PT test

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

I about died today taking my test. I can't run to save my life. I'm in fairly decent shape maxing my pushups, situps and waist... but the run will always be my downfall. I scored an 85.9 overall which is fine but I should be pulling 95+. Any of you brethren from other services have some tips besides "run more"... I'm looking into like cross fit maybe... thoughts?

[toby2533]

Try start to increse your cardio with bike or elicaptical's that don't hurt your knee as much then build up then run with an IPOd or something try downloading running cadences and let you memory from boot take over. I went fom doing 30 to 45 min on the elicaptical to running 26.2 from Feb to Oct.

[jxspyder]

Run more.

Sent from the muddy banks of the Wishkaw

[ssandersjr]

Drink More BEER?!?! Maybe that would work.

[Rickety Rob]

As much as you may not think this may not work for you but I took almost two minutes of my run time by training on the elliptical. With the elliptical you can increase the resistance and incline. It will help train your legs to withstand strain for a long period of time. I trained on the elliptical for 30 minutes a day at an incline of 10 and resistance of 12. I also made sure I burned up to 500 calories within that 30 minute period. You'll be haling ass if you achieve that time limit with that amount of calories burned. I went from running mid 13's to an 11 minute 45 second two mile run, AND I was 205 when I did it. Keep in mind though, I was 205 lean and not fat lol

[iamthesgt]

Run more.

This. Or play a cardio-intensive sport. I picked up Ultimate Frisbee, started playing 3x/wk, completely stopped running, and dropped my run from about a 9:20 to an 8:47 (and some personal-best 5Ks). The constant stop-start was great for the short distance of 1.5mi.

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[Port66]

Rob is pretty spot on, that's what I would do.


I was one of those crazy guys who loved running, cleared my head. I was all state cross country and defensive lineman at the same time.

I used cadences in the army. I would start slow then up the pace, getting around 1130 on my 2 mile for 6 years. I have helped a lot of guys get good at their pt test by just upping their pace running with them, I do it with the kids I coach now.

The main question is it breathing, hitting a wall, or pain? I use the cadences also to control my asthma. I have worked with some people they just have an inefficiant way to run. I know learning form running helps.

Tapatalk HD, high def ranting.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

For me its mental strength and will power... i just hate running I feel like it's a waste of my life lol

[Port66]

For me its mental strength and will power... i just hate running I feel like it's a waste of my life lol

Haha that's where I am now lol. I set goals short term and long term, I can make it to that tree, that corner ok now I can beat that car to the corner, etc. I can beat my last time cause the treadmill is my bitch. That the way I trick myself.


Tapatalk HD, high def ranting.

[toby2533]

download running cadences from the air force from boot, pump your arms but keep your fist loose, and pump your finers open & close to keep blood flow going to the hands (mostly for cold air runs). also go to a running shoe store with the go faster you use now. Most running stores are staffed with runners who will help you get the running shoe you need, which usually is not the most expensive, at the commerical sporting good store were you have to deal with so buzzed teenage kid.

[Port66]

download running cadences from the air force from boot, pump your arms but keep your fist loose, and pump your finers open & close to keep blood flow going to the hands (mostly for cold air runs). also go to a running shoe store with the go faster you use now. Most running stores are staffed with runners who will help you get the running shoe you need, which usually is not the most expensive, at the commerical sporting good store were you have to deal with so buzzed teenage kid.

Oh good stuff.


Tapatalk HD, high def ranting.

[Rickety Rob]

i just hate running after G's mom all the time. I feel like it's a waste of my life at times lol

Edited version. In all serious, whats not to hate about the any PT test. All of them are meaningless

[iamthesgt]

Edited version. In all serious, whats not to hate about the any PT test. All of them are meaningless

Lol nice one. But do you not think everyone needs to be fit? Maybe they could test it a different way, but we can't have this all the time (sorry I offend anyone):

4625

[ASignorelli]

I always had over a 300 back in the day. For cardio, try 60-120s. go about 80%-90% for 1 min. SPRINTING! Then about 30%-40% jogging (around a 9-10 min pace). Only need to do about 5 reps of those a day. in a month I guarantee a 10% increase in your 2 mile if you do this on top of regular PT.

