Ex-RM PTI- Fintan Circuit

[cheath]

As explained in a previous thread, I was fortunate enough to start taking MMA classes at a centre where the fitness work was conducted by a man who had previously been a PTI in the Royal Marines for 15 years. He's given me a 5 week programme prior to my PRMC (21st April) and after dabbling in it for half a week and conducting my first proper week all this week, I think the circuit training aspect could be of a huge help to everyone on here.

These circuits are absolutely disgusting, of the 4 times I've done them so far, I've thrown up on 3 of them. They're designed to destroy your legs and make you feel like *text deleted*text deleted*text deleted*, but afterwards your lungs feel as big as hot air balloons and you can definitely walk with your head held high. It works like this, using my programme as an example:

Monday - 3 sets, 15 reps per exercise.
Tuesday - 4 sets, 15 reps per exercise.
Wednesday - 5 sets, 15 reps per exercise.
Thursday - 6 sets, 15 reps per exercise.

At the start of a new week, the reps increase by 5 per exercise. If you physically cannot complete it with the reps given, repeat the previous week until you're ready to move on.

[*]Circuit[/*]

You start by placing two cones roughly 30 metres apart; this is best done on a football/rugby pitch for reasons explained later. Each exercise is performed at the same cone, the cone that you start from.

There are to be 9 exercises in the circuit, chosen by you with the Upper Body/Abs/Legs split, as shown on the RM exercise tool.

You start by doing your first 15 reps of the first exercise, then sprint to the cone 30m away and back. You then perform 15 reps of the second exercise and sprint to the cone and back. Repeat this for all 9 exercises without pause. After the 9th exercise is completed, you must now do a best effort run of roughly two football/rugby pitches ( Obviously easier if you happen to be on a pitch!). It doesn't matter if you're stumbling along with your dinner down your front, as long as it's best effort!

That's one set. Start your stopwatch and rest for roughly 2 minutes. Complete all sets then curl up into a ball, breathe through your *text deleted*text deleted*text deleted* and silently curse the gods as you try to remember how to respire.

The former PTI explained to me that not only will this improve your general fitness, it's incredibly useful for RT as it closely resembles a lot of the circuits done there. Apparently, after you've been beasted to within an inch of your life in the gym, the PTI's quite often instruct you to do a "Camp circuit", which is basically just a run around the camp at best effort. If it's good enough for RT recruits then it's certainly good enough for me!

Hope this has helped anyone, I know it was a bit of a lengthy explanation. Even if you don't want to copy it completely, I hope people will find a useful way to incorporate it into their own fitness regimes.

Train hard, fight easy. :fight:

Just done this for the first time. Can confirm, vomit everywhere!

 

[jkk0701]

Just done this for the first time. Can confirm, vomit everywhere!

I’m going to have a go at trying it in the next few days. What exercises should I put into it?

 

[06042020]

I'm new to circuit training like this, and tried it the first time the other day. Was a good workout!

As I'm new to it I'll ask a potentially daft question. In terms of 'sprinting' between the cones, I didn't manage 100% top speed of what I can sprint on each there and back. Is this normal?

Obviously you try and push your best effort, but if I had sprinted as fast as possible each time I'd have been dead for the body weight exercises and doubt I'd have been able to complete all the reps without lots of breaks.

 

[browner467]

I'm new to circuit training like this, and tried it the first time the other day. Was a good workout!

As I'm new to it I'll ask a potentially daft question. In terms of 'sprinting' between the cones, I didn't manage 100% top speed of what I can sprint on each there and back. Is this normal?

Obviously you try and push your best effort, but if I had sprinted as fast as possible each time I'd have been dead for the body weight exercises and doubt I'd have been able to complete all the reps without lots of breaks.

I’ve always treated it as Max effort sprints, so as fast as you can. You’re probably going to see your breakfast/lunch/dinner again. Welcome to the joys of Fintan.

 

[Vine]

I'm new to circuit training like this, and tried it the first time the other day. Was a good workout!

As I'm new to it I'll ask a potentially daft question. In terms of 'sprinting' between the cones, I didn't manage 100% top speed of what I can sprint on each there and back. Is this normal?

Obviously you try and push your best effort, but if I had sprinted as fast as possible each time I'd have been dead for the body weight exercises and doubt I'd have been able to complete all the reps without lots of breaks.

It's all about building yourself up mate don't worry about what others are doing. Keep at it and work hard things get easier the more you do them.

 

[Mattys]

Going to start doing this only jut noticed it!

I know already I will struggle sprinting 100% for exercises but as long as I get the same mileage in that’s a good base to start from and I can go from there!

Can anyone suggest the best 9 exercises I can use for this which has the most benefits?

cheers!

 

[browner467]

Going to start doing this only jut noticed it!

