PT Ideas

\/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ READ THIS FIRST BEFORE POSTING PT IDEAS \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

Keep in mind that as I mentioned in our full staff meeting, Morning PT formation will be solely for the purpose of Calisthenics in an organized military manner. As I repeatedly stated in the staff meeting, there will be time for ZERO sports during PT block of time. Intramural sports can/will be done later in the afternoon if time/training requirements permit. To be blunt, save yourself the typing and stop posting ideas that have the following words: "Volleyball, kickball, soccer, hopscotch, freezetag", and/or any other backyard game that they can play when they go home. With that said, do not feel "shot-down" if you have posted one of the above PT fails. I deeply appreciate the time and devotion that all of you put into this, just make sure that your suggestions fit within the Training goals of Encampment, for example, knowing how to do perform calisthenics in a military style PT formation is one of the many goals of encampment. Knowing how to spike a volleyball is not. As always, send me questions, I'll send you answers, and God willing the two will match.

Much Love. C/Maj Kier.
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At last years encampment we played Ultimate Frisbee and I know that was a blast for everyone. If we have a large field I think that would be a great thing to do. Also last years last man standing competition and PT challenge were great and they would be a fun thing to do. If there is an obstacle course on the base I think it would be important to get that in. That was a big part of my basic encampment. Some new sports we may want to look into would be bucket ball or handball. They can be played with large amounts of people and are pretty simple. Running a full mile is also important. Running is very physically challenging and "builds character" so I think it would be a great thing for the basics and staff to do. - 1st Lt Houston
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I think we should Have a Mile Run Competition but it should actually be a mile not a 1200 meter jog, everyone should be free to go at their own pace, and have a competition of who is the fastest——C/CMSgt Neville
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I think that we need to have the flights run in formationto teach teamwork. I don't think that we should expect them to run a full mile in step but it should be long enough to emphasize the teamwork aspect of it.-—C/1st Lt Woods
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Another way to teach teamwork through PT would be a relay race. Perhaps we could have each cadet run a quarter of a mile (give or take) for their flight. I wouldn't suggest a full mile for that specific activity simply because of time issues. However, I do think we should run a full mile at some point. --C/MSgt Harford
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I adree with Houston, we need to have some physical games like last year. They will have team work and have fun while working out.
-C/CMSgt Dahms
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One of the most important aspects of encampment is learning to work as a team. Basics must learn that they are only as good as their worst team mate. Having a mile race would emphasize individuality, not teamwork. We should do a mile sometime during the week, but we should do it in formation, AS A TEAM. - C/CMSgt Sierra Larson
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the individual mile run, would be like the phyisical games; the running in formation does teach team work, but i think its really annoying because nobody is ever in step so people are tripping over each other.
-C/CMSgt Neville
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oh I have had an idea of a life time for the mile run…..we could do both an individual and a formation mile run.
-C/CMSgt Neville
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Ok guys and gal… you are saying the same thing over and over. Think of something new! -C/Lt Col Feinstein
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Okay, new ideas… I know! Lets do bridges, cartwheels, roundoffs, and flips! In
formation! - C/CMSgt Larson
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we should definately do a PT down again.
-C/MSgt Larson
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we could do underwater basket weaving!!! while doing pushups, in formation.
-C/CMSgt Neville
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Ok, what does basket weaving have to do with PT?
-C/MSgt M. Larson
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Absolutley nothing, but it takes multiple people to be able to pull it off which means teamwork!
-C/CMSgt Neville
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If you're looking for teamwork, stick with the tower of brama.
-C/MSgt M. Larson
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Okay, maybe if we can find a hill of moderate size
, we could start running hills. Its great exersise for both stamina AND leg muscle. Also, if we wanted to incorporate some upper body training in there, we could do pushups or incline pushups when we get to the top of the hill.
-C/SMSgt Johnson
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Last year during PT in the morning someone brought a stereo out and started playing classic rock music. I don't know who started that or what it has to do with PT but it was a nice treat, and in a way helped me get through that last pushup. Also if you don't know what bucket ball is it's like basket ball and soccer and handball put together. There are four buckets, tires, or hoops in the game with two on each end of the field. The object is to get the ball into one of the other teams hoop/buckets. That is INTO the buckets/tires/hoops, not INBETWEEN. It is alot of fun and the rules can be bent each time depending on the situation to eliminate arguing. It can be played with many people and in a short amount of time, and yes it does promote team work. Also hill workouts rock! - C/1st Houston
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I think we should create a whole opstical corse that involves the mile run, push ups, sit ups, team work, integrity, and skill! - C/CMSgt Dahms
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Last year as a basic, I really enjoyed ultamite frisbee. Also, if they have a pool, then I think we should have relay races in there. As a swimmer, you really are as fast as your slowest man and also it's very chalenging to swim hard and fast. Another idea would be the fire man carry. This really teaches team work and is super hard.
C/TSgt Forrest Brown
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We also could have a small flag football game, that has great team work. Or we could have a kickball comp. Just an idea -C/CMSgt Dahms
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Yall have to much time on your hands! I think we should have a compotion between flights in the squadron then have the best flight in each squadron compete and find out which squadron is more physicaly fit. They would be doing box push-ups, sit-ups, relay races, sun god, ect….. - C/1st Lt Dahms
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IF we have an hour for PT each morning

