Oct 20, 2008 by Navy News

Olivia Giger

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, At Sea (NNS) -- With the physical readiness test (PRT) around the corner, some Sailors admit they have begun to exercise a bit more frequently.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2nd Class (DV/FPJ) Sean Conley has been in the Navy four years and as a qualified dive specialist knows a thing or two about taking care of his body. He offers shipmates some advice on how to prepare for the PRT season.

"We're all expected to be able to serve and protect our country," said Conley. "And we all need to have a minimum physical readiness. Whether you work in an office job or on the flight deck, anyone can be called upon to fight for our freedom."

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Simply put, being healthy makes a person more productive.

Conley recommended that people who are unsure of their physical readiness do a mock PRT by themselves as a self evaluation.

"This way you are in a stress-free environment and can assess your strengths and weaknesses," Conley said.

The mile-and-a-half run portion of the PRT is a simple test of cardiovascular health and endurance. Anything that gets you breathing and your heart rate up will help in this area. Conley recommends biking and rowing as alternatives to running.

"Circuits are also a good cardiovascular workout. Get your heart going, and take the intensity up. Then bring it down, and get it back up again," said Conley. "This keeps your heart working instead of leaving it at a plateau."

Push-ups are a simple endurance workout for your muscles, according to Conley.

"What I recommend to guys that need to improve on push-ups is to get used to that burning feeling in their muscles by doing as many push-ups as they can and then adding two or three at the end," Conley said.

Another way to improve would be to break your push-ups into sets. If your limit is 50 push-ups, break it into 15 or 20, and then do several sets. This way, when your work out is finished, you've doubled the amount of push-ups you usually do and gotten your muscles accustomed to the burning sensation.

Conley advised that when practicing sit-ups, one should use the required technique when taking the PRT.

"There's a certain technique they want to see. Make sure that when you train for it, you do it exactly that way," Conley said. "We refer to this as muscle memory."
The more your body gets used to the burn, the more it adapts to that feeling, letting it endure more sit-ups.

Conley added that before a workout, muscles need to be primed by stretching them out. After a workout, part of their recovery should include another stretch.

When getting yourself in better shape for anything, whether a PRT or dive test, diet and exercise should go hand in hand.

"You can do one, but you won't get anywhere without having the other," said Conley

To have a balanced body, it's essential to monitor the things that are going into that body. Processed foods will only harm a body's balance.

"Instead of eating two humongous meals a day, try to break those meals up into four or five small meals," Conley said. "When the stomach is full of food, it causes your blood sugar to spike and then crash. Then you feel tired and sluggish."

The same goes for the body's metabolism. The goal is to keep a constant metabolism throughout the day. Eating several small meals will keep energy levels steady and metabolism stable.

"Above all else, don't think of getting in shape as something that you need to do to stay in the Navy, or out of trouble," Conley said. "Think of it as something for yourself – to make you feel better about yourself."

He added that finding joy in working out is the secret to any successful fitness routine.

The George Washington Carrier Strike Group is currently back at sea training in the Pacific Ocean after recently participating in the International Fleet Review in Busan, Republic of Korea.

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