From the moment a recruit arrives at basic training, they begin a military bodybuilding program that will end up changing them mentally and physically. Some branches of the military have vigorous methods of physical exercise because the missions of those armed services require a bodybuilding program that will help them survive when they are sent out on impossible missions.

It is the responsibility of the company commanders to help recruits train their bodies. Strong bodies will be needed by service members to help support them for many hours at a time while carrying heavy gear and while performing exercises that will prove useful in hand to hand combat. The military is totally committed to helping a soldier prepare for combat situations in many ways, and building a sound body is only one method.

The Navy SEAL program is one of the military bodybuilding programs that few people can successfully take part in. The rigorous exercise programs offered in SEAL training are some of the toughest in the world, with the Marine Corps basic training coming in a close second. These bodybuilding programs incorporate weight lifting, endurance tests and various survival exercises to create a human being that might seem super-human to outsiders that are not used to such excellence in body shapes.

The military bodybuilding programs allow people to change their entire body structure without being aware that the change is occurring. Through a strenuous program that is filled with lots of running, the fat that has accumulated on the body will seem to disappear overnight. The calisthenics that are done throughout the day, will make the body stronger will every passing day. The amount of body mass that is achieved by graduation day is likely to startle many family members.

Some recruits drop a lot of weight while they are attending recruit training. The metabolic rate changes dramatically because recruits are subjected to a change in waking hours and the amount of exercise that they do. The military bodybuilding programs are very successful and will help keep recruits alive when they are sent into battle. The muscle building programs are not centered on bodybuilding as an art form but to help the new recruit build endurance that will allow them to walk many miles before the day is through.

After leaving boot camp, a service member will have access to the latest in bodybuilding equipment at no charge. The armed services have set certain weight standards that must be met in order to remain in uniform for any length of time. There are no coaches or trainers that a service member can turn to for advice, and they will typically follow the same stressful workout that they were exposed to while they were in recruit training because they liked the results they see in the mirror each day. The long road to being physically fit can be very rewarding and service people will feel that they have more energy to deal with the job that they have been trained to do.