Physical Conditioning methods

I read something about this in Marine Corps Times. Apparently it's to be called the CFT, combat fitness test. It's to be run in boots and utes and not on the same day as the PFT.

According to Sgt Major of the Marine Corps Kent who is selling this as the best idea since sliced bread and peanut butter and was pontificating about this and other matters. The Marine Corps is also going back to the military appearance guidelines to it appears measuring body fat and taping even if you do pass the PFT and CFT. IIRCC these were dropped by General Gray when he was commandant because the were redundant if the Marine was running a 1st class.

While a CFT is probably a good idea I'll be interested in seeing if it actually is a combat skills and needs test or just another run em ragged in circles excersise so some people can point and say look what I came up with.
 
O3 was that O311 by any chance I held both 1833 and 2142 while I was in the Marines, although I am in the Coast Guard now I still like to hear about what is going on in the Marines. If you get the chance check out the link.
 
Yeah I was 0311 and 0369. I checked out the link and it appears to be the explaination and pitch for the CFT. It came out of Concepts Branch (the most puzzlie part of the puzzle palace, they scare me). I don't know why they needed a pitch CMC has already said it's going to happen and he he has his his Sgt Major doin a PR blitz on it.

It's my understanding that the actual tests are not set in stone yet so I'll be interested to see what the finished product is.
 
O3
For what it's worth I agree fully with the concept functional fitness is what we need in the military not metrosexual bull crap we have now all you need for fitness equipment is a 24 kg kettlebell (standard issue in the Russian Army for over 400 years) and a little training on how to use it.

I really like the concept of core strenght the differance between Kettlebell training is that in KB you do not isolate anything you train the body as a system the way it is in a real fight or in life. When you use a kettlebell you are exercising the maximum muscle groups not the minimum at the same time. This is what is needed for balance and real strength.
 
Last edited:
Sounds like a good idea. I heard about the Kettle Ball a few years back and only heard good things about it.
When I was young I suffered from an inbalance of muscle strength distribution and may have led to some of the injuries I sustained back then.
 
IMO the Infantry has pretty much always been training in a way that enhances their combative effectiveness. Alot of PT, Conditioning humps, O courses etc. Ask any 03 who has spent the afternoon on Okinawa doing immediate action drills or fire team rushes until his elbows and knees were bleeding. Or running sprints doing gun drills.

Fact of the matter is that in most companies I was in if you were not 1st class PFT and 20/80 then you were a sh*t bird. If you dropped a run or a hump you were a sh*t bird unless you had a very good reason like being ordered out for injury. The emphasis was on being combative effective physically. As well as tactically sound in your MOS. There were alot of ways to be branded a 10% er.

I don't think your average grunt is going to have a problem with the CFT. I also don't think that it will do much to effect the physical condition of the average grunt.

Me. I see this taking on a certain Pougishness. And being designed to cater to the Support Unit's. I also think that if this is the biggest worry along with the appearance of a Marine in uniform while Marines are in combat zones it's gonna take on a fark-fark game flair. I don't care what percentage of body fat a Marine has or how he tapes out. As long as he can carry his weight and weapon and be combat effective when he gets there.

Maybe the best thing would be to combine it with actual combat skills. But I don't see that happening with Kent ramrodding it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top