Emily Burrows will soon arrive in Pirbright for basic training ahead of enlisting in the Royal Signals. Having applied to join in January – and with the fitness assessment looming – the 22-year-old dialled up her phys to set herself up for success. Here’s how she went about it…
Which areas of fitness did you need to improve?
I’ve been going to the gym ever since I was 15 or 16 and before that I was a competitive dancer, so I had a background in fitness. But I realised that to be in the army I would need to do more than normal training. Running, especially, is something I have always struggled with.
How did you start?
I reached out to an ex-military PT (Farren Morgan) on Insta. I thought it would be helpful having someone like that write programmes for me that were specifically geared towards the army.
What did he have you doing?
He got me to implement things like ‘amrap’ exercises – as many reps as possible – and ‘every minute on the minute’, which I had never done before but is something they do a lot of in the military. And then there was lots of endurance stuff, like sprints followed by squats. The training is done online and I would upload my results into an app.
What kind of progress did you see?
When I started, the most I could barbell squat was 35kg and now I can do around 55kg, which is my bodyweight. And I had never done deadlifts but now I’m on around 50kg. There have been loads of improvements. My zone two runs and interval runs have got quicker too.
What does a typical week involve fitness-wise?
I go to the gym three or four times a week, depending on how busy I am at work and try to run twice a week. I don’t tend to set myself a distance – I focus on time instead.
Do you listen to music while running?
No. I prefer to be with my own thoughts. And I realised they’re not going to let you run with your AirPods in the army, so I’d better get used to it.
Do you pay much attention to your diet?
Not really – I kind of eat what I like. I used to be bad at skipping meals but now I make sure I have three meals a day and get the right amount of calories for the gym. I don’t want to get really obsessive though, and end up eating only chicken and rice.
How did it go on the day of the army fitness test?
I felt confident, although I was a bit nervous – I always want to be the best I can. I got 3.1m on the 4kg medicine ball throw, 90kg on the mid-thigh pull and 7.2 on the bleep test. Now it’s just a case of keeping on top of stuff until January. My goal is to be able to do a pull-up before I start because I currently struggle with those.
Any advice for others taking the test?
Don’t put pressure on yourself. Obviously, you shouldn’t go in having done no phys at all. But you don’t need to be amazingly fit because they’ll build you up in basic training. Plus, you’ll be with other people who are all in the same boat and you kind of push each other to keep going.