I know already I will struggle sprinting 100% for exercises but as long as I get the same mileage in that’s a good base to start from and I can go from there!

Can anyone suggest the best 9 exercises I can use for this which has the most benefits?

cheers!

I use the following exercises when I do Fintan:
Press Ups
Squats
Crunches
Wide Arm Press Up
Lunges
Half Sit
Close Arm Press Up
Hill Climb
V-Sit

 

[Mattys]

I use the following exercises when I do Fintan:
Press Ups
Squats
Crunches
Wide Arm Press Up
Lunges
Half Sit
Close Arm Press Up
Hill Climb
V-Sit

Had to google a few of them! *text deleted*

What sort of warm up do you do before you start off doing this circuit? Is it just a normal jog for a bit/stretches to get the heart going?
Il do this circuit Mondays and Fridays to start with as itl be difficult to add in with runnings/strength training if I attempted this 4 days a week!
Just laying out a 9 exercise to go by.

 

[browner467]

Had to google a few of them! *text deleted*

What sort of warm up do you do before you start off doing this circuit? Is it just a normal jog for a bit/stretches to get the heart going?
Il do this circuit Mondays and Fridays to start with as itl be difficult to add in with runnings/strength training if I attempted this 4 days a week!
Just laying out a 9 exercise to go by.

before training I usually just do some sort of pulse raiser followed by some dynamic/static stretching.

 

[Mattys]

before training I usually just do some sort of pulse raiser followed by some dynamic/static stretching.

ohh yeah makes sense!

I’ve made this today I know the warm ups don’t seem much but the field I’ll be doing this on is a 2 mile cycle away so thatl be a bit of a warm up.
Anything I could add to this or amend?

 

[john lewis]

I use the following exercises when I do Fintan:
Press Ups
Squats
Crunches
Wide Arm Press Up
Lunges
Half Sit
Close Arm Press Up
Hill Climb
V-Sit

This works, I’m *text deleted* try it with leg exercises. Did something similar with hill sprints when I was in depot and it was gopping but worked legs and lungs which are massively important in training

 

[browner467]

ohh yeah makes sense!

I’ve made this today I know the warm ups don’t seem much but the field I’ll be doing this on is a 2 mile cycle away so thatl be a bit of a warm up.
Anything I could add to this or amend?

Looks good - just remember to complete two laps of the pitch, at best effort, after each set.

 

[Mattys]

Looks good - just remember to complete two laps of the pitch, at best effort, after each set.

I’ll have to see how the 1st day of trying this goes especially after the 1st set!

Will give update after I’ve tried this Monday

 

[Mattys]

I tried yesterday with the workout I posted and not going to lie I struggled big time.
When I completed 1 set I just sat there and took a long look at the ground ,

‘I didn’t realise how far 30m would be but when I measured it out I decided to sprint to and from rather than do the crawl back!
The sprinting I managed better than I thought with!

My biggest struggle I wouldn’t say was catching my breathe it was doing exercises my body is not used to.
Al though I finished the lunges my legs gave in on the 13/15 and I just fell to the floor.

I know no I do need to shed a lot of timber as I’m currently 15.4 and that is no weight to be when it comes to high intensity workouts or just running in general so I will stick with doing this until I can comfortable increase on it and will shed the weight as this is my 1 priority now after attempting this!

 

[sharpe]

The published workouts should come with a health warning sometimes! You have to make sure what you’re attempting is realistic for your current levels. Use some common sense and build it up gradually

 

[Mattys]

The published workouts should come with a health warning sometimes! You have to make sure what you’re attempting is realistic for your current levels. Use some common sense and build it up gradually

‘Yeah of course I beleave it’s a good eye opener testing yourself with a routine like this so you can get a realisation of your fitness levels and actually how much you actually want this to push yourself.
Doing 3 sets of this is not realistic for me currently I knew that near the end of the 1st set that if I carried on I would injure myself but I now know where I’m at with it.

 

[Mattys]

I done this again yesterday but only 1 set again but this time I seemed to feel a bit better physically with it than I did Monday!

I’m going to attempt 2 sets Monday and Friday next week.

Few questions on this workout.

Is it better to do less exercises (I currently have 9) and add more sets so say 5 sets of 5 exercises and work on the most used or keep the variety at 3 sets of 9 exercises?

How often should this workout be used in a week based around other workouts if cycling/jogging/swimming etc is already being done to the point you don’t injure/burn yourself out?
It’s a great workout and I’m glad I came across it but due to the intensity just checking if this is something you do on a frequent weekly basis?

This sort of exercise how often is it done such as PT/bottom field at recruit training?

 

[sharpe]

Hopefully @Royal2010 will spot this and give you some pointers

 

[ALDL9RM]

@Mattys do it never it’s disgusting

 

[Mattys]

@Royal2010 Any advice on this on how often this sort of workout is conducted at RT?