subject: Marines Physical Fitness Test How To Train For The Run [print this page] The notorious three-mile run is the hardest part of the Marine physical fitness test. Pull-ups and crunches contribute just as much to your score, but the Marine physical fitness test hinges on running speed for most recruits and officer candidates. It's one thing to run a fast mile, but keeping a good pace for three miles can be brutal. If you're wondering how you should prepare for the best possible time in your Marine physical fitness test, check out the following training tips.
Do Sprints
Most Marines run for twenty minutes or more during their PFT, but that doesn't mean you should avoid shorter, higher-intensity work. Interval sprints are great for strengthening your legs and ankles, especially if you do them on a steep hill. Building your sprinting skills can also help you to haul ass to the finish line when every second counts. You can breathe when you're done!
Give Circuit Work a Try
Weightlifters use circuits to burn fat, but they can also be a great cross-training tool for runners. To do circuits, simply pick a few different exercises that you can do with a barbell and a small amount of weight. These need to be compound movements like squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, rows, and cleans. You can also incorporate dips, pull-ups, push-ups, and other bodyweight movements.
Overall, just make sure you're constantly doing sets of ten, fifteen, or even twenty reps for each movement, not allowing yourself any rest in between exercises. With occasional breaks to catch your breath, keep this up for ten to fifteen minutes. You'll be gasping for air by the end of it, but it's amazing how these circuits can improve your cardiovascular strength.
Try Some Tabatas
Named after its Japanese inventor, a Tabata is simply a set of intervals where you alternate twenty seconds of all-out effort and ten seconds rest for eight total rounds. You can do this with any exercise, but it works best for running, squatting, and stationary cycling. It may sound easy, but that ten-second rest period starts to go by pretty fast when you're four or five rounds in! This training method is unmatched when it comes to improving your body's ability to use oxygen.
Practice the Run!
By far the best way to prepare for the Marine physical fitness test is to simply go on long runs! The other training methods are great for improving your general fitness, but you absolutely must practice the three-mile run to get good at it. Also, your knees and ankles will not be too happy with you on test day if you're not used to long-distance running. The Marine physical fitness test takes its toll on the body, and you've got to be prepared to make it through!
