Help with getting in shape for DEP

[JoshScheffel62]

I'm a senior, and I've talked to my recruiter about joinin, and he told me that I can now join DEP, but I'm kind of worried about goin in in my current shape and weight, because he told me I need to be around 220 for my height , but I currently weigh somewhere near 280 because my coaches keep pushin me to gain weight for the line. My question is, do any of y'all know any good workouts to help me lose the weight, and then also to be able to do pull ups, because I can't currently do them, and also, do they take muscle mass into concept when they weigh you?
Thanks for any and all help, and also thank you for bein marines and servin.

[Achped]

You should be more concerned with following the rules! Fat bodies last longer in the corps than non-conformists!

[JoshScheffel62]

Okay...I hope I don't come off as disrespectful, but what does that mean?

[Sgt Baker]

It means if you have the heart of a Marine, the body will work itself out.

[MontySpecial]

I suggest doing as many push-ups as possible (not being tested doesn't mean to omit them entirely). Do them in increments of two and build up to a peak, then go back down (like 2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2). Buy a pull up bar or I'm sure the recruiter's office has one and practice on that. Running will burn calories, so run run run. I'm sure a recruiter pt's in the morning where you live (usually early). About weighing in, you stand on a scale (at MEPS), but you're first measured for your height.

[JoshScheffel62]

Oh. Alright, now it makes since, but can any of y'all give me any advice on how to get in better shape? I've tried runnin, and eatin less, but it's not helpin, and are there any exercises that could help me with pull ups?

[JoshScheffel62]

Alright, I'll give that a try. Thanks Monty, and thanks Sgt. Baker for explainin that for me.

[MontySpecial]

you can do pull ups two different ways: regular or reverse grip. It depends on your preference (I can do 2 the regular way, but 10 with the reverse grip). Honestly my only advice on how to get better is to keep trying the pull-up bar until you can do one. It's all about telling yourself you can and WILL do it. Get your recruiter to help you.

[NeverQuit]

Best thing you can do for weight is run and eat clean cut the crap you don't need, basically eat healthy. I don't know how many pull ups you do but do them constantly, I am going to recommend reverse grip they may be hard in the beginning but your going to see more results that way or atleast that is what i have seen, do a pyrimid. Pullups will be your biggest money maker on the PFT. So run run run and do pull ups.

[CplGiraffe]

Depending on the grip you use, pull ups use your chest, arms, and back muscles. Try to work on these muscles. These muscles may be large but because of the weight you may just not be able to do them anyway. Work on the weight and the pull ups will come easier. For the weight I would do just what everyone else here has told you. Run, eat good meals (no McD lard fries), run, do pushups and other supp. excersizes, and then run some more.

[James117]

ok in my opinion i think that you should do sprints such as suicides or sprint for 30 seconds and then rest for 15 then sprint again. it will burn alot and it will also help ur conditioning. also i suggest doing alot of ab workouts. try doing 50 crunchs, then with out stoping do leg lifts (50 each leg) then do flutter kicks. (50 each) try doing that without stoping and during transistions dont let ur feet touch the ground. another way to get better at pull ups is to go to a gym and do pull downs or sometimes they will have a pull up machine. just keep working out every day and RUN. run for at least a mile a day. in the morning or at night. (i prefer at night. much cooler). eat healthy and cute down all drinks and ONLY drink water

[xpaz]

For weight:
Almost entirely a function of your diet. If you think you're eating right, but you're not losing weight, then you're not eating right... period. Compose your meals (and snacks) of meat (grassfed, if you can afford it), eggs, vegetables, some fruit, some nuts and some berries. Get plenty of healthy fats. Cut down on the processed carbohydrates such as breads, pastas, and pretty much everything that you buy in the grocery store that comes with a nutrition label. Consume less calories than you expend, and you will lose weight.

If your coach is asking you to put on weight, then ask yourself what is more important: The Marine Corps, or your high school football team?

For Fitness:
Heavy lifts and intervals (HIIT) raise your metabolism and burn calories several times faster than your typical "cardio." Forget running the 5K/3 mile; forget the 30 minutes on the exercise bike. Limit your "endurance" runs to once a week, or even once every 2 weeks as a benchmark.

Have 2 or 3 interval sessions a week: Full out sprint for 20 seconds. Rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times. Give it 100% every time.

Have 2 or 3 heavy lifting days a week. Squats, deadlifts, and olympic lifts (if you know them), if done safely, are the best medicine. You don't need to hit your 1 rep max. Try to find a 5x5 routine that you can do safely, but also challenges you and allows you to slowly add weight in small increments.

For Pull-Ups:
Learning how to kip will help you develop your dead-hangs, if you're struggling to get them. Kipping will also help you overcome a plateau if you end up hitting one on your dead-hangs. Jumping pull-ups with slow negatives will also serve a similar purpose. You may also want to get assistance bands or start doing them on a pull-up station that offers assistance.

Otherwise, figure out what the maximum number of pull-ups is
that you can do in a row.

6 to 10 times a day, do 75% of your maximum number of pull-ups. Every time you walk by a pull-up bar, crank out 75% of your maximum number of reps. This is called "Greasing the Groove" and it's very effective.

Alternatively, try Tabata pull-ups: Maximum reps in 20 seconds. 10 seconds of rest. Repeat x 8. 2-4 times a week.

For Everything Else:
Rome wasn't built in a day. Your gains will come while you REST, not while you exercise. Be sure that you are getting two FULL rest days a week. Be sure that you are getting 8 hours of sleep per night. Be sure that you are drinking a ton of water. The improvements will come quickly.

For the Rest of Your Life:
CrossFit.com

[Petz]

I didn't read everyone elses stuff... so uh, stop doing so much high weight low rep... do low weight high rep.... so for every percentage of your max that you drop on weight add that percentage of reps and round up to the nearest 5th number.

this should help scale back the slow, lumbering muscle and get some quick endurance.

