The Marines are known for their creative group PT workouts. From perfect-cadence pushups in unison to burpees, squats, lunges and running, the PT coordinators in the Marine Corps create challenging workouts for large groups of recruits and Marines alike. You are limited to your group’s fitness abilities and your imagination in how you create the combination of exercises of this circuit. Here is a classic style of workout that can be changed depending on the equipment available, such as weights and pullup bars to nothing but a grass field or parking lot:
The Shamrock Workout
This workout originated with mixed martial arts fighter Ken Shamrock, who used it to prepare for three 5-minute rounds in an MMA bout. The Marines in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) brought it to the service and added stations in ground fighting and calisthenics. Marines outside this program liked it for new recruits and for group PT with calisthenics, pullup bars, kettlebells and more. It has evolved into a multifaceted workout routine that is quick and easy to create.
Simply search the web for “USMC Shamrock Workout ideas,” and you will find countless ways to build this type of circuit workout. Many use SHAMROCK as an acronym and do the following exercises:
- Squats
- High knees
- Alternating lunges
- Mountain climbers
- Russian twists
- Overhead press
- Kettlebell swings
This workout is more about the circuit-style setup than any single exercise. The exercises can be interchanged, as can the reps and the total number of cycles. To set up the circuit, you will need five cones. Each cone is a station of the circuit, spaced 10 to 20 yards apart. You will do a different exercise at each cone for 10, 20 or more repetitions, depending on your group’s abilities.
The first time I saw this was at the Naval Academy on a field with over 30 pullup bars. This was the first station of the circuit. The cones were separated 20 yards apart from each other on a 100-yard field. The five exercises were the following:
Repeat 4 times:
- Pullups, 10. Run 20 yards to Cone 2.
- Pushups, 20. Run 20 yards to Cone 3.
- Squats, 30. Run 20 yards to Cone 4.
- Plank pose, 1 min. Run 20 yards to Cone 5.
- Lunges, 10/leg. Run 100 yards back to Cone 1 (pullups).
Another way to do this specific workout is to treat the cones like a ladder drill: Run back to the first cone each time before advancing to the next cone (a.k.a. a suicide drill). This will add 400 yards to each circuit. These types of workouts are not tests or standardized, but they will be solid workouts for any group and may provide some bragging rights in your unit, depending on how well you perform in these high-intensity circuits.
Workouts can be fun and challenge your creativity and body alike. My recommendation is to find a few known Shamrock workouts online and do them first. Once you understand the effort level of these workouts, you can add exercises and intensity as preferred. Check out the Military.com Fitness Section for a wide variety of workout ideas that can be done with little to no equipment, in a large group setting, or as an individual workout.
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