Royal Marines Reserve

[TheForceV4]

Afternoon all,

Went to HMS Sherwood last night for a presentation evening and to my careers centre this morning.

Filled out all the pre-joining forms etc and had a good thorough chat with a few regulars and recruiting officer.

Now for the stter.

I am in good shape, not fat but of muscular build and yup, you guessed it....BMI is way off.

Had a chat with the doctor who fortunately happened to be in the careers centre. Lovely chap who agreed that it was BMI is bks but I would be failed currently going to medical.

So I need to lose 9kg....Call it 11 to be on the safe side.

Help!

I lift a lot of weights, box and run.

I guess the weights will have to stop

Diet is a factor, I dont have one, eat what I like when I like.

But to hell with it I know I can do this plus once im in (if I get in) then I can go back to my usual ways.

Does anyone have any tips?

[TheForceV4]

Hi Tiggsy 190.5cm tall and 107kgs in weight, therefore by their bmi chart I am overweight.

[TheForceV4]

TwistingMyMelon I have no idea been ages since I took one! I hear people saying that they arent very accurate and it depends on the method used?

[TheForceV4]

This is me as of a couple of weeks ago, so not too fat anyway. Excuse the stupid face my contacts had fallen out.

[TheForceV4]

okgo said:

Listening to what my mate had to do in training (he got in and started the basic training before leaving just before he had to commit) no matter how lean you may be (and you look like you're still over 10% bf to me, though clearly are a big bloke) you will really suffer at that weight, carrying a huge rucksack and weighing that amount, your knee's will be toast after some of the exercises they do.

You're right, I definitely imagine i am more than 10% bodyfat.

I am aiming to drop a lot of the weight, well im going to have too ha. I suffer now for it doing certain activities (dont bench press btw) used to be heavier and it was a pain in the arse.

I am worried about the knees and the excercises but right now its all about dropping the weight just to get through the medical.

[TheForceV4]

okgo said:

Nothing like as well as a marine needs to. Look at the requirements, for a male solider they're easy, 1.5 miles in 14 mins or something laughable. For marines its 1.5 miles in 12.30 and then another 1.5 under 10 mins, a world apart.

And this is whats getting me.

I would have to go for PJFT and do the times quoted above on a treadmill at 2% incline.

So far the 12.30 bit i've got nailed, but the 10min......There are currently no words. I know the weight has a lot to do with it.

The thing that is getting me is that if I do manage to do it, which I genuinely believe I can, what if I get binned for something else?

But im 29 and no spring chicken so its a case of now or never.

[TheForceV4]

Yup from what I saw last night that definitely was accurate but I did draw faith from the fact that there was a Sergeant there who was my height and did have a bit of size to him so its doable

[TheForceV4]

Defcon5 said:

Is the BMI test on the same day as any other fitness tests?

You could drop an awful lot of water weight to get you under in a short period of time

I'm not sure if im honest, but I dont think it is. I believe it is on the same day you do the aptitude tests.

[TheForceV4]

Thank you for the encouragement guys. Im going to get on it. I will keep you posted.

[TheForceV4]

Hahahaha some of the comments have made me piss, thanks again guys I didn't think this would get much attention at all :-) :-) agree with the above we have everyone on here, surely there must be at least one marine/ex lurking on here?

[TheForceV4]

Hahahaha some of the comments have made me piss, thanks again guys I didn't think this would get much attention at all :-) :-) agree with the above we have everyone on here, surely there must be at least one marine/ex lurking on here?

[TheForceV4]

z4chris99 said:

the little bro is a RM officer

he is about 5,10 and was 85kg when he joined. he's now about 80kg I reckon

As you can see they are mostly ripped and light weight

Hi Chris is this down at Lympstone?

[TheForceV4]

buckrogers21stc said:

Ive been through the RMR training.
Would you like the full story lol or you want to ask anything I can only give you my version.

The full story please if you dont mind!!

[TheForceV4]

egor110 said:

Did the original poster say he was in Brstol?

