• Push the handles together at the top of the repetition to work the tricep muscles.
• Do a "burn-out" set of 45 repetitions, 15 repetitions each at your the normal seat height, one notch above and one below with no rest in between.

ROMAN CHAIR:

This exercise is designed to strengthen your lower back, which will help you maintain proper push-up form. Start in down position by draping yourself over pad. Place arms across chest or behind head. Raise body until back forms a straight line. Do not overextend your back as this will do more harm than good! Lower body back to starting position Watch yourself or ask someone else to watch you throughout the workout to ensure you are not overextending your back until you get used to what the proper form feels like. Recommended workout: 3 times per week; 3 sets per workout, 15 repetitions per set

• In general, your push-up form will be much better if you can keep your eyes up and looking at a point on the ground approximately 12 inches in front of you. It seems harder this way at first, but in the end you'll be able to guarantee yourself perfect push-up form.
• Find a mirror that goes low enough to the floor to allow you to observe yourself during an entire push-up repetition. Most gyms have them; as an example, the second floor of the Vandy student recreation center has workout rooms with full-length mirrors on the walls.
• Observe yourself from two angles, facing and from the side, to determine which angle works best for you.
• Observe yourself doing push-ups in this fashion until you get used to what the proper form feels like.
• If you feel discomfort in your lower back when starting out, try the roman chair exercise above to strengthen your muscles in that critical area.

HOW TO SCORE YOUR BEST ON THE APFT

Interval training is the quickest way to improve any performance, but due to fatigue and injury potential, workouts should be performed no more than three times per week with a recommended train-up period of 8 to 10 weeks prior to the record APFT. Once relative "failure" is reached during a workout. DO NOT perform intervals again for AT LEAST 48 hours, although light, easy exercise (including jogging) on non-interval days is OK if desired. "Interval" refers to the REST period taken between successive sets of excise repetitions. Relative "failure" means that you cannot continue an exercise at a designated speed OR that you cannot continue non-stop repetitions within a set without momentary rest.

1. Same strategy as with pushups except:
2. Situps MUST be timed so that in the build-up phase you are performing 1 every 1.5 seconds (example: if you do 20 situps, you should complete them in no more than 30 seconds). Failure with situps means that your set execution time has significantly increased (you have slowed down).
3. Two weeks prior to the APFT, "sharpen" speed by doing sets of 10 situps in 10 seconds (or faster) with a 30-second rest interval until failure is reached (significant increase in set execution time).
4. Test your readiness 1 week prior to APFT with a 1 minute trial. Don’t do anything 72 hours prior to APFT!

1. Determine goal (race) pace per ¼ mile (example: 14 minutes for 2 miles = 1 minute 45 seconds per quarter mile).
2. Do quarters (once around a standard track or approximate this distance between telephone polls on the road) with a 2-minute rest interval (walk). Start with 4 quarters and increase to 8 as you improve. Some may only improve by 1 to 2 quarters per workout; others will advance rapidly.
3. When you can do 8, increase pace by 1-2 seconds per quarter each workout, if possible.
4. When you can do 8 quarters at a pace 10 to 12 seconds per quarter faster than goal pace, you're ready. No time trial required.

Interval training (or "intervals") is a method that will significantly improve performance in events requiring aerobic and anaerobic endurance such as running, pushups, and sit-ups. "Interval" refers to the rest period (or interval) taken between successive work periods. The techniques were developed by the East Germans in order to maximize distance running performances.

Ironically, because each repeat is manageable, the speed at which the work is performed is increased; therefore, power output is improved. Increased power output as well as volume of work (broken into manageable pieces by intervals) are tremendous stimuli for performance enhancement. Further, "specificity of training" is optimized because the intensity of training closely approximates that required during actual competition.

Physiologically, during the high-intensity repeat, anaerobic glycolysis results in the production of lactic acid (lactate) while a portion of the lactate is cleared during the interval. Following many repeats, the progressively increasing levels of lactate preclude continuance of exercise. This "failure" to continue indicates that the ideal training stimulus has been achieved. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include light-headedness, nausea, heavy muscles, and generalized discomfort, commonly termed "running with the bear on your back."

With continuing interval training, the body becomes efficient at clearing lactate quickly and tolerating high lactate levels—conditions that occur during maximal performance efforts. However, a word of caution: intervals are high-intensity, exacting, tiring training which should not be overdone because injury, illness, and/or staleness may result; but if used in judicious doses, in a systematic way, will produce remarkable performance improvements.

