Marines are required to complete a physical fitness test semi-annually.  To score a perfect 300, any male must run three miles in under 18 minutes; perform 20 consecutive pull ups and complete 100 crunches in two minutes.  The requirements to score near perfect change with age and gender, but for the most part they remain very demanding for most Marines.  Most never score a 300 and some are lucky to achieve it once or twice in their career. 

Lt. Col. Dean Keck, currently a maintenance officer for Marine Forces Reserve, New Orleans, has run a perfect PFT ever since he enlisted in January 1984. In total he has run 54 PFTs to be exact, all over the world – in Japan, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan.

Keck says there is only one secret to getting good scores on PFTs:  you have to work for it and earn it.  He says it doesn’t have to take much time and one can exercise 30-40 minutes daily, if the time devoted is focused.

Snapshot of Keck’s weekly workout:

·         Physical Training: six days

·         Run:  30-35 miles

·         Pull ups:  200 

·         Crunches:  More than 1,000

·         Strength Training:  three hours

Keck believes that his dedication to physical fitness has opened many doors in the Marine Corps and made him more competitive for promotion and special assignments. At age 51, he sets the example for Marines, young and old, when it comes to physical fitness.

Staying fit is the key to being healthy. Just take it one day at a time, he says.