My brother has a cross fit gym , near to 40 commando so has a good load of marines attend, might be worth a trip down from Bristol?

No, based in Leicester im afraid so bloody miles away

[TheForceV4]

shouldbworking said:

Returning to the medical, the reserves can be a little different from the regulars because the doctors who carry out the medicals are just normal gp's who are paid to conduct a few medicals, rather than being serving members of the armed forces.

I've seen them use discretion when a candidates bmi was 'off' but they were clearly fit and healthy.

Obviously don't rely on it though Struggling with the run time and the bmi says you've got some work to do first.

At the careers place I was told that they have a Naval doctor who is goes ridiculously by the book. Apparently they sent two lads up who were fit as fiddles who were failed purely on bmi.

Seems a bit OTT imo but rules is rules and all that. Used to do running every other day but have been every day since Friday (dont know why im saying but its nice to tell someone).

[TheForceV4]

dai1983 said:

Kit is produced or supplied by the lowest bidder so that's what you get. There's also tradition, insurance and fk around factors that have to be considered. God help it if you saw the old itchy blankets!

There's some sense but also some bks on this thread so I'd advise the OP with the following:

- get the bulk off and get your running up.
-Make sure you can pass a PJFT but 3 miles in under 22 mins on the road is your aim.
-body weight exercises only but only to ensure you pass the tests
- learn to climb ropes with the correct technique
- a lot of black lads have trouble swimming. Make sure you can do front crawl, breast stroke and are comfortable treading water. Unless you really can walk on it.
- no running in boots or with loads. You should get built up to it properly and you don't want to get injured before you've started.

I passed out in 2008 and I'm a regular so things are likely to be different for you. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Our officers tend to be sound and down to earth but you do get the odd strange one. A lot of the Army officers and SNCOs I've worked under have been total knob heads. Not because they are toffs but because they don't get bootneck humour or our work ethic.


Edited to add:

-find out what boots they wear at CTC at the moment. Get hold of those EXACT ones and break them in. The old assault boot was horrendous when new and only bearable after a few weeks of use. I got given some after my PRMC

Edited by dai1983 on Monday 9th December 23:45

Edited by dai1983 on Tuesday 10th December 08:07

Thanks for this Dai the 3miles in under 22 is what i'm aiming for as well as getting the weight off. Got 2 minutes to shave off plus a whole heap of Kilograms.

With you on the swimming luckily I have been blessed there as the mum chucked me in the pool aged 5 so im not too bad at it.

Honestly im just crapping it on getting through the medical and the bmi thing.

[TheForceV4]

Right. Just in case anyone is interested a quick update.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy but this is something else.

Recruit test: Pass
Interview: Pass
Had my sight test

Medical is on 4th of June and I'm bricking it.

Weight is almost there I'm 101.5kg need to be at 100kg so doable.

I notice I lose 1kg through sweating after a run so if all else fails a run on the day!

Does anyone have any input as to what normally fails you on Medical? High bp? Heart murmur etc?

The weight off is destroying me, I don't think I'm meant to be this light! But I get why they go by bmi now.....the runs get easier.

I'm trying to get pjft ready as I hope to God I pass medical.

I'm running pretty much everyday now, each day I get a little closer but it still feels like miles off! Got the first part of the run licked it's the 10:30 that's unreachable at the minute....The 2% incline really does make the difference.

Sorry to bleat on but you guys are the only lot interested :-) :-) :-)

[TheForceV4]

Yup sure is Dai! PJFT is the 3miler on a treadmill split into two 1.5. Stupid as it sounds I never looked from the 22mins viewpoint. I'm actually closer than I thought!

[TheForceV4]

Sorry Halb. I'm being vague, the medical is before the run, about a fortnight.

[TheForceV4]

Soooooo. Just back from the gym. 5km in 22:21 allowing for 10sec getting it up to speed. This was at 1% incline. So not too great need to find 30secs or more as don't just want to scrape it and another 1% incline.
I've been messing about at inclines of 1, 1.5 and 2.
Did it in 22:36 at 1.5% on Wednesday.