Working Out in Basic
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  1. #1
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    Working Out in Basic

    The topic of what recruits do during their free time in Basic Training has come up several times in these forums, and a common answer (besides studying, writing, etc.) is: work out. But that would seem to be a little redundant, even detrimentle, to me because I thought that Basic was already physically challenging enough; I wouldn't want to PT all day, get winded by my own workout, and then PT all throughout the next day AND have to perform well. I'm just curious what kind of experiences any Marines might have had with this. Thanks ahead of time.


  2. #2
    you gonna get blasted, correct your self


  3. #3
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    Oops, I know that will cost me. Please excuse my use of "Basic Training", I meant Recruit Training.


  4. #4
    You don't get free time...you get Senior Drill Instructor's free time. Most guys don't really work out during that time. A lot of what you do depends on your drill insctuctors and what they allow. I usually took a lengthy hot shower, did some pull ups, and generally made sure all my stuff was squared away (trying to get the week's schedule from the scribe and make sure I was planning ahead as much as possible). Guys going into bootcamp that are in good shape usually come out a little weaker. I went in as a pretty good athlete, competing at the State level. I could do 20 pullups when I went in, but not on my final PFT (though my run time went from about an 18:30 to a 17:40). I left bootcamp rather emaciated, and quite a bit weaker. Youre not pumping iron and immediately feeding muscles with protein. You are getting smoked. So yes, some people like to do strength training on their own time. In my experience, that will be relegated to getting on the quarter deck and doing pushups, pullups, crunches, etc...not going to a gym. Likely all you will want to do is write home.


  5. #5
    Nothing basic about Marine Corps boot camp.


  6. #6
    You can if you want to but you'll find that the diet barely supports the work you do do and the best thing you can do is focus on pull ups and crunches. Overall body work is just gonna make the rest of it harder.


  7. #7
    Outside of what you will already be doing throughout the day, you will be hard pressed to find time to do your own personal workout. You will have time for pullups after chow and after lights out. Other than that, you by all means could do pushups, crunches, pullups, etc during the limited amount of free time, or very quietly after lights out, you might get (most likely during the latter half of bootcamp). I guess if you are very inventive you could find ways to do some sort of strength training (using foot lockers, the racks, or whatever you can find). Maybe could use that to get some props from the DIs by leading/helping others, especially those that are not necessarily up-to-par.


  8. #8
    I'm a recruit mom and am trying to connect to the training matrix but it's not available apparently. Does anybody know where else I can find a training matrix?


  9. #9
    Just put out during PT and other times and you won't need to workout on your own besides maybe a max set of pullups or some ****.

    Regardless of what you say now, you're going to spend the whole time writing letters anyways.


  10. #10
    My senior would give us power bars if we worked out fer 45 minutes straight during our free time... which... being a hungry recruit and me wanting to better myself I gladly did it... once you write your letters etc you'll find that you want to just get the ball rolling to the next day to get it over with... rinse and repeat.

    The simple answer: Yeah, work out during freetime.. it's good for ya.


  11. #11
    I had done a lot of weight lifting before going in. PT was pretty easy for me. Did over 100 pullups for qualifying.

    But, things must be different now. We had no free time back in the day. You following the drill instructors schedule not yours. Any "free" time was devoted to squaring away your area, writing home or studying. Anyway, I wasn't going to be the guy who knocked on the DI's hooch and ask him if I could weight train. You didn't ask the DI for anything, anytime, period. You wanted to be squared away so as not to have to have any personal communication with them if you know what I mean...

    There was no time at all for anything other than training when I was in. Boot camp, AIT, Staging Battalion, Vietnam. We were on the fast track back then.

    Last edited by qz2026; 11-11-11 at 11:42 AM. Reason: added a line

  12. #12
    We had a bench press and pullup bar we used it.


  13. #13
    The only time I remember anyone doing any workout on freetime was and if the D.I. call you up front for something you did that day and then said bend and MF begin


  14. #14
    Our scribe made us do 100 crunches/20 pull ups a night or else we got fire watch for that night. But on the rear quater deck we had dumbells,a bench, curl bars that we could use every night. Alot of rcts from my plt even myself used these has much as we could to keep muscle mass and not loose it from the multiple times we would go to the pit every day.


  15. #15
    Free time? LOL. No but seriously, this concept of free time is a bit misunderstood. As stated above, you'll get Senior Drill Instructor square away time, and that is when you handle your business. However, the amount of time is never a given, so don't plan out some kind of schedule, because it's a priviledge and not a right, and can easily be taken away (I would know). When you start third phase, that square away time will soon become "uniform time" as the only thing you'll seem to be doing is ironing this, starching that, edge dressing this, sewing things, etc. Besides, you're gonna get enough time on the quarterdeck to satisfy your needs whether you did something wrong or not. The PT in Recruit Training (while by no means a cakewalk), isn't training you for teh Olympics either. Do not focus on getting more than 20 pull ups. Not saying to sell yourself short, but on all your fitness tests (IST/PFT) 20 gets you full points and anything more is just a pat on the back. Why devote time and energy when you can put it where your weaknesses are? Oh and one last thing, you will NEVER get ice cream in the chow hall. Ever. So don't even try. Don't even know why they have it to be honest, one kid got caught by the Series Chief and let me tell you... he's not with us anymore.


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