so how hardcore balls to wall intense, marines or army basic is, im 145lb and 6ft and smoke a pack a half a day, i know i wouldnt last long, but i would like to know so i can create some kinda of traning schedule to work with.

145lb and 6ft and smoke a pack a half a day

Those are your two biggest problems, right there. What the hell do you look like? That tall and that light? Are you fresh from a damn concentration camp?

You need to get into a weightlifting program for overall body development, with an emphasis on upper body strength. Thankfully, you probably have very little fat on you, so your strength gains will very quickly convert into substantial ability to do bodyweight exercises that are oh so popular in the military(pushups, pullups, flutterkicks, etc.).

Also, and I cannot stress this enough, you need to quit smoking. If you currently do no exercise, I can bet your ass you have virtually zero capacity for cardio exercise, like running. I consistently hear from guys that the part about bootcamp they were most unprepared for is the huge amount of running they do. Smoking is terrible for lung capacity, and you need to up that for running.

For starters, the first thing I can recommend for you is to start running. When I started, I didn't time myself or anything, I just ran around the block until I started dry heaving and felt like shit. When I started in early January, that meant once around the block. Today in June, I'm up to 6 times around the block. 100% gain every month is cool, so is 6 times the running capacity I used to have. So just start running around your block. Running shoes with cushioned soles are definitely going to help. That way your knees wont get destroyed and I guarantee it will help you increase your run times. One of the cool things you will like about running is that when you first start off(from sedentary to exercising), you will see ridiculous gains in very short order. Running once every two days until you start puking and you will double your running capacity in 2 weeks. You'll start to feel pretty good about yourself.

The weight training, I really just think you should pick up a pretty self-explanatory guide to weightlifting and hit the gym. They probably have one at Reinvent Yourself or at www.bodybuilding.com. Once you pack on some more muscle I would suggest you start doing some military bodyweight exercises to make sure you are better prepared.

Good luck, even if you don't decide to join the military it's always a good idea to stay in shape.

While Byss is right that smoking is BAD for you, I should point out that every ex-special forces man I've ever known (and its been more than a few) has smoked hard. I think in the legion its actually a rule that you have to smoke at least 3 packs a day.

To be honest if you're young and you're running several miles a day (with a bergen for favourite) then a pack a day ain't going to cause you too many problems.

Course ten or twenty years down the line its going to kill your wind.

try googleing basic training diary or how to survive basic, something like that anyway, its got a fair bit of advice about

Ketch has a pretty good point, most soldiers are heavy smokers.
You do need to quit though, not necessarily for health (though it doesn't hurt to quit altogether) but the use of tobacco products is completely prohibited at Basic. You don't need withdrawl added to the stresses you'll experience.

As far as choosing a service, the US Army's BCT is now a pushover. I'm pretty sure they aren't even allowed to yell at you anymore, which is ridiculous. When I took it, they were still allowed to be tough on you, and it was still pretty easy.
The Marine Corps still has a very demanding program though, physically and mentally.

It's your choice, but if you don't put on any muscle or get in even a semblance of physical health, you won't even make it into the Marine's Basic. It'd be a waste of time to try.

LIke the other poster advised, spend a lot of time getting in shape, at least six to twelve months, and then go for it. Good luck in your choice.

Yyyeah, you need to stop smoking.

As a recruit, you wont be able to, and hopefully you won't notice the smell of cigarettes on your drill instructor as he walks by you, as my old TI always had.

After you graduate, you can smoke all you want. Also note that every base (Well, every air force base, anyway) has a health and wellness center (or equivalent) that offers free stop-smoking kits, packages, and programs that would normally cost you a lot more if you got them off some infomercial or in a pharmacy. Even so, it'll probably be in your best interest to either quit, or dramatically decrease your smoking habit when you're even operational, since you'll be having regular PT tests, and I hear that the army is going to start a quarterly PT test plan instead of annually.

As far as physical training goes, shoot for 50 sit ups in under 60 seconds (hands behind the head, elbows touching knees), 50 push ups in <60 (at least 90 degree angle elbow bends), and a 7-10 minute 1.5 mile run.

ARMY:

The army has two types of basics. There is the Infantry and The People Other than Gurnt= POG one.

Pog basic is co-ed, and it really isn't that hard.

I later got reclassed and had to do it again, and got a taste of both.

The infantry was actually easier, maybe because I had already done it, but they didn't do half of the training that I did at Jackson.


The PT scores for someone who is 18-22 are 42 pushups in 2 mins, 54 situps in 2 mins and a two mile in under 15:40

I smoke a pack a day and I passed it on my first try.

Its mostly just a game, and as long as you can play, you'll be fine.

thx for the info yall, and im not outta concentration camp.. im just really tall and lanky..

dont worry too much, the army/marines will get you in shape. sure the better shape your in when you go to basic, the easier it will be. but the intensity isnt full blown on day one. it sucks, and it will kick your ass, dont get me wrong, but they will gradually work you up. the last thing the military wants is to have injured recruits right off the bat. i went to basic completely outta shape, pack a day habit, and although it sucked, i gradually got in shape. biggest thing i would suggest would be to get some running in, try to be able to run 2-3 miles without stopping. the push-ups and the rest will come. trust me you'll be doing plenty of them. good luck, have fun, just play the game and you'll be fine!

Dude I smoke about a pack of reds every day and still get 300 on the PT test.

Since youre skinny pushups would probobly be the hardest thing for you.

Dude I smoke about a pack of reds every day and still get 300 on the PT test.

Since youre skinny pushups would probobly be the hardest thing for you.

