Are there scrawny kids out there?

[LastXdeth]

I always hear a lot about "fat" success stories who made it through boot camp, but barely any "scrawny" stories. The reason I ask is because I recently had my first official IST today. I had 9 pull-ups, 55 crunches, and 13:00 1.5-mile run. I felt so dissapointed in myself and unmotivated for barely meeting the bare minmums. Are there any former scrawniwa out there than can make my day better? :cry:

[Redsfan293]

If it makes you feel better I did 9 pull ups at MEPS, 48 crunches and my first IST I ran a 13:20ish. Now I'm at 20 pullups, 133 crunches and a 10:42 IST. All you have to do is put in the work and you will see results, especially if your skinny like me.

[madman1042002]

you just got to push your self man yea im a bigger poolee but hey too big or too small we both fighting to stay in the game.

my first ist 1.5 run 14:05 53 crunches 2 pull ups now 12:30 1.5 run 80 crunches 12 pull ups

running not my biggest strong suit

[ShayEllafrits]

Fellow scrawny POOLEE. I run a 10:50 1.5 mile, 14 pullups and 65 (and growing) situps. Just keep working at it. That's what I'm doing.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

I was a death camp skinny poolee, back in 1982. Matter of fact, my 'minimum' weight to go to Recruit Training was 125, and I weighed in at 123 at MEPS on the day I left. There was some discussion at that point if they were even going to send me at ALL, but the Doc said "He'll put on weight at Parris Island" and off I went.

Now, that having been said, while I was skinny, I grew up on a farm, pitching hay bales. I also worked out on my own, curling 150 pounds multiple times at night. I rode a Schwinn 'no speed' bike all over my small town, up and down hills and over fields. I hunted, hiked in the Boy Scouts, and swam. So it was a very wiry 123 pounds.

We didn't do 'IST' prior to leaving so no idea how I would have done. But I graduated with no issues weighing in at 155 pounds and doing a 19 minute 3 mile run, 20 pullups, 80 situps (Old time rules).

So don't despair, it CAN be done.

[Shakespeare]

I'm not scrawny, but I know that you can do it. I wrestle at my school and the best wrestler on the team is short and fairly skinny (very strong, but you get my meaning).

You have a good base, just build on it. Pullups will be easier for you to build on because you don't have much weight to lift. Crunches are fairly easy for anybody to ace with a little hard work. And the run you also will see improvements on fast if you just work at it. Keep your moto up, poolee! You'll get there.

[calebh180]

I weighed 131 when i went to boot camp, ive gained about 15lbs since then but you probly wont get bigger at boot or MCT, ive gained most of my weight at MOS school

[Giorgi]

5'11, 135. 15 pullups 9 min mile and <100crunches. Alright shape for a flag pole. hahA 20120625

[ShayEllafrits]

Update on my physical achievements-

I now weigh 140, up 14 pounds since August 3rd, the day I went and signed the first wave of enlistment papers

I am now doing 85 crunches
I'm up to 16 pullups
Run time is a little better

It can be done, don't give up.

[PNW2011]

I went from 44 to 70 sit ups in a week, it's really not that hard to improve. My run time is suffering though in this cold weather. Makes it way harder to breathe

[LastXdeth]

I went from 44 to 70 sit ups in a week, it's really not that hard to improve. My run time is suffering though in this cold weather. Makes it way harder to breathe
What did you do? Did you just simply bust out sit ups everday?

[Pchurchill]

LastXdeath, you'll be just fine. You've got plenty of time to improve. That said, you're first IST scores aren't really that bad. You can do it. All it takes is a consistent workout plan that you stick to.

[PNW2011]

What did you do? Did you just simply bust out sit ups everday?

I'm at 80 now actually. Stick your feet under something heavy and just go at it.

some tips I've learned:

if you've got long arms, use it to your advantage, shrug your shoulders forward to move your arms closer to your legs. The only rules are that you're grabbing your biceps and they do not leave your torso. This kills a couple inches you need to crunch.

also... CRUNCH! Don't try to come up all the way like a situp, use enough energy to tap your thigh and that's it. Ask your recruiter if you can't quite figure this one out, it took me a couple of tries to get my technique down at the office.

Don't let yourself back down, in fact I can speed up my tempo when I slam myself back down, it gives you a little bit of spring on your way back up.

As for what I did, I started out by doing 20 in 30 seconds while watching football or something. Every 30 minutes or so I'd just get down and pump out as many as I could in a short amount of time. After doing this a couple of times I'd do it IST style and see how many I could do. Then I did as many as possible in a minute every 30 minutes or so, then an IST. I never went to hard that I'd be too sore to perform the next day, and focused on technique and speed. Now I just pump out IST sit ups 2-3 times a day and try to improve, or try just doing 100 or whatever your goal is without any time limit.

[StevenF]

Well i'm roughly 5'9 and i weigh 145 pounds and i can do 17 pull-ups, 88 situps, and i run a 9 minute 1.5 mile so basically just put in the work. as my recruiter said you get out what you put in.

[OVonRomer]

I was garbage on my very first IST, shortly after DEP'ing in. I couldn't do a single pullup, not even half of one. Barely did 55 situps, and I ran 1.5 miles in nearly 15 minutes. 6 months later I'm shelling out 10 pullups, 152 situps in 2 minutes, and running a mile and a half in 11:20.

[chad6025]

I went to bootcamp at 140lbs 11 pull ups 100 crunches 10 minute ist. Now im at ITB im 160lbs 15 pull ups 200 crunches and 9 minute ist.
Dont worry about weight theres always somebody smaller than you trust me just put out stay motivated and you will do fine!

[DrZ]

We had a recruit in 69 with us that was at the minimum of everything. Too short, too skinny, and too weak. The DI took special interest in him (poor guy). At the end of boot, he was maxing everything and got PFC out of boot (back then this was a major accomplishment). If you put your mind to it... it you work out to achieve your goal... you will be fine.

Good luck.

[DForbes]

I went from 44 to 70 sit ups in a week, it's really not that hard to improve. My run time is suffering though in this cold weather. Makes it way harder to breathe

I'm from Michigan, I know what you mean about the cold but don't let the winter beat you. You just need to get out there for a few days in a row and focus on your breathing to accustom yourself to the cold and you'll be breathing like it's summer. You might find you prefer breathing in the cold once you get used to it, I do.

As far as the original post, the best way to improve on all of these exercises is to do the exercise itself. If you want to improve your mile and a half you need to be running a lot farther than a mile and a half, start with 3 miles or so. Pull-ups can be assisted by push-ups with both close and far grip, see this link:http://www.savannahstate.edu/cost/nrotc/documents/Inform2010-thearmstrongworkout_Enclosure15_5-2-10.pdf

Crunches just take practice, even one 2 minute set a day and you'll see improvement; I'm not scrawny but when I did my first IST I was right around the 60 range; I'm at 169 now.
Good luck and keep pushing.

[Charlton24]

I'm 6'0 165 now doing 13 pull ups, 115 sit ups, mile and half was 10:40 today at the gym. 2 months ago I weighed 145 7-9 pullups, about same sit ups. Obviously if you want to gain weight eat a lot of carbs. I would eat 6-8 times a day to get my weight up. But also exercise accordingly! You can do it, never give up!

[USMCMcGuire]

I was a scrawny recruit lol. I went in on a waiver at 112 lbs and I left boot camp 145 lbs and no I wasnt a double rat. Wish i was though, 2nd Bn chowhall was amazing lol