Now, upon my arrival back at Semper Fitness headquarters, I was bombarded with quite a few e-mails requesting advice. What I've decided to do is write back to back Mail Call articles to answer some of the more frequently asked questions (FAQs). Let's get to the information.

QUESTION ONE:
In a month, I leave for Parris Island to begin my recruit training. I was wondering for some tips on increasing my sit-up and push up max's. Any ideas?

Thank you.
Jared Holloway

REPLY:
Well Jared, to be honest with you, it won't make any difference how many push-ups you can do when you go to Parris Island. They don't ask you to do a specific number. They just say "begin", and you do as many as you can before they tell you to stop. As far as increasing your sit-ups, you might want to take a look at the 'Absolutely Great Abdominals' article in the Semper Fitness archive. Try to conduct that workout once a week for about one month and then cut down to once every two or three weeks. That'll help increase your sit-ups. Obviously, you have to wait until after recruit training to start this program. Good luck on The Island and don't worry. The Drill Instructors will help you increase your sit-ups and push-ups dramatically. Trust me. Semper Fi.

QUESTION TWO:
Hello Tony,

I enjoy getting my endurance exercise through running, but I'm having difficulty maintaining consistent strength training with my travel schedule. The solution I've come up with is to stick with a calisthenic workout, so I've come to the Marine Corps for the definitive program. Can you help me?

Thanks!
James Carpenter

REPLY:
James, I know it can be hard maintaining your strength on the go. First of all, I need to know how much time you can spare to workout. If you have about an hour a day, I can help you. Calisthenics can be very taxing and a great workout if you push yourself. What I would suggest you do is look in the Semper Fitness archive for the following articles:

Platoon Pt: The card workout
Platoon Pt: The pull-up, push-up, and crunch workout
Platoon Pt: Four mile Endurance course
Absolutely Great Abdominals

Try doing one of these exercise sessions two to three times per week, alternating between different exercise sessions. For example, conduct the card workout on Monday, the endurance course on Wednesday, and the abdominal workout on Friday. They are designed to last no longer than an hour. So time should not be too much of a problem. Most of these workouts have a lot of strength, as well as endurance exercises. Try doing those for a couple of months and come up with variances to those workouts after that. Drop me a line in a couple of months and tell me what you think. Oo-rah!!!

QUESTION THREE:
Hey, what's up? I was reading your tips on how to get physically fit. I am 16 and am interested in possibly joining the Marines. I was wondering if you have any tips on how to get in shape for boot camp, what to expect, etc. The running I can do, but I'd like to know what else ya'll do just to start preparing myself to be one of "A few good women."

Thanks so much!
Kelly Simo

REPLY:
There is nothing more motivating than a female that is looking forward to taking up the challenge of becoming a U.S. Marine. Kelly, I applaud you for your decision to become one of "The Few." As far as getting in shape before recruit training, we might be able to do something about that. Marines put a big emphasis on upper body strength and endurance. These are the areas that you want to concern yourself with before recruit training. For women, you have three areas on our Physical Fitness Test (PFT) that you have to think about. Those areas are the flexed arm hang, crunches, and a three mile run. For help with the run and the crunches take a look in the Semper Fitness archive and check out the articles on running and the one titled 'Absolutely Great Abdominals.' The flexed arm hang, however, is a different story. You need to start building up your back and arms. If you have access to a gym, you need to concentrate on exercises that target the back and bicep muscles.

To get examples of back and biceps exercises, go into the archive and look at the 'Five-day Workout Plan,' days three (3) and four (4). This should help you build up for the rigors of our beloved band of brothers and sisters. Oo-rah Kelly. Keep up the motivation and don't let anyone steal your fire.

I would just like to thank everyone for their inquiries and say that they all motivate me. Join me next time for part two. Stay pumped, stay motivated and OO-RAH! Good to be back.

Semper Fidelis!

Semper Fitness Archive

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