Does anyone have any PT/PRT plans that you have found effective when training your Platoon/Company/Unit?

1LT Caden Love — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:44:33 -0500

Looking for some personal recommendations ideas/training that you have seen work. We are currently limited ACFT equipment due to COVID-19. My platoon is currently training for the
APFT. PRT for us runs from 0630-0800.

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Feb 25 at 2021 3:47 PM

CSM Chuck Stafford — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 15:47:15 -0500

PSG and 1SG might could assist, a bit ;-)

Response by SFC Melvin Brandenburg made Feb 25 at 2021 4:00 PM

SFC Melvin Brandenburg — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 16:00:05 -0500

Sir, I'd go with calisthenics. Lots of good information on either strongfirst.com or athleanx.com

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2021 4:29 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 16:29:13 -0500

I'd recommend the THOR3 SF Program. They have a 6 week or 10 week plan for free. Just Google it

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 25 at 2021 7:50 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:50:47 -0500

Sir, this is what I recommend and I also recommend doing it with your troops and stir up some competition.

Monday: 3-4 mile run
Tuesday: Muscle failure (bwap, Murph, ect.)
Wendnesday: 60-120's
Thursday: Yoga or some form of deep stretch routine (100% needed soldiers do not stretch enough and leads to injured people)
Friday: Competive PT (sports pt, liter carry with weight in kit, obstacle course)

With it being 0630-0800 make sure your guys get stretched out don't run out the time or rush to exercise.

Response by SGT Chris Stephens made Feb 25 at 2021 8:33 PM

SGT Chris Stephens — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:33:59 -0500

For training for the run, avoid formation-style runs. As a distance coach in track and field, you need to be able to mix up the types of runs that you do if you truly want to see improvement in run times for your soldiers. There needs to be a mix of distance days and speed days.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 26 at 2021 12:11 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:11:41 -0500

For large groups like a platoon or higher just PRT and formation runs. You might be able to get some HIIT out of a platoon if you have the space and enough equipment.

Otherwise you need to have plans for the team and squad level where PT can be focused on the individual. Mass PT ensures that everyone is doing it, but personal team PT ensures that peoples weaknesses are being focused on and improved.

For the ACFT, you'll need to get a hold of sleds and you can do sled drag stations. However an alternative would be IOTV sprints. 100 meter and 400 meter would help train up for that, though the extra weight can affect the knees so you want to make sure proper stretching is incorporated before and after.

For the carry barbells and kettlebells will be needed, but any improved weight will work just make sure to advise gloves be used depending on what kind of material they will have to grip.

For the medicine ball toss, you can get a group together to do squats with the ball and then toss the ball to a partner back and forth.

Push ups are push ups, you can do them in pyramids or variants like burpees for example, nothing difficult there.

The single leg tuck you need to incorporate pullups and arm hangs, especially for the bigger guys who are going to have issue with this event.

The deadlift needs you to lift weight. If you don't have enough hex bars and regular bars you can improvise with kettlebells and barbells just make the same movements and have it be slow and controlled.

Whatever series of events you decide on needs to be finished with a run. The ACFT tires people out before the run so even with the increased run time for certain groups people have struggled to pass who previously had no problem passing the APFT.

HIIT and endurance training will be useful for the ACFT. I would get with your PSG, they'll likely have some PT ideas for groups and that are focused on the individual. Always remember that while group PT can be important and helpful, it doesn't always get the individual where they need to be.

Response by SSG George Holtje made Feb 26 at 2021 12:45 AM

SSG George Holtje — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 00:45:30 -0500

You can get 98 percent to lift on their own. You can get 2 percent to run or do cardio on their own.
Death run everyday at same pace and distance improves nothing.

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Feb 26 at 2021 9:10 AM

SFC Casey O'Mally — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 09:10:23 -0500

Sir,
Honestly, it really depends on where you are starting from. As much as we hate PT Tests, the script at the beginning of the APFT (and I understand we are now on the ACFT, but I don't know the script for that one) is valid. "This test will give you and your Commanders an assessment of your overall fitness and your physical training needs." (I think, I am going off memory here.)

The only thing I can really tell you is before you even begin to design your PT program, you need to know where your Soldiers are at. Identify their weaknesses, individually and collectively, and then build from there. I would recommend at LEAST one day a week for squad level (or even team level, if possible) PT and/or "weakness group" focused PT (i.e. group for building upper body strength, group for building core strength, group for improving speed, group for improving cardio endurance, group for improving agility, etc.). Generally speaking, the higher echelon you keep PT at, the less the group improves, because you are working with the lowest common denominator or the group average - and will only be addressing (at most) half of the group's training needs.

There are some exceptions where everybody is doing the same thing, but individuals can push harder (or lesser) than average depending on their personal fitness (such as an obstacle course) but those are rare - and if it is something like an obstacle course with limited resources (there are only so many ropes to climb, after all), then larger groups are STILL problematic, because you get a lot of wait time.

