That's a pretty good question. I actually don't remember how long it took me to regain the same fitness level I was in before I departed for Ranger School.
I would guess a couple months, not a year. You will be expected to return to full normal duty after only a week or two after graduation. I think I recall a little bit of slack being given right after returning.
I also remember stupidly thinking that I could do anything I chose to still and entered and completed a half-marathon about 6-7 days after Ranger School Graduation. As I had no muscle reserves, or nutritional/fat/caloric reserves at all at that point in time, it really hurt to complete the half marathon. But, I could not quit and although I finished in front of a hell of a lot of others, I was really hurting to cross the finish line.
And, it probably impacted my ability to recover as well. I do remember how much harder it was to walk up to 5-6 days following that run.
I'd like to see what others recollect about their post-Ranger School recovery experiences.
Strength loss during Ranger School
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Morris0352
- Ranger
- Posts: 135
- Joined: June 16th, 2003, 1:08 pm
Actually your metabolism by the end of Ranger School is very slow. Your metabolism is slowing down so it can try to maintain on so few calories. After you graduate you will look like a fat chipmunk because your body thinks it is still suppose to store all these calories. It will take you a couple of months to get back to normal.
B. Co. 3/75 88-92
RIP Det. 75th Regt. 92-93
C. Co. 3/75 93-95
RIP Det. 75th Regt. 92-93
C. Co. 3/75 93-95
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VEGA175
as it worked for me after a couple of weeks i had my energy back, a couple of weeks after that i got my legs back, then about a month after that i had my strenght back but i was still a mess untill right about the 6 month mark. what i mean by a mess, still could not feel my toes until i stubbed one then hurt like hell . all the cuts and bruises finally healed up. i didn't need a nap every time i ate, and i wasnt cold when the temp drop below 80deg.
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Bell
Ranger School. Fucking Ranger School. Everyone does it different.
My Dad leaned over and asked me at Ranger School graduation, "What the hell did they do to you guys?" I say, "What do ya mean?" He says, "All you guys look like German POW's. What did they do to ya?" I said, "Well, Dad. They didn't feed us real good and sleep was kinda hard to find." Never saw a prouder man.
I weighed 170 going in. 142 coming out. I went home and slept over 30 hours straight. Didn't leave the bed once. The wife was gonna call the hospital or the post but one of her friends told her to leave me alone. About 2 weeks after Ranger School we had a PT test. I coughed and hacked and barely crossed the line on the 2 mile run. Squad leader was kinda pissed. I really didn't give a shit, I was in la la land. Got up to the barracks and he had me down doing push ups and yelling at me. Doc comes by and asks what the problem was. Sarge started explaining and Doc butted in and asked him if he'd noticed that his troop wasn't sweating? Had he noticed that the complexion was waxy and the blood veins were sunk in? Sarge started stuttering and Doc told me to get my ass into his office. Found out I had a Bronchitis with a lung infection, dehydration, and general lack of energy reserve because of the lung infection. Gave me a two week pass. Sure pissed that sergeant off.
Got my appetite back about a month after Ranger School. Got my energy back about the same time. Strength and endurance came back after about 3 months. However, for two years after Ranger School, my temperature was 96.8. It had dropped almost 2 degrees. It got normal again eventually.
Eating? Can't remember when I got my appetite going again. When I got outta Ranger School my stomach was shrunk up so much I couldn't eat much at one time anyway. Food was making me sick no matter how bad I wanted it. Remember the steak and lobster dinner in Florida? Couldn't nobody eat it. Eat a few bites and go puke in the trashcan or the bushes. Eat a little more and go puke. Then just sat there staring at it and wanting to eat it but you were sick at yer stomach. Damned C's were different from real food. That steak and lobster was too rich and we had small stomachs. That was fucked up. It took a month or so for my stomach to stretch back out to where I could eat a full meal again.
Yeah, it was kinda tough. hahahhaha
RLTW
Bell
My Dad leaned over and asked me at Ranger School graduation, "What the hell did they do to you guys?" I say, "What do ya mean?" He says, "All you guys look like German POW's. What did they do to ya?" I said, "Well, Dad. They didn't feed us real good and sleep was kinda hard to find." Never saw a prouder man.