[Port66]

I always did good on my pt test. I would get better at one event and drop another and never get over 270. I wasn't looking for promotion points so I was fine. I always maxed the run but depending on what duty I was on affected my situps and pushups. I was the mcs nco so when I moved those behemoth boxes I was always toast a couple of days.

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[Rickety Rob]

Lol nice one. But do you not think everyone needs to be fit? Maybe they could test it a different way, but we can't have this all the time (sorry I offend anyone):

4625

Everytime I see this photo, I can't stop laughing. So sad. How in the heck did he ever pass any kind of test to get in the Army

[River_Rat_459]

Everytime I see this photo, I can't stop laughing. So sad. How in the heck did he ever pass any kind of test to get in the Army

I'm gonna take a wild guess that he was an IRR recall. Likely during the 2004 build up when they let damn near anyone in.

[Rickety Rob]

I'm gonna take a wild guess that he was an IRR recall. Likely during the 2004 build up when they let damn near anyone in.

Well...whoever brought him back had to have been a moron. I find it funny thow the Army wouldn't let a person who was a great soldier who had tattoos on spots that weren't considered the Army standard but instead would bring back soldiers who were not physically fit

[River_Rat_459]

Well...whoever brought him back had to have been a moron. I find it funny thow the Army wouldn't let a person who was a great soldier who had tattoos on spots that weren't considered the Army standard but instead would bring back soldiers who were not physically fit

Yup. Our unit bought a guy out of the IRR who had weight issues like the guy in the pic. He wound up having back issues once they hit the ground in Iraq and was sent home for a medical discharge about two months later.

[Rickety Rob]

Yup. Our unit bought a guy out of the IRR who had weight issues like the guy in the pic. He wound up having back issues once they hit the ground in Iraq and was sent home for a medical discharge about two months later.

That's soooooo sad but that happens all the time. Especially in a time of war. People are scared to join so they go back to who they had and don't really care what they look like. Except for the tattoos part

[iCharlieF0xtr0t]

You'd be surprised how much better you'd run if you started off with lifting 5 days a week on a routine. Find a decent gym in your area with a pool and get a membership. Lift with every thing you got I'm Talking hour to two hours a day at the gym. Swim laps for about a half hour or do some resistance or incline running on the treadmill or bike and than concentrate on that days work out. Do Legs&Abs/Bi&Tri&Abs/Back&Chest/Shoulders&Traps&Abs/Repeat whatever workout you want on the fifth day. Find a good preworkout before your runs and workout. Id suggest the old USPLabs Jack3d or C4. It will give you amazing motivation. But good luck bro.

Also in your down time man suit up throw on a either a weight vest or a back back with say 45Lbs in it and just go freely run around your nieghborhood try not to push yourself steady pace steady breathing take breaks when neccasary concentrate on distance not time.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

You'd be surprised how much better you'd run if you started off with lifting 5 days a week on a routine. Find a decent gym in your area with a pool and get a membership. Lift with every thing you got I'm Talking hour to two hours a day at the gym. Swim laps for about a half hour or do some resistance or incline running on the treadmill or bike and than concentrate on that days work out. Do Legs&Abs/Bi&Tri&Abs/Back&Chest/Shoulders&Traps&Abs/Repeat whatever workout you want on the fifth day. Find a good preworkout before your runs and workout. Id suggest the old USPLabs Jack3d or C4. It will give you amazing motivation. But good luck bro.

Also in your down time man suit up throw on a either a weight vest or a back back with say 45Lbs in it and just go freely run around your nieghborhood try not to push yourself steady pace steady breathing take breaks when neccasary concentrate on distance not time.

I lift a lot. I love lifting and prefer it over any type of cardio. I used to take Jack3d but it is no longer allowed to be used in the Air Force... of course. It worked so well too. I use Assault now which is good just very sugary. I am gonna try having cardio days as a separate thing.

[Port66]

I lift a lot. I love lifting and prefer it over any type of cardio. I used to take Jack3d but it is no longer allowed to be used in the Air Force... of course. It worked so well too. I use Assault now which is good just very sugary. I am gonna try having cardio days as a separate thing.

