AROTC Physical Fitness

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StowieJ

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Jan 10, 2015
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From those of you past cadets, I'm wondering what I should be doing in terms of physical training, leading up to beginning ROTC. From this point we have about 6-7 months until we would need to pass the PFT in order to take up a scholarship, (if we get one.) What would yoy guys recommend doing as of now? On the PFA I got 55 push ups (about 5 of those shouldn't have counted, dont tell CC,) and 45 situps. And a 5:23 run. What should I really be aiming for? I know the minimums, but what do the cadre really want to see?

I'm the captain of the varsity swim team, and also a member of the mountain climbing team, so I'm definitely going to continue to be fit, but what should I do on top of just general cardio?

If you have any resources and videos that can help explain this, that would be really great.

Also, what do the other exercises in yhe unit consist of? All the pictures I see of ROTC training are of crazy rope activities, and I doubt that's what it's like every day. What does the typical units morning workout look like?

Thanks in advance.
 
Work on upper body/core strength. Can't say I'm all that familiar with the APFT (see tag line below), but if I were to pick numbers out of thin air:
100 pushups
100 situps
8-9 minute 1.5 mile run.

Cross train while doing this. For example, when DS was doing this he could do 14 pullups and had a goal of at least 20. Obviously he did a lot of pullups and lat pulls. But a couple nights a week he would run 2.5 miles to a local climbing wall. Climb for a couple hours and then run back. Hit all the muscles, but hit them all in different ways and you'll be fine.
 
kinnem said:
Work on upper body/core strength. Can't say I'm all that familiar with the APFT (see tag line below), but if I were to pick numbers out of thin air:
100 pushups
100 situps
8-9 minute 1.5 mile run.

Cross train while doing this. For example, when DS was doing this he could do 14 pullups and had a goal of at least 20. Obviously he did a lot of pullups and lat pulls. But a couple nights a week he would run 2.5 miles to a local climbing wall. Climb for a couple hours and then run back. Hit all the muscles, but hit them all in different ways and you'll be fine.
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Thanks.

I think the idea is to stay away from just weights as much as possible, and get as much cardio and core in as possible. This is definitely a struggle for me, because i love to lift and hate to run. That's just something I guess I'll have to get used to down the road. It can't be too differeny from swimming i guess? Just land instead of water.

Anyone know what individual AROTC PT sessions tend to look like?
 
StowieJ said:
Thanks.

I think the idea is to stay away from just weights as much as possible, and get as much cardio and core in as possible. This is definitely a struggle for me, because i love to lift and hate to run. That's just something I guess I'll have to get used to down the road. It can't be too differeny from swimming i guess? Just land instead of water.

Anyone know what individual AROTC PT sessions tend to look like?
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There's nothing wrong with lifting. You just want to use different motions on the same set of muscles over time while not forgetting the cardio. How you get the different motions involved is up to you. For example, even when doing pullups you can do a set with your hands close together, another with hands shoulder width, and another with hands somewhere in between or even further apart. Work in a medicine ball of the wall, or whatever.
 
StowieJ said:
Anyone know what individual AROTC PT sessions tend to look like?
Click to expand...

Whatever the MS3's decide to plan. It varies too much to get any clear idea.

One thing that is constant, PT alone will not help you improve your APFT, you will have to workout outside of PT if you want to achieve and maintain a high score.
 
Jcleppe said:
Whatever the MS3's decide to plan. It varies too much to get any clear idea.

One thing that is constant, PT alone will not help you improve your APFT, you will have to workout outside of PT if you want to achieve and maintain a high score.
Click to expand...
What kind of exercises would you recommend? Just to get up to a good level, and be avle to fully participate in the batalion activities, ie not be the weak fat kid who's just hanging on by a thread, with 181 points.
 
