# Pushing the human body to extremes?



## Corporal Hicks (Jan 8, 2006)

Hi,
One thing that has been playing on my mind recently is how some people manage to achieve such a high level of physical fitness! For example in particular reference to the Bleep Tests (please write if not familar and I will explain).
Im currently at University studying a police course in which we are constantly assessed on these bleep test. The level you have to get to pass is 5.4 (which is far to easy) for those who know what Im talking about! 
My levels have been rising, Im currently on level 12, but recently I've suffered a blow to my health and have been pratically inactive for 3 weeks and now worried that its gone down! 
However back to the point, what I've been thinking is how the hell do soliders, Marines, SAS, Green Berrets and other indiviuals get to levels 15/16?
That must require tremendous cardiovasular systems and indurance?! 
How do they achieve these levels? 

P.s How long does it take for the human cardio system and stamina to decrease with inactivity?

Regards


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## MA-Caver (Jan 8, 2006)

Corporal Hicks said:
			
		

> Hi,
> One thing that has been playing on my mind recently is how some people manage to achieve such a high level of physical fitness! For example in particular reference to the Bleep Tests (please write if not familar and I will explain).
> Im currently at University studying a police course in which we are constantly assessed on these bleep test. The level you have to get to pass is 5.4 (which is far to easy) for those who know what Im talking about!
> My levels have been rising, Im currently on level 12, but recently I've suffered a blow to my health and have been pratically inactive for 3 weeks and now worried that its gone down!
> ...


Not being an expert I can only speak about myself and how I push myself to extremes ... i.e. beyond my normal level of endurances and strengths. 
As simplistic as this may sound... the answer is simply... just do it. 
The human body in my experience is a fragile and resilient thing. Internally we can push ourselves to extreme levels when the need arises. 
I know of a group of guys that do an 1165 foot deep cave in less than 3 hours... that's "car to car" (parking the car... hiking up to the cave, going to the bottom of the cave and back up and hiking down to the car again). 
Normally an average trip takes roughly 12-16 hours "car to car". 
Green Berets, SEALS, Rangers, SAS and so forth... they're trained constantly from inception to go to the extremes when needed. That's how those guys do it. The knowing of "I can" is a very powerful force. The necessity of "I MUST" is even more powerful. 
:asian:


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## tshadowchaser (Jan 8, 2006)

I must agree it is the constant pushing of yourslef ( or themsleves ) more and more each day.  
If you can do 100 situps you push for 150 or 200 and even if you miss one  you keep pushing   soon that number may be way higher.  It is the never saying "I can't" rather saying I can and will


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## Martial Tucker (Jan 8, 2006)

Corporal Hicks said:
			
		

> Hi,
> One thing that has been playing on my mind recently is how some people manage to achieve such a high level of physical fitness! For example in particular reference to the Bleep Tests (please write if not familar and I will explain).
> Im currently at University studying a police course in which we are constantly assessed on these bleep test. The level you have to get to pass is 5.4 (which is far to easy) for those who know what Im talking about!
> My levels have been rising, Im currently on level 12, but recently I've suffered a blow to my health and have been pratically inactive for 3 weeks and now worried that its gone down!
> ...


At the risk of sounding glib, which is not my intent, I believe it's about 10% physical, 90% mental. We all have capabilities far beyond what "feels like" our limits. I've had the good fortune of being close friends with 2 SEALS since I was in my 20's. Both had heavy combat experience in Viet Nam (different times/places, didn't know each other). Neither had any particular physical gifts, and you would never guess either was an elite warrior if you passed them on the sidewalk. What they both have/had that separated them from the others was an insatiable inner drive to rise above the rest, to not settle for second best. 

As for the stamina drop off after inactivity, I think it varies by individual, and by just how inactive you are, but for me, if I've been training hard, usually I do better after a 1-2 week break. After 2 weeks, things seem to deteriorate more quickly, but I notice it more in the weight room than I do in cardiovascular endurance. I don't seem to get much of a cardio drop off until > 4 weeks, or thereabouts....


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## Sarah (Jan 8, 2006)

There were a couple of young guys in my MA school that were getting 13-14 on the beep test.....keeping in mind these guys where 18-19 and had no lives outside of MA, they were there everyday and doing nothing but training!!


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## Hannya (Jan 9, 2006)

whats a bleep test?


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## Henderson (Jan 9, 2006)

Hannya said:
			
		

> whats a bleep test?


 
Ditto.


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## Corporal Hicks (Jan 9, 2006)

Here You go!
http://www.fitnesszone.co.za/trainer7.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/in_the_gym/workouts/newsid_2100000/2100312.stm

Should be a good enough explaination I hope!

--------------

So its all about pushing yourself! However when Im running and I keep pushing and pushing myself which I have been doing recently, when I eventually stop I feel really really close to being sick, as in exhausted sick, and I know one friend from the Royal Marines who was telling me about when he was training to join. That was when he was training in the gym he would push himself to where he was being sick down the inside of his top!

I have no agenda apart from being at a peak level of fitness, but I cant tell the line between pushing myself to extremes, or pushing to extremes and risking injury?

Have you guys ever really really pushed yourself completely? Where you stop and think, "whoa, I really did that, or got through that" or something?

Regards


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## Kenpodoc (Jan 9, 2006)

Corporal Hicks said:
			
		

> Here You go!
> http://www.fitnesszone.co.za/trainer7.htm
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/in_the_gym/workouts/newsid_2100000/2100312.stm
> 
> ...


It's more complicated than just about how you push yourself.  Physically difficult endeavors are a combination of inate ability, "heart" and a smart training regimen.  Remember that you can train hard and help yourself less than with an appropriate training regimen.

Jeff


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## Aqua4ever (Jan 9, 2006)

O Bleep tests..I did that last year. I have to agree, it's alot of mental, and how hard you want to push yourself. I did it one day and got a 90% (level 8 I believe) and was exhausted, keep in mind I had decided I would make level 8 no matter what before I started. The next week I did it again for fun with another girl who had missed it the first time, decided I would push myself as far as I could go and not give in, and made it to 11. I was no more or less fit then, I just went in with a different mentality. Obviously fitness is there to an extent, but a lot of it is all YOU!
Good luck
Aqua


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