Strength loss during Ranger School

The Holmchicken · September 12th, 2003, 1:21 pm

I'm with you Ranger Bell. While I won't exactly post an addrress or phone number, I put my name at the bottm of each post. I think it keeps people honest. As my squad leader used to say, if you're willing to accept the consequences of your words or actions, drive on. Just be willing to pay the price. As for Ranger School, I got just a little past half-way in Mountains (started 2 Jan 99, dislocated shoulder on 7 Feb 99 I believe), but I was still pretty jacked up. I went into Darby 179 lbs came by back to Battalion at around 157 or there abouts. And I'm 6' 1". So not alot meat I can afford to lose. I do distinctly remember, after coming back from Dahlonega Hospital (to get my shoulder reset), the Doc gave me a huge candy bar and let me rack out in the barracks. I missed three meal times because I slept 23 hours straight, in the exact same position. If memory serves me correct, the first meal I had was breakfast. Remeber the blueberry pancakes? I know I'm going to incur the wrath of quite a few Rangers, but after eating those pancakes three or four days in a row, they really suck. Maybe I shouldn't sign my name to this post. hmmmm......Wow, look at that, there's already a death threat in my mailbox! Anyway, I also remember crapping about 14 times in those three or four days and my ass feeling like someone had ran a belt sander over it. So there, I paid for those pancakes. Anyway, those are my memories. Cold, lots of pain in shoulder, pancakes, red, raw ass.

The Holmchicken · September 12th, 2003, 4:06 pm

DEP-Keal,
Please re-read sentences three and four. Furthermore, don't worry what the other Rangers will think about this post, just scan your lane and worry about the challenges you have laid before you.

Lugnuttz · Post by **Lugnuttz** » March 21st, 2004, 9:15 am

rbarger wrote: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.

God I hated that chipmunk look...........

AirborneFox · Post by **AirborneFox** » May 20th, 2005, 3:38 pm

wow talk about bringing back an old post! I recently "rediscovered" this website after nearly two years (I guess i was drunk when I first found this site and initially posted my post ranger school stories nearly 2 years go!) Well here I am 2 year after going to Ranger School. Been a Rifle PL and Mortar PL in the 82nd Airborne and a deployment to OIF sine attending Ranger School. I still remember most of it like it was yesterday!

Guess I should let everyone know that 1.) My feet are normal again. I can feel everything. 2.) My little pinky toenail is still mysteriously MIA. 3.) I have gained all of my weight back. I'm around 220 lbs now. I guess the healthy diet helped me get my strength back. 4.) Ranger School injuries are just now resurfacing after 2 years in the 82nd Airborne. Started to have some knee pain and wondering about my previous Ranger School injury having anything to do with it. Turns out I tore ligaments in my knee. But surprisingly I have been able to keep soldiering on for 2 years. Just shows you what you learn in Ranger School can help you later on in your army career.

Hoover · Post by **Hoover** » May 20th, 2005, 7:38 pm

I dropped between 25 to 30 lbs. Big guys always hurt the worst.
I put it back on with in days....I could not stop eating

My P.T. sucked for about a 2-3 weeks, although I deployed to Panama 9 days after Graduation....kinda' like an extended Florida Phase

my road marching was excellent but my running sucked.

fireranger · Post by **fireranger** » May 20th, 2005, 9:54 pm

Lugnuttz wrote:
rbarger wrote: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.

God I hated that chipmunk look...........

It's pretty shocking when you get to a new phase and see the recycles.

KW Driver · Post by **KW Driver** » May 25th, 2005, 10:01 pm

I lost 30 pounds. from 200 to 170. two of my boys met me on the graduation field and after 10 minutes with my wife, 6 mo. old daughter, and grandparents, my guys said we had to go, the zero range closes in 15 minutes. that night we were in the ISB for our jump into Haiti. my SL said I could go as a rifleman, light ruck, we'll pull your slack, etc. so between Friday night and getting on the bird Sunday, my ruck turned into the hey man, you got room for this, can you take this, just one more thing ruck. when we went to the birds, I couldn't pick it up. it was on my rack and I had to strap it on and get pulled up. I felt ok and was ready to go, but not too cool with being the last jumper on a 141. I knew I'd miss the DZ and have to move through a village to get to the AA. looking back, it's a good thing we didn't go. a few days later we played tab-nontabbed PLT football. I got worked by the smallest private in the PLT. that's when I knew how weak I was.

Eating: I didn't balloon up, becasue I stuck to fruit and healthy shit and passed up the little debbies during midnight chow. my guts were all fucked up for awhile though.

my runs were good, I could hang in all the runs which suprised me. it was definately due to the weight loss.

I didn't get feeling in my toes for 3 months, and my back had strength issues for awhile. I got an infected ingrown toenail in Darby, walked on it through desert, then got it cut. I still cut that nail myself 11 years later.

Bugsy · Post by **Bugsy** » May 25th, 2005, 10:09 pm

Your running always sucks when you get back.

KW Driver · Post by **KW Driver** » May 26th, 2005, 3:11 pm

good being relative. I didn't fall out of the sqd pt runs or a smoking Company run. so I ran much better than I thought I would. and 10 days of eating and not much PT in the ISB helped get my strength up I think.

Mother_Benning · Post by **Mother_Benning** » May 29th, 2005, 11:02 am

Started Pre Ranger at 204 lbs., went through without a recycle and came out at 171.

Went through in the summer, and once I got a taste of ice cream at the PX in Florida after the final field exercise, it was all over. Got addicted, and ate two or three pints every time I could--it was my heroin. It was cold, and tasted good. Took a month or so to kick the addiction, but my weight came back pretty fast.

Feet held up like champions throughout the course. But when I finished, I had a huge callus covering the bottom of each foot. Started drying out and peeled for a long time. Also, every morning when I woke up, I could not walk. My feet we rearching while I slept. Took months for me to be able to jump out of bed and not hobble around.

PT sucked. Remember showing up to my new unit for a PT test. Sucked. Puked after the run--the one and only time that has ever happened to me. Took several months to get back to pre-RS shape.