Boot Camp: Preparing to Ship
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  1. #1

    Boot Camp: Preparing to Ship

    Hello everyone. Let me start this by saying thank you to all Marines in their support of our country and our freedom. I am new to this site and am beyond grateful for everyone's service (which is why I recently took my oath of enlistment).

    And so brings my first post to this site. I have a few months until I ship to boot camp. I've read numerous things online about what boot camp is like and how to prepare yourself. I also have a 'training' book provided to me at MEPS for DEPs to get in shape before boot camp.
    And so I wanted to get other opinions. What do you think is the best way to prepare for boot camp? How often did you or should you have ran, worked out, swam, etc before shipping out? Is there anything in particular that recruits seem to struggle with at boot camp that I could get ready for ahead of time? Also, I've had people tell me it's about preparing yourself mentally more so than physically.. is there a specific way to do this?

    Thank you in advance to any replies and I look forward to the opportunity to earn the title of US Marine!


  2. #2
    Quote Originally Posted by PooleeFuller View Post
    Hello everyone. Let me start this by saying thank you to all Marines in their support of our country and our freedom. I am new to this site and am beyond grateful for everyone's service (which is why I recently took my oath of enlistment).

    And so brings my first post to this site. I have a few months until I ship to boot camp. I've read numerous things online about what boot camp is like and how to prepare yourself. I also have a 'training' book provided to me at MEPS for DEPs to get in shape before boot camp.
    And so I wanted to get other opinions. What do you think is the best way to prepare for boot camp? How often did you or should you have ran, worked out, swam, etc before shipping out? Is there anything in particular that recruits seem to struggle with at boot camp that I could get ready for ahead of time? Also, I've had people tell me it's about preparing yourself mentally more so than physically.. is there a specific way to do this?

    Thank you in advance to any replies and I look forward to the opportunity to earn the title of US Marine!
    Thanks for having a filled out profile.

    Your questions are pretty broad-based. Since you just joined the forum yesterday, I would encourage you, first of all, to go to the poolee hall and ask a Marine areas, search those threads. All of your questions are answered in one way or another. I understand that poolees like to have that "individualized, custom-to-their-needs" answer. However, people are not going to take the time to be redundant.

    And how do we know what is the best way to prepare for boot camp? What is your specific area of need? For some they need to get their run time down, for others, they don't know how to swim. The best way to prepare is to prepare in your specific areas of weakness. How often you run, work out, swim, depends on you. What is your fitness level. Do you run an 8:30 1.5 mile or a 14:00 minute 1.5? Do you max on the pushups or can you only do 5? Do you swim a 100 fly in :55 seconds, a 500 free in 4:10 or do you dog paddle? You see what I mean?

    Area of struggle at boot camp is wide and diverse. Some don't know their left foot from their right. Some struggle being away from home. Others cannot shoot the broad side of a barn, and yet there is always the kid who has no struggle. There is not a lot you can do to prepare yourself mentally. Sure, you can read tons of books, watch movies, do all the rah-rah stuff, but the bottom line is you were make it mentally or you don't.

    There is a tendency that we see today and that is that poolees want to be so prepared before they go to boot camp that by the time they get there, there are no surprises left!

    I can only speak for myself, but my preparation consisted of doing some light running of about a mile several times a week, doing some weightlifting in the gym. I studied no Marine Corps materials. I do not recall doing push-ups, pull-ups, or sit-ups, though I think I did some of the latter. I never took an IST and never heard of the term until I came to this site.

    My mental preparation consisted of knowing that I would go onto MCRD in a bus and be met by some drill instructors and I would have to get off, stand on some yellow footprints, and then have my head shaved. I had a vague idea how drill instructors were, and that we would PT a lot.

    So...times, yeah, have changed, and I understand you do need to be a bit more prepared, but I wouldn't dwell on it. Don't worry about it. If you do some good, basic preparation, read what you are given, listen to your recruiter, do poolee functions if they have them, run 3 to 4 times a week, and read threads on this forum, there is no reason you should not do well.

    Finally, let me give you a suggestion. When you post another question, try to be specific with it, and limit it to one or two. Hard to answer the shotgun approach!


  3. #3
    Marine Platinum Member Zulu 36's Avatar
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    Preparation is a fine thing, but as was stated recently, once the brim of that Smokey Bear starts poking you in the forehead, all that preparation tends to fly away. Be prepared for that too.


  4. #4
    Marine Free Member gkmoz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zulu 36 View Post
    Preparation is a fine thing, but as was stated recently, once the brim of that Smokey Bear starts poking you in the forehead, all that preparation tends to fly away. Be prepared for that too.

    Was thinking along those lines myself.


  5. #5
    MOS4429 I appreciate the response and I'll take note of those suggestions for my future posts. I did find a couple of good forums on here that had more suggestions on what one could do to be at their best fitness level prior to boot camp.

    For me, I suppose it's mostly the endurance aspect of fitness that I need to work on. I can do a solid amount of sit-ups, pull-ups, etc; however I cannot run or swim all too far. Fast, yes.. but not far! I definitely plan to run/swim/hike as much as possible over the next few months.

    And yes what a good point! I can't imagine the feeling of actually stepping off that bus at MCRD and having a DI scream orders in my face for the first time, but I also cannot wait until that day. The chance to become part of an elite force and to make a difference for my country will be the greatest opportunity I have ever had.


  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by PooleeFuller View Post
    For me, I suppose it's mostly the endurance aspect of fitness that I need to work on. I can do a solid amount of sit-ups, pull-ups, etc; however I cannot run or swim all too far. Fast, yes.. but not far! I definitely plan to run/swim/hike as much as possible over the next few months.
    There you go. Need help in running and swimming endurance. This is fairly common. You have plenty of time to improve at both. I coach high school swimming, cross-country, and distance track and have helped quite a few poolees answering their questions in this area, mostly running, but some swimming, too, and written a few running programs. It depends on a lot of factors. If you want to PM me, I can probably help out but can't get back to you until tomorrow.


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