Preparation for Bootcamp

[Faith89]

I was just wondering if you moms remember how your children prepared physically for bootcamp. I am working out a lot and going to PT weekly but I was just wonder what your children did to prepare. All answers are appreciated.

[Paula S.]

Make sure you get your hair cut so that it meets regulations and you can take care of it quickly! My daughter had hers cut very, very short. Get used to running... you'll need to meet standards. Ask your recruiter!

[Angelika]

My son studied out of the Dep book. Memorized as much as he could. He said it made it easier. Remember the chain of command and when you see sleeves what to call them. He said so many got in trouble for calling someone the wrong rank. He didnt go to BC until Sep. so he swam a lot last summer in the river and he ran a lot. He was in real good shape to begin with but he wanted to be sure he would do just fine. Good luck!

[Donna]

Memorize General Orders (I think thats what Josh called them) Run, pushups, and situps. His recruiter took him out and tested him a couple of times to make sure he met his goal.

[Barbara]

My son worked out with his Recruiter every morning at 5:00 am. He said it really helped. Also, study the chain of command and the orders. Good Luck.

[Donna]

FYI They can get into the YMCA for free if they show their military ID

[Carol]

Preparation? Ha! My son did almost nothing to prepare himself for BC, physically. Oddly enough, he thrived on PT, and still continues to exceed his physical expectations and pushes his limits daily. I recall he did a little bit of reading/studying while in DEP, and went once or twice a week to meetings at the recruitment office, but that was about all.

[Rhonda]

my son has been in the navy almost a year and he did alot of running but he has a alot of great friends who ran with him for support and like everyone else has said alot of studying thats where i helped alot of pop quizzes lol

[Edgar]

I've been in DEP for 6 months... I wake up at 4 am daily, leave my house at 430am and take a 45 minute walk to my gym. I do push ups, sit ups, and loads of cardio. I also train the muscles necessary for the push ups. I've been doing this for 6 months and am down to9 minute run! I try to read the DEP book but am having trouble with the 11 general orders, got sailors creed and rank recognition down though!

If you feel you need help get a trainer, but really just focus on getting your stamina up and push ups too!

[lynda n]

My son worked out daily doing pullups, pushups and ran track in High School. He also got into body building, but just on his own. From the age of 15 to 17 he really developed himself well, not an ounce of fat on this kid. He was careful about his diet, and never smoked. He was in fantastic shape when he started boot camp, and continues to take care of his body now, 4 1/2 years later.

[Stacy (Joshua, AG-Atsugi, Japan)]

My son began preparation by going to a gym 3-4 times a week & working w/a personal trainer to learn what & how to do what he needed for BC. He couldn't afford to continue at the gym after ~3 months, but continued working out on his own. He would do push-ups & sit-ups every evening & morning, & would run 3-4 times a week. He was given minimum requirements by his recruiter for BC readiness, & the recruiter came to the house ~2 weeks ago to test him on push-ups, sit-ups, & running. I can't remember what the req'd number of push-ups & sit-ups were & in what time, nor how far he had to run in what time, but I know he passed. Another thing he was req'd to do before leaving was to know his 12 General Orders (yes, I said 12, rather than 11... I learned the 12th one just this week... 'The commanding officer is always right!'), as well as the chain of command (ranks, in order, & the bars/stripes that go w/them). He was tested as time went along, being told 'at the next DEP meeting you will be tested on *** ' & he would make sure he knew the material he would be tested on. He went to all DEP meetings as well as req'd PT. With regard to diet, he watched what he ate & kept his calorie count low (usually 1,000-1,500 per day, I think). He would fast one day per week to allow his body to 'cleanse', as he put it, drinking plenty of water every day, especially on his fasting day. He didn't deprive himself of food he liked, but he would limit these splurges to one or two meals per week, that would be his only meal for the day, & he would make sure he did his push-ups, sit-ups, and running on those days. It definitely takes dedication & determination, & at first it's difficult to get into a routine. But he made himself do it even when he didn't feel like it, & as time went by it became so normal that it didn't take any 'pushing' to get himself out there. He left for BC just this past Wed., & should graduate ~April 24. If I had any words of advice for you, it would be to do as much as you can now to get into shape & to learn the basics from your DEP books. The more ahead you are before you go, the better off you will be. By the way, my son was given advice with regard to his hair & clothing when leaving for BC... he loved having his head 'nearly bald'. However, he was told to let it grow out about a month before going, & on ship out day to wear clothing that was as generic as possible (i.e. no shirts, hats, pants, jackets, etc. with 'Navy' *anything* on them). He was told that if he went w/his hair already in 'military cut' or with clothing with anything Navy or military on them, it was as good as extending an invitation to being singled out once he got to BC, for 'thinking' he already knew what they wanted or would want to see. I don't know how true this is, but I do know that my son took the advice. I'm anxious to talk to him, to find out if it was true, as there were two guys that left w/him that were decked out in 'Navy' clothing. Sorry for being so 'long-winded', but there was a lot of info to share & I didn't want to leave anything out! I wish you the very best of luck, & thank you for your willingness to serve our country....

[betty]

nicole,
I think all the sugguestion you have gotten so far are right on the money. My son had problems with the running he did not past his pt the first time around. They did give him a second change and he did past the mile run with seconds to spare. They do help you at boot camp. they want you to past. my son also has a weight problem just make sure you are at 21% body fat or less. we even had to put prepration H on his middle section and plastic wrap him to sweat some weight off him. he also had a sauna suit he wore at night. Keep up with the pt and the study out of the navy book and you will do fine... good luck and thank you for serving our county....
mom in vegas

[yvonne]

How exactly did you do this? My son has a spare tire to loose.