Pulling Up in the Marines

...unless it's pull ups.

It was recently brought to my attention that the Marine Corps tried to institute a 3 pull up requirement for women in boot camp...a feat which failed miserably because more than half of the women currently in boot camp failed to meet the requirement.  As a result, they're moving the implementation date back some...I'm not sure what more time will do since the reasons behind women not being able to complete the requirement have nothing to do with the Marine Corps.  In my opinion, they should either scrap it or enforce it; no stalling for time as that will solve nothing.

Unless of course you're trying to figure out to work this PR nightmare.  Somebody phone Olivia Pope...the Marine Corps has a scandal.

My Humblest Opinions

In my humblest opinion as both someone who's yet to attend boot camp and someone who's been training for boot camp since before even talking to a recruiter, you need to come physically prepared for boot camp.  Recruiters tell you all of the requirements for it and even give you a guide on how to properly train.  And heavens knows there are 91246234 YouTube videos on it and equally as many websites for guidelines for training.  The difficulty of boot camp should be one of the factors in decided which branch, if any, you choose to join.  I can't speak for other branches, but the Navy gives you on average 6-9 months between the time you complete MEPS and the time you report to boot camp.  6-9 months to get yourself physically and mentally trained.  That's plenty of time to improve your run, push ups, pull ups, curl ups, and whatever other ups your branch requires of you.  If you can't swim, you got 6-9 months to get lessons.  I learned how to swim in 2, after taking lessons once a week for 8 weeks.  If you take your training seriously and actually put forth some effort to improving, you'll be fine.  You run into issues like the Marines have when you don't properly prepare yourself.

First thing that came to mind:  dirt in my natural hair.  *le sigh*

Everyone knows boot camp is physically demanding for every branch.  You know this before you sign up.  Why would you sign up if you're not in good shape?!  In addition to having to memorize 129461 different things, your body is gonna be R.I.P. after the first PT session if you're out of shape.  In other words you're setting yourself up for failure.  In a time when some branches already have too many people, that's a sure fire way to get yourself kicked out.

*SN*  I once read somewhere, "Soldiers in the Army don't go to 'boot camp' they go to Basic Training.  The Marines and Navy go to boot camp.  Air Force goes to 'day camp'".  I'm TOO weak!

What makes me even more frustrated about this situation with the Marines is that women are given a choice:

a)  minimum of 3 pull ups
b)  dead hang for 70 sec

Trust me when I say I understand if you can't do 3 pull ups, but keep trusting me when I say you need to be able to at least hang for 70 sec. - basically you need to be able to carry your own body weight.  In this instance, you have options.  Train for one of them.  If it were me, I'd opt for option B...it's actually easier in my opinion.

Physical Reasons for Pull-Ups

Dead hangs or almost pull up?

According to the Marines, they instated the pull up requirement because they simulate the muscular strength required to perform common military tasks.  Seems legit.  Upper body strength is essential for climbing and carrying heavy things, so it makes sense that testing that strength in boot camp would be a requirement, especially in the Marine Corps.  Therefore it makes me nervous that nearly half of the new female recruits to the Marines lack this crucial ability.

From a weight lifting standpoint, an inability to do pull ups can be a result of host of different things:

• Muscular imbalances in the shoulders
• Weak lats and/or pecs and/or shoulders
• Lack of flexibility in the shoulder joints/ligaments and other things of that nature
• Body is too heavy*

*That's right.  Sometimes your body is too heavy for your muscles to pull.  While that's not a valid excuse, it can hinder your ability to do them.  I'll get into that later.

Muscular imbalances are things you can fix before reporting to boot camp.  Simple weight training and practice can correct these.  We'll get into that later too.

Sources are saying the requirement was instated to prep women for jobs we were previously not allowed to hold.  How fantastic does that look for us, ladies.  It's not bad enough some men don't think women should be in the military at all, let alone in infantry and combat jobs, but we can't even meet the physical demands for the job we keep claiming we should be given.  Y'all just took us back 50 years *le sigh*  Thanks to y'all it'll be desk jobs and nurses for the next 50.  Apparently there were 2 women a year ago that applied for infantry jobs in the Marines.  They were accepted but failed the training.

In one of the articles I read someone is quoted to have said,

"Awarding gender-normed scores so that women can succeed lowers standards for all. Women will suffer more injuries and resentment they do not deserve, and men will be less prepared for the demands of direct ground combat."

Offensive lies.  And I don't think standards are being lowered anywhere...men have their requirement which as always is harder than that of their female counterparts, that way we won't hurt their little egos by outdoing them.  Fellas, y'all know how y'all get when a lady is better and stronger and smarter and better at life than you...

Socio-Political Reasons

Coinciding with this sudden desire to give women a shot at glory is the belief that the shift is actually a by-product of Uncle Sam's push for universal equality.  I'll buy it.  I'm more inclined to believe the military would rather spend it's coin in places other than updates facilities to house both genders.  But maybe I'm wrong.  Maybe they're as progressive as the White House makes them.

