BMQ/SQ and work outs and living condition

[ZipperHead]

Saeho, I assume that you are doing the Reg Force BMQ. You may not get to the gym as much as you would like, but there are other means of maintaining what you have achieved. Maybe not to the level that you are used to, but that's life. You can do push-ups until your arms go numb. There are always chin-up bars handy. Be creative. Do dips on your bed. Squats and lunges with some free weights (which you can probably store in civvy lock-up).

Don't give up, and treat some of the advice that you have been given with some caution, as their experiences have likely been different from what you will encounter (ie Reserve BMQ vs Reg Force). I just asked my wife (she is a Reg Force Med Tech) if there is any medical reason why you wouldn't be allowed to take supplements, whey powder, creatine, etc, and she can't see a problem with it. The DS (directing staff) in St Jean may tell you that you can't, and they may or may not allow it (whether they are "right" or not). I concur with the advice given by Ropetech in eating cottage cheese, boiled eggs, whatever. It's all free food, so pig out if you want. You can always run off the extra weight you'd gain.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM me and I can try to find the answers for you.

Cheers,

Al

 

[combat_medic]

Allan: If it's taking him 8 weeks to do a combined BMQ/SQ course, then he's a reservist. The Reg Force BMQ/SQ is considerably longer than 2 months.

 

[ZipperHead]

Yeah, I should have realized that after reading the posts. I figured he meant only the BMQ being 2 months (I think the Reg Force BMQ is 9 or 10 weeks long). Kind of scares me, though, to think that a soldier can be "trained" in 2 months..... Making me think that comparing Reg to Reserve Force soldiers is the apple/orange situation more and more. Just looked in the Recruiting FAQ for SQ..... 60 days for Reg to 20 days for Res..... Hmmmm..... 

Anyway, thanks for setting me on the straight and narrow.

Al

 

[combat_medic]

Hey, when I went through basic training, it was only 6 weeks, not eight. There were a lot of training gaps to make up for before I got to leadership training (and good thing I made them up BEFORE I got there). Besides, for a reservist, particularly one who's not a student and works full time, 8 weeks is a lot of time to ask.

 

[TaKe ThE PaIn]

Ok, I'm only a reservist, I am actualy in my pp1 infantry, and even if in our PT we don't have a lot of push-up, it's not like after the PT we just sit back and relax, at each brake, we have to do series of chin up or push up at the beginning and at the ending of the brake. And, I can tell you that after a week or two waking up at 5 and going to bed (if we can call it a bed) at minimum 11h, you won't really wan't to go to a gym.

 

[TaKe ThE PaIn]

Of course there are a lot of difference beetween reserver and regular, but it's not for fun that is called reserve, most ppl go in reserve to make sure that's what they wan't befor joining the regular (at least that's what I wan't to do) or just because they don't want to work in a McDo. Actually our training Is realy shorter, I'm doing my QS/GPM in 7 week, wich is too short, but still very rough (looks like reserve officer have something to prove so they make us pay, but are we in the army for anything else than that). But all the thing we learn, we learn them in the same amount of time, the difference, is that there are some thing the regular army see that we don't, for example: Urban combat, hous clearing, (shit why don't we see those thing). That's why when a reserver soldier with a couple of year of service want to transfer, he only get a couple of update so when he get in the regulare unit, he his a the same level than his mate.

 

[Mulan]

Returning to the reserves   :warstory:

BMQ
I completed BMQ last summer. What an experience! I was in the reserves back in '89 and for my own reasons I have decided to go back and do it all over again. The personal challenge was excellent and I learned a lot about my own physical strengths and limitations.   I was very concerned about going back when my peers would be 15 years younger than I am, but I do not have any regrets.  

Work outs
There was an excellent gym on the base but we rarely had free time to use it.   Most of the physical training was running and jogging - each day starting with a 5km jog at 4:15am. and ending with remedial PT (another 5k jog) for anyone who was not at the front of the pack that morning .   The most demanding part of the course was the battle fitness test (BFT) - but this is not always included in BMQ, we were just lucky. The test was a 13km run with full ruck, followed by fireman's carry of buddy next to you across a football field and back.   I was allowed to skip this part because of a knee injury, but I did manage to finish the course and I will get the chance to do the BFT again next summer at 3's & 4s.

Living conditions
During the day we attended lectures in classrooms and in the field. Each lesson was followed by a practical. At night, we cleaned our kit and studied until 'lights out' at 10:30pm.   The pace was constantly fast, I felt tired all the time, and if I got a weekend pass   - I went home to sleep.   On the bright side, the food was excellent, as was the scenery. For me, the most difficult challenge about living conditions was sharing a room with five other people and trying to get time for a shower where there were 45 people and only 4 showers.   This last challenge was further complicated by being one of the only four females to finish the course and having to compete for time in the showers versus 45 guys who wanted to use them too. We eventually worked out a shower schedule of eight minute for the girls first then the guys got 20 min since there was so many of them.


Interesting perspective
Basic training has not changed that much since I took it the first time 15 years ago, the webbing was the same, and the rifle was not that different from the C1. The rooms are nicer now. What had really changed was me - my perspective on what is stressful is very different now. Where many of the younger members found dealing with timings, appearance and being yelled at was very stressful - to me those were the easy parts.   Physically, I could jog for as long or as far as anyone else but I could never run as fast.   I was able to lift and carry more than most but I was not as foolish as they were to volunteer.    

 

[Jonathan]

I'm about to be swore in,(reserves) they told me that the BMQ is 10 weeks long, now I'm confused, you say it is shorter

 

[Rstratdn]

My BMQ starts April 10th and is 11 weeks long. Didn't they give you a package telling you about everything? They gave me one telling me how its going to be, also what i am allowed and not allowed to bring.

 

[The Gues-|-]

My BMQ starts April 10th and is 11 weeks long. Didn't they give you a package telling you about everything? They gave me one telling me how its going to be, also what i am allowed and not allowed to bring.

weren't you upset at;  r. bathing suit (Speedo type suits are not permitted) :'(

 

[bbbb]

Basic involves zero privacy, no food, cramped quarters and no civilian clothing.

Enjoy!

 

[Jonathan]

lol, not really, I dont usually were speedo's

and no, I have not got a package yet for the summer because I have not been swore in yet
I will be swore next thursday

 

[bbbb]

To say that there are no criminals in the CF? That's a stretch I think. Look at some of the posts about porn and such, such dung has no place in the army.

 

[mudeater]

I require coronary bypass in October. Will I be able to take my blood thinners on SQ and BIQ this summer.

 

[Patrolman]

bbbb
What I should have said is that the CF does not actively recruit criminals. That is why criminal record checks are done before enrollment!
The CF is not The Foreign Legion of yesteryear.