off Saturday
Hills. Find a hill
about 200-400 meters long that is fairly steep, but not so steep that your
heels cannot hit the ground when you run.
Sprint to the top, and walk or jog back down to recover.
Repeat 4-6 times. INJURY
PREVENTION You will feel initial soreness when you begin a physical training program. If you feel that you are injured, stop immediately and seek medical attention before continuing. These are very basic programs, designed to allow you to adjust them according to your current level of fitness. Good Luck, and have fun with it!!!
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