BCT Exercises

Colleges and Universities A-Z Air Force Academy - Colorado Springs
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<p>The most recurring piece of advice I’ve been hearing from cadets who have been through BCT is to be in physical shape and to practice the exercises expected to be encountered at BCT…but…</p>

<p>I don’t really know what those are. Obviously I can expect pushups, flutter kicks. But what other exercises are done frequently at BCT that I could practice at home?? What kind of variations of pushups do you do?</p>

<p>I’ve seen on the BCT photos at usafa.af.mil that apparently you do exercises in a hallway. What kind do you do there?</p>

<p>What exercises can I do at home to prepare? Thanks.</p>

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<p>Great question, i'd like to know the answer to this as well ;-)</p>

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<p>um....in the hall, 99% flutter kicks and push-ups (normal and diamond, mostly normal). My experience was mostly those two. Sometimes walking lunges, but really, its about the pushups and flutter kicks. Come here with endurence, both running and general muscle ability. You will break eventually, but you can prolong it longer, maybe help a team mate. Really, there isn't a whole lot more you can do.</p>

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<p>I feel stupid - but - what exactly are flutter kicks?</p>

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<p>Lie on your back, and hold your legs six inches up into the air. Then, kick them up and down while keeping your legs straight and without touching the ground. I've heard of your hands being in different positions, like under the head or under the butt, which is the way I believe we did it at the summer seminar.</p>

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<p>Just for fun and for an idea, Here's an alternating daily workout I just made up that should help you on endurance, primarily built around the kind of exercises you will do at the Academy, whether in basic or for a PFT or just in general:</p>

<p>Day 1:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Short hard run
(1.5-2 miles as quickly as possible)</p></li>
<li><p>Do as many pushups as you can without stopping or resting, repeat 3 times.
(Make sure form is perfect-right spacing of arms, feet together, straight back)</p></li>
<li><p>Do 50 4-count flutter kicks
(count 1,2,3,4 as your legs move) three times.</p></li>
<li><p>Do 25 squats 3 times.
(Make sure heels stay on the floor and you go down until your legs are parallel to the ground.)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Day 2:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Endurance run
(4+ miles at a medium pace. If you are an advanced runner, wear boots, and/or wear a backpack and put a few books in it)</p></li>
<li><p>Do as many pullups as you can 3 times.
(Try to find a pullup bar or a substitute, otherwise do pushups instead. Make sure form is good-fully extend arms on the way down and make sure chin goes all the way above the bar.)</p></li>
<li><p>Do 50 situps or crunches 3 times.
(I reccomend doing variations if you know any, such as side crunches, butterfly crunches, etc.)</p></li>
<li><p>Do 20 lunges on each leg. Repeat 3 times.
(Make sure leg goes as close to the ground without touching as possible, and your knee does not extend past your foot.)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>This is just a suggestion, but if you stay dedicated to these kinds of exercises it should help. If nothing else, do pushups, pullups, and RUN. RUN RUN RUN. That will help you better than anything else, since it will build up your cardiovascular system and give you more overall endurance.</p>

<p>Second, I recommend a good private trainer if you can find one and don't mind the extra few bucks...they can give you some good variations of standard exercises that will really give you a good workout in a shorter time. </p>

<p>If you want to do some weights, make sure you don't overdo it...stay on the endurance track.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>