The United States Marine Corp are proud, but they are also few, at least according to the recruiting slogan. The elite nature of the Corps means that the branch holds high standards of fitness and toughness for its recruits.
The U.S. Marine Fitness Test, known as the Marine PFT, includes a grueling test of “dead hang” pullups, situps, and a three-mile run. Recently, bodybuilder Obi Vincent, who typically trains using a mix of CrossFit and heavy lifting, took on the U.S. Marine Fitness Test on video, proving how challenging the trial can be.
In the test, pullups are to be completed until exhaustion, while the situps and run are both timed events. Each event is scored out of 100. To qualify for the Marines, a recruit or active member of the corps has to score at least 150 out of 300 overall. The test is meant to be exceedingly difficult, with a perfect score nearly impossible for even the most seasoned Marine.
So how will Vincent, who has not trained for the test in the slightest, fair when taking the Marine PFT? Before the test, he’s not too confident in his own abilities, especially regarding the run.
“The time cap is 29 minutes,” Vincent says of the three-mile run. “My quickest time has been 30 on the treadmill. If I can just do this in 28.5, I’m going to be happy.”
While Vincent may be strong and fast for a bodybuilder, running isn’t necessarily part of his routine. But Vincent is able to dig deep and complete the run in 23 minutes and 57 seconds, shocking even him. That means the bodybuilder averaged under two minutes per lap for a score of 64 out of 100.
“I was thinking, ‘Go quicker.’ But my legs they just, they just won’t come up,” Vincent says after the run, adding that his legs “felt like lead.”
After the run, Vincent tries his hand at the pullups, completing 16 reps for a score of 80 out of 100. For the final test, the bodybuilder completes as many situps as he can in two minutes. Vincent barely completes 60 before time is called, resulting in a score of 60 out of 100.
Vincent received a total score of 204 out of a possible 300, which may sound low. But the minimum passing score for the Marine PFT is 150, meaning Vincent performed extremely well in the competition despite his doubts and struggles.
Vincent, however, wouldn’t actually be able to join the Marines even with a passing score. As he mentions, he is technically “overweight” at 6’2” and almost 250 pounds. Vincent is almost 50 pounds too heavy for the USMC Weight Chart requirements. His score of 204 also wouldn’t make him eligible for common exemptions from the Marine weight requirements.
Even though he doesn’t have a future as a Marine, Vincent says completing the test may impact how he approaches his own training moving forward.
“The good thing about [taking the test] is that I’ve learned a lesson,” Vincent says in the video. “A., That I’m better than I think I am, so I need to not almost talk myself down. And B., I need to train more like this. Even though it’s out of my comfort zone, that mental toughness is what I need.”
But before hitting the gym with this new philosophy, Vincent could use a good dose of recovery.
“It hurts,” Vincent says at the end of the video. “I’m ready for a nap.”
Watch the full video here:
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