The last thing I will say on the topic is... variety. As a young Soldier, in one of my Platoons, every Monday, without fail, was either 8 or 10 mile run. Every Tuesday was 4 mile run and pyramid push-ups. Every Wednesday was 3 mile interval run followed by timed push-ups, followed by pyramid sit-ups. Every Thursday was ruck. And every Friday was 4-mile "esprit de corps" run followed by pull-ups, rope climb, and flutter kicks. Every single week. It got real old, real quick.
Now, we also got real strong, real quick - at least in the run and in push-ups. But after the 3rd week, motivation started to fall, and after the 6th week, motivation seriously lagged - at least *mine* did.

Response by LTC Jeff Shearer made Feb 26 at 2021 5:42 PM

LTC Jeff Shearer — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 17:42:32 -0500

LT the important part is to keep moving. Example go to a PT field 15x push up, sit up, jump squats, flutter kicks, bear crawl x10 meters, jumping jacks run 1 mile repeat the entire thing 3 times.

notes: add or subtract any exercise but remember that the repetitions are low because there does not need to be any hesitation between exercises and they need to be done correctly. Do then very strict as far as form and no pause between exercises. The 1 mile run should be done slow enough you can finish but fast enough you can't speak. If you or any of your boys blow chunks during or after this it means it is being applied properly Demonstrate each exercise at beginning of PT. This is just an example of the mind set

Response by SFC Randy Hellenbrand made Feb 27 at 2021 10:31 AM

SFC Randy Hellenbrand — Sat, 27 Feb 2021 10:31:30 -0500

Sir,
I'm a retired PSG. I feel for you in the time of covid when it comes to PT. (Notice the terminology change?) As it is your job to lead and set the mission, I highly suggest you get your PSG to brief you on your soldiers individual strengths and weaknesses. You know the army requirements for each man per their age, so see what is what and then work to maintain the strengths and place your emphasis on the individuals weaknesses. You have SLs, have the PSG put them to work on this as afterall, it is their job.

Covid will severely restrict the team and buddy/competition training/ that I preferred. I also had 2 more events back in that day. So, this is what I did my last 5 years when I was in the 2/128 Inf. WI ARNG. RDF. (I absolutely loved that job; even though I got my boots wet helocasting)

From what you said above, I believe you have control of your own PT time. Here are some suggestions:
1.Stretch-stretch-stretch.
A. Yoga is great for this. (Hey, I did this nearly 30 years ago) I also had financial constraints so I
had one of the guys wives, who taught Yoga, lead it.
2. Some very fast paced exercises to get everybody loosened up. Jumping jacks, etc.
3. A series of different individual stations to target an individual's weaknesses. Upper body, etc.
Individual need is the key here. Everybody doesn't need to do every station.
4. Group exercise of 2 minutes of push-ups and 2 minutes of sit-ups.
5. Hydrate
6. Timed group 2 mile run. (So the older guys gotta suck it up)
**7. Get creative. It honestly helps to require some chin-up or other events during the day.
8. KEEP TRACK OF THE RESULTS!!!!!!

I did a lot of stuff you won't be able to probably do: squad competitions, buddy carries, telephone pole sit ups, weather permitting I did my 2 mile thru town in pt uniform with and without field pack, pyramid buddy climbs up and over flat roofed buildings, rope climbs. We even ran thru shallow water.

You got the 2nd best job in the world right now. (A PSG is THE BEST) Enjoy every minute of it.

Sincerely,
Randy S. Hellenbrand WANG Ret.
2 hot and 1 cold war

Response by SSG Darrell Peters made Mar 3 at 2021 1:57 AM

SSG Darrell Peters — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 01:57:56 -0500

Often what you seek is in the past. Colonel Herman Koehler was considered to be the father of Army Physical Fitness, he was a respected Instructor in the Physical Education Department at West Point. Where he is revered as the father of the West Point Physical Education Program. "he authored a text, A System of Calisthenic Exercises for Use in the School of the Soldier, whose provisions were adopted Army-wide in 1892 as The Manual of Calisthenic Exercises.[4] His system of "setting up" exercises (later termed "Disciplinary Physical Training") concentrated on strengthening a soldier's shoulders, chest, arms, and legs."
"Prior to the entry of the United States into World War I, Koehler was detached to direct physical instruction for 200,000 newly-inducted soldiers at officers' and divisional training camps of the National Army and promoted to major. He personally led instruction to units as large as a brigade, often conducting calisthenics to 6,000 men at a time. The United States Army Physical Fitness School estimated in 1999 that during his lifetime Koehler led physical instruction for more than 400,000 persons."
If you research Colonel Koehler's work you will find a lot of his exercise routines were low impact. His objective was to build a soldier's physical fitness level without incurring any injury. Such as Valuing,the use of weighted medicine balls, Fencing and yes even dancing which was considered a physical activity. He also focused on Gymnastics which came in handy jumping over obstacles also swimming which is a great way to strengthen muscle and learn a life-saving skill. Pool Exercises are very effective in helping those depending on an injury to recover.
P.T. is an NCO function, however, lessons learned from history often help in today's world.