I weighed 170 going in. 142 coming out. I went home and slept over 30 hours straight. Didn't leave the bed once. The wife was gonna call the hospital or the post but one of her friends told her to leave me alone. About 2 weeks after Ranger School we had a PT test. I coughed and hacked and barely crossed the line on the 2 mile run. Squad leader was kinda pissed. I really didn't give a shit, I was in la la land. Got up to the barracks and he had me down doing push ups and yelling at me. Doc comes by and asks what the problem was. Sarge started explaining and Doc butted in and asked him if he'd noticed that his troop wasn't sweating? Had he noticed that the complexion was waxy and the blood veins were sunk in? Sarge started stuttering and Doc told me to get my ass into his office. Found out I had a Bronchitis with a lung infection, dehydration, and general lack of energy reserve because of the lung infection. Gave me a two week pass. Sure pissed that sergeant off.
Got my appetite back about a month after Ranger School. Got my energy back about the same time. Strength and endurance came back after about 3 months. However, for two years after Ranger School, my temperature was 96.8. It had dropped almost 2 degrees. It got normal again eventually.
Eating? Can't remember when I got my appetite going again. When I got outta Ranger School my stomach was shrunk up so much I couldn't eat much at one time anyway. Food was making me sick no matter how bad I wanted it. Remember the steak and lobster dinner in Florida? Couldn't nobody eat it. Eat a few bites and go puke in the trashcan or the bushes. Eat a little more and go puke. Then just sat there staring at it and wanting to eat it but you were sick at yer stomach. Damned C's were different from real food. That steak and lobster was too rich and we had small stomachs. That was fucked up. It took a month or so for my stomach to stretch back out to where I could eat a full meal again.
Yeah, it was kinda tough. hahahhaha
RLTW
Bell
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Creeping Death
- Ranger
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: April 14th, 2003, 10:11 am
I had a pretty tough time getting back to normal when I came out. I went in at 150lbs, and came out at 118lbs.
I was just the opposite of Bell, where eating is concerned. I had a true, no shit eating disorder. I would gorge myself, but I could never feel full. I would have to stop eating and wait a little while to see if I felt full. I remember one trip to the Cracker Barrell cost me and my girlfriend $60.00. That's a lot of damn food. For years after, no matter how full I felt, I could never leave food on my plate, or allow anyone I was eating with to do it either. I'd say "There are boys starving in Ranger School. Clean that plate." It took me about five years to get to where I could walk away from the table and actually leave food on my plate.
I also had problems with what I assume was nerve damage in my extremities - especially my legs and feet. I'd get up in the middle of the night to take a piss, and fall flat on my face because I couldn't feel my legs. That eventually went away after six months or so.
As far as strenght goes, my strenght came back pretty quickly because I was eating so damn much. BUT, my cardiovascular conditioning was never the same. Three weeks after I got home, we were just doing and easy two miler, taking it easy on me, and I damn near died. My section leader knew that it had to be something physical with me, so he made me see the Doc. That's when the whole process started, and I eventually was told that I had lost 50% of my lung capacity, and that if I wanted to reenlist, it would have to be doing something other than being a Ranger. The rest, as they say, is history.
Even though, I wouldn't trade my Ranger School experience for anything.
I was just the opposite of Bell, where eating is concerned. I had a true, no shit eating disorder. I would gorge myself, but I could never feel full. I would have to stop eating and wait a little while to see if I felt full. I remember one trip to the Cracker Barrell cost me and my girlfriend $60.00. That's a lot of damn food. For years after, no matter how full I felt, I could never leave food on my plate, or allow anyone I was eating with to do it either. I'd say "There are boys starving in Ranger School. Clean that plate." It took me about five years to get to where I could walk away from the table and actually leave food on my plate.
I also had problems with what I assume was nerve damage in my extremities - especially my legs and feet. I'd get up in the middle of the night to take a piss, and fall flat on my face because I couldn't feel my legs. That eventually went away after six months or so.
