Excerise & Nutrition Questions

[SeanCallan]

As the new school year approaches, my preparations for OCS are about to begin. I thought I'd ask a few questions about my routine and what kind of food I should focus on taking in.

My current routine:

Objective:
Increase overall strength:weight ratio
Increase distance
Increase endurance
Prepare for USMC PLC(OCS).

Running:
MWF: 1 mile (+.5 each week)
TR: 1 mile fartlicks (walk 1/8th, sprint 1/8th, jog 1/8th)

'Lifting':
MWF: Pull-ups, Sit-ups, Bends & Thrusts (4 count)
TR: Push-ups, Sit-ups, Bends & Mothers (B&T + Push up : 6 count)

Daily:
50lb pack to-and-from class (1mile)

Monthly:
Paris Island Obstacle Course

Each week I intend to increase my straight mile runs by half a mile. Once this objective is at 3 miles a day, I intend to switch the TR fartlicks for stadium stairs w/ pack or swimming. The daily pack is to build strength and get used to the heavy pack. I don't intend to increase this weight anytime soon. As for the monthly trips to Paris Island, this is simply get myself familiarized with the Obstacle courses the USMC uses, granted both the obstacle and confidence courses at OCS are much harder then at PI, I feel this will help build strength and endurance and some basic knowledge.

I wish I could get a day or two in there that involved free weights, but I don't think I'll have any energy on Saturday or Sunday for that.

I know I need to keep fluids and I intend to take salt tablets each day to help. As for protein, calories or carbs I'm at a loss. I know I need have a high intake of protein and calories but I don't know about carbs.

There are a few people here who lift or have military experience, so any help is appreciated.

Sean

[tonkadawg]

give it up Sean, you can't hack OCS

J/K

seriously though...

On your running - start out for your first 5-66 weeks going 3 miles - 5 days a week. Anything less is a waste of your time. Then at 6 weeks introduce one 'fast' day - 3 miles where you push the pase. So if you are running 7 minute miles on any other day, you should try for 5:30's on your fast day. Then the next day should be your long slow distance - starting out 5 miles will be good. Again if you are running 7 minute miles - 8-8:30 miles are good. If you have any time after that, let me know, and I can help you with an interval workout. Fartlek is good for a runner who already has established a base, but considering what you are preparing for, intervals will better suite your needs.

GET A GOOD PAIR OF SHOES - NO MORE INJURIES - you can't become combat ineffictive before you even get there!

I also think you will find that 50lbs in your pack may be a bit much to start out with. Do you have your own ruck sack? If not let me know, I might have an extra one around that you can use.

[moonpod]

Anything less than a 3 mile run is probably fairly useless unless you are completely out of shape. You have to try to go slower than 10 minute miles and unless you go 20-30 min minimum you won't burn through your glycogen reserve anyways. So I'm with Matt. Less than 3 miles is fairly useless. What I would say is this: If your're out of shape, then what you need to work on for that first 5 weeks is getting your 3 miles down to a 7-8 min/mile pace. Then what Matt is suggesting is a good idea. The shoes are very important as is the surface. Don't start out on a cheap treadmill or outdoors. Find a track and start out on that. For your purposes, after you get comfortable on a track, then run outdoors b/c that's what you're gonna do in OCS.

Dietary wise--just eat a "balanced" diet. You will find that as you work out you will crave the carbs. The carbs are a two edged sword. You need the carbs for energy. Too much however just goes to the gut. Lean protein is always good. "Fad diets" and weird supplements frankly are goofy. Just eat what is obviously healthy and don't overdo the carbs.

[scottw]

Or you can just get on HGH/Test I dont think moonpod will agree lol.

[moonpod]

Uh...HGH...yeah....uhm, I suppose if I was Barry Bonds buddy at BALCO....

[scottw]

Uh...HGH...yeah....uhm, I suppose if I was Barry Bonds buddy at BALCO....

hahahaha.. yeah, or just know the right people. Barry is an idiot and got caught, he took a simply knee scope and turned it into a full year off. Give me a break, I have had both ACL's done and was out 3 months with each, back to full in 4 months.. He is a joke!

