Army PT

My main focus here, when I’m not playing or rehearsing, is pt.  I’m doing pt 3 times a day- morning, noon and night.  The objective is for me to lose about 50+ lbs and go to the promotion board (which I can’t do until I lose the weight).   So far, after about 30 days of this, I’ve lost 15 lbs and counting!  Hopefully I'll look like a different person when I return!  At BAF (Bagram Air Field), we have a small gym about a minute from where we work.  It gets crowded from time to time, but that’s ok.  On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we form at 0630 and do PT with our groups.  We usually do the Insanity workout, and then I’ll go walking with my IOTV (Individual Outer Tactical Vest) on, or do the elliptical for about 30 minutes.  On Tuesday and Thursday we form at 0800 and one group rehearses while the rest go to the gym.  Some days I’ll do a light cardio routine, either 30 minutes or a specified distance; then I’ll do weight training.  This is my morning routine.

For the afternoon routine, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I’ll go with SSG’s Jackson and Fussell.  Some days, I’ll either do my light cardio/weight training from Tuesday and Thursday, or I’ll do an hour on the elliptical.  So far I’ve been able to bump up my resistance level from 5 to 8.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll usually just go by myself and do an hour on the elliptical.  For my evening routine, I don’t have very far to go.  We have 2 exercise bikes in the rehearsal hall next door.  I go and do an hour on the bike.  So far, my record for the bike is around 17-and-a-half miles in an hour, but my goal by the end of October is to get 20 miles.  It’s very possible.  This is what I do when we’re at Bagram.

Not every place we travel to has the same equipment, or equipment that is just as nice.  When we were up North at the Norwegian PRT, I had to ride a spinner bike.  That is a bike designed like the ones they use for professional riding, and has no computer screen to give you the time, distance, calories, etc.  Plus, in my opinion, it’s harder to ride! LOL Other places, like at ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and the Embassy, have some decent equipment, but it’s in foreign terms.  Meaning, kilometers instead of miles, kilograms instead of pounds, etc.  I have to guess my weight then! LOL We also use our surroundings to do an improvised PT routine.  At ISAF there is a tunnel system and stairs leading to the main ground.  At each end of the tunnel are ramps.  This is what I call “Combat PT”, because we wear our IOTV’s for this.  We’ll start at one end and walk down the ramp, up and down the stairs, back up and down the same ramp, then down the tunnel corridor and repeat the process on the other side.  We usually do this for as long as we can, although it’s usually about 30 minutes.  WHEW!  That’s enough though, as it is a REALLY GOOD workout!

So as you can see, I’m busting my butt over here, but the results will be awesome!  So, enjoy these pictures, and as always,

until next time…