Not exactly. I 5'3, 130lb and pushups are fine for me, I tend to do extremely well there.

Ultimately, based on experience and what other people are saying on this thread, it comes down to a matter of willpower. You could be fat as hell but if you can pass the bare mininum requirements, then ultimately you've passed.

push ups are a fuckin bitch for me, even pull ups, but sit ups and running dont bother me as much...oh i found out my real results or w/e im 5'11" 142.5lbs.......

The PT scores for someone who is 18-22 are 42 pushups in 2 mins, 54 situps in 2 mins and a two mile in under 15:40

I smoke a pack a day and I passed it on my first try.

Its mostly just a game, and as long as you can play, you'll be fine.

fuck me side ways the RNZN has gotten soft all you need is 7.1 on the MSFT and 10 press ups >< weak man weak.

fuck me side ways the RNZN has gotten soft all you need is 7.1 on the MSFT and 10 press ups >< weak man weak.

If you go to basic just being able to meet the minimum requirements, it will attract unwanted attention from you directing staff and you will struggle to keep up. They will bring every one up to the basic required fitness to complete the training.

Dude I smoke about a pack of reds every day and still get 300 on the PT test.

Since youre skinny pushups would probobly be the hardest thing for you.

Usually skinny people are good at pushing and running, but they can't do situps.

For me, I can't push or run, I can just do situps. I got a 64% on my pushups, 67% on my 2 mile, and a 95% on my situps. Barely passed the pushups. I was doing the harlem shake as I was trying to push myself up that last time.

Running is just your mind vs. your body. When I got so tired to where I am puking, I just walk for 10-15 seconds, hold my breath and then sprint as hard as I can, then gradually slow down to a walk again, and repeat until I finish the 2 miles. After that I am ready to die.

Wow really look. If you go to USMC boot they will make you stronger. If you can do 3 pull up 55 crunches and run a mile and a half in 15 minutes you meet the min to enter boot. By the end you will be running three in atleast 22 minutes doing like 15 pull ups and 100 crunches easy.

Wow really look. If you go to USMC boot they will make you stronger. If you can do 3 pull up 55 crunches and run a mile and a half in 15 minutes you meet the min to enter boot. By the end you will be running three in atleast 22 minutes doing like 15 pull ups and 100 crunches easy.

The minimum on the IST our recruiters tell us is a little different. 2 pullups, but the mile and a half is 13:30, and crunches are 45. Pretty weak if you ask me, and most the IST failures at our recruiting station are for running. Funny since that was the only thing I could pass my first IST(I had never done any lifting or crunches, was fat, and had only jogged for a month). That was 6 months ago. Now I'm pretty motherfucking alright!

Sorry its been a while since i hit the island. But the idea of the IST is to see if they got something to work with. If you can't do one pull up you would slow the other platoon down. If not they send you to the pork chop platoon and well if boot camp is hazing that platoon takes it to a whole fucking new level. Now a little advice man don't get hung up on learning all the knowledge and shit before hand ya work out like 3 times a week but the knowledge they will teach you enjoy your life before the sux.

so how hardcore balls to wall intense, marines or army basic is, im 145lb and 6ft and smoke a pack a half a day, i know i wouldnt last long, but i would like to know so i can create some kinda of traning schedule to work with.

you'll do fine in the US Army :D

The minimum on the IST our recruiters tell us is a little different. 2 pullups, but the mile and a half is 13:30, and crunches are 45. Pretty weak if you ask me, and most the IST failures at our recruiting station are for running. Funny since that was the only thing I could pass my first IST(I had never done any lifting or crunches, was fat, and had only jogged for a month). That was 6 months ago. Now I'm pretty motherfucking alright!

I'm in the DEP program as well, and looking at the other Poolees they have the most trouble with the runs followed by Pull ups, they meet the standards but could still improve.

Any way It does seem that quitting smoking is a big thing to do before going to basic. Another thing I have heard a lot of is to work on your pull ups and your run times. Basic for the Marine Corps I know will not be easy at all, but from what former poolees (now Marines) are saying is that a lot of basic training is a head game.

I'm in the DEP program as well, and looking at the other Poolees they have the most trouble with the runs followed by Pull ups, they meet the standards but could still improve.

Any way It does seem that quitting smoking is a big thing to do before going to basic. Another thing I have heard a lot of is to work on your pull ups and your run times. Basic for the Marine Corps I know will not be easy at all, but from what former poolees (now Marines) are saying is that a lot of basic training is a head game.

One Army goes to Basic, Marine Recruits go to bootcamp. But yes its a head game just remember everything has a purpose there. They don't just do it for no reason. And quiting smoking before boot yes i would recommend it, you can't smoke in boot and MCT but at MOS its fair game.

ARMY:

The army has two types of basics. There is the Infantry and The People Other than Gurnt= POG one.

Pog basic is co-ed, and it really isn't that hard.

I later got reclassed and had to do it again, and got a taste of both.

The infantry was actually easier, maybe because I had already done it, but they didn't do half of the training that I did at Jackson.



The PT scores for someone who is 18-22 are 42 pushups in 2 mins, 54 situps in 2 mins and a two mile in under 15:40

I smoke a pack a day and I passed it on my first try.

Its mostly just a game, and as long as you can play, you'll be fine.

Not every basic training other than at benning is coed...I went to sill and it was all male...and mostly combat arms. It was not that bad. I mean it sucks ass but its geared toward getting people ready for AIT. besides all the training you receive before you get to your perminate duity station really dosent help you because your unit doesent acually use the shit you learned there.