Army Fitness

[ArmyisMyDream]

Jus wondering if anyone could clarify the fitness requierments for the army . I'v bin training regularly at the gym mainly cardiovascular work for just under a year and have completed 2.4km on a treadmill continuosly in a time of 9:45 but i keep hearing different opinions when it comes to the time you need to pass the pjft, will a time of 9:45 be sufficeint or do i need to put in more effort?

 

[christheclimber]

eer....right. firstly, the PJFT stands for the pre-joining fitness test, as is done by the marines, not the army.

it depends on arm, but you want to be hitting at least 11:30, but the faster the better.

secondly, the 1.5 mile is done outside, so get outside and get running. treadmills and real running can be quite different.

 

[5.56mm]

Jus wondering if anyone could clarify the fitness requierments for the army . I'v bin training regularly at the gym mainly cardiovascular work for just under a year and have completed 2.4km on a treadmill continuosly in a time of 9:45 but i keep hearing different opinions when it comes to the time you need to pass the pjft, will a time of 9:45 be sufficeint or do i need to put in more effort?

It would but running 2.4k on a treadmill is alot easiehan on the road, plus if you want to simulate it propley you should have the treadmill at a 1% incline. My advice get out and practice it on the roads.

 

[blacktoe]

Hello mate, just some of my thoughts on the subject.

Definitely get off the treadmill and onto the roads and do some real running, it is very different and puts different stresses and strains on your body, especially the tendons.
Try and include some hills and cross country within your routes too,it strengthens the tendons in the ankles and knees and when you go through basic there is obviously lots of that lovely stuff.

Dont just run a mile and a half to train for your PFT. Run for a set time not a set distance. That way you're building your stamina and running further as you get fitter rather than running the same distance quicker and cutting the actual time that youre exercising down.

Interval training is the number one for improving your PFT mile and a half time. Run lets say 300 metres at 50% of your maximum effort then run 100m at 80-90% of your max. Then again 300m at 50% and again 100m at 80-90% and just repeat. If you dont have a track use lampost intervals and just run 4 lamposts at 50% to 1 lampost at 80-90% or similar. The interval is the rest part (50%). Do that for half an hour twice a week and you will start to fly!

Ive rabbited on enough now and probably embaressed myself but i get into these things and well...... dont forget your pressups( as many kinds as possible, experiment with different hand positions) and abs (dont just do situps! Use Crunches, twist situps, leg raises etc etc).
The number one upper body strength builder...pullups. Include them in your training.
If you want any more in depth help, email me. I am a Pti at 29 commando and have just scratched the surface here. Hope its of some use and i dont just sound like a complete co*k.
good luck.

 

[scriv184]

treadmills are shit run on the road i find i get a quicker time on the road

 

[bipolarbilly]

why does everyone seem to concentrate on the PFT? what happened to the CFT and the brecon 2 miler, dont they do them anymore? running a PFT in 11.30 is achievable for anyone, im 48 and can do 3 back to back PFTs in 9.30 or faster with a min break of situps and pressups before starting again, why are the sights set so low?

 

[skintboymike]

Going through post-injury rehab a few years ago, I ran a BPFA every week on the treadmill as part of the later stages of the programme. I had it down to 9min15sec so I thought things were going well. When it came to upgrading me I had to do a proper BPFA, and my breathing was all over the place. I failed the first two weeks, but scraped through after that. Massive difference between treadmill and roads.

 

[christheclimber]

why does everyone seem to concentrate on the PFT? what happened to the CFT and the brecon 2 miler, dont they do them anymore? running a PFT in 11.30 is achievable for anyone, im 48 and can do 3 back to back PFTs in 9.30 or faster with a min break of situps and pressups before starting again, why are the sights set so low?

mainly because these are potential recruits. you dont have to do a CFT until the end of phase 1.

 

[ArmyisMyDream]

thanks for the replys cleared up a few things...iv mainly bin trianing for the pjft and from the replys i fink that with my time of 9:45 should be no problem but im definetly going to start running on the roads now thanks for the advice

 

[SoldierBeesley]

eer....right. firstly, the PJFT stands for the pre-joining fitness test, as is done by the marines, not the army.

it depends on arm, but you want to be hitting at least 11:30, but the faster the better.

secondly, the 1.5 mile is done outside, so get outside and get running. treadmills and real running can be quite different.

