MCB HAWAII -- Twenty pull-ups, 100 crunches and an 18-minute run time. Can you match these standards and procure a perfect 300 physical fitness test score?
Meet one Marine who did. Playing baseball, football and wrestling in high school, Sgt. Andrew Farlaino, an instructor with the base Infantry Squad Leader’s Course, described himself as being in “good sports shape.”
When he joined the Marine Corps in 2004, the Price, Utah native ran a 25-minute 3-mile run on his PFT and performed solidly at pull-ups and crunches. This earned him a decent PFT score, but the infantryman still had perfection in his crosshairs.
Utilizing a competitive drive and strong mental attitude, Farlaino pushed himself past his limits. Consistently running a sub-18:00 3-mile and executing more than 20 pull-ups and 100 crunches, he’s achieved what all Marines strive toward — a PFT score of 300.
“Attaining a perfect PFT score is about consistent hard work,” Farlaino said. “Everyone’s trying to find a secret, but the bare bones is ‘brilliance in the basics.’”
He encouraged Marines to examine their weak areas of the PFT, “escape their pain bubble,” and dedicate time and exert effort to improve.
“It’s common sense,” Farlaino said. “If you can’t do pull-ups, you need to strengthen your whole body to do pull-ups.”
For those struggling with pull-ups, he said to practice “explosive pull-ups,” which are executed by thrusting upwards, breaking the plane of the bar with the chin and switching one’s hands to the opposite grip, and “commando pull-ups,” where one pulls themselves up with their palms facing each other, executes the maximum amount of repetitions and then rotates sides.
To be successful in executing the maximum amount of pull-ups, “you can’t waste time lowering yourself down,” he said.
This common sense factors into caveman training, which Farlaino cited as the tried and true method of simple circuit training with a couple large objects. A simple yet exhausting caveman training circuit he demonstrated included Irish log flips (with a 150 pound log), sprints, tire flips (with a 100 pound tire) and sledgehammer training (using one to hit a tire, rotating sides).
“A lot of Marines focus too much on running,” Farlaino said. “When you strengthen your core and lower back, your legs will follow.”
Contracting the abdominals with crunches will aid in strengthening your core, but one needs also to stretch them to help build longer, leaner and healthier muscles, he said. Sitting on an elevated plane and securing your feet under a stationary object before performing crunches will enable the maximum range of motion and the needed stretch.
“Marines needs to view the PFT as a warm-up for other workouts,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Wissmeyer, staff noncommissioned officer in charge, Infantry Squad Leader’s Course, School of Infantry West Detachment Hawaii. “It’s a small snapshot test of your physical fitness.”
On their own time, Marines need to work out harder than they would work on the PFT, challenging themselves through time limits and competition.
“I try to outdo everyone but also encourage them,” Farlaino said. “Competition is what it’s all about.”
Wissmeyer noted a little competition and time limits make even the easiest, most simple workouts extremely difficult.
“Training with somebody in better shape than you is beneficial,” Wissmeyer said. “If you know you can’t catch them, you’re forced to push yourself through the workout. Put competition into anything and Marines will perform.”
While time limits, competition and hard work are beneficial to bettering yourself physically for the PFT, Wissmeyer stressed they aren’t the only pieces of the puzzle.
“If you strive to run a 300 PFT, you need to strive to have a better mental attitude,” Wissmeyer said. “When your mental attitude is strong, your body will follow.”
A significant part in developing this mental attitude is setting goals in both the personal and professional aspects of your life, Wissmeyer said. When one sticks to their plan, they’ll see what it takes to accomplish these goals. He challenged Marines to develop this attitude and transfer it into their PFT training.
“Once you push past your mental reservations and incorporate this into your training, you can keep pushing, no matter how tired or footsore you are,” Wissmeyer said.
While being able to press on is important for one’s self, it’s vital for those with a family life.
“It’s not fair to those around you, especially your family, to be out of shape,” Farlaino said. “Getting physically fit breeds good habits and ensures there aren’t limitations to what you can do with your family.”
For those concerned with the 3-mile run, the appropriate preparation must be executed in the weeks and months prior to the PFT, said Staff Sgt. Idris Turay, operations chief, School of Infantry West Detachment Hawaii.
Turay urged Marines to utilize this time to find a good balance between pushing themselves and maintaining their pace.
“You can’t just stay inside, running on the treadmill,” Turay said. “You need to practice outside in the elements and build up your lungs for your environment.”
Calling conditioning the key to success, he said the best way to improve one’s run time is to run explosive sprint intervals on the track, varying the sprint and jogging distances in between. He encouraged his fellow Marines to train harder than perfection to be prepared for the PFT.
Despite the physical challenges brought on by the PFT, Wissmeyer reminded all Marines to never ask their devil dogs to do something they can’t do themselves.
“Ask yourself if your personal comfort outweighs mission accomplishment and troop welfare,” Wissmeyer said. “It’s a leader’s responsibility to push their Marines.”
As the final piece to the puzzle, Turay said Marines can set themselves up for success by hydrating and eating a lot of carbohydrates the day prior to the PFT.