Many soldiers can increase their physical fitness beyond their present level if they're willing to concentrate on deficiencies instead of just trying to run faster.

The individual PT program revealed here was developed for soldiers with little time to devote to PT.

Take a look at your last APFT. From your scores you can determine where the starting point from your Individual Fitness Program should be. If you haven't taken an APFT in the last three months, you may want to conduct an assessment of your physical abilities before beginning.

To conduct a self assessment, do as many correct push-ups and sit-ups as you can in a one-minute period, and then run as hard as you can for a timed one-half mile. Multiply your push-up and sit-up scores by 1.25 to find an entry point into the charts. Multiply your one-half mile time by four.

If done correctly, the program will bring you to muscle failure. This exercise regime is designed to be done every other day, as your muscles need from 24 to 48 hours to recover from hard usage.

To get your starting numbers, look at the charts. The numbers along the top of the charts are the number of pushups or sit-ups you performed. Follow the number down the row to give you the number of repetitions for each exercise you're to begin with in your individual program.

1. Regular push-ups times three sets with one-minute rest in between sets. Form is important. If you can't do the push-ups properly, go to your knees and continue until you've finished the sets. After three workouts, add three push-ups to each set. (Example: You start with 14 push-ups on Wednesday. The next Wednesday, go to 17 push-ups.)

2. Regular sit-ups times three sets with one-minute rests between sets. If you can't do all the sit-ups properly, lower the angle of your legs until they're almost parallel to the ground. After three workouts, add three sit-ups to each set.

3. Close-hand push-ups. Put your hands together under your chest in a diamond shape. Perform the push-ups. Go to your knees if necessary. Add one close-hand push-up after every three workouts.

4. Wide arm push-ups. Put your hands under your chest in a diamond shape. Perform the push-ups. Go to your knees is necessary. Add one close-hand push-up after every three workouts.

5. Crunches. Start position is with arms across chest, hands grasping shoulders. Try not to stop between set. Crunches are as follows:

a. Legs bent 90 degrees, knees together

b. Legs bent 90 degrees, knees apart

c. Legs bent 90 degrees, feet in air, knees together

d. Legs bent 90 degrees, feet in air, knees apart

e. One leg bent at 90 degrees, foot on ground and one leg straight and six-and-one-half inches off the ground

f. Same as e., but reverse leg positions

g. One leg bent at 90 degrees, foot on ground and one leg straight and six-and-one-half inches off the ground

h. Same as g., but reverse leg positions

6. Turn and bounce. Hold arms parallel to the ground with palms facing up. The exercise is an eight-count movement at a slow cadence. Pivot slowly at the waist to the right for four counts and then to the left for four counts. Add two turn and bounces after every three workouts.

7. Flutter kicks. Put your hands under your buttocks. Lift your feet six to eight inches off the ground to start. Begin by lifting legs in sequence 6 to 18 inches. Keep legs slightly bent to reduce the strain on your back. One repetition equals four counts. Add two flutter kicks after every three workouts.

8. Leg spreaders. Put your hands under your buttocks. Lift your feet 6 to 8 inches off the ground to start. Begin by spreading legs 18-30 inches and then bringing them back together. Keep legs slightly bent to reduce the strain on your back. One repetition equals four counts. Add two leg spreaders after every three workouts.

Use the running chart to increase your aerobic and anaerobic stamina and better your two-mile time. Enter the table using your two-mile time or multiply times four your half-mile assessment. For example, your run time is 14:15. Enter the chart at +14. This program is designed to be run every other day, although there is no harm in running more than three times a week.

Fast run day. Begin with the lower distance for your speed. When you beat the time for the distance, move to a longer distance within the same row. When you surpass the time for the distance at the bottom of the row, move to the left one row, maintaining the same distance. When you move one row to the left on the fast run, move your sprint goals to the same row.

Long and slow run. Run at least 20 minutes for a good cardiovascular workout. Run for time during this session, not necessarily distance.

The program is designed to have very little paper overhead. Each soldier is responsible for his or her own pace in the program, which has the additional benefit of exercising the soldier's self discipline.

One technique to start the program would be to give each soldier a packet and have the program explained after an APFT or diagnostic test. Organized PT would still be conducted, but with each soldier doing the amount of exercise determined by his or her specific program. As a check, periodic diagnostic tests could be used to review progress.

As with any program, results are directly attributed to the amount of effort extended. Soldiers who can't keep up on the battlefield are losses just as much as casualties suffered through enemy action. We, as leaders, are charged with not letting this happen.