Physical Preparation

Disclaimer:  It is very important to note that none of these physical training programs should be started by anyone until you have consulted a licensed physician and you are told you are medically qualified to begin this specific type of physical training.

Just as Rome was not built in a day, you can not get ready for OCS in just a couple of weeks. You should allow yourself a minimum two months of physical training to adequately prepare for OCS.  While training, your body will endure a wide variety of physical hardships (especially candidates shipping for the 10-week programs)--unless your body is in superior condition, you will be susceptible to injuries which will render you unable to finish training.  Proper conditioning will allow you to complete OCS on your first attempt, saving yourself valuable time and frustration.

· The First Step: Proper Footwear
Almost every PT evolution at OCS will involve a run of three to five miles, over hilly terrain on gravel or dirt trails.  Bearing this in mind, you must do everything you can to prevent running injuries.  One of the easiest methods of injury prevention is to purchase running shoes which are properly fitted to your running stride.  Do not buy shoes just because they look cool--instead, go to a professional running store and ask to have an employee evaluate your stride.  The best running stores will place you on a treadmill and videotape your stride, to better determine the appropriate pair of shoes for you.  Once you have purchased a pair of shoes, it is important to replace them regularly--worn-down shoes produce as many injuries as shoes with an improper fit.  If your shoes are more than a year old, it's time to start looking for a new pair.

• Running Training
  Now that you have your shoes, we must discuss your running training.  Running once or twice a week is not enough--to prepare your body for the rigors of OCS, you must run four to five days a week, running at least three miles each workout.  However, running more than three miles per workout will enable you to run a PFT much faster.  
• Interval Training
  Once you have built a good mileage base (after about a month of solid training), spend one of your running workout days on the track (one lap around an outdoor track is 400 meters), running repeat sprints of 200-800 meters.  Attempt to run faster than your PFT pace for these distances, and try to have your total distance covered be greater than three miles (three miles equals 4800 meters, which is either six 800s, twelve 400s, sixteen 300s, or twenty-four 200s).

· Upper-Body Development

You will need to have a sufficient amount of upperbody strength to pull yourself and your fire team up the many obstacles you will negotiate while in training. A weight training routine combined with circuit training is recommended focusing on pullups, lat pulldowns, bench press, and tricep exercises.  Ensure you find about three days per week to work on your upper body development.

· Abdominal Development

Abdominal exercises will also be very important to round out your workout, as crunches are one part of your PFT and will be a focus of PT at OCS.  While you do not need to have a "six-pack," performing ab exercises four to five days per week will develop the abdominal strength required to execute 100 crunches on your PFT and perform OCS PT at a superior level.

· The Physical Fitness Test (PFT)

The PFT is the standard test that all Marines run twice a year to assess their physical condition.  The test is scored out of 300, with 100 points allotted to each of three components. The test consists of a three-mile run, crunches (two minute time limit), and either pull-ups for males (no time limit) or flexed arm hang for females.  A male earning a maximum score will run three miles in under 18:00, perform 20 pull-ups, and perform 100 crunches in under two minutes.  A females earning a maximum score will run three miles in under 21:00, perform the flexed arm hang for 70 seconds, and perform 100 crunches in under two minutes.  The minimum score to apply for any Marine Officer program is a 225, but you must score greater than a 240 for your application to be submitted to a board. Before you ship to OCS, you should shoot for a 270 or higher. If you want to compute your score download the PFT calculator program.  Our office offers PFTs many days each week--if you would like to schedule a PFT to gauge your fitness level, feel free to Contact Us.

More Resources for Physical Preparation

If you are looking for workout routines we have posted some links to download below. The best resource by far for physical preparation is the candidate preparation page at www.ocs.usmc.mil. Medical personnel at OCS have developed various workouts for males and females. Each workout program is designed to get you in optimal shape for OCS.

Check the OCS web site for more custom tailored workout plans.

· OCS Prep Workout - 8 week workout created by medical staff at OCS

· CrossFit.com - an excellent website posting daily full-body workouts.  A significant portion of your PT at TBS will be CrossFit-based--train accordingly.

· Female Upper Body Workout - 8 week OCS prep workout for females

· Armstrong Pullup Program - The workout developed by Marine Major Armstrong to break the pull-up record

· Killer's Crunch Workout - Good crunch workout

· The Ultimate 5K - Good training advice for beginning and professional runners

· Simple Crunch Workout - Easy one pager

· Pull-up Routine - Alternate pull-up routine to help you break the 20 pullup barrier

· PFT Calculator Program - Handy program to calculate your PFT score

If you have any further questions about getting prepared for OCS, Contact our Office and we will be happy to help you.

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