As we all know, fitness is very important to Marines.  We do a lot of PT and are expected to achieve higher standards than all other branches of the military.  If you would like to be as fit as a Marine, there are a few things you should know.


  1. Marine workouts are not typically done in a gym – this is very important if you are expecting to be fit like a Marine.  Instead of going to the gym and building huge upper and lower body muscles, you should focus on what Marines focus on.  You can get an awesome workout using minimal equipment or without using any equipment at all.
  2. Marine workouts are not an option – Marines don’t get to say, “oh, I just don’t feel like doing PT today.”  If you don’t feel like it, too bad.  You have to suck it up and do it anyway.  This means that you should have a workout plan and stick to it no matter what.  You have to be accountable for your progress.
  3. Marines don’t always PT in comfort – We don’t always PT with the latest high performance gear.  You have to be able to achieve the same fitness results whether you are wearing combat boots and uniform or comfy PT gear, whether its raining, snowing or burning up.

These things may not mean anything to you if you don’t plan on becoming a Marine but if you are, they are very important.  With that being said, you can achieve a great workout using the following exercises.

  1. Pull-ups – this exercise is great for building upper body strength such as in back and arm muscles.  You should train often on these and be able to do 15 to 20 at one time without swinging or touching the ground.
  2. Crunches – this exercise replaced the old fashioned sit-ups after the Marine Corps realized that sit-ups are not very effective for the abdominal muscles.  You should be able to do 80 to 100 in 2 minutes in order to be competitive as a Marine.
  3. 3 Mile Run – probably the toughest part of the Marine PFT, this run is a great endurance builder.  You should be able to complete this in less than 20 minutes in PT gear or in uniform with boots.

If you want to be as fit as a Marine, you should exercise like one.  Marines typically exercise daily in some way.  If you would like to learn more, click here to learn more about my personal training club.