Question about nuke

[GymRat]

So I am in the DEP for nuke and got a couple questions before I ship out ( in February).  I know I'm ready to breeze by boot camp because I checked the pt standards for my age group and I can outstanding everything but the swimming, which i don't know how fast I swim.  What I'm wondering about is A school.  In high school I put to much time into football and parties and not enough time into learning harder classes.  So my highest math class is Algebra 2 with trig and I have never taken physics.  What I'm wondering is if I am prepared enough to get through nuke school.  Should I look into a tutor to learn more before I ship out, because I got a while.

Oh and I got a few questions about boot camp.  I have to eat 6 times a day because of my lifestyle; I know you only get to eat three times a day there so, would I be able to get seconds or thirds during a meal if I eat fast enough or should I plan on losing quite a bit of muscle in boot camp.  Also do they let you work out with free weights if doing pt is not enough?

[Fermi2]

1: No Tutor. The Navy will teach you everything you need to know.

2: No seconds or thirds. It's pretty much assembly line service. You won't have more than 15 minutes to eat anyway.

3: No, you won't have time. You'll be busy from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed. Besides weight lifting is an individual activity, Boot Camp is to beat the individuality out of you. Keep in mind, when you do your PT tests it might be at the end of an exhausting day, you might not hit anywhere near outstanding.

Mike

[deltarho]

Go to Military.com and look up Stew Smith. He's an former SEAL and now personal trainer. He has many articles about excercises that can be done without weights.

When I was in boot camp back in 1979 the CC (Company Commander) gave smoke breaks of 15 minutes or so here and there. I didn't smoke, so I used that time to write letters. You could use these moments to pop off 300 push ups and crunches, use the pull-up bars, do some dips, etc. Once you get there, you can see how to fit in your excercise to keep your tone.

I would send yourself a care package full of zone bars or whatever protein bars you prefer that you can carry in your pocket; they can fill in for your 3 meals that you will not be provided. I would be up front with your CC about carrying that stuff in your pocket and that you will keep it invisible.

Chances are, there will be at least one more muscle-bound dude like you in your company. Team work will be a key to getting what you want. So, here is a tip... tell your CC that you want to be the Physical Training Petty Officer, that you will make it your mission to help everyone in the company to make it through all the PT requirements. This will also gain you time to workout along with the dough boys.

Hope this helps.

[Already Gone]

You'll get through NPS alright with the math that you have taken.  Study, and you'll pass.

PT for bodybuilders is a tough one.  While most guys figure boot camp to be exhausting at times, a person who trains regularly is going to have some withdrawal.  The step down in physical activity should mean a step down in your intake as well.  I don't think they'll let you carry anything in your pockets, and food in the barracks is generally limited to what you get in your care packages from home.  We had to lock that stuff in the CC's office.  It was allowed out only during evening free time when everyone was having a smoke or writing letters.

Improvise with the exercise.  There are many exercises you can do without weights to maintain tone.  But if you really need the extra resistance, try curling a bunk or get a good-natured shipmate to hang from a mop handle while you press it.  There should be some heavy laundry bags at times and maybe you can go into the head with a couple of full fire buckets for a few minutes.

One guy who went through about the same time as me did mostly things like that until we graduated and he could get to a proper gym.  He didn't lose much mass and there are always buddies who will pile their tray with a little extra if you ask them.

Start changing your regimen now so you will be adapted to eating fewer, larger meals and working out less.  Talk to the instructor at your gym about how to do that.  Navy PT is all about stamina and aerobics - not strength and muscle mass.  Swimming is about staying afloat, and not speed.  Remember the line from The Guardian -- "muscle does not float".

Good luck, and thanks for honoring our country with your service.

[M1Ark]

Answer:

1. Nuke school math starts at 1+1=2, then the number line, then.....

2. "This table time to go!" , then you throw out your meal regardless of what you have eaten.  (Maybe 15 minutes)

[Preciousblue1965]

Um unless things have changed since I went through, don't bother with any care package that includes food.  The Division Comanders(used to be CCs) have to go through every box that you get.  This is to prevent someone from getting stuff they shouldn't, like cigarettes, knives, and unauthorized food.  They say that your diet is being regulated since you are only allowed to eat in the galley there so they don't want people getting Krispy Kreme in the mail and blowing the whole thing.  A potential nuke should be able to get ingenous enough to develop a way to increase his resistence for weight training.  Besides there are always some heavy valves that can be lifted.  If you really want a good workout, try opening main steam stops at NPTU in SC.  If you want a REALLY good workout, try opening the discharge or scoop valves on the main condensers by yourself.  If you can do it all by your lonesome without dieing, you will be my hero regardless of anything else you do in the Navy.

As far as academics, not having physics won't be too bad, since they will teach you their own version.  Math you should be fine since I did fine and all I ever had was Algebra II.

[HydroDave63]

so they don't want people getting Krispy Kreme in the mail

or else something like this might occur:

[GymRat]

Thanks errbody for all the replies it will help me out

[G-reg]

In high school I put to much time into football and parties and not enough time into learning harder classes.

Your biggest obstacle in the Nuc Pipeline won't be your lack of Physics (as many other have said before me).

