o-rah and Semper Fi from Semper Fitness. We’re going to take a break in the supplement series and answer a few questions that have been posed to us in the past. I really enjoy getting your questions and opinions. I try very hard to make sure I can get an answer to all of your questions. If I haven’t sent you the answer personally or you’ve not seen it in Semper Fitness, rest assured you’ll get your answer soon. Now let’s get to the Q&A.
Q: I am preparing for bootcamp and I was wondering how often I should run and how far?
Understand that Parris Island’s job is to take the average individual and basically train them as a Marine. When you get down there, they’re going to start you off at a mile and a half and build you up to three (3) miles. You will do one motivational run of up to five (5) miles at the end of boot camp. If you want to prepare, I would suggest running 2-3 times per week and no more than two miles. Now, if you like running, then you can increase the distance and the speed at which you run. If you just want to prepare for boot, the previous plan will work. Oo-rah!
Q: Can you or should you mix a weight loss supplement like ephedrine with creatine monohydrate?
You should not have nay problem mixing the two supplements together. I have not heard of, nor have I read any reason why the two supplements couldn’t be used in conjunction. First of all creatine monohydrate will help you put on lean body mass, while ephedrine will help you burn excess bodyfat. I have used both supplements in conjunction with one another and have experienced good results. Just watch how much ephedrine you take as it can give you the jitters if you take too much.
Q: I am scheduled to leave for boot camp in three months and the only area of my Initial Strength Test (IST) that I have not passed is my sit ups and I need all the help I can get. Can you help me?
For those of you who don’t know, the IST is the bare minimum that recruits need to do to go into training for the Marines. The IST consists of Pull-ups, Crunches and a mile and a half run. If you want increase the number of crunches you do, I would suggest doing sit-up and crunch drills. These drills consist of doing a maximum set in a given time. What I normally do to prepare my people for the IST is four (4) sets of crunch/sit-up drills. First, do a max set of the exercise in 2 minutes. Rest for a few minutes then do a max set in 1 minute. Again, rest for a few minutes and do another max set, this time in 30 seconds. Finally, do one final max set in 15 seconds. Keep a record of how many you do and try to increase the number of crunches/sit-ups you do each set for the subsequent workout days. Pretty soon a combination of technique and increased strength will have that IST score up in no time. By the way this works for the regular Physical Fitness Test (PFT) also.
Q: I am very physically fit and I work out regularly. Sometimes I am extremely fatigued, I mean totally wiped out. But as soon as I eat some candy, I feel great. Is there a problem or is this normal? (this is a gist of the question)
Say big guy, it might be normal but if I were you I’d go to medical check to make sure everything is okay. They might give you a test to make sure you are not slightly diabetic.
Well everyone those will be the questions and answers of the day. Next issue we’ll get back to the supplement game and cover two very popular supplements; DHEA and Androstenedione. Once again from Semper Fitness, stay pumped, stay motivated and OO-RAH!
Semper Fidelis!
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