It has been two weeks, almost three, since I’ve graduated Navy basic and have started A school at the base across the street from the base where I made the transition from civilian to sailor.

Here at Naval Training Center in Great Lakes, we have a variety of options to choose from as far as Physical Training (PT). We have three gyms with free weights and machines, treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes, as well as yoga mats, and exercise and medicine balls. Group PT is mandatory for students at the Basic Engineering Common Core (BECC), but due to the time constraints of the classes taken by those in Advanced Technical Training (ATT), they barely have the time to get a workout in, which is the case with my roommate.

I still don’t think that even that is an excuse to not get a workout in. The list of things on my care package list that I sent to my mother mostly consists of exercise-related books, a couple of CoC grippers, two IMTUGs, and my aquatard and swim mask. I may not have asked for the usual “Chocolate Chip Cookies and homemade goodies” mess that most newly graduated sailors or soldiers ask for, but it’s what I wanted sent to me because the instructors at boot camp warned us that when we got to school for our rating that we would get out of shape, which, to me, was NEVER an option.

There’s an exercise that the boot camp divisions run every Saturday prior to Battle Stations called B.A.S.E.S., which stands for Balance Agility Strength Explosion and Stamina. B.A.S.E.S. is a series of exercise stations that are either bodyweight exercises or tasks related to actual jobs done on a ship.

One example is the station with the medicine balls. There are two small rows of recruits lined up facing each other. The person at the end has to pick up a medicine ball and pass it to the person next to them, who then hands it off to the person in front of them. This task simulates moving live rounds of ammunition, so this evolution is done slowly. There’s also a rope skipping station and a station that simulates heaving in a line (in non-Navy terms, that means pulling in a rope off of a pier before the ship can began to sail away from the port it was docked in.) The last two stations are on the track and you sprint from one side of the track to the other before either doing pushups or situps. Awesome stuff. I enjoyed it mainly because of the real-world application of some of the stations and I’m a huge fan of cross-training. My only gripe about it is that we only did it once a week.

I’ve only been at my current location for almost three weeks, and I’m kind of startled at the fact that I actually have a roommate who’s blaming ATT for not allowing her time to work out, especially when, in order to qualify for Phase II liberty (which is when you go off-base in regular people’s clothes–we call them “civvies”–and have fun, even if you stay out all night), one of the requirements is to pass a mock Physical Fitness Assessment. Granted, my roommate is nowwhere near obese or anything–besides, when us A school students go to classes, we MARCH on our two legs and feet, in formation–but the whole mindset of blaming it on her ATT class kind of bugs me.

Anyway, since we only have so much room to store stuff from home and stuff from the Exchange on-base in our barracks, I can’t have a kettlebell on-base like I want to (or maybe even a sled that strongmen use to train for that particular event in strongman competitions) because eventually after I graduate, I’ll have to move all of my stuff to my next duty station and the hassle of mailing stuff back and forth between my folks and myself would be too much. But I’m going to improvise and put my Bodyweight DVDs, IronMind CoC and IMTUG grippers, and those Navy SEAL fitness books to good use. I’m going to make it a habit of working out six days a week.

My future job in the Navy will be that of an apprentice electrician, but even that will not be an excuse to not get a workout in. Being a Navy sailor, I will also be a trained fire fighter, and we all know how strenuous a job like that can be in civilian life. Add the fact that you could be on a destroyer or an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Persian Gulf, and that the fire could have been caused by suicide bombers (read: USS Cole incident) and the possibility of casualties, the strength, stamina, agility, and clear-headness required for such a event is very, very, very, very HIGH in importance. Even if you run drills related to such events, you still need that energy and strength in reserve. Electricians in the Navy will be trained fire fighters and could more than likely be put on a fire fighting/damage control/rescue team aboard ship, so that is why I MUST prepare. And don’t get me started on the equipment that Navy fire fighters have to wear….

Even if one is going to be a Navy Personnel Specialist (read: paper shuffler or pencil sharpener, depending on what you want to call it) or a cook in the Army, one still should maintain a high level of fitness just in case the feces hits the oscillating blades. Even if it doesn’t come to that, people should be doing physical training to improve their quality of life.

