Introduction. The military has been good to me, and it might be a great starting point for you as well. I started my military career, and I went over 20 years- it was my wealth generator. However, the military is not for everyone as there are plenty of reasons that can make it difficult.
Before you join the military or decide to make it a career, it is good to research the profession of serving your country. I joined the military in 1999 and didn’t have anyone to talk to about being a successful servicemember.
This series will focus on values, ideas, and lessons that I have learned over the past 22 years and can now share with you. It will cover these topics first, and I may add more as time goes on: physical fitness, mental fitness, educational fitness, family fitness, and financial fitness.
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Hopefully, after reading this series, you will not only have an idea of the roadblocks to avoid but the paths that lead to success. The “Success in the Military 101” series is the book I wish I had when I was 18 years old and leaving for the military. With no further ado, let’s begin the series.
Physical fitness. When you see the military videos, you can observe that everyone is running, hiking, and jumping- all in shape and healthy. Yes, the idea is to be physically fit at all times in the military.
To prepare yourself for the rigors of maintaining a constant level of fitness, you have to prepare your mind and body. Without mental toughness and resiliency, you will not sustain the physical attributes of a servicemember.
There are two parts to remaining healthy and in shape; health and fitness. In my own words, health is diet, and fitness is exercise. Both are vital to your long-term success in the military. It is essential always to prepare yourself to stay in the military for the long haul, no matter what your intentions are currently. I have seen too many Marines plan to get out and set themselves up for failure when opportunities outside fall through.
Health. Health is what you eat and drink. The military can fool many young people because when you join at 18 years old, you don’t need to watch what you eat. Your metabolism is so high that your body can burn calories at a high rate.
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Let me tell you that your metabolism can slow down very quickly. The military can be a high-stress environment, and many service members like to blow off steam with food and drink. I know I did back in the days. Then one day, you wake up, and you have gained five pounds.
If you can get your diet under control at a young age, you have a higher chance of success in the military. Do not wait until you are pushing the height and weight standards before taking dieting seriously. Having a diet plan, even a simple one, will ensure you are ahead of the power curve when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.
I like to use clothes as my control technique. I find a pair of nicely fitting pants and a slim shirt. When I put them on, and I am the current size if I feel good about myself. If they fit poorly, then I need to step up my diet game for a few days. I have done this for the last 12 years of my career. I have been able to hover around the 150-pound weight since 2010. It is simple and effective.
Fitness. Fitness is the psychical aspect of staying in shape. Fitness is the part that everyone wants to focus on because we can see the results of running, lifting, and swimming. However, dieting is 90% of keeping your weight off and staying slender. If you can control your diet, physical fitness will be there to tone and shape, not lose weight.
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A word of warning, be careful about going too hard in the gym. I have seen lifting end many careers. I cringe when I see people comparing bench and squat targets and goals. Usually, these heavy lifting sessions lead to bad backs, shoulders, and knees. Be careful. Think about the long-term. The military can be very lucrative if your body can survive.
Another word on supplements, be selective on these as well. I watched a young man have a seizure because he was taking creatine. I have never taken supplements in my career, and I have done okay. I was never a powerlifter either, so to each their own.
The same can be said about running as well. I consider myself a runner but rarely do I run over four miles in one session. I have seen many runners start down the path of marathons, ultra-marathons, and iron man competitions. They are in excellent shape until they are not. Their bodies start to deteriorate with so much added stress from performance.
Balance is the keyword here. If you joined the military to become a powerlifter or marathon runner, so be it. That will be a tiny percentage of service members. The rest of us just need to stay healthy and fit—no need to try to become something that we are not.
Along those lines, I will talk about sports. I have witnessed more career-ending sports injuries during pick-up games than I care to recount. Playing ultimate football and basketball can lead to broken bones and stress injuries. Be careful. Again, unless you are on the All-Marine team, you are getting paid to do your military occupational specialty (MOS) and not play sports. Balance your appetite for competition with the need to stay healthy and fit.
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I know that I sound like an over-concerned parent, but these are my observations after 22 years. Remember that you will have to pass a physical fitness test every year (twice a year in the Marines) to stay in the military. So if you hurt your shoulder while playing sports, it could affect your ability to do pull-ups. Most people without a college degree do not have a path to earn $133,000 a year; however, that is what I make. And I don’t have a college degree.
Lesson Learned. Somehow, I did stay healthy and fit throughout my career. I was a fast runner at some point in my career (3 miles under 18 minutes), but I never got carried away and started running marathons. My focus has always been on the long-term.
I speak from experience. In 2003, while serving in Africa, we played a pick-up game of football. During the game, I broke my wrist. I was close to my first re-enlistment, and I couldn’t even do one pull-up. I needed to pass the physical fitness test in order to qualify for re-enlistment. The stress I felt at that time was unbearable. I was only 22 years old and had no family, bills, or plans. What if I had a family to support?
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I believe that this moment, so early in my career, shaped who I am today. I do play sports, but I am very cautious. I never let my competitive juices overflow too much. I look at the big picture. Do I want to end my career over a pick-up football game?
My daily fitness routine consists of either a four-mile run or an hour on the elliptical. On the rare occasion that I have more time, I do both back to back. I enjoy when I can do both, but time is of the essence. I like to exercise early in the morning, between 4 am, and 5 am. Again, this is my routine. Some people prefer lunch and others like to exercise after work. Whatever you like to do.
Final thoughts. I hope I did not undersell dieting and exercise. I am 40 years old and have spent my entire adult life, since ten days after high school, in the Marine Corps. I have served overseas for about ten of those years. I have always remained in control of my career because I have stayed injury-free and slender.
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If you want to make the military a long-term career, you will have to come to terms with dieting and fitness. By come to terms, I mean adjust your lifestyle to that of the military. If you are waiting for the military to tell you to diet and exercise, you are too late.
The maximum weight that I can be is 170 pounds, for my height. So I stay around 150 pounds. When I creep up to 158 pounds, I put myself on a strict diet and fitness routine to get closer to 150. I can regulate myself.
I do not wait for the military to tell me to go exercise and diet. If you can understand this concept, You will make it far in life and the military. As a military person or an entrepreneur, those that can control their habits are the ones who have the most success.
Yes, you will get yelled at during boot camp, but other than that, you are treated like an adult. The military gives you a set of rules and guidelines, and you just have to follow them. Staying in shape and monitoring your food intake is an adult thing to do- will you be able to handle it?
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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