HIT training is a good mix of cardio and muscle work. I personally got iin great shape with insanity. I nearly died the first couple of weeks, but lost 30 lbs in 2 months and didnt even diet. my running times were better too


Oh and I downloaded the whole thing to my ipad so I didnt buy the dvd's

[iamthesgt]

I lift a lot. I love lifting and prefer it over any type of cardio. I used to take Jack3d but it is no longer allowed to be used in the Air Force... of course. It worked so well too. I use Assault now which is good just very sugary. I am gonna try having cardio days as a separate thing.

I hate lifting. Actually I guess I hate cardio too (because I'm lazy lol), I'm just better at cardio than the gym. So I just do cardio.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

I have a strong lifting background just how I was brought up playing football and bball. Cardio was just second best lol...

[Port66]

I have a strong lifting background just how I was brought up playing football and bball. Cardio was just second best lol...

I was the opposite. I was fast and farm boy strong so coach let me run ans do drills and skip weights since I was double sporting in cross country during football.

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[Rickety Rob]

I tell you what Jared. The only way you're ever going to get better in your run is to...run. Cardio is what many people hate cause the results are as fast as working out. People see faster results when they get stronger but fail to realize that they are also gaining unnecessary weight in the mid section. Try the Elliptical and watch the wonders that come from it. Resistance is key because you strain your legs when you move them. Then when it comes to running, you'll see that your legs move much faster and have to use less strain in order to move.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

I tell you what Jared. The only way you're ever going to get better in your run is to...run. Cardio is what many people hate cause the results are as fast as working out. People see faster results when they get stronger but fail to realize that they are also gaining unnecessary weight in the mid section. Try the Elliptical and watch the wonders that come from it. Resistance is key because you strain your legs when you move them. Then when it comes to running, you'll see that your legs move much faster and have to use less strain in order to move.

True... I'll hit up the elliptical and give it a shot. Seems much easier than a treadmill.

[toby2533]

True... I'll hit up the elliptical and give it a shot. Seems much easier than a treadmill.

Throw you Ipad on the book holder and surf porn makes a 45 min cardio goes faster on a elliptical.

[KaNtSt0PMeH]

Lol I have a hard time running with a boner...

[WHIT3C3LL]

I'm just gonna say after running 2 days in a row doing a diagnostic pt test this morning SUCKED!!! My psg and pl did not plan that very well


Sent by some white guy lost in the desert with a green alien

[Ragingclue]

Only things that have ever helped me with my run time (I also DESPISE running/cardio just for the sake of running/cardio):

1) Cutting (weight loss, lats also were in the way of my triceps when I ran after bulking which hindered my form)
2) Consciously improve form until it becomes subconscious
3) Competitive sports (soccer worked the best)
4) Running/cardio just for the sake of running/cardio

Fortunately for me, due to the way things were scored and evaluated, on my Pro/Cons then FitReps, a 285 was as good as a 300 (perfect). So just had to aim to do more than 20 pull ups (easy to prep for), 100+ crunches (laughable), and then 20:30 in the 3-mile. I noticed once I got around the 20 flat mark, making improvements required more and more effort per unit time. It was like diminishing returns. I found that it just wasn't worth trying to improve beyond that point.

But yeah in order to improve at running, your best bet is to run more. Improve form. Maybe mask cardio as a sports effort. I dunno.... But one thing a lot of people overlook is form. It can feel like a pain at first but essentially any gains you get from it are "free" so-to-speak.

Oh and running with weights and especially uphill.... Those helped me a bit. Weighted myself down for the weeks leading up to the test, then when it was time to run I felt lighter.

[Rickety Rob]

True... I'll hit up the elliptical and give it a shot. Seems much easier than a treadmill.

Less friction on your knees and cause of that I like

[River_Rat_459]

Swim. Period.

[USMCramirez]

Only things that have ever helped me with my run time (I also DESPISE running/cardio just for the sake of running/cardio):

1) Cutting (weight loss, lats also were in the way of my triceps when I ran after bulking which hindered my form)
2) Consciously improve form until it becomes subconscious
3) Competitive sports (soccer worked the best)
4) Running/cardio just for the sake of running/cardio

Fortunately for me, due to the way things were scored and evaluated, on my Pro/Cons then FitReps, a 285 was as good as a 300 (perfect). So just had to aim to do more than 20 pull ups (easy to prep for), 100+ crunches (laughable), and then 20:30 in the 3-mile. I noticed once I got around the 20 flat mark, making improvements required more and more effort per unit time. It was like diminishing returns. I found that it just wasn't worth trying to improve beyond that point.

