Prep for Beast

Roadking

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Jan 26, 2012
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I have a quick question about physical preparations for beast. DS has been going to crossfit for the past 3 months and is really doing well there. He runs 4 miles each morning before school and has been consistently around 28 minutes for these runs. He is out on his first ruck march right now to begin breaking in his boots. He is carrying a backpack with 30lbs of sand and his route is 5.5 miles. What would be a good or satisfactory time for a 5.5 mile march? I am thinking that he could ruck every other day and do crossfit on his off-ruck days? Or would it be better to bag crossfit and just max his push-ups/sit-ups/pull-ups? I don't want to seem like a drill sergeant, but he is gung-ho and I want to give him good advice. Thanks for any input. GO ARMY!
 
I have a quick question about physical preparations for beast. DS has been going to crossfit for the past 3 months and is really doing well there. He runs 4 miles each morning before school and has been consistently around 28 minutes for these runs. He is out on his first ruck march right now to begin breaking in his boots. He is carrying a backpack with 30lbs of sand and his route is 5.5 miles. What would be a good or satisfactory time for a 5.5 mile march? I am thinking that he could ruck every other day and do crossfit on his off-ruck days? Or would it be better to bag crossfit and just max his push-ups/sit-ups/pull-ups? I don't want to seem like a drill sergeant, but he is gung-ho and I want to give him good advice. Thanks for any input. GO ARMY!

Your kid's a freakin' stud. He'll do just fine at Beast. Truly. The Army standard is 15 minute mile for foot movement, so 1:22:30 is a good goal.

If he's doing we'll at Crossfit, stick with it. But BEWARE OF INJURIES. Crossfit can lead to some catastrophic stuff.

I'd add PU/SU at the end of the workout to be safe, but odds are he's ok already.
 
I'd drop the crossfit and focus on push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and running.

As far as rucking, he doesn't need to be out there with a ruck on every other day. 2 or 3 more 6ish mile rucks between now and R-Day will be more than enough. The rucks during beast do not go fast enough or carry enough weight to warrant any more train up, and the risk of an injury outweighs the potential benefits of coming in ready to knock out the Air Assault ruck.
 
Your son has been doing what I've been doing. I've been doing a lot of CrossFit at the local athletic warehouse and I love it. I was told by a current Cadet to build up to 6 mile runs and not to worry about rucking too much.
 
Your kid's a freakin' stud. He'll do just fine at Beast. Truly. The Army standard is 15 minute mile for foot movement, so 1:22:30 is a good goal.

If he's doing we'll at Crossfit, stick with it. But BEWARE OF INJURIES. Crossfit can lead to some catastrophic stuff.

I'd add PU/SU at the end of the workout to be safe, but odds are he's ok already.

Thanks Scout and Bear, I think you may be right about the Crossfit. They do quite a bit of squatting with weight, clean and jerk etc...Since R-Day is getting so close I think it may be time to breakout the bubble wrap! Plus he can do all of the stretching and burpees at home. His ruck went well...under 90 minutes and no issues with his feet or boots (Bates M-8). God Bless you guys! Thanks.
 
Thanks Scout and Bear, I think you may be right about the Crossfit. They do quite a bit of squatting with weight, clean and jerk etc...Since R-Day is getting so close I think it may be time to breakout the bubble wrap! Plus he can do all of the stretching and burpees at home. His ruck went well...under 90 minutes and no issues with his feet or boots (Bates M-8). God Bless you guys! Thanks.

Take it from me...one bad powerlift can screw your back up for 6 months. 16 years later that spot in my back hurts when I fly for more than an hour.
 