Thats not quite true Chris, your ACO or at least my ACO make sure you have a satisfactory level of fitness before they even think about sending you to ADSC.

 

[Gedge]

eer....right. firstly, the PJFT stands for the pre-joining fitness test, as is done by the marines, not the army.

it depends on arm, but you want to be hitting at least 11:30, but the faster the better.

secondly, the 1.5 mile is done outside, so get outside and get running. treadmills and real running can be quite different.

Salisbury careers office makes all PR do a 1.5mile run including warm up and will only send you to ADSC after completeing it in under 11mins hence not only done by the marines...

 

[Galileo82]

Hi All

Has anyone ever had any experience of shin splints? If so, any ideas?

Regards

 

[The_Goon]

eer....right. firstly, the PJFT stands for the pre-joining fitness test, as is done by the marines, not the army.

it depends on arm, but you want to be hitting at least 11:30, but the faster the better.

secondly, the 1.5 mile is done outside, so get outside and get running. treadmills and real running can be quite different.

Salisbury careers office makes all PR do a 1.5mile run including warm up and will only send you to ADSC after completeing it in under 11mins hence not only done by the marines...

You must be a fat boy, Gedge, Salisbury didn't get me to do any tests whatsoever prior to attending ADSC Pirbright!

 

[Gedge]

lol not really, how long ago you go through though? Some guys where there running it in under 8mins and still had to show up on a Wednesday morning for the pre ADSC run...

 

[Ian1983]

Going through post-injury rehab a few years ago, I ran a BPFA every week on the treadmill as part of the later stages of the programme. I had it down to 9min15sec so I thought things were going well. When it came to upgrading me I had to do a proper BPFA, and my breathing was all over the place. I failed the first two weeks, but scraped through after that. Massive difference between treadmill and roads.

When I started out and did treadmil runs when I was a teen I used to find the running killed my legs not my lungs (although I was very fit from pad work and swimming, hence the lungs were fine)

 

[ArmyisMyDream]

Hi, Here;s my story. Well earlier this year (january) I applied for the infantry and got to the stage of having my medical questionairre sent off. After a few weeks of thinking I decided to withdraw my apllication to continue my A-levels in preparation for officer entry. I have a year left of sixth form, and my physical fitness is quite good however i ran the 1.5 mile run last week and fell short of my previous times with a time of 10:30. This is mainly due to re-occuring shin splints. I consider myself fit and healthy and just wondering if anyone has any good ways of solving this problem as i do not want this to become a problem that could prevent me from doing my best at physical aspcts of the army.

thanks

 

[5.56mm]

Hi, Here;s my story. Well earlier this year (january) I applied for the infantry and got to the stage of having my medical questionairre sent off. After a few weeks of thinking I decided to withdraw my apllication to continue my A-levels in preparation for officer entry. I have a year left of sixth form, and my physical fitness is quite good however i ran the 1.5 mile run last week and fell short of my previous times with a time of 10:30. This is mainly due to re-occuring shin splints. I consider myself fit and healthy and just wondering if anyone has any good ways of solving this problem as i do not want this to become a problem that could prevent me from doing my best at physical aspcts of the army.

thanks

Shin splints is a general term. What is the pain like?

 

[Sandy_The_Guvnor]

why does everyone seem to concentrate on the PFT? what happened to the CFT and the brecon 2 miler, dont they do them anymore? running a PFT in 11.30 is achievable for anyone, im 48 and can do 3 back to back PFTs in 9.30 or faster with a min break of situps and pressups before starting again, why are the sights set so low?

Blame Playstations and X-Boxes and the parents for letting them go on them. I agree with what you say about 11.30 for a pft being easily achievable for anyone, ffs i can do it quicker than that with a bergen on.

 

[ArmyisMyDream]

just a general soreness on the inside of my leg about half way between my knee and my ankle. Always the next day after a run and can last for a few days. It never hurts during exercise or when i walk but as soon as i skip or run i can feel the pain.

 

[5.56mm]

A generall soreness? May just be your shins getting used to running. I asked as shin splints are a common term they can mean anything like compartment syndrome, stress fractures etc.