Posted on Mar 14, 2016

Is calling cadences a dying art?

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We had a Company Run this morning and had to almost beg to call cadences. With all this sprinting, fast paced runs or small groups, you don't get to hear cadences anymore. Even in such a small post like Fort Meade, you should hear cadences here and there but no, we were the only Company sounding off.

Do you think calling cadences is a dying art or is just my post?

Note: photo by Google Images.

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Esprit de Corps

Posted >1 y ago

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Responses: 45

SGT Dave Tracy

Edited >1 y ago

Posted >1 y ago

Trying not to be too cynical here, but I swear half of the cadence calls you can no longer do. A bit too impolitic for modern sensibilities perhaps. So what are we left with? Man, if I have to hear C-130 one more damn time, I'll drop-kick a penguin!

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PO1 Nathan Watts

>1 y

As a squid I have to ask... "cadence?"... "4 mile run?" What are these diabolical evils you speak of?
lol... just kidding. We PT'd too...... when they were looking directly at us...

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SGT Dave Tracy

>1 y

PO1 Nathan Watts - Ha...I KNEW it!
;-)

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CW2 (Join to see)

>1 y

In my 9 years I have hardly been in formations with a cadence. We would usually do PT off post and so wouldn't be in a formation and when we would do battalion runs it was dead silent. I didn't mind it though. I agree though, it's always the same three cadences over and over again. I also feel like a phone when we are calling an airborne or Ranger cadence. When not one person in my company has been to airborne or is even been to Ranger school.

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SGT Dave Tracy

>1 y

SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" - Well...the dirty penguin was giving me the eye anyway!
;-)

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CSM (Join to see)

Edited >1 y ago

Posted >1 y ago

The Army has changed over the years. Back when I was a Private, platoon size P.T. formations were the norm and you ran as fast as your PL or you fell out. NCOs sang cadence on runs that were 7:30 - 8:00 minute miles or faster.

Now you should be doing P.T. at the squad level. You should be focusing on intervals and AGRs to improve your cardio and improve your 2 mile run time. Team building runs, company/battalion size should be limited to once a month at the most.

If you can talk/sing cadence during a run you're not working hard enough. That's just my opinion.

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PV2 (Join to see)

>1 y

CSM (Join to see) - I'm short and I could never keep up to save my life! Now that I'm old I run slow. A cadence would kill me lol

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MAJ Ronnie Reams

>1 y

Used to be more popular in marches from one place to another. We did our 1 mile runs on a track at our own pace for PT and PT tests. On shuffle runs we did have some calling.

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1stSgt Eugene Harless

>1 y

Cadence, when done properly is all about motivation. An NCO who was good at calling cadence was a great morale booster.

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SFC (Join to see)

>1 y

Cadence helped increase insurance faster. It works you harder to sing cadence while you ran. When I was in the mountains of the stan and was running... i would sing songs to help me breath better at the high altitude.

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SPC Nicholas Cureton

Posted >1 y ago

I love cadence. Even now on hikes or going jogging, I'm calling cadence in my head.

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Capt Tom Brown

>1 y

SGT(P) (Join to see) - Now that is a good idea. Do you have a particular website you go to or are they all ok. I could use that to help maintain a steady double-time pace .

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SGT(P) (Join to see)

>1 y

Capt Tom Brown I usually go to YouTube to learn them, you know, the lyrics videos. There are a lot of sites with lyrics but is harder to know the rhythm, Sir.

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Capt Tom Brown

>1 y

SGT(P) (Join to see) - Unfortunately I don't do much cadence calling any more so I don't have a particular favorite(s). A person has to test out a variety and settle on something which suits best. Keeping the 180 per 30/36" step is hard because troops always want to stretch it out when they are fresh and break into a lope/run. That usually doesn't last too long before people start spreading out and losing formation. Sometimes you can find a trooper who is good at keeping the pace and use him/her to set the tempo.

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