A marine corps workout is a workout unlike any standard workout. Marine’s require there bodies to function and when I say function I mean function!
To be a marine you have to be the best, the level of commitment is the highest you can imagine then times that by 20 to come even close.
Their workout routine is so verdigris just thinking about it would make a normal man feel tired!
In this article I want to explore some of the key elements of the training each marine suffers to be the marine he needs to be, this includes crunches and a crunch routine only for the fit and probably mentally unstable.
Before creating any kind of workout It’s essential to be specific if it’s to be effective. Being specific requires taking a closer look at the demands placed on a Marine when out in the field.
This workout should help them to perform which will in turn benefit concentration as fatigue usually results in more mistakes being made.
“Fatigue makes Cowards of us all”
As you may already know, the Marine corps has a physical fitness and strength test which is graded out of 100. There’s no reason why you can’t get above 60 points on this test with some prior specific training.
Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test Scoring
Each Marine receives a score based on his\her performance in each event, these being pull-ups, crunches and a 3 mile run.
Based on the total points of the three events, a marine will be assigned to a physical fitness class.
First class being the highest and third class being the lowest. In order to even get a score on the test you have to be able to do:
50 pull-ups in 2 minutes
100 crunches in 2 minutes
run 3 miles in 16 minutes
this is in one session, it’s the ultimate 20 minute workout not for the faint hearted.
Your Guide To Improved Pull ups
Here are some tips to improve your pull-ups;
Watch your grip
Make sure to grip the bar towards your fingers and avoid pinching you skin from the bar as this will cause you unnecessary pain and hinder your performance. So take time to adjust to a comfortable grip.
Recruit your back
When doing a pull up you should be recruiting the muscles in the back as oppose to your arms. This is because the back muscles are far more dominant that the biceps and triceps and are, as a result stronger. Keep practising using your back muscles and you will get better at pull ups.
Cross your legs
Crossing your legs compacts neighbouring muscles and as a result makes them stronger.
100 Crunches In A Day
100 crunches a day seems like a challenge but 100 crunches in two minutes well that’s just insanity!
The ab crunch test has a two minute time limit where the individual being tested must complete 100 in the two minute time frame if not then you do not qualify and it’s time to join the army for a 15 mile jog to think about your shame.
The group is then rated and graded on who completed the task the quickest. (sounds easy …yes?)
The criteria for this test is as follows
Arms must be placed across your chest with no gap between the arms and chest.
This implies that the arms must be in contact with the chest right throughout the test.
Each crunch must be the same no half measures to be in this gang.
A rep is only counted if your upper body begins at the bottom and then your elbows touch the thighs.
Another person is NOT allowed to hold your feet onto the ground to keep your body in place.
Your mother can’t help you now boy!
I find the best way increase crunches is not only just doing crunches themselves but also developing some of the muscle of the body that help us to do crunches more easily. These exercises include back extensions of the lower back, squats for the gluteus and core and dead lifts also for the core.
Personally, I would incorporate too much upper body stuff as a heavy upper body may result in you finding it harder to raise the body into the top part of the crunch position. The main thing is to concentrate on exercise which develops the mid section.
On top of this, it would be prudent to keep your body fat as low as possible as excess body fat just acts as a dead weight on your body making it harder for you to crunch. Do some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to shed this body fat. This should also help your aerobic endurance which will play a big role in the endurance you have for crunching to 100 reps!
16 Minute 3 Mile Run
If you are still alive you have reached the final stage of the test, my advice is to not practice your 3 mile runs on a treadmill as it is much more strenuous completing a 3 mile run outdoors due to wind resistance and the surface of the ground.
The best way to train for this workout is to run 13 laps of an athletic track 3 times every week. 12 laps is 4800 meters which works out to be exactly 3 miles so by doing 13 laps from the beginning you are mentally putting yourself ahead of the game.
Time yourself with a stopwatch and attempt to beat this time every time you run the 3 miles, I can’t stress how important this is you really do need to improve your speed every time you do the run
A good way of doing this is firstly running the 3.2 miles or 13 laps and then dividing this time by the number of laps. So lets say for example that it takes you 26 minutes to run 13 laps. That means on average it took 2 minutes to run each lap.
All you have to do now is run each lap at 1.59 seconds to cut time off you last record!
If you can complete this 20 minute workout you are on your way to joining the marines or at least becoming extremely fit.
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