Powerlifting in the military?

[Jason1]

I know that there are a lot of powerlifters in the military that compete. My question is if rest is the most important part of lifting than how do they do it considering all the PT they have to do. Do they just rest for many more days?

 

[sikdogg]

Once they complete basic training, they don't really do much PT. They go to work and do what they were trained to do everyday just like what we civilians do everyday and then go back home at the end of the day.

 

[Jason1]

What about infantry or Special Forces? They don't do PT?

 

[penguinsfan]

I don't know about the combat ready specific units or special forces, but sik is right. The guys I work with (who tried to recruit me) all tell me that you're basically responsible for your own physical condition, once you get out of boot camp and advanced training schools.

 

[sikdogg]

I have a buddy that was a Marine Sniper and it was the same thing, no PT. They each trained often to continue to hone their skills, but it wasn't PT everyday. They trained in the gym, ran alot, and did alot of field training but it was mostly on their own (except the field training).

 

[Bigd5903]

I know a guy that powerlifts in the army and he says that you just have routine fitness tests occasionally to see if you keep in shape

 

[Big Al]

We did PT in every unit that I was in. My first assignment was with the 101st Airborne Division, so the PT schedule was considerably more intense there than in the signal unit that I was assigned to afterwards.

 

[defirst]

dead thread i know...i had to post a response to this. every unit i have with does PT pretty much every day(infantry) i cant really speak for the non-infantry units but i still saw most of them PTing everyday usually mon-wed-fri(run) tues-thurs(strength)

 

[Big Al]

dead thread i know...i had to post a response to this. every unit i have with does PT pretty much every day(infantry) i cant really speak for the non-infantry units but i still saw most of them PTing everyday usually mon-wed-fri(run) tues-thurs(strength)

That's the way it was with us, and we usually did very long road marches once a week too. "Strength" training consisted of long calisthenic sessions. That kind of training will affect your powerlifting and size gains. Throw in going to the field several weeks at a time every few months and powerlifting progress becomes even more difficult.

 

[aresstrong]

Actually, in special ops and some other elite forces, they have routine body fat % tests that you must pass.

When you hear about powerlifters competing in the military, its always guys living on bases in the U.S. they have physical training once a month, for a week long.. but the rest of the time, they have access to the base's fitness center (weightrooms) where they can focus on powerlifting.