To those that've tried P90X,

[SoonToBe3521]

would you suggest it as a PT routine? I'm working on losing weight, and today I did day one of P90X and it felt like a pretty good workout. However, I haven't a clue what the average workout for a Marine or for a Recruit is. So that being said, is this a program that is worth continuing for preparation? Thanks.

[Rough Hands]

P90X is a great program, and if you stick with it you WILL lose weight and get in shape. Don't worry about what boot camp PT or Marine PT will be like right now, just do your best to get in shape and lose the weight - boot camp will put your mind and body under a lot of stress, so there's no use in trying to mimic that right now. If you decide to stick with P90X, I'd say the only thing you need to add is some kind of running routine to prepare you for the IST and PFTs. Get in some good mileage and you'll be set.

P.S. The key to P90X is to do it EVERYDAY and follow the diet.

[TheReservist]

Like Rough Hands said, P90X is a great program but you need to add in runs too.

I personally did crossfit, which is similar in intensity to P90X, and found that my pullups actually went down during bootcamp by about 2 but my run time decreased by 3 minutes. So I would say that boot is more into runs / circuit courses, where you run for a 100 or so meters and do a set of exercises run and repeat.

[SoonToBe3521]

Sounds good, thanks. Is there anything I really need to focus on other than running to make sure I can physically make it through boot? The past two days I've been wondering if there's anything I really need to bulk up on so I won't fail. Any advice at all, I'll take. lol

[Rough Hands]

Sounds good, thanks. Is there anything I really need to focus on other than running to make sure I can physically make it through boot? The past two days I've been wondering if there's anything I really need to bulk up on so I won't fail. Any advice at all, I'll take. lol

Preparing physically will help you get through boot camp but recruits quickly find out that it's all mental and emotional. I'm sure you've heard that before, but you really wont believe it until you're really in the sh*t. Like I said, do your best to prepare physically, however, I've seen many a PT stud get dropped for failure to adapt. What I'm trying to say is... yes, focus on physically improving but realize there is much more to becoming a Marine than getting 20 pull-ups or an 18-minute run. Just give it 100% everyday.

[SoonToBe3521]

Got it. I'll do my best. Did very many Recruits fail that you saw? I don't think I'll have too much trouble when it comes to doing what I'm told, but again I haven't a clue what Recruit Training is like and I won't claim to lol (Aside from videos and documentaries.) I've wanted to enlist since I was pretty little, so I don't want to end up getting there and not passing.

[SlingerDun]

Find a compass, print out a topo map and hump the coast range. The dynamic up and down uneven terrain will condition joints, ligaments and tune proprioceptors. Occasionally mark a trail, leave it, and weave through the bresh. Stuff that makes you really work hard to gain ground. You should at some point be wet, and some would say miserable, but it will make you tough. When you cut enough weight and are feeling "light".... run. But don't run coarse logging roads and clearcuts, nothing good comes of that.

[Marine3451]

I tried P90x and thought It was kind of lame. Now I do crossfit 5 days a week and that will blow P90x out of the water anyday

[SSgt Lamie]

Depending on what your goals are P90X can help you get there. If you want to lose weight and body fat P90X is great for that, just don't go pounding supplements after a workout. I always suggested P90X for the Poolees that I was preparing for Boot Camp who needed to improve thier pull ups and drop a few pounds. I had one poolee who DEP'd in doing only 1 pull up and after doing P90X in my office everyday for 4 months he shipped doing 18, and had also dropped 20lbs in the process.

[wilsontc11]

The recruit work out is at the discretion of the DI, but mainly its:

Running in place
Push ups
Mountain Climbers
Steam Engines (if you're lucky)
Front and Side planks (You get on your fore arms, toes to the deck, and you hold your torso up, side plank is the same but with 1 arm
Side straddle hops
More push ups
Pull ups (For my platoon, we did them at free time and after the platoon got destroyed)


Try and focus on the stuff that will most benefit you on the PFT. Especially the Pull Ups, crunches are easy points but pull ups will make or break you.