What workout regimen did US GI's undergo in WWII? Was stretching involved?

by Yeangster

This question stems from a comment made by a Cleveland Brown's coach on the TV program Hard Knocks. So it's semi-joking/meme based but also something I'd genuinely want to know more about. From what I remember of Band of Brothers, it was mostly a lot of running and hiking.

Also of interest is how did it compare between jobs, like infantry v paratroopers v tankers v artillery. And how did it compare to what the British, Nazis, Soviets and Japanese did.

SkinnyHusky

Can I piggyback with a related question? What type of general athletic conditioning did the average GI have when the entered the service? Modern-day running and lifting as hobbies, to my knowledge, only became popular 50 years ago.