Posted on 03/08/2018 4:28:32 AM PST by SandRat
FORT HUACHUCA — On a chilly Thursday afternoon recently, officers with the 304th Military Intelligence Battalion began taking their spots on an open field of astroturf in the middle of Fort Huachuca.
Donning all-black warm-ups and beanies to match, the soldiers tossed their water bottles and bags to the side and lined up.
It was time for an Army workout.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the battalion goes through an hour-long set of strength-and-conditioning exercises known as physical readiness training, or PRT. Soldiers do a cardio workout Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays that ranges from sprints to long, 6-mile runs.
Whenever they aren’t on a breathtaking run, soldiers’ PRT days are packed with specific exercises that prepare their bodies for anything, including deployment.
“It’s anything that can assist in a combat environment. You have to be able to drag someone or take a rucksack and go up in the mountains,” said 1st Sgt. Jake Tucson. “It’s to build all of that up and be prepared.”
They start with a light warm-up in tight formation — think low-impact and targeted movements.
Each exercise is geared to get the soldiers’ bodies ready for the real workout.
The warm-up is important, Tucson said, and ensures soldiers’ safety before they start circuit training.
The soldiers move in complete uniformity while the PRT leader counts the repetitions down until they’re ready to move into the next warm-up exercise.
Many of the movements used in the warm-up and in the training circuit are designed to give soldiers a full workout without injury.
For example, warm-up lunges require less range of motion to protect the knees and hips, but get the muscles working, Tucson said.
“Before, we used to do things that were not right, and people used to get injured,” he said. “We had a lot of broken people. This is supposed to alleviate that strain.”
After the warm-up, the real training begins, and things get a little more challenging.
Soldiers split into groups and spread out across the field for circuit training called “military movement drills.” Within their groups, they go from station to station, executing different exercises that target specific muscle groups. Many of the exercises target the same muscles as in the warm-up, just to a higher degree.
The soldiers do anything from lunges to planks and even hybrid exercises similar to those seen at a Pilates class.
Those kinds of exercises are becoming more popular, said Capt. Molly McIntyre. Movements like horizontal pullups and balances using bodily opposition help improve strength while putting less strain on the body.
The point isn’t to push the body to injury or exhaustion, McIntyre said. Instead, the exercises encourage strength and endurance, all while keeping soldiers safe.
Safety and strength are things the Army has been implementing into soldiers’ workouts for the past few years. Some strengthening exercises like supine leg flutters caused chronic hip injuries, such as small fractures and tears, McIntyre said, so they were replaced with leg lifts.
“We used to do these exercises, and people were developing injuries,” she said. “Now, they take from other disciplines to prevent injuries.”
What’s the real difference between an Army workout and the gym? It’s the sense of community and camaraderie between the soldiers.
At the Thursday workout, the young lieutenants frequently laughed together between exercises, giving one other encouragement and dishing out some playful banter. Working out together helps build soldiers’ bond with one other, and helps develop well-prepared warriors and leaders.
“It helps build up the confidence they need to go out and lead this,” McIntyre said. “They are going to be making up the PT plans.
“What’s nice is that you see a progress. A lot of them will come to you barely able to take the PT test, and they’ll leave here much better.”
Except, in the New, liberal Army, you cut those requirements in half if you are a female or waive them entirely if you are a sought after minority or oppressed LGBT.
How is that for some real life "protect our Country" drills.
I can’t believe they put 3 women in an infantry unit. My son’s unit. He got out in 2014. He weighed 185? He was one of the largest in his unit but there is no way one of those women could even pull him out of harms way. grrrrr.
So. Big guys in all male units. Period.
https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/05/politics/women-infantry-marines-join-unit/index.html
“When you have to reduce standards — as you would have to do, you would have to do it — and when you would mix, you know, when you mix eros, when you mix affection for one another that could be manifested sexually, I don’t care if you go anywhere in history, you will not find where this has worked. Never has this worked,” Mattis said in 2015.
They would probably volunteer for that.
Nephew-in-law-to-be was a Marine 240 gunner in Afghanistan. The guy weighs about 225 and is built like a fireplug. He is complelely convinced for a lot of good reasons that women in infantry, or really any combat arms, is a complete disaster. Not the least of which being the number of females that could fireman carry a wounded him in combat gear out of a kill zone is damn near zero.
I agree, as would his parents. :) On the other hand, he could probably carry both women at one time. Give him a hug for me.
I still have my USAF booklet on the 5BX exercises from basic back in 1966. After thumbing through the booklet I “feel” stronger.
That’s one of the reasons why, so many of us don’t respect DCOWITS.
“...supine leg flutters caused chronic hip injuries, such as small fractures and tears, McIntyre said, so they were replaced with leg lifts.”
But how can a soldier ever run across a battlefield if a very gentle supine flutter will cripple him?
This conditioning program is setting the soldiers up for disaster during combat conditions.
I wonder if they demand group hugs.
Ask DCOWITS!
Grenade throws optional.
The Baseball Grenade or the PINE-Apple Grenade? Which one, or both?
Nerf grenade. That’s the new standard.
This is written almost as if no army in past, oh, 5,000 years has done physical training. Like it’s a new concept, or something. This is what graduates journalism school?
US Army drops grenade throwing as a requirement to graduate because new recruits can’t throw far enough (but do they mean women?) - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5392363/Army-wont-require-recruits-throw-grenade-far-enough.html
OMG the military is being destroyed by fanatics who fail to recognize basic male-female differences.
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