But yeah in order to improve at running, your best bet is to run more. Improve form. Maybe mask cardio as a sports effort. I dunno.... But one thing a lot of people overlook is form. It can feel like a pain at first but essentially any gains you get from it are "free" so-to-speak.

Oh and running with weights and especially uphill.... Those helped me a bit. Weighted myself down for the weeks leading up to the test, then when it was time to run I felt lighter.
^this is good.
Also, sprints. Instead of going long distance every day, break it up and throw in sprint intervals. It really does make you a hell of a lot faster. If you like hitting the weights, have a day of leg work, light weight high intensity. Squats, deadlifts, power cleans, snatches. Anything like that will really help improve your run time. I promise.

[US_Patriots]

For me its mental strength and will power... i just hate running I feel like it's a waste of my life lol

COMPLETELY agree.

[US_Patriots]

I tell you what Jared. The only way you're ever going to get better in your run is to...run. Cardio is what many people hate cause the results are as fast as working out. People see faster results when they get stronger but fail to realize that they are also gaining unnecessary weight in the mid section. Try the Elliptical and watch the wonders that come from it. Resistance is key because you strain your legs when you move them. Then when it comes to running, you'll see that your legs move much faster and have to use less strain in order to move.

Man, you may have just changed my "PT life". I've never heard anyone suggest something like this. I'm going to give this a shot. I do have a question though... does using the Elliptical use/strengthen any different muscles in your legs that running does not? Or is it the same as running just with more resistance? I appreciate your feedback!

[Rickety Rob]

Man, you may have just changed my "PT life". I've never heard anyone suggest something like this. I'm going to give this a shot. I do have a question though... does using the Elliptical use/strengthen any different muscles in your legs that running does not? Or is it the same as running just with more resistance? I appreciate your feedback!

I don't think so. I do know this, and this is from experience. When you train with resistance, you'll see the difference in running with resistance and without. How do sprinters train to run faster? They train with resistance to strengthen their legs and when they do their sprints, they run at a much faster rate. Running 5 plus miles is ok but the only thing you gain is stamina. Which is great cause you can work on your breathing technique but again, if you want to train to make yourself faster. You need to train with resistance in the distance you would run your PT test. Remember, 2 miles on an elliptical is def different than running two miles. So when you do use the elliptical, do it at a longer distance. If you can push yourself to do 3 or 4 miles on the elliptical with high resistance and maintain a good speed, you def see a huge drop in your time. Here is an example of how I knocked time off my run time.

I do the elliptical for 30 minutes and within that time I do it at a 10 incline and 12 resistance. I measured my speed based on how many Reps Per Minute (RPM's) is did. I tried to stay around 165 to 170. I also had a target of how many calories I wanted to burn within the time limit, and it was 500 calories. I know it may seem like a lot but if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it.

If your now starting off with it, I would do something in moderation to what your body can handle and than move up from their. Good luck

[toby2533]

on my home elliptical I do 4 to 5 times a week I always go 30 min then once a week I do 45 min, on the 30 min I burn 540 calories, now once winter is ending I'll start running also what I do is once I get my running legs back about a month into training, I then sprint periodically between telephone poles to help increase my time and build faster firing leg muscles. I also life weight 3 times a week not to get bigger but keep what I have, once I start running the pounds drop like crazy, remember after 30 males start losing muscle mass, so we have to eat a increased protein diet and resistance train to maintain the muscle mass.

[USMCramirez]

remember after 30 males start losing muscle mass, so we have to eat a increased protein diet and resistance train to maintain the muscle mass.

You're not giving me much to look forward to in the next couple of years.

[toby2533]

hell wait to your late 40's your happy to get up without too much pain.

[Rickety Rob]

hell wait to your late 40's your happy to get up without too much pain.

If I didn't already know what we were talking about...I would have read this in the wrong way lol

[iamthesgt]

If I didn't already know what we were talking about...I would have read this in the wrong way lol

You would Rob.

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