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FitnessOCS Preparation Workouts

PPPA (Push, Pull, Press, Abs) Home Gym Alternative

This is a recommended modification for a female friend just looking to lose some weight for her wedding by using Marine Corps-style PT. Get some!

Instead of PPPA, do a circuit of sets of pushups, crunches, overhead presses, and lastly pullups or curls. So try doing 10 (girl) pushups, 30 seconds rest, 20 crunches, rest, 10 overhead presses, and finishing with pullups or curls, just some type of pulling motion. Repeat the whole circuit several times until you’re “feeling it.” Your first time, maybe you’ll do it twice and after a couple weeks you can get up to 5 times through the circuit. Maybe you start with 5 pushups. Each time you do the circuit, keep track in a little journal and do more than last time.

Note: For the pushups, each set you can mix up your hand position. Closer together to work arms more, farther apart to work chest more. For crunches you don’t need anyone holding your feet, just lie on your back with your legs in the air. For the overhead press, if you don’t have dumbbells, you can use one weight. We use a 35 pound ammo can. If you don’t have a pullup bar, you can use a stretchy rubber workout band looped over a door, or do an inverted row on a table. It’s easy and you will feel it.

The Circuit

  • Pushups
    • 30 seconds rest
  • Crunches
    • 30 seconds rest
  • Overhead presses
    • 30 seconds rest
  • Pullups/rows
    • 30 seconds rest

Repeat five times.

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