Day 1
3-5 min of Stretching, 27-25 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backward and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Then 30 min playing some kind of sport soccer, football, ultimate Frisbee, volleyball etc.

Day 2
3-5 min of Stretching, 27-25 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backwards and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Than 30 min doing box push-ups, army crawl, and a mile run.

Day 3
3-5 min of Stretching, 27-25 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backwards and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Than 30 min playing a sport.

Day 4
3-5 min of Stretching, 27-25 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backwards and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Than 30 min doing grass drills and the fireman’s carry.

Day 5
3-5 min of Stretching, 15 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backwards and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Than 40 min of a relay race which should including the mile run.

Day 6
3-5 min of Stretching, 27-25 min of jumping jakes, sit ups, flutter kicks, push-ups, bicycle, arm circles backwards and forwards with arms parallel to the ground, arms circles with arms at a 45 degree angel back words and forwards, 8 count body builder, mountain climber. Than 30 min playing a sport
- C/CMSgt Elizabeth Bullock Zulu Flight Commander

These are really good ideas but i think they might be a little repetitive. These are classic exercises but maybe we should mix it up. Just an idea.
C/TSgt Forrest Brown

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I think it would be good to emphasize a certain muscle group in each day's PT, for example having day 1 be arms/chest stuff such as pushups and arm circles, day 2 could be abs/legs stuff like situps/crunches, flutter kicks, leg spreaders, squats/lunges etc; with either a distance run or sprinting drills/relays included in the PT each day. We could rotate back and forth, and then the last day do a "last man standing" competition or something. Team sports could maybe be thrown in, but I would not consider that a "PT" activity as much as a "fun" or "team-building" activity, perhaps something we could do in the evenings?

- C/Capt Josiah Tillett, Yankee Flight Commander
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Perhaps if there is a cross-country trail, or something we can run on over a long distance, we could use that, and have the flights run as a group, and they have to stay together. This will be a flight competition. The trail should be around 3 miles, and it may be a bit difficult to organize, but if we could get a marine to guide each flight to prevent getting lost. If there are no trails to utilize, then pick objects or buildings, each maybe a quarter mile away, run there, run back here. Do this with a set of places to run to. Cadets should motivate one another, and teamwork is a must if they expect to even get close…

-C/SMSgt Johnson
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Also, I figured I might as well add this too…

We should get pull ups in to our routine. Just take one flight down at a time to the pullup bar, and have the cadets do pull ups. I'm CERTAIN that it cannot possibly be hard to find a pull-up bar on a marine base…

-C/SMSgt Johnson
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I think mixing the workouts will work better for basics and staff. Using only one muscle group a day would make basics very sore in that muscle group and making planning harder for staff. The regulations suggest mixing the exercises also. This is just my opinion but I think that mixing the exercises would train the basics better and make planning easier for us. Here is a grouping of workouts we could do based on previous encampments and regulations if you want to do PT based on muscle groups.

