r/AirForceRecruits • u/cany0ushutup • 11h ago
Fitness Running advice?
Just left my DEP workout and had a massive reality check on my cardio.
For context, I'm not out of shape at all when it comes to strength. I'm in the gym lifting pretty much every day, locked in on my diet, and usually do standard cardio after my lifts (StairMaster, Incline walking) . At the DEP call today we did 40 pushups and 15 situps and that part was light work.
The problem is we did a .55 mile run and I was fighting for my life after. My legs weren't sore or heavy at all, I just couldn't catch my breath for like 10 minutes after we stopped and got super lightheaded.
Clearly the StairMaster and lifting aren't doing anything for my actual running stamina. For the guys who lifted a lot before shipping out but had zero aerobic capacity, what's the best way to fix my breathing over the next few weeks? Do I just need to suck it up and jog slow for 20-30 minutes a few times a week, or should I be doing sprints/intervals?