As far as strenght goes, my strenght came back pretty quickly because I was eating so damn much. BUT, my cardiovascular conditioning was never the same. Three weeks after I got home, we were just doing and easy two miler, taking it easy on me, and I damn near died. My section leader knew that it had to be something physical with me, so he made me see the Doc. That's when the whole process started, and I eventually was told that I had lost 50% of my lung capacity, and that if I wanted to reenlist, it would have to be doing something other than being a Ranger. The rest, as they say, is history.
Even though, I wouldn't trade my Ranger School experience for anything.
A Co 1/75 '94-'97
Class 5-96
Class 5-96
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Bell
You guys? Hell, all guys. Don't know about these days with all that food they give em but before 1990 everyone knew going in that they'd lose 20 to 30 pounds or more.
You ever see a C ration box? I went in winter so they were being nice to us. We got 2 for a 24 hour period. If you went in the summer time ya got 1 for a 24 hour period. At least the guys in summer classes could eat the mother nature shit. We didn't see anything but twigs. No green anywhere except the pines.
Wait'll ya get there. Then you'll understand why Mountain's is called "kick the can phase". At least it used to be. They got MRE's now. Things have changed.
Hell, wait'll ya get toward the end of Mountain Phase and ya start wondering what the hell that smell is. Kind of like ammonia, but it's everywhere. Well, it's the smell of all those Ranger Students. The body has eaten all the fat and now it's eating the muscle. Gotta have that energy somehow. When the body starts using the muscle for energy, ya stink like ammonia. Aaaaahhh. You just wait. Words can't describe the hardest school in the military. And then ya go to SF and go through the Q course. hahahahhaa.
RLTW
Bell
RLTW
Bell
You ever see a C ration box? I went in winter so they were being nice to us. We got 2 for a 24 hour period. If you went in the summer time ya got 1 for a 24 hour period. At least the guys in summer classes could eat the mother nature shit. We didn't see anything but twigs. No green anywhere except the pines.
Wait'll ya get there. Then you'll understand why Mountain's is called "kick the can phase". At least it used to be. They got MRE's now. Things have changed.
Hell, wait'll ya get toward the end of Mountain Phase and ya start wondering what the hell that smell is. Kind of like ammonia, but it's everywhere. Well, it's the smell of all those Ranger Students. The body has eaten all the fat and now it's eating the muscle. Gotta have that energy somehow. When the body starts using the muscle for energy, ya stink like ammonia. Aaaaahhh. You just wait. Words can't describe the hardest school in the military. And then ya go to SF and go through the Q course. hahahahhaa.
RLTW
Bell
RLTW
Bell
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Creeping Death
- Ranger
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: April 14th, 2003, 10:11 am
I left for Pre-ranger on Jan. 16th, and came home mid to late April. I went straight through. Some guys will recylce a phase - some receycle all of them.
I didn't really lose any weight to speak of until Mountains. Darby started breaking me down, but my body held up well until Mountains. Mountain phase, particularly in the winter, will suck the life right out of you. I'd say most of my weight loss came from Mountain phase.
Most guys lose somewhere around 30 - 35 lbs.
I didn't really lose any weight to speak of until Mountains. Darby started breaking me down, but my body held up well until Mountains. Mountain phase, particularly in the winter, will suck the life right out of you. I'd say most of my weight loss came from Mountain phase.
Most guys lose somewhere around 30 - 35 lbs.
A Co 1/75 '94-'97
Class 5-96
Class 5-96
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Creeping Death
- Ranger
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: April 14th, 2003, 10:11 am
Oh, I see Ranger Bell was a "Class 5'er" too. Let me tell you, boys. You haven't ever been cold unless you've been in a Ranger School Class 4 or 5 in the mountains. You'll swear that God, himself, has forsaken you.
Wouldn't you knowit, the South had a "blizzard" at the time I went through mountains. I still hear people talk about that snowstorm, and I just have to laugh at them. I don't say a word, cause they just wouldn't understand.
Wouldn't you knowit, the South had a "blizzard" at the time I went through mountains. I still hear people talk about that snowstorm, and I just have to laugh at them. I don't say a word, cause they just wouldn't understand.
A Co 1/75 '94-'97
Class 5-96
Class 5-96