Roadking- My son is also prepping for Beast, and now that Track and Field is over he is on "two a days" also, we get up together at 0530 and he runs, and I walk. we are putting in ruck work 2x a week, mostly to break in boots and for him to see what it feels like. He does Push ups and Sit ups (Core) work out in the afternoons, with Bench press. The Push Up work out is a pyramid of sets, starting with regular, wide arm, one set of "diamonds" then back down with Wide arm and then regular. I will tell you that the Army Standard for all Combat Skill badges (except Airborne school) is a 12 mile Road March in 3 hours with Ruck (normally 35-45 lbs depending on Badge), this includes Helmut, Weapon (8-10 lbs) and Vest or "load carrying equipment" which has the canteens, hydration system or whatever they call it now. These are the schools or Qualifications such as Air Assualt, Expert infantry Badge, Expert Field Medical Badge, Ranger etc. If he is going to build up to the 12 miler, most Cadre will tell you to be at the 6 mile mark no later than 1 hour and 20 minutes. WHen I went to Air Assualt School we had a Lieutenant "run" the 12 mile in 1 hour 43 minutes! but He was a Tri-athlete. I don't reccomend running in boots at all. Don't know if you have access to a Kevlar Helmut, or fashioning some type of Stick with weights on it to simulate a weapon, but these two items alone bring a whole new level of pain and discomfort and challenge to just "rucking" with pack on your back...... Having done 12+ of these when I was a Basic Training Drill Sergeant at Fort Jackson back in the day (part of the reason I don't run anymore! LOL!) It' was always interesting to watch which Soldiers would just gut it out and which ones would just fall apart. As some of the others posted, I would really be careful with that Cross-fit, pick the right exercises, I would imagine that Rope Climbing would pay dividends at Beast, but stay away from back lifts, And a Strong core (Abs) really helps for Rapelling and Push ups, as you have to be in a good "L" shape to rapell. That's my 2 cents, Good Luck and we'll see you at USMA!!
 
Sounds like they are well prepared....

Some other things to keep in mind:

- They typically take the APFT for score in CBT, and they'll want a good performance to offset the typically miserable DPE low grades for plebe beating, etc. And APFT + DPE grades are a measurable part of initial cadet rank. Which then impacts Summer training selection in Dec/Jan. IE: Not good to get behind the 8 ball on APFT's.

- Don't forget other common PT items. DS was a pushup & situp machine entering CBT, yet his cadre found his Kryptonite: Leg lifts!!! (and they will find your weak area if allowed to) Probably too late to impact at this point, but just be forewarned.

-Getting on an early sleep schedule will help, many do not and pay the price. Too wound up to sleep at the relatively early lights out, then run a sleep deficit for a while.

- I know an appointee for 2015 & 2016 in our state who could not report to R-day due to last minute medical issue. It will happen again this year. Do not overtrain!!!! One tripped catching a frisbee at the beach!!!
 
APFT + DPE grades are a measurable part of initial cadet rank.

Hi, sorry to jump in, but what's DPE? The only thing I found is Department of Physical Education, and I'm not sure why that grade would tend to be low, unless it's just because everyone is exhausted and not performing their best during BEAST. Thanks!
 
DPE grades come in during the academic year. Military Movement (gymnastics) and Boxing are not your average middle school gym classes.
 
and I'm not sure why that grade would tend to be low

From the Long Gray Memes:

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Some people get good grades easily... not the majority though.
 
DPE grades come in during the academic year. Military Movement (gymnastics) and Boxing are not your average middle school gym classes.

Many plebes get caught by surprise on this... Certain DPE courses are graded notoriously hard. And two of them (boxing aka plebe beating and mil movement) are mandatory plebe classes. And for many they both hit fall semester, so it can be a double whammy.

And worse, DPE courses hit both your academic GPA and your physical score, which is 15% of your "Cadet Performance Score", which drives your class rank. Military performance is 30%, and academic 55%.

And about the time your first scores are coming in from Fall semester you are signing up and being selected for Summer training. And that's heavily influenced by cadet performance/rank.

Your first APFT (during CBT) is 1/3 your physical score. Your courses are 1/3, and your grade from athletics is 1/3.

At least for your military score you get two chances, your CBT grade and your fall semester grade. (And really you get grades for CBT 1 & 2). So more of a shot to improve, etc.

Don't sweat the details of this for CBT, just recognize that your first APFT has a very direct impact on rank and thus MIADS, etc. Later years the effect is reduced as it's a cumulative thing.
 
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