Hi gents, since I was young always wanted to join the marines, and the more I’ve grown up the more I realise the officer route would be my preference.

Didn’t want to join straight out of school mainly because I was the width of a credit card and I wanted to be 100% sure, so I got an apprenticeship with an MOD Contractor who I won’t be naming purely for privacy reasons

Will me having a trade behind me hinder my application? Would it be better for me to join prior to me getting my papers.

Essentially lads I’m certain I want to join up, if I don’t get officer I plan to apply as a regular, will me getting a trade put a spanner in the works

When you pass prmc and go to CTC , will there be people trying to pick on you from your troop (excluding training staff)? And is there much fighting with your oppos. I don't mind getting bollocked or smacked by the training staff, however I will stand up for myself and fight toe to toe if it comes to it. On the other hand I don't want to ruin my chances of getting my green beret and I don't want to be back trooped for scraping. If anyone has any experience with this feedback is much appreciated 👍

Joining RMR in a few months and wondering how issue of kit plays out?

I know basic uniform like mtp and blues but do full-time RMs get to keep issued field kit like rucksacks, webbing, helmet, ppe? And if so, would that be the same for reserves?

To prepare for this 5K (4 weeks)I was doing walking/running intervals twice a week and then a long run once a week increasing the time slowly each week.

Just for context im not athletic and never have been, and I’m prone to shin splints but I’ve managed to avoid them almost completely for the last month but this is a strength issue not genetics which im working on.

So I know a 31 min 5K is not amazing but isn’t terrible either. I’m 68kg, 5’10 , 20 years old. From my own research I was thinking I should continue on to 10K doing easy runs mixed with long runs avoiding speed work to avoid injury to increase my aerobic base further.

I would just like some advice on what I should do? Specifically if I should add some hill sprints/speed work in? There’s a lot of advice online but im asking for advice with military context in mind.

Hi, Do you need A levels to become an officer as late entry?

I am in the middle of my application, have my interview in a few days. But I’m starting to have doubts about a tattoo I have on my lower leg. It’s not offensive but i don’t know if it would be deemed appropriate. It’s a portrait of mafia godfather John Gotti. does anyone know if i will have any issues with this?

In the RM can you do knuckle push-ups instead for normal ones for the CPC and stuff? I’m asking because my wrists don’t really stretch far enough for me to do normal push-ups, but knuckle push-ups are fine.

Hello,

I have been stumped at 30 press ups and 40 situps for a long time now and I have been trying everything I know to try and improve them but I am completely lost as to what it could be thats preventing me from doing more.

I currently do 300 press ups and 210 situps a week and yet I'm still stuck at this fucking limit. I am 20 years old at 91kg, currently losing weight, at 6 ft 2 inches. I do bench press and I am ALSO stuck at a max weight of 70kg, I do it once per week but I'm thinking I should do it 2x instead.

Can I ask for some advice to improve my press ups, situps and also bench please?

Thank you.

Recently it was told that the medical process is now done during the CPC. Some of us who applied for the RMR have already done medicals before the CPC. Does that mean that we will be asked to do it again?

Thanks

I’ve just been queued for the PJFA. Should I be expecting to be waiting for a while for this or is it a quick process? Cheers

I’m 19 soon to be 20 pretty fit played football all my life and boxed but had asthma and I’ve never had an issue with it ever I haven’t used inhalers in years and years since I was a kid , would I have to pass all the physical tests to get in or would they turn me down either way

What happens if you get ill in training, do you get to recover for the day or do you just deal with it and carry on

I recently had a call with my recruiter who was asking me, why do I want to join the Royal marines. I told him I have a lot of family members who have served in the British military during WW2 and family members that have served in other foreign militaries. I also told him that it’s been a dream and passion of mine since I was a little kid and there’s nothing else I want to do in my life besides the Royal Marines. He told me 3 times that the answers I was giving were technically wrong and kept saying, “Why do you want to join” after every time I answered. I’m just curious to know what previous service members or aspiring service members have said for their motivation seeing as though I don’t want to make up some excuse and lie to just make the recruiters happy.

I’m 25 years old, 18 months ago I had an ACL reconstruction after being on the receiving end of a bad tackle playing football, very minor cartilage damage and pretty straight forward recovery, since then I’ve regained full strength and mobility in my knee and am in the best physical shape of my life (lifts, runs, hikes etc).

I’ve just made my application to join the marines. How likely is it that my knee is going to bar me from being accepted?

Appreciate anyone who takes the time to respond to me. Thank you

I passed the PJFT in the last week before it became a PJFA, and was waiting for my security clearance to come back until the beginning of March, where my recruiter told me they are ready to put in my bid for CPC. Due to giving work proper notice etc, I asked if I could delay this and I was told that they will put in the bid in April for me. Since then ive had a pretty bad injury on my lower back which has mainly only effected my running, causing me to put on about 5kg of body fat, and reduce my run times massively. Normally I’d get around a 25 min 5k/12.0 bleep test but today I was gassing out at a 14 min 1.5 mile time. I seriously don’t understand how I’ve lost this much endurance. Looking online it says it’s easier to gain fitness back than it is to build it from scratch. The only problem is cardio, I have still been able to do work on the other areas of the CPC which I am confident about. I’m afraid that telling my recruiter about this may want him to withdraw my application until I’m back to where I need to be, but if I really dial in my training I’m wondering if I might be able to make the cut for CPC by the time I’m put in? Or maybe delay just by a month? Any recommendations would help thanks

Apologies but I've done some reseach online but can't find anything.

What I'm after is how the forces are structured at squad level and up to Commando. It would very helpful to know what the terminology is compared to the Army for individual soldiers and NCO ranks, fire teams etc.

Many thanks for any help!

