RECOMMENDED USNA PRE-PLEBE SUMMER EXERCISE ROUTINE***

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1 Ladders Up & Down*	Run 10 to 15 minutes Flexibility 1 minute trial of push-ups and sit-ups*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 10 to 15 minutes Flexibility Conduct push-up and sit-up ladders based on Monday time trial*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 10 to 15 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
2 Ladders Up & Down	Run 15 to 20 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 15 to 20 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 15 to 20 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
3 Ladders Up & Down	Run 20 to 25 minutes Flexibility 1 minute trial of push-up and sit-ups	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 20 to 25 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 20 to 25 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
4 Ladders Up, Down & Up	Run 25 to 30 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 20 to 25 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 20 to 25 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Simulated PRT: Push ups 2 min Curl ups 2 min 1.5 mile run	Active Rest
5 Ladders Up, Down & Up	Run 25 to 30 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	3 x 0.5 mile run with 0.25 mile jog between 0.5 miles. Run at pace faster than your PRT pace** Push-up and sit-up ladders* Flexibility	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 25 to 30 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
6 Ladders Up, Down & Up	Run 30 to 35 minutes Flexibility 1.5 minute trial of push-up and sit-ups	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	3 x 0.75 mile run with 0.25 mile jog between 0.5 miles. Run at pace faster than your PRT pace** Push-up and sit-up ladders* Flexibility	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 30 to 35 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
7 Ladders Up, Down, Up & Down	Run 30 to 35 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	2 x 1.0 mile run with 0.5 mile jog between miles. Run at pace faster than your PRT pace** Push-up and sit-up ladders* Flexibility	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 30 to 35 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Active Rest
8 Ladders Up, Down, Up & Down	Run 35 to 40 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	2 x 1.0 mile run with 0.5 mile jog between miles. Run at pace faster than your PRT pace** Push-up and sit-up ladders* Flexibility	Swim/Bike/ Aerobic training 20-30 min. Flexibility	Run 25 to 30 minutes Flexibility Push-up and sit-up ladders*	Simulated PRT Push ups 2 min Curl ups 2 min 1.5 mile run	Active Rest

*Find your Push-up/Sit-up Group based on your 1 minute time trial results:

    Group 1: < 20 push-ups or sit-ups in one minute

    Group 2: 21 to 50 push-ups or sit-ups in one minute

    Group 3: > 50 push-ups or sit-ups in one minute

Push-up and sit-up ladder:

    Group 1 Ladder: 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1

    Group 2 Ladder: 2 4 6 8 10 8 6 4 2

    Group 3 Ladder: 3 6 9 12 15 12 9 6 3

On days directed to do push-up and sit-up ladders, if you are in Group 1: Do 1 push-up, rest 5 seconds, do 2 push-ups, rest 5 seconds, do 3 push-ups, rest 5 seconds, do 4 push-ups rest 5 seconds, do 5 push-ups, then come down the ladder resting 5 seconds between steps. The same for sit-ups.

For those in Groups 2 and 3, do the number directed above.

The type of ladder is directed under the “Week” column. The first three weeks of the program have you going up and down the ladder as explained above. Weeks 4 – 6 have you going up, down and then back up the ladder. The final two weeks have you going up the ladder, down the ladder, back up, and finally back down the ladder.

**For interval pace beginning in week 5:

For 0.5 and 0.75 mile intervals, divide your PRT time in week 4 by 3. This will give you your 0.5 pace. For the intervals, subtract 10 seconds from your 0.5 mile PRT pace. You should be trying to run your 0.5 mile intervals at this pace. For the 0.75 intervals, divide your PRT time by 2 and subtract 15 seconds from your time.

For example: If you run the PRT in 12:00. Divide this number by 3 and you get 4:00. For the 0.5 mile intervals you should be trying to run 3:50 for the 0.5 miles. For the 0.75 mile intervals, 12:00 divided by 2 is 6:00. Subtract 15 seconds and should be trying to run your 0.75 mile intervals in 5:45.

For 1-mile intervals, the pace should be 10 to 15 seconds/mile faster than your PRT pace.

For example: If you run the PRT in 12:00, your 1-mile pace is 8:00. You should try to run your 1-mile intervals in 7:45 to 7:50.

Active Rest – get outside and have fun: a walk with family or friends, a pick-up game of ball, a day hiking in the park…

Flexibility: At the completion of your workouts, perform stretching exercises, paying particular attention to the lower extremities, hips and lower back.

*** Start this training cycle with a new pair of running shoes. Studies show there is twice the chance of getting lower extremity stress fractures with shoes that are older than 6 months.

(Reproduced with permission - USNA Physical Education Department)