Any IST tips?

[Shakespeare]

I'm about to do my second IST, but the first one was pretty laid back since it was just our substation. This one is in the main area substation.
Any tips for how to do the best I can, what to eat beforehand, etc?

[AZTony]

What were your stats on the IST the first time you took it?

This way I can help you come up with an exercise plan to improve it.

As for what to eat before-hand, do not drink milk it will more than likely make you sick.

Here is exactly what I ate before my last IST/Pool Function which was hosted at Luke AFB.

1/2 Cup of Uncooked Quaker Oats cooked in water
1/3 Cup Raisins
2 Tbsp. Omega 3 Peanut Butter

It is a pretty tasty meal and provides me with ample carbohydrates and healthy fats to keep my energy levels up while I PT'd.

The reason I did not eat any eggs or whey protein or anything like that is because I have learned I perform better when I keep the protein low before a workout because the protein makes me overheat easier.

[Shakespeare]

Last time I got:
2 pullups
55 situps (I think)
And a 12:05 1.5mile run.
I have PT with my substation monday and wednesday and the IST is on saturday.

[robbyj]

Advice? Push through the pain, do not walk, keep a good steady pace.

[IHaveEGA843]

Advice? Push through the pain, do not walk, keep a good steady pace.

QFT!

Please pace yourself in the run, yesterday we had a Captain come for a Poolee Validation and to really just weed out the weak since our RSS is to full. I sprinted ahead for the first half a mile or .60 of it. At the turn around point I was done and walked some of it. I did improve my run time by 10 secs but I would've made I in the mid 12s if I didn't walk.

Just put out.....I went from 57 crunches to 71. Heart bro, heart is all it takes.

[AZTony]

Last time I got:
2 pullups
55 situps (I think)
And a 12:05 1.5mile run.
I have PT with my substation monday and wednesday and the IST is on saturday.

Okay so you need some improvement, no biggie.

Step 1: Go to Google.

Step 2: Type in, "Marine Officer Programs".

Step 3: Click the link that says, "Marine Officer Programs - Home".

Step 4: On the left side of the screen, click the link that says, "Physical Training".

Step 5: Do the, "Armstrong Pullup Program" and the, "Killer Crunches" workouts exactly as they tell you, DO NOT slack or get lazy.

Step 6: Go to a running shoe store and get fitted for the right pair of running shoes that matches your feet and running style.

Step 7: Go to WalMart and use the Dr. Scholls Orthotic machine to fit yourself for some custom orthotics.

Step 8: Buy those orthotics. They will cost 50 bucks plus tax, well worth it.

Step 9: Run five days per week and average 15+ miles per week.

Step 10:
Have Monday be a timed 3 Mile run. Similar to the PFT. Do this on a track if you can.
Have Tuesday be a LSD (Long Slow Distance) run of 3-5 Miles. This should be an easy run so don't push too hard. Also swim some laps after your run.
Have Wednesday be an interval 3 Mile run. Sprint the first straight-away on the track then jog the rest of the lap, do this until you have completed 12 laps, which is equal to 3 Miles.
Have Thursday be another LSD run of 3-5 Miles.
Have Friday be the same as Wednesday.

Rest on Saturday and Sunday. At most on these days just do fun stuff like play basketball, go for a little hike, get laid, etc. These are chill days.

Step 11: Hydrate appropriately. You should be drinking at a minimum 1 Gallon per day, but shoot for 1.5 to 2 Gallons per day due to how much water you lose when you are exercising, especially with the summer heat.

Step 12: Eat healthy on the days you are working out the entire day. On Saturday and Sunday if you wish to go out with friends and get a burger and fries, by all means go for it, I do that on a regular basis and I have found it gives me a lot of energy on Monday. Just do not go overboard with the unhealthy eating.

Step 13: This will be an extension of Step 12. Have your nutrient ratios be 60% Carbohydrates, 20% Proteins, and 20% Healthy Fats. If your meal is 1000 calories, have 600 calories be Carbs, 200 be Proteins, and 200 be fats. 1 Carb is equal to 4 calories, 1 Protein is equal to 4 calories, and 1 Fat is equal to 9 calories. This should help you find out how many carbs, proteins, and fats you should be consuming each meal.


I know this is a lot but follow this and you will see changes so long as you are consistent. If you need more help or have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask.

[IHaveEGA843]

Theres some helpful tips in here but I'm going to give my advice IN CAPS.

Okay so you need some improvement, no biggie.

Step 1: Go to Google.

Step 2: Type in, "Marine Officer Programs".

Step 3: Click the link that says, "Marine Officer Programs - Home".

Step 4: On the left side of the screen, click the link that says, "Physical Training".

Step 5: Do the, "Armstrong Pullup Program" and the, "Killer Crunches" workouts exactly as they tell you, DO NOT slack or get lazy.

Step 6: Go to a running shoe store and get fitted for the right pair of running shoes that matches your feet and running style.

Step 7: Go to WalMart and use the Dr. Scholls Orthotic machine to fit yourself for some custom orthotics.

Step 8: Buy those orthotics. They will cost 50 bucks plus tax, well worth it. DO NOT BUY THESE. I had these for work and it created more stress on my knees. I bought a pair of insoles from the same place I bought my running shoes from Dicks.

