MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Marines must always strive for physical and professional development, whether their service commitment is eight years or they are in for the long haul.
Now that Marines need to take an annual Combat Fitness Test for score, they must know how to properly prepare for it.
“It’s important for Marines to have a set plan when preparing for the CFT,” said Eric Ramirez, the head fitness coordinator at the Miramar Sports Complex. “A lot of Marines just jump into it. They have to plan four to six weeks before taking it.”
Marines need to train their core muscles to be more successful in the CFT, as well as train fast-twitch muscles by weightlifting and running sprints. They can build up by starting at a lower weight or a shorter distance, which helps them become more explosive.
“The core, which is the foundation, helps assist the upper and lower extremities,” explained Ramirez. “If you don’t have a strong core it’s like your extremities are working on their own.”
Marines should also maintain a healthy and nutritional diet as well as stay hydrated. They should eat high-energy carbohydrates and stay away from fatty foods. An example of a pre-workout snack is a peanut butter sandwich with a banana.
“Eating healthy is going to give you more energy for the event and the overall performance will go up,” said Ramirez.
Marines should perform several stretching exercises before and after conducting the CFT. Marines should perform 15 minutes of dynamic stretches before the event and ten minutes of static stretches after to minimize soreness and injuries, commented Ramirez.
Using proper techniques can help Marines during the ammunition can lift and lower their final time for the maneuver under fire portion of the CFT.
“Marines need to maximize what they can during the CFT, like using their legs when they are doing ammo can lifts,” said Staff Sgt. Gregory A. Ludt, the training chief for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323. “It can take seconds off their time.”
Marines also need to use a proper buddy drag, fireman’s carry and ammo-can-lifting techniques to help prevent injury. Taking an extra second to adjust, instead of rushing and using bad form, could spare a Marine from spending a morning at sick-call.
“I’ve seen Marines just go into a buddy drag or fireman’s carry and they fall because of bad technique,” said Ramirez. “It can hurt them and the person they are carrying.”
Marines should keep all these things in mind before taking a CFT for score. Having a set plan could greatly improve a Marine’s chance of a more successful outcome in the CFT.
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