How to boost push up/pull up numbers

USMA2016

USMA2016

Appointee - Class of 2016
5-Year Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2010
Messages
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I'm trying to prep a little for SLS/CFA and today I just did some workouts to see where I'm at. Here's what I got:

Push-ups (2 min): 43
Sit-ups (2 min): 69:biggrin:
Pull-ups: 5
Run (1 mile): 6:54

All of my numbers could use some work, but I feel like my push-ups and pull-ups could use the most work.

What exercises (other than the push-ups and pull-ups themselves) could I do to help increase those numbers?

Thanks guys! and if you have any advice to better my sit-ups and run that would be greatly appreciated as well!
 
I have the same question as you about the pull/pushups.

However, for situps I generally do flutterkicks for 3 sets of 1 minute followed by 3 sets of 45 seconds followed by 3 sets of 30 seconds. Flutterkicks feel better on my back and my situp numbers have gone up anyway.
 
For push-ups, don't pace yourself. Knock out as many as you can as fast as you can, then pause, then go again. The longer you're in the front leaning rest the harder they become. On the other hand, establish a steady pace for sit-ups and just take care not to slow down.
 
USMA2016 said:
I'm trying to prep a little for SLS/CFA and today I just did some workouts to see where I'm at. Here's what I got:

Push-ups (2 min): 43
Sit-ups (2 min): 69:biggrin:
Pull-ups: 5
Run (1 mile): 6:54

All of my numbers could use some work, but I feel like my push-ups and pull-ups could use the most work.

What exercises (other than the push-ups and pull-ups themselves) could I do to help increase those numbers?

Thanks guys! and if you have any advice to better my sit-ups and run that would be greatly appreciated as well!
Click to expand...

Push ups are the easiest to improve. Just keep doing them. Do as many as you can, rest for a minute or two, do as many as you can again, and repeat until you cannot do anymore. Military.com Fitness section has many many many resources for workouts or even hundredpushups.com

Pull ups are similar, you just have to do them. Knock out five here, and five there and few times a day. Again, military.com has workouts for that too
 
Personally, I do as many pull-ups as I can in a row, wait about a minute, and then repeat the process for several sets. It works wonders!

For sit-ups, I do about 200 one day and 100 the next day on and off during the school year and then do 300 one day and 200 the next during breaks. I can get the max on the CFA for sit-ups, so it seems to do the trick.
 
Pull up pyramids work too. Also good if you have some buddies around for competition.

Get on the bar, and max pull ups once. Get off.

Take about a 15 second breather. Get back on the bar.

Do one pull up. Get off the bar. If you have some friends with you, let them each do their one on the bar. After everyone has done one, (if you're by yourself just count to 30) get back on the bar and do two. Repeat the get off, trade spots/counting. Then get on there and do three. Go up as high as you can, then go back down all the way to zero. If you are with friends and someone is having trouble, help them out! Everyone has to finish.

You can do the same thing with push ups. In between each push up, roll over and raise your arms up to "touch the sky". "Touch the sky" 1 time for each push up, each time. It really works fast.

Good luck:thumb:
 
For pull ups, I do as many as I can and I do something called "negatives."
You can use a chair to pull your chin over the bar then slowly bring yourself down doing a couple of regulars, wide grip, narrow grip, and chin ups.

For sit ups, like everyone else said, you just have to do them. Just bang em out as fast as possible. Personally, I've gotten faster when I trained while I was sore so bite your lip and keep going!

Hope that helps:)
Best of luck!
 
Hey! Last year at sls I maxed out on everything in the cfa except the mile run. For me I do 3-5 sets of this: 20-30 push ups then move to 70-80 sit ups. I do this every single day and for me it seems to work well! However, I am a girl so the boys may need to increase the numbers a bit! For pull ups its simple. You just have to do them a lot to increase your mummers. I hope this helps!
 
Also I would like to advise everyone to not cheat yourself on your numbers. Last year I was surprised at the number of candidates who could not even complete half of what they thought they could and their score hurt for it. Just be sure to go all the way down on push ups and all the way up on pull ups, basically just do them right and dont cheat yourself in the comfort of your home!
 
If you are attending SLS, make sure you can at least hit the max. You will be in an unfamiliar environment doing the CFA and, if it is like last year, it will be early. This can take a toll on your performance.
 
Here's a trick i shared on USNA forums

Instead of counting the number yu are doing, count backwards

Example:

If you are aiming for 75 push-up- max, start off counting 75,74,73,72,71, and etc.

It may be the diff between 70 and 75 push-ups. But again, don't expect this alone to boast someone's max push-up from 40 to 60.

The only way to get better at push-ups is to do them.

Also, strengthening your core will help with push-ups.
 
navy2016 said:
Here's a trick i shared on USNA forums

Instead of counting the number yu are doing, count backwards

Example:

If you are aiming for 75 push-up- max, start off counting 75,74,73,72,71, and etc.

It may be the diff between 70 and 75 push-ups. But again, don't expect this alone to boast someone's max push-up from 40 to 60.

The only way to get better at push-ups is to do them.

Also, strengthening your core will help with push-ups.
Click to expand...

fascinating, I love this psychological technique!

On another note, does anyone know the muscle groups exercised in Push-ups so I can focus on those when I'm lifting weights and exercising?
 
USMA2016 said:
fascinating, I love this psychological technique!

On another note, does anyone know the muscle groups exercised in Push-ups so I can focus on those when I'm lifting weights and exercising?
Click to expand...

To help with push-up (notice I said help not replace pushups),
work all all parts of the triceps, chest, front part of the shoulder, upper back, core/abs, wrist, and forearms.

Any ab exercises, dumbbell overhead press, and dumbbell bench press can all be helpful. I feel like the additional need to stabilize weights with dumbbells provides greater benefit in working your forearms and wrist more than using the typical barbell 45 pound bar.
 
In my experience, training mostly with calisthenics is much better than training more with weights for the CFA because calisthenics emphasizes core body muscles.
 
I tore my LCL a few weeks ago, but prior to that I had been working on pull ups, and was cranking out 25. Now, Im 5'7 130lbs, so I can do a lot of pull ups quickly compared to the 6'11 basketball players at my school, but...

The key that I found was from weight training for cycling. Do a lot of back exercises with free-wights and the bar from the bench press, and keep doing reps. The more reps, the better you will get. I started out at 7 pull ups, and a week and a half later, I was at 20. Be sure to do your squats with the weight training. This helps get a good initial jump when you reach up for the bar, and gives you momentum going into the first few pull ups. Hope this helps.
 
Squats also help with the run. Some other good advice I've heard is: to do as many push-ups as you think you can (I chose 60 even tho my max is 84), then repeat that number in sit-ups. do ten less, following that pattern, until you get down to ten. Every day, through soreness. I started out with 60, which gets you 210 push-ups and sit-ups in all. Next week I'll increase to 70, then increase by ten every week or so.
Note: don't focus so much on upper body and core that you neglet running. the best way to get better at running 1 mile for the CFA is to run 2-3 miles, about three times a week. also work on speed and intervals. bicycling also helps your cardio even tho it works different muscles than running.
The main thing to remember is: stay safe, be consistent in your workouts, and have fun!
 
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