Im hitting the rmfa scores pretty well, press ups: 50 Pull ups: 10-12, bleep test 11.5 ish. However my sit ups will not improve past 45-50. I’ve tried for months but just can’t do very well on them. I’m a naturally heavy bloke 94-5kg at 6ft. So I think my weight has an impact, but it’s a comfortable weight for me. It seems to me that the thing people most struggle with is press ups and pull ups but I find those fairly easy. I’ve tried gainers but I didn’t find them very affective. Any advice from people who had gone through the same?

Cheers.

I recently made a post on here about my press ups and me simply plateauing on them. I feel the need to make another post as i just am simply not getting any better at running, i work my arse off with running and i'm just not getting better in fact i'm just getting worse (if you've read my other post, you know its the same with press ups).

I feel like a reason for this could be the amount of rest i am getting i rest on sundays but i feel as if the amount i do in the week warrants more rest. for example last week for me looked like this :

​

Monday: 10km run in zone 2, Press ups 20x5, Pull ups 5x2, Sit ups 45x2, Push up pyramid 20 (i dont do the pyramids anymore but this is for last week), press up gainers

Tuesday: 10km run in Z2, RMFA (scores: 26 press ups, 5 pull ups, 85 sit ups, 7.5 beep test (i usually get mid 8s), press ups pyramid 20, press up gainers

Wednesday: 10km run z2, Deadlift 21x3 50kg, Barbell row 21x3 40kg, Upright row 21x3 20kg, Sit ups 45x3, Knees to chest hanging 7x2, Push up pyramid 20, press up gainers

Thursday: 15km z2, Press up pyramid 20, Tricep dips 25x3, gainers

Friday: 15km z2, Deadlift 21x3 50kg, Front squat 21x3 30kg, Bench press 21x3 30kg, Pull ups 5x3, press up pyramid 20

Saturday: 20km z2, press up pyramid 20, RMFA (scores: press ups 26, 5 pull ups, 77 sit ups, 6.4 bleep test)

Sunday: rest

​

This week i did along side school apart from thursday/friday, hence longer runs.

Next week i decided to replace 3 of the zone 2 runs with hill sprints, bleep test specific work (shuttle sprints 20m) and fartlek run. I will also now do 4 sets of banded press ups every other day to increase my press ups. I have also decided to do some hypertrophy training in the gym instead of only doing endurance work.

I assumed i could get away with not having so much rest because of my age (im only 15) and in RT i will not be afforded so much rest. Doing all of this alongside school i also feel has greatly increased my mental fortitude, resilience and "never quit attitude". But to do it i sacrifice studying, sleep (im now getting around 6/7 hours of sleep but could have more if i did not get up so early each day) and almost everything else in my life. I am unbelievably obsessed with getting my green beret after my GCSEs but i am just not getting fitter.

It is also important to mention my recruiter wants me to get to 40 press ups and at least 10.5 on the bleep test before moving to the PJFA stage of the application, i am aware this could be around june/july time.

i need some advice on changing the plan and amount of rest and any other advice any of you would kindly give me. (ill also put my plan for next week here)

​

Monday:

20 hill reps

Band assisted pull ups 10x3

Pull ups 5x3

Sit ups 54x2

Banded press ups 12x4

Knees to chest hanging 9x2

​

Tuesday:

Zone 2 10km

RMFA

Bench press 8x3 50kg

Overhead press 12x3 20kg

Band assisted dips 12x3

​

Wednesday: Fartlek run: 15 sec on, 15 off, 10km

Deadlift 22x3 50kg

Squat 22x3 40kg

RDL 22x3 60kg

60 sec between each set

Band assisted pull ups 10x3

Banded press ups 4x12

​

Thursday: 25 min breaststroke

15min front crawl

Tread water 40 secs and touch bottom x15

Band assisted pull ups 10x3

Banded dips 12x3

10km zone 2

​

Friday: Shuttle sprints 11x3

Shuttle sprint pyramid 10

Deadlift 8x3 80kg

Squat 8x3 60kg

RDL 8x3 80kg

60 sec between each set

Banded press ups 4x12

Pull ups 5x3

​

Saturday:

RMFA:

20km zone 2

Can anybody tell me more about them as i can’t find much online, all i know is that they drive big trucks which is not good to only know if i want to potentially be one.

Hi guys. Looking to join up in September after I finish uni. Bottled the aptitude tests and ended up joining us a boot neck rather than Officer. Does anyone have any information about in service commissions and how long it takes before you can apply/get selected for them.

Currently 21 so would want to Commission before I’m 25-6

Cheers

Training for my pjfa for reserves but pull ups are really holding me back anyone got any tips on reps improving

Hi. Does every recruit have to shoot right handed. Context, my left eye is a lot better than my right. But from watching videos etc everyone shoots right handed… (Glasses won’t help right eye either). I have also passed eye test…

evening gents, I want to get through the application process as fast as possible and I have my interview coming up.

from what i’ve gathered from the search bar, the security clearance can take longer for us overseas candidates.

Just wanted to know what are some key things I could probably get ready prior to make it go quickly? I already got a police check from my home country but is there anything else major I need to look out for?

big thanks

Does anyone have any information about how full the course is for this year?

Just wondering too see if it is worth it going down this route or would it be too late for the 2024 class.

Cheers

Hi all, just had my first good run after almost losing my anterior talofibular ligament 9 weeks ago. I just did a steady 3km run in 20 minutes. my heart rate stayed in the 190s for half of the run and peaked at 200. After having completed the 3 kilometres my lungs were hanging out of my arsehole, to say the fucking least.

Any tips? Help get your boy back to CPC.

Was wondering if anyone had any positive advice for serious relationships in recruit training and the military as a whole?

Also how difficult is it to get a pad to be able to live with your missus.

I know a lot of you are going to have bad experiences to say here.