WillBrink
05-01-12, 12:47
So my buddy decided to join the Army recently. He's in his early 30s.
He was in good shape, so I had no real fears he wouldn't get through basic.
He was worried like crazy for some reason. Anyway, he was strong like a bull but short on endurance/conditioning, so that's what was worked on for 6 months before he went in.
One of the things about Basic as I understand it (having never gone through it) is a large portion of it is the mental game. Not knowing when X run is going to end, and so forth often a bigger issue for some then the physical aspects.
Once his body was in condition, but his mind still not quite there, I had him take the 50lb sand bag and walk around the parking lot for 30 mins "or until I come get you."
As you all know, without a watch, hard to tell time and 30 mins can be a life time. Some times I'd get him in 20, some times in 40, but never in 30 :cool:
His final "test" was approx 3 weeks before leaving, I sent him off with the sand bag for his thing, got in my car, and drove off...:D
Never worked so long for such a prank that also helped him "get it" through his thick head that he was GTG.
He's a tough strong guy, I bet he walked around lugging that bag for an hour + I bet. Phone call came a few hours later and when something like "^%$ *&$ @(& *&^" and so forth.
Two weeks out, told him to do what high level athletes do, which is called "de training" which is a few weeks before an event, you greatly reduce training volume and intensity.
He peaked training wise approx 3 weeks out with that final "test" and allowed aches pains, CNS, etc, to normalize and off he went, 20lbs lighter, conditioned well for his short muscular frame.
Reason for the story, He emailed to say he was done and said "Basic was very basic" and he worried over nothing, and few of the 20 something kids could keep up with him, and yes, i was right, he had little to worry about as he was more than sufficiently trained up for it, etc.
OK, it's not BUDS or Ranger School, etc, but for him, a big deal, and dropping out from a bank job in his early 30s to join the Army can't be easy, but that was his dream and he knew he had to do it now or never.
He was in good shape, so I had no real fears he wouldn't get through basic.
He was worried like crazy for some reason. Anyway, he was strong like a bull but short on endurance/conditioning, so that's what was worked on for 6 months before he went in.
One of the things about Basic as I understand it (having never gone through it) is a large portion of it is the mental game. Not knowing when X run is going to end, and so forth often a bigger issue for some then the physical aspects.
Once his body was in condition, but his mind still not quite there, I had him take the 50lb sand bag and walk around the parking lot for 30 mins "or until I come get you."
As you all know, without a watch, hard to tell time and 30 mins can be a life time. Some times I'd get him in 20, some times in 40, but never in 30 :cool:
His final "test" was approx 3 weeks before leaving, I sent him off with the sand bag for his thing, got in my car, and drove off...:D
Never worked so long for such a prank that also helped him "get it" through his thick head that he was GTG.
He's a tough strong guy, I bet he walked around lugging that bag for an hour + I bet. Phone call came a few hours later and when something like "^%$ *&$ @(& *&^" and so forth.
Two weeks out, told him to do what high level athletes do, which is called "de training" which is a few weeks before an event, you greatly reduce training volume and intensity.
He peaked training wise approx 3 weeks out with that final "test" and allowed aches pains, CNS, etc, to normalize and off he went, 20lbs lighter, conditioned well for his short muscular frame.
Reason for the story, He emailed to say he was done and said "Basic was very basic" and he worried over nothing, and few of the 20 something kids could keep up with him, and yes, i was right, he had little to worry about as he was more than sufficiently trained up for it, etc.
OK, it's not BUDS or Ranger School, etc, but for him, a big deal, and dropping out from a bank job in his early 30s to join the Army can't be easy, but that was his dream and he knew he had to do it now or never.