The United States military is a mixed bag of results when it comes to training and performance. On one hand, I can argue that the United States military men and women are the biggest waste of time, money, and effort I have ever witnessed in an organization. On the other hand however, the United States military has become the truest displays of courage, determination, survival, and the will to succeed. It is with this latter reputation that regular people paint all sorts of crazy pictures of invincibility and heroism about the US military.

Q: Can the military turn a shy, scrawny kid into a killing machine that puts fear in everyone standing in the same room with him?
A: No, proper bodybuilding training can make you bigger. Getting punked around in the military will give you the courage to and bravery to stand against regular "civilians". However, having size and confidence doesn't make you a badass, you need to build up the attitude AND reputation to go with it.

Q: I heard that my cousin "Bob" joined the Army when he was all scrawny and he came back super-buff and well-built.
A: That can be explained by 3 things. 1) You psychologically conditioned to WANT to see him in a different manner and to assume that he was in fact physically built under his shirt. But he might have been in fact the exact same size before he left but you never noticed because back then, you were psychologically conditioned to think he was "scrawny". (If I told you my friend was Italian, you'd probably assume he had black hair, yes?) or 2) Your friend got old and his metabolism slowed down allowing him to get bigger in terms of fat to fill in his skinny body and make it looking more full and buff. or 3) He is one of the FEW PEOPLE who actually train hard throughout their whole military contract and come back in a more physically built condition.

Q: Why is it that you seem to think the military doesn't make you buff?
A: Because the military doesn't train that way! Aside from what you may have seen in movies, the military never EVER trains with heavy weight training. Everything the military does is aerobic and cardio exercise. These exercises are the kind that people do to get toned, lose weight, and increase endurance. It will NEVER make you bigger, unless you're a really scrawny nerd and in that case, you will gain maybe 10 pounds of muscle from the push-up exercises but no more after that.

Q: What physical training exercises does the military use to train their soldiers?
A: Lots of endurance work. Much running and movement. They find tons of painful exercises that force you to move your limbs in simple movements that become massive torture after hundreds of repetitions. Most of the exercises are all very possible and simple but again, they're just painful. They also make you run around with your gear and learn

Q: Can joining the military really turn you into a killing machine?
A: NO!!! The military is the WORST place to go if you want to become a fighting machine. You may hear that the Army or Marines have the toughest infantry camps and that you learn top secret hand-to-hand combat maneuvers. At best, you will only learn simple judo throws, tripping, leg-sweeping, choking, sucker punching, and other basic fighting skills in bootcamp. You won't be practicing it very much and most people will never remember all that crap in a real streetfight. Besides, this is US military. What on earth are we doing wasting our time with hand-to-hand combat maneuvers? If your enemy is close enough to punch you, you obviously weren't paying attention during the weeks of M-16 practice. What the military can really turn you into is the energizer bunny. You'll learn to always keep going and always giving it 100% and never giving up under any circumstances...and for most people, this is all it takes to succeed.

Q: Are the Marines the toughest of all the branches?
A: NO!!! Joining a friggen branch doesn't make you tough. You are tough because you are invincible in the mind, body, and soul. A 150 pound weak kid who joins the Marines and absorbs all their training will still not be able to beat up a 300lb big strong guy. Today's society is too obsessed with labels and superficial affiliations. Nothing can make you tough except yourself.

Q: Do the Marines have the toughest training out of all of the US military (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines)?
A: NO!!! The Marines have the LONGEST bootcamp training period of all 4 branches but in no way does it mean that it is harder. In fact, passing bootcamp doesn't mean you're the shit. Bootcamp and basic training is like a high school degree. While the Special Forces is like a college degree.


Q: Is military bootcamp the best physical training in the world?
A: NO! Bootcamp training is the equivalent of a high school diploma. Navy Seals, Green Beret, Delta Force, and other Special Forces train to much harder physical standards and earning those titles is like earning a college degree. Special certifications given for top medics, snipers, and parachuters are like trade school certifications. Military training goes far beyond just fighting-related skills. The best physical training in the world is performed by fighters, and mostly endurance athletes. Only these people can consider themselves the true elite class of athletic potential in the world. The US military does not have the time to pay for soldiers to spend 5-7 hours a day in a gym. Keep in mind that not only is the US military not the best physical training in the US, it is also not the best physical training in the world. Many other armies train harder physically than we do. China, Korea, Iraq, Iran, Israel, and many other countries train their armies to be much tougher because they need to. In the rest of the world, there are constant wars and bloodshed over the past decades and only the strictest most torturous training can teach a new soldier how to survive. You can also get much better physical training by being a world-class elite level athlete like the ones in the Olympics.

Q: Are the soldiers in the Special Forces the most dangerous men in the world?
A: Yes and No. Keep in mind that they are trained to survive and to perform their mission under the most difficult conditions. This makes them multi-talented in skills but it doesn't focus solely on their ability to fight. They will be mentally and physically tougher than many people and still be more knowledgeable in fight tactics against the average civilian, but they wouldn't last in the ring against a purebred fighter who's trained for years and years on how to kick ass. Of course, I'm sure they would hold their own if the fight was held in a jungle in a hostile environment with no food.

Q: So what makes the US military the strongest military in the world?
A: Our technology and the Air Force and the Navy. Our Air Force bombs the hell out other countries long before they can even detect us or see us coming. Our Navy boats can launch massive air raids and artillery strikes from miles and miles away without risking any damage.

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