Your biggest obstacle will be the sentence I quoted above.  The classwork will be long and extensive.  You should start out expecting 12hr days at school, plus several hours at school each and every weekend.  [It probably won't be that bad the whole way through school, but you're smarter if you start out expecting it to be that way.]

You will have to keep your nose in the books for serious amounts of time, to the detriment of just about everything else.  You won't have to give up all of your gym/sports/party time, but you will have to give up a whole lot of it.  If you can do that, then you probably have a better than 90% chance of succeeding.

Regarding Boot Camp, there's more to it than just Physical Training.  Boot Camp is an indoctrination, and you will probably spend more time working on folding your clothes "the right way" than you will running and jumping and doing pushups.  Some people definitely do struggle with the physical part of Boot Camp, but it's mainly about learning to follow orders (even mundane ones) and working together with complete strangers as a unit.  For example, if it's anything like it was when I went through, you will spend MUCH time marching in formation.

Good luck, and thank you for your future service.

 - Greg

[Glowing_Since_09]

Do they still make you do the 25 mile death march now and days?

[JustinHEMI05]

Do they still make you do the 25 mile death march now and days?

What? This is the Navy. You will be lucky they make you march to chow now a days.

Justin

[Preciousblue1965]

What? This is the Navy. You will be lucky they make you march to chow now a days.

Justin

Justin, I got bad news for you man.  They put galleys in all the "ships" that the recruits live in.  They leave their compartment and go to the galley without ever having to see the outside.  Come to think of it, it is more like the Navy that way.  Now if they can only find a way to make the food slide all over the tables to simulate high seas then they might be on to something.

[JustinHEMI05]

Justin, I got bad news for you man.  They put galleys in all the "ships" that the recruits live in.  They leave their compartment and go to the galley without ever having to see the outside.  Come to think of it, it is more like the Navy that way.  Now if they can only find a way to make the food slide all over the tables to simulate high seas then they might be on to something.

Ya thats what I meant, he would be lucky if he had to march at all (I say lucky because marching is part of being in the military LOL)! I heard about these new "ships." LOL I guess it is more Navy like.  Did they get rid of all of the old barracks?

Justin

[Preciousblue1965]

Ya thats what I meant, he would be lucky if he had to march at all (I say lucky because marching is part of being in the military LOL)! I heard about these new "ships." LOL I guess it is more Navy like.  Did they get rid of all of the old barracks?

Justin

Don't know for sure what they did.  I had heard that they just took on of the compartments on the lower floor and converted it into a galley.  It is a SAD SAD day when High School Marching band does more marching than one of the branches of the Armed Forces. 

[DSO]

So I am in the DEP for nuke and got a couple questions before I ship out ( in February).  I know I'm ready to breeze by boot camp because I checked the pt standards for my age group and I can outstanding everything but the swimming, which i don't know how fast I swim.  What I'm wondering about is A school.  In high school I put to much time into football and parties and not enough time into learning harder classes.  So my highest math class is Algebra 2 with trig and I have never taken physics.  What I'm wondering is if I am prepared enough to get through nuke school.  Should I look into a tutor to learn more before I ship out, because I got a while.

Oh and I got a few questions about boot camp.  I have to eat 6 times a day because of my lifestyle; I know you only get to eat three times a day there so, would I be able to get seconds or thirds during a meal if I eat fast enough or should I plan on losing quite a bit of muscle in boot camp.  Also do they let you work out with free weights if doing pt is not enough?

Eat as much protein during all 3 meals that you can shovel down(its a fallacy that you need that many frequent meals to get all your protein in} and don't volunteer for subs---I took free weights down to the fast attack subs I was on---on the weekends---being discrete==and stashed them in shaft alley---worked out there(with 3/4 inch rubber laying on the deck)---but depends on command and who makes a big deal out of the weights causing possible noise.  The Navy really doesnt support staying in above average shape--they just want you to be healthy enough to do your job 90-100 hrs/week and pass the PRT as to not make the command look bad

[Gamecock]

  Now if they can only find a way to make the food slide all over the tables to simulate high seas then they might be on to something.

I'm pretty sure that you never  had to worry about your food sliding due to high seas while on your CVN   .

[Preciousblue1965]

I'm pretty sure that you never  had to worry about your food sliding due to high seas while on your CVN   .

Dang, cold busted.....

[HydroDave63]

I'm pretty sure that you never  had to worry about your food sliding due to high seas while on your CVN   .

Unless you were enjoying early dinner for air wing on Bldg. 65 one fateful afternoon in Nov. 1985...

there are some things that counterflooding just cant fix 

www.mooj.com/images/rx-011006-mb.jpg  too large to post here

[Cycoticpenguin]

These old cronies went through the "Old pipeline" which, to my understanding, was considerably harder. If you can manage your time properly, study when you need to, put in the extra effort to do well... you SHOULD have plenty of personal time, especially on weekends. If you find yourself spending too much time on your personal life and your grades slip... you will pay for it one way or another. Keep that in mind.

[IPREGEN]

breeze through boot camp? No matter what shape you are in the Navy will try to make it uncomfortable for you. It's all really petty sh*t, but there will be a few sailors crying now and then, really embarrassing.
A school was easy, Nuke school wasn't too bad. ELT was easy. It's the 6 years, 2190 days which was tough.
You get more pay on a sub, you'll have more chances to spend your pay on a surface ship. Good luck.