Old guy passes APFT. What's your recent score?

[Cincinnatus]

How the heck did you get in at 50? Are you a Dr?

See sig line. Active duty Army 1976-1986 gave me 9-1/2 years of time that was subtracted from my age to get under the 42-year age barrier. Got out of Active as a SSG, came back in as a SGT, made rank fast, got my SFC in 2008. The Army's been good to me.

[Cincinnatus]

Thanks all for the encouragement, service, and sharing your stories.

Colt45, I have always been a regular exerciser but never a runner. I modified my workouts to include the push-ups and sit-ups. I bought one of those gps watches and heart rate monitor chest strap. I found a relatively flat residential block in my neighborhood and started running 1 to 2 miles 2 to 3 times per week, progressing to 2.1 miles 2 to 3 times per week. The watch keeps me honest with regard to pace and heart rate. I often thought I was working hard but heart rate showed otherwise. I do a lot of time on the elliptical otherwise. I'm not so sure that helped with my running. If you smoke at all, even socially, quit completely.

I had a scare with plantar fasciiitis. Heel pain started out of the blue one morning, continued for 3 days. I iced it 4 to 5 times a day, stretched and vigorously massaged it. Luckily it resolved completely a week. I dodged a bullet because these can typically last 4 to 6 months or more.

Antjonyca, the worst is running with abdominal issues so I'm amazed you got to the 13 minute mark.

I was a runner in high school, both cross-country & track (2-mile), plus I grew up bicycling long distances (20 miles) as a younger teen, plus cross-country skiing, so my running skills were strong.

My advice, FWIW, is long slow distance with wind-sprints mixed in. Go on your run, and find two or three places where you can sprint a block-length at full speed/power. At the end of your long run, rest a bit, then do 50-75 yard wind sprints. When that gets too easy, work up to five miles & ten miles distance, still including the sprinting interspersed.

Just remember, the philosophy of the APFT is that it's a test of your conditioning, which should be good enough that most Soldiers should be able to max it with little effort. Go through some of the old PT manuals and see what they were doing. Log drills were common, as were road marches with full pack & rifles/ammo that would take the full day. These days we're doing EO classes & BS like that. Some modern units don't have weapons in their TOE/MTOE/TDA. How the hell are we supposed to win wars??

[Cincinnatus]

Oh, yeah, I forgot - run relaxed. Let your legs do the work, your upper body should be loose, arms dangling. The only time you need your arms pumping is when you're sprinting. Running is basically walking so fast you're falling forward, using your feet to stop face-planting. Anyone that runs with their torso leaned back is doing it wrong, unless they're full-sprinting.

[chris]

don't care about my score I have my own standards of what I like to pass with. above what the Army wants but i'm no PT stud.

[AregularGuy]

^^that's all that matters is my thought

[anthonyca]

See sig line. Active duty Army 1976-1986 gave me 9-1/2 years of time that was subtracted from my age to get under the 42-year age barrier. Got out of Active as a SSG, came back in as a SGT, made rank fast, got my SFC in 2008. The Army's been good to me.

Nice. We had a guy come back in his 40s as a PFC. He just retired as a Sgt. Major.

[anthonyca]

I was a runner in high school, both cross-country & track (2-mile), plus I grew up bicycling long distances (20 miles) as a younger teen, plus cross-country skiing, so my running skills were strong.

My advice, FWIW, is long slow distance with wind-sprints mixed in. Go on your run, and find two or three places where you can sprint a block-length at full speed/power. At the end of your long run, rest a bit, then do 50-75 yard wind sprints. When that gets too easy, work up to five miles & ten miles distance, still including the sprinting interspersed.

Just remember, the philosophy of the APFT is that it's a test of your conditioning, which should be good enough that most Soldiers should be able to max it with little effort. Go through some of the old PT manuals and see what they were doing. Log drills were common, as were road marches with full pack & rifles/ammo that would take the full day. These days we're doing EO classes & BS like that. Some modern units don't have weapons in their TOE/MTOE/TDA. How the hell are we supposed to win wars??

We aren't. I couldn't take the pussifying of the Army so I didn't stay.

[chris]

I was a runner in high school, both cross-country & track (2-mile), plus I grew up bicycling long distances (20 miles) as a younger teen, plus cross-country skiing, so my running skills were strong.

My advice, FWIW, is long slow distance with wind-sprints mixed in. Go on your run, and find two or three places where you can sprint a block-length at full speed/power. At the end of your long run, rest a bit, then do 50-75 yard wind sprints. When that gets too easy, work up to five miles & ten miles distance, still including the sprinting interspersed.

Just remember, the philosophy of the APFT is that it's a test of your conditioning, which should be good enough that most Soldiers should be able to max it with little effort. Go through some of the old PT manuals and see what they were doing. Log drills were common, as were road marches with full pack & rifles/ammo that would take the full day. These days we're doing EO classes & BS like that. Some modern units don't have weapons in their TOE/MTOE/TDA. How the hell are we supposed to win wars??

they ditched the old school PT and replaced with stupid PRT.

[Cincinnatus]

I was in when they had the five-event PT test - pushups, situps, overhead arm pull (horizontal ladder-like structure, 21 rungs long, score was based on how many "laps" you could do in a two-minute timeframe), run-dodge-jump (complex ditch & barrier arrangement, had to do figure-8s), and the 2-mile run.

http://www.benning.army.mil/Library/...20Training.pdf, starting on pg 211.

[AregularGuy]

I was in when they had the five-event PT test - pushups, situps, overhead arm pull (horizontal ladder-like structure, 21 rungs long, score was based on how many "laps" you could do in a two-minute timeframe), run-dodge-jump (complex ditch & barrier arrangement, had to do figure-8s), and the 2-mile run.

http://www.benning.army.mil/Library/...20Training.pdf, starting on pg 211.

Definitely sounds a lot tougher than current test. Probably a better measure of general and functional fitness for duty.

[Che762x39]

See sig line. Active duty Army 1976-1986 gave me 9-1/2 years of time that was subtracted from my age to get under the 42-year age barrier. Got out of Active as a SSG, came back in as a SGT, made rank fast, got my SFC in 2008. The Army's been good to me.

I am impressed Sarge. I joined the Marines in 1976, did 4 1/2 years active and then I did Cal Guard for two years and got out. I tried to get back in but 6 1/2 years did not give me enough time.

Thank you for your service and stay safe my friend.

[jrpowell3]

My last PFT before I got out 7 years ago was a 289.

20 pull-ups
100 sit-ups
20 minute 3-mile

[Beagle]

I failed my last PT test. Thanks to the military I won't be where I am today.

[AregularGuy]

My last PFT before I got out 7 years ago was a 289.

20 pull-ups
100 sit-ups
20 minute 3-mile

Very impressive! I hope you stuck with your fitness program, sounds like you were in great shape.

[california shooter1]

Thanks for the link. Lots of information Got to be one of the longest running on Calguns!
Thinking about the navy reserves. I am old 60 but still in great shape and have too much energy (probably have some ADD going on.....) and looking for some new horizons. With my skill set (surgeon) they will waiver up to age 64.
My questions if they can be answered are about what one does on your weekends once a month? How about the deployments? I worry about having to leave for more than 3-4 months a year. That would affect my existing practice I have now. Are there any perks? We love guns. Is one able to shoot on ranges if one belongs to a medical unit?
I appreciate any input. I am just starting this journey and have much work to understand what I would be signing up for. A recruiter does what a recruiter is supposed to do, he tells you what you want to hear so would like real answers from real been there reservists. Thanks for your time!