I am not athletically gifted. I was one of the slowest runners in my division, but I was obviously fast enough to pass the fitness assessment that would allow me to complete Battle Stations and graduate with my division on time, and because I had a “No-Quit” attitude, which is something else that PT does for most people. Even if people don’t start out using Zach’s materials (and why wouldn’t you?), they should still get moving. Yes, it’s hard. Yeah, you might have a day where you just want to take off from doing so or because you have to because of obligations. Do so, but don’t turn it into a week.

I am reminded of a time in high school where they had the male and female students split up into different P.E. classes. The males would hit the weights and play basketball, while the girls would do something kin to ‘80 aerobics and dance classes. I wasn’t into aerobics and I damn sure wasn’t interested in group dance classes. And this was back when I was a fattie. Yet, if you were to put a copy of “Muscle and Fitness” in front of me, I would dream of being as muscularly fit as the models in that magazine.

Nowadays, place a barbell in front of me with enough weight that I can handle and I will gladly pump out one of my favorite exercises, the clean-and-press, for as long as I feel like doing it (which means I might say “enough” after about the 20th time of doing it). Or ask me to do 15 eight-count bodybuilders and I will glad do them, even if I have to go a tad bit slower to get it done.

I don’t exercise because I want to (which, in itself, is a good thing because I enjoy it). I exercise because I HAVE to because one day, the lives of my sailors MAY depend on me.

Feel free to quote me on any of the above in your next blog or email. The pussification of America–male and female alike–has to come to an end (and it has to be done, like, ten years ago.)

Fireman Leia Ingram
United States Navy

I am an ex-racing cyclist for 15yrs, training at my peak clean 25hrs a week in all weather 154 heart rate 100 pedal strokes a min for a 5hr ride(no icey roads). Racing with 50-100 blood thirsty riders at speeds averaging 20mph and exceeding 40mph on the flat and hills for about 70 to 110 miles. Ruthless cut throat and in lycra (it is funny in hindsight)the eastern riders excelled because they where and are HARD. Like the undergrounders they only know one way and that is toughness through periodisation dead lift’s and strong strong core’s and a rock hard work ethic.

My mum and dad had me and my brother walk to and from school. They also made us walk up most of the major walks in Britain, camping and generally being outside which is awesome. We where a vegetarian (I eat meat now as does my brother) family who had an allotment growing our own organic produce before it was hollywood-fied (mum 63yrs old rides everywhere does 10k runs for fun dad 64yrs rides 100 miles a week and weights on top superb condition both of them). This kind of lifestyle takes a little hard work and consistency you see the gains forever mentally and physically it is mine and my family’s bread and butter. To soften people in an already soft world will have a detrimental affect on every aspect of life.

Zach you and your cohorts are the last of dying breed of hard hard living people long may you strive.

Peace
Joe

Real commitment to our Art. Strength & Power.

Holy shit son!!

It is a global issue – as proven by all the comments above. Our ancestors would be turning in their graves – think of all the hard yakka they used to do in the farms, in the fields and in the factories to give us the lives and opportunities we have today.

And this is how we repay them?

Some of those comments above – expelled for “pushing” a lawsuit for throwing a rice crispie

are you #$%!@## kidding me?

when the #$%%@ will these folks strap on a set of balls and take charge and responsibility for their own lives and own actions. Instead it’s FAR EASIER to point the finger… take someone to court… sue someone cuz maybe you’ll get some cash out of them?

Where have all the real cowboys gone?

If a young bloke these days can’t handle a few bumps and bruises and takes more time to get ready for a night out than his girlfriend there is something seriously wrong – and these kids are the ones who will be running our countries and looking after us when we’re on our way to the next world…

but then again – it has been said that this and the next generation will be out lived by their parents…. a very sad state of affairs

quality comments from the folks above and Z… it has been said before but you sure hit the nail on the head my friend.

Love it!

and thank you for your passion and teachings

AT