Push-ups did you do everyday? I just like to know becaus if I do go in to the military I want to be able to do that many in one day. Thanks for the help

The number we were told! That, tayous1, would vary.

Way too many to count.
You'll never all do them right. So, "alright, you fucked up. We're going to start all over again and see if you can get them right this time." Needless to say the only time you will get them right is when the DI is tired of watching you. By the middle of Boot Camp I'd have guys load a full foot locker on my back and crank out 75, no problem.
Wait till the Gas Chamber. They had us take off our masks and sing the Marine Corps Hymm. The whole fucking thing. We coughed and sputtered and gagged. One guy almost broke his hand trying to punch a hole through the wall! Of course it wasn't good enough, either. So we did it again. I think the Mormon Tabernacle Choir would of been proud of our second rendition.
You'll spend a lot of time doing it again[}:D]

I worked out and ran like crazy prior to going in. It helped alot. I was Platoon Honorman. Damn proud of that.

What service branch are you looking at?

I was Navy and I would venture to say that with PT in the AM and being PT'd for screw ups you did, then PT'd for other guys foul ups and then PT for the hell of it, then there's IT at 0200 for 2 hours if you screw up real bad..  Hmmmm... I would venture to say at bare minimum of 100-150.  It gets easier as you go the CC's back off after the 5th or 6th week when you get your head "out from your ass" and they seem to get easier to do.  You have to understand that pushups are only one facet of PT.  You have sit-ups, jumping jacks, running, 8 count body builders, "drop on your face" drills, damned 100lb(seemingly) drill rifles, more pushups, more running, all the while being screamed at and insulted.  They will sometimes PT you until you are absolutely flat out unable to even stand up.  Best advice?  Start running get good cardio work out.  Also there's only one exercise that makes you better at pushups.. Pushups.  I think minimum for PRT is like 52 in 2 mins, 1 1/2 mile run in 11 minutes, and something like 65 sit-ups in 2 minutes.. I forget what it was but this was Navy, I expect that the Marines and Army would be a little more physical environment by nature of training so it would be tougher over all.  As for the Air Force, I don't think they have a boot camp.  I heard it is a 6 week long class trip to Texas[:D]

Edited to say that my original estimate was conservative.  Maybe twice that much some days now that I think of it.  And yes DRJarhead is correct by the middle of boot camp you will be able to crank them out.  I was terrible at pushups before I went in but when I was finished basic I could do a hundred without  much trouble at all.  You will see how quickly your body can be forced to adapt.  It gives you lot's of confidence.

It really depends on how pissed your DI is at that particular time. [BD]

I HOPE YOU MADE THE ONLY CHOICE THAT REALLY MATTERS AND ARE GOING TO BECOME A MARINE. At MCRD San Diego ( I know surfboard MARINES )we pushed California into Mexico.

SEMPER FI

Yeah, SEMPER FI

I'm looking at the Coast Guard or U.S.M.C

1. Coast Guard mostly if stuff does not heat up in the middle east.

2. Marines well because if stuff does heat up in the middle east.

I live in IL so if I go I'll be going to San Diego.

Marines when I was in: at least 500/day, probably closer to 1000. At least for the first 3 weeks or so. You'll understand soon enough[:D]

Coast Guard!!??

The "Knee Deep Navy".  
They only go out to where it's knee deep![;)]

Actually I hear they teach real sailing and marlinspike seamanship though.

Whatever you choose remember if your being drilled and you cannot do one more pushup, situp, whatever.  Don't quit and lay there.  They will be all over you like flys on shit.  Just keep trying even if you are wasted.

Seriously.  Coast Guard...????
Why not Navy then?  Just curious.

I won't jump into the whole surfboarders and island pukes debate.  I personally am an islander, but just remember... all DIs are forged in the same dark pit of hell where satan himself fears to tread because he might end up with a few 5.56 mm holes in his head :)

I'm now in college, and I went through my first leg of Officer Candidates School in persuit of my goal of my ass filling the very selective seat of a joint strike fighter in a few years.  OCS was... different, but certainly nothing to laugh at.  We certainly got less sleep than at MCRD, and at OCS, you don't have the luxury of being built from the ground up physically and mentally... if you don't hack it at OCS, you're sent packing without delay.

I certainly think it would improve the quality of some officers if the actual nature of being a Marine was driven home further at OCS.  A lot of candidates, non-priors included, took it seriously, took the occupation they were striving for seriously.  There were others, however, who were simply looking for a job after college... which leads to shitbirds.  In the fantastic words of Gnysgt R. Lee Ermey as Gunny Hartman in Full Metal Jacket... "You can give your heart to Jesus... BUT YOUR ASS, BELONGS.... TO THE CORPS!!! DO YOU MAGGOTS UNDERSTAND THAT!?!?!  I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!"

