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(P)hysical (F)itness (T)est Challenge

Gentlemen:

We are right at a month away from our GRC. If you aren’t training yet I feel for you. You have to get under Ruck. There is no substitution for that, and there are several options available to you in the Columbia/Lake Murray region, as well as some in the Florence area (see U-Haul). Get under Ruck now, and do it often. You will need that training for our long, cold night in November.

What YHC is proposing in this blast is something that will help us all in the GRC, but is also something we should all consider adding as a daily routine. YHC completed the “Red, Light, and Blue” in Charlotte in August. It was an eye-opening experience. It was challenging both mentally and physically, but it was only 7 hours long. The GRC will be much, much more physically and mentally demanding. One of the Cadre at the RLB was Cadre Bert, and one of the things he suggested to us, as he was beating us down, was that we should all be ready to pass a PFT at anytime. So, he recommended practicing the Push-Ups and Sit-Ups portion of the PFT every day. So, that’s the challenge YHC proposes. HC now to take on the PU and SU portions of the PFT every day from now (October 20) until our GRC event commences (so, end on November 20).

Now, some of y’all probably don’t know what the PFT PU and SU portions call for, so that’s what the remainder of this post is about. Also, you need to practice your reps using the “standard,” which is also explained below. If the descriptions herein aren’t good enough, you can google Army PFT Standards and find all sorts of videos that will give you more direction.

Push-Ups

pushup analysis

In F3 we call ’em Merkins, but we should all know what a Push-Up is and how to do one to the standard. Your hands should be placed on the ground even with your shoulders, your knees off the ground, your feet should be 12 inches or less apart, and your back should remain straight with your head up. You start in the “up” position, with your arms locked-out fully. You lower your self “down,” until your shoulders are below your elbows, then press back up. That’s one. You preform as many as you can in 2 minutes, using proper form.

pushup

For the GORUCK Selection, the requirement was at least 55 Push-Ups within 2 minutes. For this challenge you should do the max number you can, using the proper form, within the 2 minute time period. You can rest during the 2 minutes, but only in the “up” position. Your knees cannot touch the ground. You can move into a “downward facing” dog position to rest, as long as your head does not touch the ground. Also, you can adjust the positions of your hands. For instance, you may start with your hands close together, move then out to shoulder width apart, and later to a wide position, but your shoulders must still come past your elbows for a rep to count.

Sit-Ups

situp

As with the Push-Up, we all should know what a proper Sit-Up is and how to do one. In a PFT another person is allowed to hold your feet by pushing down on the tops of your feet. If your M is not willing to do this every night, you can use a bed or sofa to anchor your feet. In fact it is required as part of this challenge. Do not “rock” yourself into the up position. “Kick-starting” does not meet the standard.

Start by lying on your back. Bend your knees, and place your hands behind you head. You must interlace your fingers behind your head. Also, your hands have to stay behind your “head.” They cannot go up on top of your head or down onto your neck. You will then raise your head and shoulders up towards your knees using your abdominal muscles. Your head must past the base of your spine for a rep to count. You then lower your torso back to the ground, so that your shoulder blades touch the ground. That is one rep.

For the Selection the minimum requirement was 65 within 2 minutes. For this challenge you are to complete as many Sit-Ups as you can in 2 minutes. You can rest during the 2 minute time period, but only in the up position. At ALL times your hands must remain behind your head with your fingers interlaced.

During this challenge, you cannot rest more than 2 minutes between the Push-Ups portion and the Sit-Ups portion.

Do this everyday and record your results. In fact, post your results on Twitter or Facebook or even in the comments sections of this Post. Publicly displaying your results will help hold you, and all others participating in this challenge, accountable.

Good luck, and remember to keep training. Get under Ruck as often as you can, cause the GRC ain’t going to be no joke. It’ll be fun and memorable, but only after the hurt stops. Until then get under Ruck and embrace the suck.

That is all…for now.

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