You keep it up Fatbuggy, be in the best physical shape you can be for Basic the Drills will find something to mess with everyone but if you're in good physical shape it will lessen the physical pain.
I was Posting more towards the 33 y/o.
24 is still a little old for Basic, but not that bad.
And 24 should still be in ok shape anyway.
And I don't know if you went to Combat Arms Basic or not, we had that OSUT (One Station Unit Training) thing at Fort Wood, so all our Drill Sergeants were Combat Engineers, and we stayed right with them the whole way through Basic and AIT.... as such we were getting in shape to build bridges by hand.... very heavy Bailey Bridges, and getting in shape for such from the very first day of Basic Training.
The people who took the time to build themselves up for the end of Basic and AIT before Basic even started had to do extra just about everything physical, because they just did not tire out as fast as the rest of us, so by the time it all ended they were in very good shape.
I was still a Panel man on the Bailey Crew, merely because I'm over 6 foot... which was a pain in the ass.
There are still important things to get ready for in Basic other than trying to max out the PT Test before one hits Basic.
I remember when someone misplaced his M16, well he left it leaning up against a tree, and the Drill Sergeant took it.
Oh sure, there was plenty to worry about, when the Drill Sergeant asked the Troop where is Weapon was, and the guy turned to the tree, and it was gone, that's when all the yelling started, talk of the FBI and Fort Leavenworth.
Luckily the Drill Sergeant said he just happened to have an extra M16 with him, and it would only cost 5000 push-ups, which would be extra push-ups.
The Drill Sergeants kept a note pads, and when the guy felt like he could knock out 50 or 100 he would find a Drill Sergeant and just start doing push-ups.
They let him get away with quite a few lame push-ups, but he did the 5000 extra, and never left his M16 out of his sight again. Dropping an M16 was also not a good thing to do, as that really upset the Drill Sergeants.
Remembering to do things is very important, drinking water is very important, but theres the little things, like filling up ones canteen, because if its not filled, well the Drill Sergeants get upset.
I remember when I was walking to fill my canteen up at the Lister Bag at a Bridge site, and I got stopped, my canteen was damn near empty.... I can almost still hear the yelling, and I do remember doing many push-ups over that stroke of bad luck.
As far as weight control in Basic, well we had the Monkey Bars in front of the Mess Hall, very high as I had to jump up to get them, and the rungs had a pipe sleeve over them so they spun.
Anyone not making it through the Monkey Bars had to get to the end of the line and try again, and get to the end of the line again if they failed again. People at the end of the line didn't eat much, because as soon as they sat down and started eating, well it was time for everyone to go.
I had no such trouble, as I was 17 years old, and viewed as a bit underweight for an Engineer, so I was watched, and I was told to go back through the line a second time, as soon as I stuffed the food I got the first time into my mouth and swallowed it… the good old days, almost makes me what to cry.
One of the hardest things for older people in Basic is when one is a teenager one is pretty much used to people telling them what to do and when to do it, no matter how stupid it seems at the time.