The most important physical quality you can develop is thick skin. It’s in short supply these days.
Most important physical quality for plebe summer
- Thread starter traveler118
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From the OP: "I was relieved to learn that we wouldn't be expected to ruck as I've heard that's pretty bad for joint health."
If OP goes Marines then...
OiledPancakes
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Four Horsemen training program.
I would post pdf here, but I don’t want to be held responsible for the despicable language and phrases used for the workouts. I seriously believe there is NO better training out there.
Looking out for your classmates.
traveler118
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I hope to major in Nuclear Engineering so I probably won't go the marine route. I based my knowledge of rucks being bad for you mostly on the jokes I've heard from military friends and family, so I could just be being dramatic. All respect to those who do go down that route as it is a very difficult one, probably more than I know!
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If I had any money I'd bet Nuclear Engineering is more difficult than a few hikes with a pack on the back. Some of my knee surgeries have rucking as a contributor. At least the first and fifth one. The Marines also call conditioning hikes, humps. At least in my day of less sensitive ears. I know a Marine officer who used to, for fun, put on a pack and go on eight mile mountain trail runs in the desert. He, however, is not a normal human.
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Curious what this means? No judgment. Just wondering.
The Marines don't care what you majored in. And no major qualifies you to be a better Marine.
DD is a Marine who did a very challenging STEM major at USNA. Her current roommates at MOS school did the same.
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I started the Marine thing with OP when they posted that rucking is bad for the joints. I said, I guess you won't be going Marine Corps then (paraphrased). I believe OP never had/has any interest in the Marine Corps. It was me joining in the conversation.
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Back to OP’s question (this thread took some interesting twists
)Good info already on the physical rec’s. It’s a good time to add my little soapbox: proper running shoes. Get your foot fitted professionally at a running store (vs big box store). A store that specializes in running. Look for one that running clubs use. They will fit your foot with a good running shoe. A misconception is they are more expensive. Not necessarily the case. Our local store will price match competitors. Or, get fitted, and then search for the shoe online (our store will still price math, which is a good idea as they are the ones that put in the effort).
Having a proper fit on your foot will help with foot/shin/hip pain.
And then? RUN. My kid was a 3 sport athlete, one being track, and also did competitive AAU club track in the summer. So the running wasn’t as bad as it was for others. But it was a lot even by his standards.
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It's been twisted for sure.Back to OP’s question (this thread took some interesting twists
Good info already on the physical rec’s. It’s a good time to add my little soapbox: proper running shoes. Get your foot fitted professionally at a running store (vs big box store). A store that specializes in running. Look for one that running clubs use. They will fit your foot with a good running shoe. A misconception is they are more expensive. Not necessarily the case. Our local store will price match competitors. Or, get fitted, and then search for the shoe online (our store will still price math, which is a good idea as they are the ones that put in the effort).
Having a proper fit on your foot will help with foot/shin/hip pain.
And then? RUN. My kid was a 3 sport athlete, one being track, and also did competitive AAU club track in the summer. So the running wasn’t as bad as it was for others. But it was a lot even by his standards.
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Make room on that soapbox for me! Agree 1000%. This makes all the difference in the world.
DD showed up at I-Day with her phone, her paperwork, a few bucks, and two pairs of shoes that were fitted specifically for her gait and foot type. Still got a stress fracture, but running was a better experience because of those shoes.
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Old Navy BGO
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I was reluctant to resurrect this part of the thread, with Severn banned and not able to respond.
First, as I have said before, there are exceptions to every rule-- and in this case, if you have a witness in the Hall that says a plebe was run out by overzealous detailers, it probably happened. However, I have heard on multiple occasions during 'Dant briefs that the policy against hazing or trying to run someone out of USNA is clear and in writing, and that consequence of violation are harsh. I probably alluded to the statement above, but the explanation was something like " if an Admissions Board and Commandant Staff made up of experienced officers think someone has the ability to graduate, we aren't going to have a bunch of kids with two years experience deciding otherwise. "
Bottom line, do Detailers cross the line ? Probably ... Do they get punished if caught ? Certainly. The point I (and other old timers ) were making is that is nothing like the past (and I will admit that it was far worse prior to the mid 80's), where hazing and intent to run people out was almost instituionalized. The retention statistics are clear ...
