Irish Defence Force Training

GeorgeBoy

Hey guys.
I got an email Monday saying I got into the army but we won't start recruit training until after Christmas. I was just wondering what I could do to prepare for the training until then, cause I'm not exactly very fit. And then what can I expect from army life in general?
Thanks

Zaph

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Horusire

starting running daily.

This will be of massive help. run anywhere between 3.2 and 8km.

If your not fit on day 1 you will suffer on PTs.

Push ups and sit ups are also important but not half as important as running. I joined the army 92kg of muscle and a little fat. All that muscle wasn't worth a ****e to me when one the second day we went running and I nearly died.

finished 3* around 76kg with a sub 40 min 10k so this will show you what the army training is geared towards.

also I had to run at night by myself during recruit training. Hated it but had to be done as I couldn't face being at the back of runs. Can't say id do it again if I went back but at the time it worked.

So in short RUN... today! not tomorrow!

It wasn't me!

As said above, you're going to do a lot of running, so that would be a major focus. I wouldn't say neglect press ups and sit ups either. You're going to be doing a lot in training so if you aren't great at them, you will be by the end, but you'll suffer. Going in strong just means you suffer a little less. But by all means, run, run, run.

discus

While I agree with the running part, I wouldn't bother doing it every day.

Your basic training and 3* training will be attritional on your body, particularly knee joints and ankles. You are increasing the risk of attritional injury (stress fractures, tendonitis etc) if you start running every day between now and basic training. If you are going to increase your running for the next 3 weeks, do it smart. Eat well, actively rest - don't just veg in bed all day - and cover everything - dynamic stretching, warming up, working hard and cooling down/stretching... Because you won't have time for these niceties come basic trainging

May as put yourself through a few circuits while you are at it. Push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, whatever you feel like really. Could always throw in a few hill walks too on your rest days.

Good luck.

Horusire

discus wrote: »

While I agree with the running part, I wouldn't bother doing it every day.

Your basic training and 3* training will be attritional on your body, particularly knee joints and ankles. You are increasing the risk of attritional injury (stress fractures, tendonitis etc) if you start running every day between now and basic training. If you are going to increase your running for the next 3 weeks, do it smart. Eat well, actively rest - don't just veg in bed all day - and cover everything - dynamic stretching, warming up, working hard and cooling down/stretching... Because you won't have time for these niceties come basic trainging

May as put yourself through a few circuits while you are at it. Push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, whatever you feel like really. Could always throw in a few hill walks too on your rest days.

Good luck.

Good points here. Knees and hip joints will be absolutely in bits. there is very few hill walks in recruit training but time on the hills under weight may limit the shock factor when you do it for real.

Stereomaniac

What hills do you guys go to during training? I passed soldiers in Cork somewhere one time and it loooked like they were doing some sort of training. It was pretty interesting to see.

It wasn't me!

Where you're based during training will determine where you walk really. Soldiers training in Dublin are probably going to see a lot of the Wicklow mountains, while those in Dundalk will spend their time in the Cooleys.

GeorgeBoy

Thanks guys this stuff is really helping. But I've another question. I'm getting called to Limerick for enlistment. Does that mean I'll be there for the whole recruit training . Because I always thought recruit training was done in the Curragh ?

donegaldude

GeorgeBoy wrote: »

Thanks guys this stuff is really helping. But I've another question. I'm getting called to Limerick for enlistment. Does that mean I'll be there for the whole recruit training . Because I always thought recruit training was done in the Curragh ?

Yeah you'll be there for recruit and probably 2-3 star training. Where you go if you pass out is another matter. Lads trained in the Curragh have ended up in Galway

Horusire

donegaldude wrote: »

Yeah you'll be there for recruit and probably 2-3 star training. Where you go if you pass out is another matter. Lads trained in the Curragh have ended up in Galway

I'd expect some time in galway after you pass put if I was you OP. I have heard roughly half of the recruits passing out atm are heading up there. not 100% but just worth considering

Betty14

GeorgeBoy wrote: »

Hey guys.
I got an email Monday saying I got into the army but we won't start recruit training until after Christmas. I was just wondering what I could do to prepare for the training until then, cause I'm not exactly very fit. And then what can I expect from army life in general?
Thanks

Fair play lad so soon !! Happy days I'm in recruitment passed my interview and haven't heard since and uve got a date for recruit training all the best with it mate!! We're did u do ur interview

GeorgeBoy

Hey not soon atal I did my interview last summer . Where they took the top 40 and I was put on a list . But at the start of this year I was called for a medical and they only got back to me two weeks ago with the news . So it's a long progress. I done everything in the Curragh but I'm been sent to do my training in Limerick barracks

Betty14

GeorgeBoy wrote: »

Hey not soon atal I did my interview last summer . Where they took the top 40 and I was put on a list . But at the start of this year I was called for a medical and they only got back to me two weeks ago with the news . So it's a long progress. I done everything in the Curragh but I'm been sent to do my training in Limerick barracks

Tell me this when did they tell u u were on the waitin list

azure

GeorgeBoy wrote: »

Hey not soon atal I did my interview last summer . Where they took the top 40 and I was put on a list . But at the start of this year I was called for a medical and they only got back to me two weeks ago with the news . So it's a long progress. I done everything in the Curragh but I'm been sent to do my training in Limerick barracks

Are you saying that you did your interview in the Summer of 2014 and you did the medical in early 2015?

GeorgeBoy

Betty14 wrote: »

Tell me this when did they tell u u were on the waitin list

Well they didn't tell me exactly. After I done the interview in the summer of 2014 I heard nothing back but I knew a lad going for it the same time I was and he done a medical and got in . But when they emailed me at the start of this year I noticed on the subject line in the emails it says "General Service Panel" and before it used to be "Defence Force Recruitment"

GeorgeBoy

azure wrote: »

Are you saying that you did your interview in the Summer of 2014 and you did the medical in early 2015?

Yeah. That's exactly it. I presumed it was gone like or that I didn't get it.

Betty14

GeorgeBoy wrote: »

Yeah. That's exactly it. I presumed it was gone like or that I didn't get it.

Did they tell u that u were successful at the interview and would here in due course about next stage straight after the interview