MCRD certainly has a more serious effect on driving home the concept of how serious the job is.  It's not a job, it's a way of life.

In any case, for whoever asked about how many pushups... why do you need to know?  It doesn't matter... for pushups are good for the soul. :)

Semper Fi all you jarheads out there!

Eoin

It's the Gunners mate job that got me hooked also being able to go down to Florida doing boarding and drug bust's.

Also it's the fastest ranking branch of the military and there is something after becoming a 3 class petty officer and being coincided a FED officer that I like.

The re sigh on money not that bad earthier up to $60g for some jobs.

In response to the young man who wishes to serve his country.

I am not going to try to yell and bitch about why you should join the Corps, but I WILL try to persuade you just because once you're exposed to the Marine way, you don't like the other ways :)

Let's put this out on the table first... if you serve in any branch, be it marine corps, coast guard, navy, chair force, or army, you WILL be serving your country, and that is to be commended.  Just the fact that you are sitting here trying to make an informed decision about serving one's country shows that you are at a higher level than most civilian youths out there, so you have my respect for that.  Now... on to the reason why I think you should join the brotherhood of jarheads...

This is something that is even hard for me to describe... but if I could put it into one word it would simply be 'pride'.  Aside from all the glamor of being able to wear the sharpest dress blue uniform of any service, being with a fighting force that is amongst the most elite and disciplined throughout the entire world, earning a very good living for yourself, and all that other jazz... in becoming a Marine you will learn to hold yourself to the highest standards of personal and moral conduct.

I am not a recruiter, so I will not try to ramble on about why you should join up.  But in all honesty, I encourage you to seek the counsel of a recruiter in your local area as he is professionally trained in relaying the esprit de corps to future Marines.  Also, go to your local library and buy some literature from the Commandant's Reading List (http://www.mcu.usmc.mil/reading/readinglist.htm) and read some amazing books about men who made unreal sacrifices for their country and for freedom.  I don't remember at the moment, but some top army brass who observed Marines in WWII said this about Marines... "Uncommon valor was a common virtue."

If you ever go to the Vietnam Wall in Washington DC, you will see a flagpole proudly displaying our national ensign and a bronze base which displays the seals of all five branches of service.  There is only one part of that bronze base which is polished on a regular basis to display the fine sheen of the base metal... I will leave you to guess which one.

Semper Fi,

Eoin

(Just in case you don't know what Semper Fi means, it's short for 'Semper Fidelis' - a latin phrase meaning "Always Faithful" the motto and soul of the Corps.)

What all these guys are saying is that if you go into boot in reasonably good physical condition, the Corps will ensure that you get the training and conditioning that you need to complete the training and conditioning.  

It's all about making you work as a team and do as you're told.   If that means that you come in built like Superman's personal trainer, they'll still find something that makes it a challenge for you.  Great runners will carry logs.  Ultra strong guys will have their asses run off.   They'll find your weak spot and work it until it disappears.

And here's the great part:  They won't give up on you until you do.  If your heart's set on being a Marine, by God, they'll make you into one.  They will find a way.

Keep that in mind, and also remember that this is all a game.  Play it, participate, and play for keeps.  You'll make it just fine.

Your time at boot will begin like a day in hell. But with every passing week, you'll find that as you learn to do what they tell you to, it gets easier and easier, and your instructors will become more and more human.   This is all part of the plan, and it works.    At the end of the first week you'll be saying "Shit, I screwed up big time by signing that damned document.  This is hell!"   When you get to the final days of boot, you'll sort of wish there was more training ahead because you've come to like what you're doing.

I guarantee it.  Every marine I ever talked to has said essentially the same thing.

Since you're posting here, at AR15.com, it suggests you have an interest in shooting.  Why not go for sniper training?  If you have what it takes, it's probably one of the best jobs in the Marines to get.  (The very best is flying F/A-18's and Joint Strike Fighters, in the future)

CJ

The sniper school will be cool but I don't have the patents for it at all. My uncle was a CAP in Nam a MG he told me because of my size I would be with the MG, Mortar plate carrier or a ammo humper for the MG. I want to do the MG part I just don't like the SAW over the M60.

I went to MCRD San Diego in the late 80s.
We did a lot more of Side Stradle Hops (jumping jacks), Bends and Thrusts, and Mountain Climbers then we did pushups.
I heard later that they stopped the climbers and added more bends and thrusts.