Finally, with respect to the "are you special" bait. If I had a dime for every time I heard (or used) that line, I would have retired years ago.
urbansailor
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We had a plebe who could not hold in laughing to save himself, in our company get taken to the back shaft and dropped over and over. Overheard most of it as the rest of the company was doing active-recovery. The detailer said things like "I don't want you here in the ac year" and other stuff that was worse. Pretty sure that detailer did get a talking to by our SEL, but that was about it. The plebe got better and is still with us, and that detailer has is actually a nice person, but the stress and commotion of plebe summer got the better of them.
Kierkegaard
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Dang, I missed out on all the fun yesterday.
Back on topic, I think pushups are not getting nearly enough emphasis. Yes there’s lots of running over plebe summer, but they’re split up into ability groups and have an entire summer of training before it really “counts” when they take their PRT. And running isn’t really used as a punishment, pushups are. Sometimes hundreds in a day. You don’t want to fail at pushups or you will attract unwanted attention from detailers.
Back on topic, I think pushups are not getting nearly enough emphasis. Yes there’s lots of running over plebe summer, but they’re split up into ability groups and have an entire summer of training before it really “counts” when they take their PRT. And running isn’t really used as a punishment, pushups are. Sometimes hundreds in a day. You don’t want to fail at pushups or you will attract unwanted attention from detailers.
Kierkegaard
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Oh also, the earlier dispute appears to me to stem from different ideas of what “hazing” or “smoking” or “singling out” means. As some of the OGs point out, nasty hazing was very common at USNA in past generations. People getting verbally abused, hit, -and put in demeaning situations (read in a hazing study about a female plebe who was handcuffed to a urinal in the 1990s).
These days that sort of behavior is not tolerated, and when it does occasionally happen, the detailer is quickly held accountable by peers and leadership.
But plebes still get a lot of pressure thrown at them. It’s just done in a tempered way that protects their safety and dignity. It still sucks though, so some people will still call it hazing. I guess thats up for debate, but it isn’t hazing under the navy’s definition. It’s “training”
These days that sort of behavior is not tolerated, and when it does occasionally happen, the detailer is quickly held accountable by peers and leadership.
But plebes still get a lot of pressure thrown at them. It’s just done in a tempered way that protects their safety and dignity. It still sucks though, so some people will still call it hazing. I guess thats up for debate, but it isn’t hazing under the navy’s definition. It’s “training”
OiledPancakes
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Does anyone know what happened to the guy arguing on this topic? Severn? Looks like he was banned?
Can I join this soapbox too? Didn't go to USNA, but +1 for the running shoe suggestion. I used to hate running and wasn't good at it all. Then, I got properly fitted for running shoes and now, it's much better!Back to OP’s question (this thread took some interesting twists
Good info already on the physical rec’s. It’s a good time to add my little soapbox: proper running shoes. Get your foot fitted professionally at a running store (vs big box store). A store that specializes in running. Look for one that running clubs use. They will fit your foot with a good running shoe. A misconception is they are more expensive. Not necessarily the case. Our local store will price match competitors. Or, get fitted, and then search for the shoe online (our store will still price math, which is a good idea as they are the ones that put in the effort).
Having a proper fit on your foot will help with foot/shin/hip pain.
And then? RUN. My kid was a 3 sport athlete, one being track, and also did competitive AAU club track in the summer. So the running wasn’t as bad as it was for others. But it was a lot even by his standards.
navy27hopeful
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With 100% confidence as someone that just went through plebe summer:
All the detailers can ask you to do on a day-to-day basis, (not including IT sessions, but those are uncommon,) is 25 pushups in a row and a 3 minute front leaning rest. If you can do both of those with perfect form, you will be unaffected almost every time your company gets dropped. There will be exceptions and you'll do other exercises like leg levers or squats but if you can do the pushups and front leaning rest your life will be 100% easier. Training for PEP is good but the program works to improve you no matter where you enter at.
All the detailers can ask you to do on a day-to-day basis, (not including IT sessions, but those are uncommon,) is 25 pushups in a row and a 3 minute front leaning rest. If you can do both of those with perfect form, you will be unaffected almost every time your company gets dropped. There will be exceptions and you'll do other exercises like leg levers or squats but if you can do the pushups and front leaning rest your life will be 100% easier. Training for PEP is good but the program works to improve you no matter where you enter at.