The Bayonet Course and paychecks - Week 3 of U.S. Marine Boot Camp

Week three of Basic Marine Corp Training at Parris Island picks up where week two leaves off. There will be more pugil stick battles and the natural progression moves onto the bayonet course.

By now you should be over the initial shock of US Marine Training and be getting into the swing of things.

During the first days of receiving upon arrival you will have filled out your paperwork to have your checks direct deposited into your mandatory on-base bank or credit union account and you should be receiving your first check this week,

However, because confusion here can lead to anxiety, I want to explain briefly how getting paid works as a Marine recruit. It is mandatory that you open an on-base bank account and your checks will be deposited directly.

Now, if your paperwork was processed prior to the 7th of the month, you will receive your first paycheck on the 15th. If your information is entered into the Finance Computer System after the 7th but before the 23rd, you'll get your first check on the 1st of the month. Knowing this can help you prepare accordingly and not bug out if you have to wait an extra 2 weeks for your first check.

Getting back to the real fun, week three reunites with your pugil sticks and you get to bring this aggression to the bayonet course.

To prepare for both of these training courses, I suggest doing some serious grip work. A strong grip is essential for a Marine Recruit and if you work on your grip long before showing up at Parris Island, I guarantee that you'll thank me for it.

I recommend several different exercises that can be found on my website and pull-ups and bent-elbow hangs are two of my favorites for strengthening your grip. You can also find links to the number one recommended hand grips – "the Captains of Crush" series and nothing beats hitting an old tractor tire with a sledgehammer for building grip strength.

In the 3rd week, you are still in what is known as "The First Phase" or "Basic Learning" phase of boot camp. You'll be spending lots of time as a group and individually in the sand pits.

The sand pits are where the DIs will send you for physical training. Everyone goes here, don't take it personally.

The DIs will send you here if they are mad at you, if they want to break you down a little mentally and/or physically to see how you react, if you goof up individually or collectively, or for no reason at all. Get this straight in your head right now because you will be in the sand pits.

Being mentally ready is even more important than being physically ready. As long as you're strong mentally and you expect to be sent to the pit at any time, you'll be much better off than the other recruits who become deflated because they were hoping they were done for the day only to find themselves doing mountain climbers in the sand. Expect to get sent here at any time and you'll never be surprised.

To this end, you'll want to start training for the sand pit right now. If you can exercise somewhere that is uncomfortable, the better off you will be. You won't have the luxury of the gym during Basic so start training outside in all weather to get used to it. Push yourself as if someone was screaming at you to do one more. It is definitely possible to train yourself harder than the DIs will, not easy but possible.

Pushups, mountain climbers, running in place with your knees high, sit ups and burpees are all exercises that you must do extensively prior to arriving for boot camp if you want to stay ahead of the rest of the recruits.

Week three of Basic will also include more instruction on military history, customs and courtesies, basic first aid, uniforms, and leadership and core values as well as hand-to-hand combat skills learned through the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), which is made up of various martial arts styles and is known as close quarter combat.

For anyone considering joining the Marines, these lessons will at least keep much of the heat off of you and onto those the Drill Instructors really wish to motivate. Week 4 is coming soon, stay tuned.

You can get the entire Weeks 1- 12 (graduation) set of lessons for anyone considering joining the Marines by signing up for my free newsletter "Marine Tough" at http://www.militarytough.com

Here you'll learn all aspects of physical and mental toughness necessary for all branches of the armed service and corresponding Special Forces.

Thanks for reading, good luck.

By M.A. Coates