The moderate Republican in me questions whether or not we would be seeing this shift if Mittens / any other rich white man had won.  First the gays, now the girls.  Usually it's the other way around, but since in today's society sneezing in the direction of a gay person without saying "excuse me" could potentially get you labeled as a close-minded homophob, it makes sense we'd be second in line for our 40 acres & a mule.

But all jokes aside, these are good changes Uncle Sam is implementing, which is why it's important ladies get this pull up thing under control.  The gays assimilated into their new roles (of being f'n left alone), but when it's our turn for glory there's all these problems?!  Ladies, getcha life.

Training

I'm gonna be honest with you, pull ups are hard for me.  I'd still the Marine minimum standard, but just barely.  Luckily they allow you to do chin ups (palms facing you) or standard pull ups (palms facing away from you)...I'm much more successful at the first one.  I think one of my issues is my body is simply to heavy.  When I first started getting for reals for reals serious about pull up training, the first thing I did was drop a few lbs.  I'm 100% sure I've made my body much bigger than God intended to it to be (sorry God!), so I was understanding of the fact that my little arms and shoulders weren't equipped to fight gravity with all this weight attached.

While I'm in the honest mood, want to know a secret?

For a time I considered joining the Marines.  This was some time ago, and by sometime I mean my college days.  If you read my earlier post about why I joined the Navy, you'll understand why I opted against that plan.  I started training specifically for the pull ups and the dead hang by...well, dead hanging.  At the time I couldn't even do half a pull up.  Just looking at the bar made my body weak all over.  I started by attempting to hang for 30 sec...but I think I was only able to make it to like 20 sec.  Eventually I made my way up to 30 sec...then 60.  Here's what helped:

• Static holds - started with 80 lbs then eventually worked up to 135 lbs.  I could probably do more, but the idea is to hold it for as long as possible.  So, 135 for 60 sec.  I do these for both thoracic extension (for improved deadlift and posture) and for grip
• Deadlifts - No need to go super heavy on these unless you're a lover of all things heavy like me
• Squeezing dumbbells and barbells very hard
• Flexor and extensor exercises like wrist curls

Fast forward a few years...

I upgraded to actual pull up attempts.  It was 365 degrees beyond pitiful.  I think I got my chin 2/3 of the way to the bar before it was game over.  I decided to do some research on how to make improvements and talked to a real life powerlifter about how to improve.  He suggested, as did the research, static holds in the up position, meaning, pulling up as far as possible and holding it there for (insert your desired amount of time here), usually as long as possible.  Once I was finally able to get up to the bar I did holds for 15 sec...then 30.  Now I do as many pull up / chin ups as possible then static hold on the last one.  I also do slow descents.  That's when you go down as slow as possible.  I do a couple sets of 5-8 of those after the holds.

From a weight lifting standpoint, I realized that I was probably a lacking in the shoulder / lat region so I stepped up my reps and variety in that area.  Back now gets a whole day in an attempt to undo / balance the years unbalanced training with the chest and shoulders.  The three things I started doing more of:

1. Lat pull downs
2. Bent over rows
3. Military press

When lats go terribly wrong...

Back strength is essential for the deadlift, but it also plays a huge role in the pull up.  The lats are the biggest muscle in the back, so they need special TLC.  Bent over rows aid in getting your body used to pulling heavy ish while also working the lats, shoulders, and back in general.  Basically every body builder does some form of these, whether it's overhand or underhand.  I do both.  Military press are great for the shoulders and again, prep the body for pushing and pulling heavy ish.  Also, military press = shoulder press.  IDK why it has two names...maybe because one is done with a barbell (military) and the other with dumbbells?  But it's the same movement.  People are silly, don't let the name fool you; one isn't more military based than the other.

Navy-style curl ups

You're bound to improve if you do all of these exercises, but the best way to improve on something is practice, practice, practice.  If you only need to do 3 to pass, aim for a quality 7.  Trust me, I know the struggles with some of these numbers.  I have 2 min to do at around 50 curl ups.  The issue isn't so much the number as it is the form...they do them cross-arm numbers, and anything that breaks form doesn't count.  Adjusting to the new form is proving to be tricksier than I thought.  And if you think it's easy, try it yourself:  see how many you can do in 2 min while imagining all your hopes & dreams fading away as the clock ticks down and you're nowhere near 50.

Of course all of these exercises are done at Hillary's House of Muscle.  In fact, I did some pull ups, chin ups, and rows the other day.  In light of these recent developments in the Marines I've decided to do pull ups / chin ups in some for 5 days a week.  I'm determined to get to 10 quality ones by my birthday in February.

Conclusions

These issues the Marines are facing actually start in grade school where girlies aren't being forced to do pull ups with the boys.  We're trained to be weaker from the jump, so it's not really surprising that we're a step behind as adults.  Is it true that men are biologically designed to be physically stronger than women?  Yes.  But that has nothing to do with a woman's ability to use her own arms to pull her chin up over a bar.  I think as a people we should hold girlies to the same physical standards as lil' boys in terms of activities & exercises, meaning the reps are the only things that should change.  No more cutting off corners for us.  Like I always say, equal pay for equal work.