Step 9: Run five days per week and average 15+ miles per week.

Step 10:
Have Monday be a timed 3 Mile run. Similar to the PFT. Do this on a track if you can.
Have Tuesday be a LSD (Long Slow Distance) run of 3-5 Miles. This should be an easy run so don't push too hard. Also swim some laps after your run.
Have Wednesday be an interval 3 Mile run. Sprint the first straight-away on the track then jog the rest of the lap, do this until you have completed 12 laps, which is equal to 3 Miles.
Have Thursday be another LSD run of 3-5 Miles.
Have Friday be the same as Wednesday.

Rest on Saturday and Sunday. At most on these days just do fun stuff like play basketball, go for a little hike, get laid, etc. These are chill days.

Step 11: Hydrate appropriately. You should be drinking at a minimum 1 Gallon per day, but shoot for 1.5 to 2 Gallons per day due to how much water you lose when you are exercising, especially with the summer heat.TRUTH but try for a gal. When I was excersing to lose weight I did a gal at work and drinked whatever at the gym.

Step 12: Eat healthy on the days you are working out the entire day. On Saturday and Sunday if you wish to go out with friends and get a burger and fries, by all means go for it, I do that on a regular basis and I have found it gives me a lot of energy on Monday. Just do not go overboard with the unhealthy eating.[B]TRUTH but when I run my IST I just eat 2 banannas.]

Step 13: This will be an extension of Step 12. Have your nutrient ratios be 60% Carbohydrates, 20% Proteins, and 20% Healthy Fats. If your meal is 1000 calories, have 600 calories be Carbs, 200 be Proteins, and 200 be fats. 1 Carb is equal to 4 calories, 1 Protein is equal to 4 calories, and 1 Fat is equal to 9 calories. This should help you find out how many carbs, proteins, and fats you should be consuming each meal.


I know this is a lot but follow this and you will see changes so long as you are consistent. If you need more help or have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask.

Other then that just put out man. I do burn out quick on the run from sprinting the first portion instead of pacing myself. I still pass but my numbers would be better if I would pace myself instead of sprint/burnout, then end up slowing down to a slow jog/walk at times.

DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!! The Recruiters and other high ranking officials who may be there see this. We had a Captain at our last IST which turned out to be a Poolee Validation. He was looking to weed out the weak but he considered those who failed and gave all.

Good Luck

[Tbrown10]

i disagree with the running 5 days a week thing if you dont already do it. it will murder your legs unless your already doing 4 days

[IHaveEGA843]

I agree with you on that also Tbrown but I wasnt going to say anything that. I run 3 days out of the week.

[AZTony]

i disagree with the running 5 days a week thing if you dont already do it. it will murder your legs unless your already doing 4 days

Excellent point, Tbrown. To Shakespeare, if you are not already running at least 4 days per week, then do not jump into 5 days. Start out with running Monday, Wednesday, Friday for a couple weeks, then add in Tuesday, than a couple weeks later fill in Thursday. After you are up to 5 days per week, then work on increasing your mileage up to what I reccommended in my previous post.

[93Reaper]

Going to PT today with my recruiters and the Gunny. I'm eating the oats/raisins and peanut butter, i also am adding a banana to the mix. Will post later if i see any difference in results.

[93Reaper]

Going to PT today with my recruiters and the Gunny. I'm eating the oats/raisins and peanut butter, i also am adding a banana to the mix. Will post later if i see any difference in results.

Belay my preveious post, Gunny had to cancle the PT this morning. Just running 3 mile tempo run and this
Strength: 7 rounds for time

5 pull ups

10 dips

15 renegade rows

20m walking lunges

20 jumping lunges

20 overhead squats
Im just going to buddy squat a friend instead, no reason to get injured 8 days before i ship out.

[MunkyVsRobot]

i disagree with the running 5 days a week thing if you dont already do it. it will murder your legs unless your already doing 4 days

This.
Dont forget to stretch afterwards or you will start getting splints like a Mother. Dont worry about stretching before because you wont get anything out of it, stretch after you work out when the muscles are warm and plyable.

[Redsfan293]

One of the most important things is drinking enough water. You don't want to crap out half way through and look weak. Make sure to drink at least a gallon a day. As far as the running, pull ups, and crunches the best thing to do is just do them. I've heard the recon Ron pullup program helps but I saw better results when I built a pullup bar in my back yard. I went from 8 when I enlisted to 17 at the last IST.

[DrinkTwiceT1000]

Make sure to do more than just pull ups, crunches and running. I've been going to a Crossfit affiliate near me and it has helped me lose 30 lbs and put me with the current IST numbers I have. While they're not stellar, they are amazingly better than my first.

If you can't afford Crossfit, keep an eye on their website http://crossfit.com/ because they post their Workout Of the Day (WOD) on their website. If you can do that then go for it, if not try and stick to it as best you can.

Diet and hydration is also key, but everyone's been telling you that. The day before your IST you want to have a rest day to give your muscles a break. If you can do some hardcore stretches to get your core, chest and legs that day do it, it makes a difference.

Also have some chicken or beef jerky or some kind of protein after a workout. Protein shakes work, but natural protein in food works just as well. You body needs it to rebuild the muscle.