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Physical Fitness on Ships

Melbatoast, didnt want to highjack the thread talking about NPF.  PM inbound.
Yours, Aye
 
Rhibwolf- If I'm not mistaken, five times (not 10) around the uppers is a mile. Any other ex-PROs out there can confirm?  :)
 
Phrontis, I think you are right.  Rounding up to 565' LOA, times 2, minus the 30 odd feet you dont quite use when you round the stern, gives you about 1100 feet per lap.  4.8 laps gives you 5280 feet, or one mile.  So, this doesn't explain why I was fixed on 10 laps.  It must mean something in metric. Let see - (cyphering in mental metric) Nope, that gives you about 3300 m.  BUT, 15 laps gives you approx 5K.  Maybe thats why I was running 15 laps - I thought I was doing a mile and a half.  No wonder I was losing weight at sea - a formidable achievement in consideration of double duff.
And to think I count beans for a living. Thank god for Excel....
 
As a runner I'm not planning on joining the navy, but if I become a MedTech I'm aware of the possibility at least of being deployed on a marine vessel. My question is, do ships and so on usually have treadmills?
 
As noted above, the heavies normally have a treadmill  as well as an eliptical and weights on board. When deployed, you will need to adjust your training program.
 
kratz said:
As noted above, the heavies normally have a treadmill  as well as an eliptical and weights on board. When deployed, you will need to adjust your training program.

Can't speak for the submarines but the MWV and ORCA also have treadmill/ fitness equipment on the ship.
 
No treadmills on submarines.  No room, a noise short, and would seriously screw up our water consumption ratio if everyone used the treadmill and then decided to take a shower.  Not to mention the hygene issue and smell of unwashed PT gear for a month plus until we can get ashore and do dhobie.  There has been talk of putting some sort of resistance training system on but I personally can see nothing but trouble coming from it.  Don't get me wrong - nothing I hate worse than getting back from a long time at sea and then being told I have PT test...but I really don't see a viable solution on this class of subs for the immediate future.
 
Ok, thanks for all the info. A follow-up question: how long are naval deployments typically?
 
nocknee said:
Ok, thanks for all the info. A follow-up question: how long are naval deployments typically?

That has been discussed elsewhere.

Locked.
Milnet.ca Staff
 
Mostly stationary equipment, but last I saw it was good quality gear.  You have to remember, you're not going to see free weights or benches on a ship that rolls and pitches.
 
Occam said:
Mostly stationary equipment, but last I saw it was good quality gear.  You have to remember, you're not going to see free weights or benches on a ship that rolls and pitches.

that's what I was afraid of haha. thanks for the response
 
On the ships I've been on (CPFs), there's a small gym back aft, containing dumbells, kettlebells, and other smallish weights.  Other exercise equipment is scattered throughout the ship; ellipticals, stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines.  Depending on the mission, if there's no helicopter embarked the hangar may be converted into a gym.  Also, sometimes the ship will embark a fitness instructor.

Other ships may be different (I seem to recall that Algonquin used one hangar for the helicopter and the other one as a gym last time I sailed in company with her).
 
All these answers are about right. If you want to get a feel for what it is like, get 3 or 4 buddies together and in your closet, set up an exercise bike, some free weights and a couple mats. As well, buy the oldest boom box you can find. Get all 3-4 of you in the closet, shut the door and play the boom bax as loud as it goes and strt your work out. As an added bonus, see if you can get a buddy with a machine to rock your house back and forth at the same time!!

Actually, as was said, the ships are far better than 10-15 years ago (On my last steamer GATINEAU in 1998, we had two stationary bikes-that's it) and I know from my experience on the CSC Project, designated gyms are being accounted for in the future RCN fleet. About the only challenge is getting time on some of the stationary equipment (though there are sign up sheets). If you are lucky enough to deploy without a HelAirDet, you have the hangar(s) too and usually extra gear is brought in. Bare in mind, that the Flight Deck is still green (operational) and if a nearby AC is in distress, you WILL be made to vacate the hangar 'at the rush'.
 
yamahaguitarguy said:
What are the gyms like in navy ships?

You may find this discussion from 2006 of interest.

"Gyms on Ships":
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/38761.0/nowap.html?PHPSESSID=d3o4er5s1u1rsaqesgvd9r3mk7 
 
This is true of civillian shipping as well, exercise equipment was at one time, unheard of, then it sort of became an ad hoc addition, now it's pretty standard in the initial design of any ship.

I've taken to working out on the towing deck during the summer months civi side... it's actually quite relaxing after spending most of the day in the engine room. Much better than a stuffy gym.
 
I guess if I get in the navy I will have to use the limited equipment as well as bodyweight exercises and then get back to the weights when back on land.
 
Best "gym" I saw on a ship was on ALG during OP Apollo in 2002.  I forget the reason why we didn't take an helairdet, but we had the entire hanger to play with.  We spent a small fortune on spin bikes, rowing machines and a couple of universal sets.  Other than having our SWOAD flight deck certified using an RN Sea King, air movements where minimal.

After 7 months, Gulf salt air and a lot of use, all of it was only fit for the scrap metal bin when we got back.
 
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