You'll need to run a looooooot more.

and you should get a thick 2in dia. rope and attach it to a high point and just reach up as high as you can and pull yourself up then lower youself back down as many times as you can... this will begin to help with pull-ups... then do negatives on a pull-up bar.
chin over bar .... you work out you what a negative is...

that should make you RT ready.

I know plenty of Marines who sized down for boot camp to just build it all back afterwards (muscle not fat)

[Brandon1]

My advice is to tell your coach to F off, and get off the line. Worse comes to worse is he makes you run... A LOT. See, it works in your favor. If he doesnt make you run after that, kick him in the chins, and he'll start chasing you. See works in your favor again. Seriously though, stop eating crap foods that I know your eating. Just because you play football, and work out doesnt mean your gonna lose weight. I dont know if they do this at your school, but when I played my coaches had both lines run with each other on conditioning days, and they ran less. Then they had the RBs, QBs, WRs, ect, run together and run more. If you do that, then ask to run with the other guys. If all else fails, join the Cross Country team.

[TJR1070]

Read the post from Accord on what losing 80lbs looks like. Then understand he didn't get where he is without personal commitment and alot of hard work.

[TypeOrange]

I was in the same position. I was at 242 when i first signed my papers back in Sept, lost about 7 pounds before i went to MEPS and was disqualified. I was able to get a weight waiver and now 10 or so months later im at 195 and my ship weight was 213. Just watch what you eat and run. Also, if your coaches keep pressuring you into gaining weight, tell them no. You want to be one of the few and the proud and if you keep gaining weight, your dream wont come true.

You have time. Use it!

[CalahanD]

RUN!!! Spot reduction dont work so dont be trying to do sit-ups to try and lose weight. Push-ups are good but it doesnt help lose weight. Just Run and do alot of PT. After school you need to be doing PT time

[coltie52]

do they take muscle mass into concept when they weigh you?
[/quote]
Yes, but they measure around you stomach, and then your neck and subtract the two. When I first enlisted I was at a 42" waist, 18.5"neck, so that put me at 23.5 BF%. But that really didn't matter because I made weight, but now I'm at a 36"waist, 18"neck, so now I'm at 18.5BF%
Just keep working at it.

[beebe2141]

With the muscle mass I am not sure. My DEP weight was 200, and I DEPed in at 205 because they measured my body fat percentage and I was way under the limit. When it comes to shipping though, I don't know. My Recruiter told me that it was just weight based not body fat based so even though my muscle mass makes me heavier, I still have to make my weight requirement for my height which is 190, and it wasn't too bad with proper running, cutting and dieting. I thought I could be weight waivered in like the DEP but guess not so make sure you get down to your ship weight, not just the DEP.

[Petz]

they really try not to have too many recruits goto PCP... that increases the cost of doing business.

[JoshScheffel62]

Thanks all of yàll so much for the advice. I`m goin to start this workout asap, and I`m probably not even playin football this year, so I can focus on losin the weight. Some of yàll were tellin me to do as many pullups as I can, and I can`t do any right now. I`m guessin that by me losin the weight, then my muscles will be strong enough to do pull ups.

[hockfan86]

You can do it buddy, I weighed 300 pounds on June 2nd, 2008 I weighed in at 252 pounds 2 days ago. I cut out all fried foods, sodas, and drank nothing but skim milk and water. I eat healthy, I run every other day and walk 4.5 miles every night, I lift weights on non running days. I lift low weight high rep, it works. It takes a lot of hard work and I have another 44 pounds to lose before I can ship, but I want it bad enough and thats what it is all about. Hopefully I'll see you on the Marine side someday my friend.

[coltie52]

Thanks all of yàll so much for the advice. I`m goin to start this workout asap, and I`m probably not even playin football this year, so I can focus on losin the weight. Some of yàll were tellin me to do as many pullups as I can, and I can`t do any right now. I`m guessin that by me losin the weight, then my muscles will be strong enough to do pull ups.
Well with you loosing weight you will be lighter so you can do more pullups, you'll be lighter, So do more running and work on the pullups with an Assisted pull up bar.
Good luck

[xpaz]

You can do it buddy, I weighed 300 pounds on June 2nd, 2008 I weighed in at 252 pounds 2 days ago. I cut out all fried foods, sodas, and drank nothing but skim milk and water. I eat healthy, I run every other day and walk 4.5 miles every night, I lift weights on non running days. I lift low weight high rep, it works. It takes a lot of hard work and I have another 44 pounds to lose before I can ship, but I want it bad enough and thats what it is all about. Hopefully I'll see you on the Marine side someday my friend.

Different strokes for different folks, really. If you're significantly overweight, then any kind of exercise you do is going to get results. Eat lots of fat (healthy fats) for energy; the carbs are what you need to cut, not the fats. The world (and these forums) is filled with misinformation about fats.

Also, for the record, lifting heavy weights at low reps is significantly more taxing on the body, and results in a much greater metabolic increase than light weight, many reps. Statistically you will lose much more weight doing low rep, heavy weight... just as you would lose more weight doing short sprint intervals, as opposed to long distance runs.

Your mileage may vary; do what works for you.


Some of yàll were tellin me to do as many pullups as I can, and I can`t do any right now. I`m guessin that by me losin the weight, then my muscles will be strong enough to do pull ups.

Yes, losing weight will help with the pull-ups. In the mean time, learn how to do kipping ones, use an assisted pull-up machine at the gym, get some assistance bands (rubber) to help, or do jumping pull-ups and slow negatives.

[JoshScheffel62]

Alright thanks guys. Y'all have really helped me out with all the information, and now I can't wait to be a part of the marine family.