The command to start the punishment was "Bend, Bitch, Bend and Motherfuckin Thrust!"

When I went through Fort Knox in '82 we spent at least an hour a day in the Front Leaning Rest position. If you were a screwup or accident prone or a slow learner that number increased geometrically. In addition to push-ups we did around a hundred Side Straddle Hops (jumping jacks) the same number of sit-ups and ran half way around the world (actually 3-10 miles depending on the training schedule).

That was the official physical training routine. If the platoon fell from grace (a regular event) we could count on doing everything twice. You'll be amazed how much you can do in 18 hours. [xx(]

That is what I was thinking but get in shape now and maybe It will not be as bad.

I'm not sure If I'm going to just hold off until September for boot camp or go in the summer if I do go.

A few hundred. As everybody else said, that's on top of anything else they can dream up.  You may find that the pushups are the easiest part.  Personally, I preferred them to the running.  Basically, you cannot be over prepared. When you first get there, you will be tested on pushups.  They have to be perfect.  You need to do about 50 to get 10 to count.  It's pretty disturbing but it's just part of the game.  If you fail, you get put in the "porkchop platoon" where you will PT for weeks, before you ever begin Basic.

I hesitate to say this 'cause I don't want the resident Jarheads started, but here goes.

In the experience of my friends and I, regarding PT,  Marine basic is the hardest, followed by Army, then Navy,Coastguard and Airforce.  Of course, It all depends on the D.I and differs even between platoons.  Some are simply more sadistic than others.

My advice is to figure out what part of the PT you are weakest at, then concentrate on that.  But in any case, give yourself a workout of at least 1.5 hours per day of running/situps/pushups/8 count pushups/jumping jacks/etc.  If you feel lightheaded, and slightly sick, your doing it right!

Also, there are lot's of different pushups for variety.  practice the "diamond" pushup.  They love that one.  (hands close together, thumb and pointer finger forming a diamond)

Good luck!

I was USMC 82-86. Push ups weren't a big part of our disciplinary PT. Like what was stated by someone else we did a wide range of exercises as punishment. Side straddle hops, mountain climbers, bends and thrusts, leg lifts, push ups. All were performed at the Drill instructors cadence and in what ever order he gave them to you. They would stand over you and command you to perform various exercises one after the other usually much faster than you could do them for longer than you could do them. I saw many recruits vomiting on the quarter deck while doing mountain climbers. Best advice is do a variety of strength training and aerobic conditioning exercises. Keep in mind that even the most physically fit recruit will fail if he is not mentally prepared. A good base line is to be able to run 3 miles in 21 minutes or better, do 10 pull ups and 70 sit ups in 2 minutes. That will give you a good starting point and you should have no trouble since they get you the rest of the way gradually.

$hit you gotta be kiddin me with 100-150 pushups a day. I make my raiders team do more than that every day. and they find it pretty easy. if they only make you do about 150 to 200 a day than they are wimpin out on me, and that can't be.  [}:D]


edited to say hoah to all the boys over their now for the great job their doin

It's going to make me unpopular around here, but I actually like the SAW.  It is lighter, and fires with less recoil.  Whereas in the M60 one had to do bursts of 6, the SAW keeps on target effectiffly.  I fired a belt of 50 rounds all at once, and kept all the shots in a door panel of a truck at 400 yards.  Give the SAW a chance at least.

I will give it a chance or I might get a M-16. Sorry I was old Nam Marine school raised by my uncle.

I cant remember that was 22 years ago!

I had a different experience in Navy boot camp, Great Lakes, 1983.

Guys in the nuclear power program were treated much better from day 1 than the average rick.  

We were all placed in company leadership positions, just because we were in the program.  I used to lend out my yellow MAA armband as a big time favor - this usually meant an unsupervised trip to the PX.

I never realized before how stupid guys could be before I went to boot camp.  Memorizing the chain of command or the general orders were hopeless to some of them, and half our companys seemed to be made up of these academic drops.  I think you lost a week in training if you failed one of those "academic drops."

Punishment?  Once in a blue moon.  Just alot of threats and yelling.  After a while it went in one ear and out the other.  The worst part of it was those damned boots - marching in formation.

I guess things have changed a bit.  Wasn't in the nuc program but went AEF, so I was already an E-3 going into boot.  Leadership positions were assigned to people that were either former military (which we did have a few) or the CC deemed responsible enough.  As some one said earlier in this thread - boot is a mind game, if you realize that early enough you'll do fine.  As for how many push-ups, depends on if the CC got some the previous evening[:)]