The United States Marine Corps, or USMC, focuses on physical fitness for both training and as a standard of service. According to the student handout from the Marine Corps University, Marine must be physically fit no matter how their age or duty assignment. Marines are expected to be combat ready at all times. Fitness routines are part of everyday life when you are in the Marine Corps. To ensure this standard, Marines are tested multiple times throughout training to gauge improvement. Any fitness program should begin with a physical from a doctor to ensure you are healthy enough for regular exercise.
Basics of Marine Conditioning
The Marine Corps defines physical fitness as the ability to meet the demands of combat without becoming overly fatigued. There are seven principles to Marine fitness: progression, regularity, overload, variety, recovery, balance and specificity. Progressive conditioning and variation are the keys. The basis of Marine workouts is interval training utilizing calisthenics and running, overloading the body with specific exercises and then allowing time to recover from the overload. This balances conditioning to build strength, endurance and mobility. Exercises are done at least three times a week.
Daily 16
Daily 16 is a comprehensive exercise program that can be done daily as part of a complete fitness plan. The program provides 16 specialized exercises that work the entire body. The routine begins with a warm-up to improve blood flow. After the initial stretching, calisthenic exercises focus on conditioning. Three variations of pushups, front and side crunches, leg lifts and lunges are part of what makes up the total routine. After completing the 16 exercises, the participant repeats the warm-up moves to cool down.
Cardiovascular Endurance
The cardiovascular workouts utilize calisthenics to increase the heart rate. The routine is set up into eight stations that extend for one-half mile. This allows for a slow jog between stations for recovery time. For example, station one could be for crunches. At the station, do 20 fast crunches then jog slowly to station two for 20 lunges. Each station covers a new exercise. The goal is to increase the heart rate at each station and rest while moving between them.
Fartlek Training
Fartlek training is an advanced workout that combines running with calisthenics to improve strength, stamina and endurance. Like many Marine training routines, Fartlek is set up by stations. The exercise field covers three miles with varying terrain. This means the field should include uphill grades to enhance the run. Prior to beginning the exercise course, the participant should warm up utilizing the Daily 16 routine, then jog for 10 minutes. The workout begins with a 1 3/4 mile run at a steady pace. Walk for five minutes with the occasional sprint. Work the stations with calisthenics and run between each group. Once completing the eight stations, run slowly for one mile and then repeat the Daily 16 to cool down.
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