Ok now that I got that out . haha :shoot7:

[tonkadawg]

Hey Sean - the other thing you need to become intimately familiar with is the term - complete muscle failure. If you don't, I am sure your cadre will introduce you to it. Pick one day a week and do one exercise (push ups, pull ups, or sit ups) and do it until you can't do any more.

[Miguelito]

On the shoes, get fitted at a good running outfitter. They will check out your stride and compensate for pronation. Some better ones even have a video camera behind you so you can see what they're talking about (and improve it). Buy your first pair of shoes from them, and report back if you have any problems. After a couple weeks if you like the shoes, get at least one more pair. Some runners like to test drive them at a running shop and go buy at Big 5 but I choose to stick with a running store I like.

I like to rotate my running shoes (I use 3) so they don't wear out as fast and you're not switching just before a race, but I also log over a 30M/week (at least until this year, uggh). Even if you don't rotate, you don't wanna wake up one morning and find out your shoes are too old, then find out it's been discontinued just before a race.

To make it fun, register for some 5K & 10K runs. Halves also great. I recently made the switch to Tri's since running can be brutal here in the summer. They're fun, better for your body overall and I find the people more interesting.

Running is awesome, I've been competing for 25 years. If you're only at a mile now, you obviously won't believe me - for a long time to come. But one day it will just click and you'll be a convert.

Good luck and congrats on joining the USMC. That is very noble of you.

[SeanCallan]

So, let me see if I get this straight.

You're advising me to run farther distances, slower?

Actually, I don't have a ruck sack but I've carried heavier weight. I used to camp alot and I'd easily carry that much. I may drop it down and eventually build up, what's your idea on that?

As for push ups and pullups and so forth, I'm going to continue to do them everyday or only on those complete muscle failure days?

[tonkadawg]

How fast are you running now? It's easy to run short distances faster - I could run a 4:15 mile, but 15:00 5K - the longer your distance typically the slower you will go.

To get the actual feel, you need a ruck sack - you need to feel that [email protected] frame digging into your kidneys and lower back. You need to feel the shoulder straps cutting into your shoulders from the weight. I carried both nice packs and Army issue - there's a big difference!!!

Keep doing your push ups, pulls ups, and sit ups, but pick one day and one exercise and go till failure at the end of your work out. Just be sure to not do the same exercise each time.

[SeanCallan]

Ok, so run 3miles at 10 minute miles or as fast as possible until I get it down to steady 7-8 minute miles?

Yeah, the only packs I have are: backpacks and camping packs.

I have 9 months till I go to OCS, I want to be doing at least 5 miles a day and be able to do 20 pullups without a problem. I don't think that's a very hard to reach goal, do you? (That's my minimum goal, if I could get 10 miles a day, I'd be even happier)

[moonpod]

hahahaha.. yeah, or just know the right people. Barry is an idiot and got caught, he took a simply knee scope and turned it into a full year off. Give me a break, I have had both ACL's done and was out 3 months with each, back to full in 4 months.. He is a joke!

Ok now that I got that out . haha :shoot7:

yeah but you dont' have his disability insurance....you better believe he's gonna ride that one.

[tonkadawg]

10 minutes per mile is pretty slow, even by Corp standards :lol: Sean, you should be able to run 3 miles under 24 minutes.

You definitely should be able to get 20 pull ups in 9 months - if not, have fun!!!!

[SeanCallan]

10 minute miles is pretty slow, but I don't want to do something crazy my first day out running. I'm also running with 2 other people who don't have the experience I do in sports. So I may take it slow at first for them to keep up and get ready for the rest. I don't intend to let them hold be back, but at least one them has already signed up for PLC(OCS) with me the other one is pending.

[invincible569]

Or you can just get on HGH/Test I dont think moonpod will agree lol.

For endurance, Winny is the choice of steroid since its a fast acting ester and especially since it isnt detected in your system after a couple of weeks. HGH is also good, but too much of it will make your other body parts grow. Thats why you see bodybuilders have huge stomachs and oversized growth all over there bodies. Like no other steroid, HGH makes your bones and organs start growing again. Sean needs to focus on building his slow twitch muscle fibers rather than his fast ones. Fast ones are for high peak tensions usually for a short quick distance. Slow muscle fibers are for endurance.

Sean, in order to avoid injury, take it slow at first while your muscles respond to chronic overload. Over time, your muscles will learn to cope with intense excercise.