Physical preperation

[Macabi]

How can you best physically prepare for things like basic training?

It's probably useless to go to the gym and workout just to build streng.

How can you best get fit for the army? What things should you defenitly prepare for, like push-ups, sit ups? and so on?

This would be a great help.

[HaMagist]

My expereince, dated as it is (20 years now) is that you need endurance more than anything else. You don't need to be Mr. America (or Mr. Israel) to do well. As a combat infantryman you'll need the ability to carry up to 50-60 lbs. for several miles. Usually it's less weight than that, but look at that as the upper limits. The distances will be anything from 15-30 kilometers (call it 10 miles.) There are also the odd 60-80 kilometer hikes, but that's the exception not the rule.

You'll find that much of what you need to do is overcome the mental barrier, not the physical one. Running, swimming, any kind of good aerobic activity will be beneficial. I think the best choice would be to find yourself a labor intensive job on a farm for 9 months, but that's not very likely.

[rafi]

It may sound over simplified - but get "proportional". There will be "fatties" as well as the entire range of physical descriptions
you will encounter.

It will never hurt to get ready to run. Not racing, but distance. Get comfortable with drinking allot of water. Try as best you can to simulate the dry heat, and the weights referred to earlier. I find it tough to work in the ceramic vest, with helmet, combat boots and helmet in 117 degrees. While not an everyday experience, it happens in the summer.

Who knows, you may end up in the Hermon, where it is in the 20s in the winter and you can build snowmen in the meters of snow that fall there.

[Dan from Boston]

My slightly more recent experience was the same as the one described by Rafi and HaMagist. You need to be able to hike long distances in uniform and full gear, but you'll be trained to do that in tironut (basic training). You'll also be running short to long distances in shorts and sneakers and that's something you can and should train for at home.

There's also the physical fitness test which, though not very important at all if you plan on completing a more "standard" service like mine (being an enlisted man in a regular infantry unit), becomes more important if you plan on extending your service to become a sergeant or especially an officer later on, or if you want to try out for one of the special operations units within Nahal.

The basic physical fitness test consists of push-ups, (full) sit-ups, and a 2km run. The run counts for 70% of the score while the other two count for 15% each. To achieve a 100 you would need to run the 2km in 6:48 or less, do 75 or more push-ups (with no more than 2sec. between push-ups), and do 86 or more full sit-ups, fingers interlocked behind your head, feet on the ground, elbows touching your knees, with no more than 2 sec. between sit-ups.

The gibushim (try-outs) for the various special units in the Nahal and throughout the IDF vary in length, difficulty, and specific tasks. I didn't go to any gibush and, in any case, it's not for the raw draftee to know what's contained specifically in each one. What's important is that you have a great level of physical and mental endurance, and can hike on level ground or up hills while carrying heavy weight, can run long and short distances, can swim, and can perform well in various conditions even when the standard set for you is simply "do your best."

[tavorlior]

i would think of it like this. if you are going to a regular infantry unit like nachal or golani, then you probably do not have to do anything unless you are very overweight because regular units take regular guys and build up their physical strength gradually. now, the battalion units like recon, anti-tank, sappers expect you to be athletic already. there are more details involved which the other comments address.

[Arronious]

Dan from Boston
When exactly is this physical fitness test you spoke of. is it after basic training or is it before? Arronious

[Dan from Boston]

During. It's not something to worry about.

[NEVER GIVE UP]

Unless you can barely move, no physical perparation will be needed for the regular units.
If you are planning on undertaking a gibush (selection for special units), then u'll need a high level of physical endurance but most importantly a strong mind set not to break. I based my physical preparation on the pre-BUD/S workout (navy seal preparation) minus the swimming component.

[Arronious]

Should i focus more on running or jogging? and how well do i need to swim? Arronious

[rafi]

Should i focus more on running or jogging? and how well do i need to swim? Arronious

If you focus on the physical exclusively for the sake of this answer, endurance is more important than speed.

[mgreenberg]

Just out of curiousity and hopefully not too repetitive, but what are the longest runs we will be expected to do with our unit? It is stated above that tests will be given in sneakers, but are most tasks performed in boots? I just want to be familiar with the training's intensity so I can prepare accordingly.

I also understand that forced marches are a right of passage in the IDF, and I'm also aware of their importance with regards to combat preparedness - However, will long and strenous runs be used to "break" regular unit draftees with the purpose of molding them in the IDF's image, as it is done in the U.S. Marines, for example? Would you suggest running on terrain or a track?

[Dan from Boston]

You are not "broken" in the IDF. And as to how you should prepare, well, you don't need to prepare at all in order to perform your duties as a soldier. If you want to prepare, though, it could help you no matter how you prepare. Just do long runs (long meaning no more than 5 miles) in sneakers and you'll be fine.

Almost all of your training is done in boots, but that won't change much. There's no reason to waste money on buying your own boots before you join up.

[HaMagist]

I'll throw in a caveat here. It is not the intent to break anyone. There is certainly no effort at achieving the aim of the USMC which is to rebuild everyone from the same point up. Having said that, there is an emphasis placed on the efforts of the group as well as the individual. If "joe" screws up, then it's as if Joe's squad or platoon screwed up - depending on the screw up. For the older guys I was with (23-30) some of what we saw or did was funny, but to a handful of the 18 year olds it was mentally debilitating. So no, the intention isn't to break the recruit, but there's always the chance that your mates, or you don't have the emotional strength for some of this. That's part of the reason it's done.

[drorh]

As already being said, for the regular units you don't need to prepare at all. I've even experienced that some guys who prepared months before the army got unmotivated because especially in the beginning you start out very easy. Though it can help you to have a good endurance in order to get the popular/interesting Pakalim like the radio,Negev, MAG,...
Running is definitely most important.

In the end you will learn though that most of it comes from the head and that you can't train much alone. Just always try to push yourself to the limit...

[tavorlior]

anyone wanting to pass a gibbush by being accepted by a "specialized unit" -- a more accurate translation -- needs to invest in a good pair of sneakers and start jogging in ALL KINDS OF WEATHER. use common sense because no one wants you to get hurt or worse. it would help to invest $160 in an IDF combat vest, fill the small pouches with sand -- for starters -- after 4 weeks of jogging and jog with that. this will prepare you for the gibbush. as stated before, for regular units you do not need this kind of prep, but if you want a heavier pakal -- combat gear -- or a better chance at passing the gibbush, then you should do this because israeli kids who can afford it have their parents pay for them to go to courses where they do EXACTLY this kind of prep and then people like me who ran without carry heavy loads wondered how these twigs were so prepared to do it...pssst: they had practice with the gear before the army!