Arm Strength
Push ups, Front leaning rest position.
Push ups, Triangle hand position
Sun gods, Front, side, back
Pull ups
Planks, Chest barely of the ground
Mountain climbers

Leg Strength
Flutter kicks, regular position
High Jumper,

Abs Strength
Flutter kicks, Hands in triangles above waist
Crunches,
Bicycle kicks

Cardio
Side Straddle hop
Mile run
Sprints

— C/1st Lt Houston (Uniform U-2’s Flight Commander)
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REGARDLESS of what we are doing, whoever is in charge of PT for their respective units needs to ensure that PT is done to its full extent. This means that if a cadet returns to resting position while the rest of his/her unit is still in the position of exercise, the unit should redo the exercise. One of the values of PT is to ensure that cadets know how to function with their respective flight/ squadron. If they are cutting up while everyone else is working their butts off, they need to realize that it doesn't fly and their fellow cadets will suffer for it. We aren't here to necessarily "punish" the cadets, but encampment is designed to teach the cadets the ways of cadet life, and that includes finishing a job once you've started it. I can't tell you how many times last year I saw basics putting their legs down after flutter kicks or doing the occasional "knee pushups" before I and the rest of the squadron deemed it OK to do so. It's not fair to the rest of the unit if a few cadets decide to bail out on their physical duties, so make sure it doesn't happen this year.
- C/CMSgt. Taylor Huneycutt

If the base has a shalow enough river, I think we should exercise in there some. I've done this before and it's not only hard and cold, but it teaches team work. Maybe if we set up some obsticals in the river that they had to clime over or something that might be good also.
C/TSgt Brown

I would like to do PT with Marines at some point in time, in order to show basic cadets how its done on the Infantry. Honestly, when I was a basic cadet, after my first summer encampment, I went home bragging about how I PT'd with Marines, and I think the Basic Cadets would absolutely love the experience and take more out of it than just doing PT on a USMC Infantry Base for 7 Days. I'm not suggesting everyday, but at least once would be awesome.
-C/Capt Padleckas

We have PT with the marines every year for the past 3 years so far as I am aware. I think the Marines take pity on us however and don't do their PT to the full extent. however in response to the Command Chief's Comment. Encampment is meant to be hard but not impossible. Some cadets physically CANNOT do all exercises and if they can do them are admittedly not in the best of shape. Not to say that we shouldn't expect the most out of our cadets we can't expect them all to be superhuman like you, Ross hertzler, and Will Seamen are. We need to make sure that if they do fall out of the position of exercise that if we ask them to do it again we are not being unsafe and pushing them too far beyond the limits of their endurance. This can actually cause serious injuries. In short I would encourange you to push the cadets but not to the point of absurdity.
-C/1st Lt Zobel SAFETY OFFICER

Maybe we should do some indian runs during PT as well.
-C/CMSgt Walker

If I heard right, the marines have their own beach. If so we should run or do something on it.
C/MSgt Forrest Brown (just promoted)

Something that is often overlooked at encampment among all the longer distance runs, pushups, crunches, and stretches are sprints and shorter runs. This would be a good thing to add to the encampment PT cirriculum.
C/1st Lt Zobel

Lets do relay races, either between flights or between squadrons. We would be getting in sprints PT-wise, but there would also be some competition which would doubtless encourage the basics to push themselves more than they otherwise would. Some good exercises for formation would be running in place, spiderman, and bicycles.
C/CMSgt Larson

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