Start practicing the actual test and doing the 2 min push up, 2 min sit up, 2 mile. You'll never run a timed 1.5 again so focus on your 2 mile time. Honestly you probably wouldn't have to do anything to prepare. But if you want to be a stud, get noticed for the right reasons, and be the first Cadet they think of for Summer training, get into the best shape possible because that's what your competition will be doing.
 
cmccabe24 said:
Start practicing the actual test and doing the 2 min push up, 2 min sit up, 2 mile. You'll never run a timed 1.5 again so focus on your 2 mile time. Honestly you probably wouldn't have to do anything to prepare. But if you want to be a stud, get noticed for the right reasons, and be the first Cadet they think of for Summer training, get into the best shape possible because that's what your competition will be doing.
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That's exactly what I'm thinking. I'd love to be considered for Airborne or Air Assault School, (any school for that matter) and the more I can prove myself from the beginning, the better off I'll be. I'll have to get back to my 5k a day routine. It's amazing how time consuming staying health is.
 
Don't forget to look up the proper form for your pushups and situps. They don't count them if the form is not correct. Lots of people get to ROTC and realize they cannot do as many as they thought they could.
 
I personally think thaf anyone who did more than 60 in a minute was cheating. I don't think that physically you can do that many. You can't make gravity oull yoh down any faster.
 
My son rucked a lot over summer. this helped with overall strength and endurance and also allowed him to make Ranger Challenge and the Bataan Memorial March. BTW the local police were a bit taken aback ;)
 
Vista123 said:
My son rucked a lot over summer. this helped with overall strength and endurance and also allowed him to make Ranger Challenge and the Bataan Memorial March. BTW the local police were a bit taken aback ;)
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Was this before freshman year? What messed with the police?

I plan on doing quite a few backpacking trips this summer, so if you could tell me what kind kf gear he was using I coukd definitely try and encorporate that into a few of the trips.
 
Jcleppe said:
Ok, there's got to be a story that goes with that.
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I'd think it goes along the lines of "cadet walking in full acu, carrying m16, walks through town, stops in restaurant to use bathroom. Town thinks russia has declared war."
 
Earlier this yr DS and 3 other cadets were driving to an early morning ( 4:30 Am) lab in full gear, got pulled over for something( being young in a car early in the AM in the Peoples Republic of Boulder). DS said cops face was priceless, he was cool and said thanks for your service and let them go on their way. Now back to the subject at hand. There is an app called "100 pushups" probably one called "100 sit ups" too. That would be a great start. There tons of info on this forum about AFPT and howw to prepare.
 
That's priceless. Hopefully one day I'll get to experience something to that extent.
 
small conservative upperclass suburb...two BIG Young Men (one navy and one army but not in uniform) wearing Rucksacks (Rucksacks Large Alice/MOLLE They carried 50 pound weight-) walking quickly through town. The would ruck 15-20 miles (every 3 days) so get to different point at different times.
The problem was the police kept stopping them and asking to see in their bag. sounds harmless enough.... but to take the Rucksacks on/and off was real PIA. I finally went to the police station, talked to the chief who notified the rest of police.

Then they were still stopped but to say "thanks for your service..." (still a PIA but far more pleasant.)

You can buy a good quality used Rucksack online. My son used weights but an army friend of ours used wooden pellets (a far better idea!). Have someone with knowledge help you fit it the first time though. Buy GOOD boots. (sons use Rocky S2V)

good luck!
 
I'll start looking into that. I'm sure if you show up wirh the ability to ruck that kind of distance in day one, there's got to be some kind of kudos that go out to you.

Anything I should look for in terms of boots? I have hiking boots that'll work for now, but I think I'm going to wait until school starts to buy some milspec ones.
 
sheriff3 said:
Earlier this yr DS and 3 other cadets were driving to an early morning ( 4:30 Am) lab in full gear, got pulled over for something( being young in a car early in the AM in the Peoples Republic of Boulder). DS said cops face was priceless, he was cool and said thanks for your service and let them go on their way.
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Just had to relay a story from my older son.

They were at NTC flying support for training, one of the helicopters broke down and he had to take a maintenance Sgt with him to see about repairs. They had to use a plain pick up and the only route was to get on the state highway for a few miles. While driving they saw the blue lights in the rear view mirror, apparently the truck looked suspicious to them. My son was in the passengers seat, a 45 strapped to his chest and his M4 between his legs. He said the look on the police officers face was priceless when he looked in the window. He just waved them on.
 
That's exactly what I'm thinking. I'd love to be considered for Airborne or Air Assault School, (any school for that matter) and the more I can prove myself from the beginning, the better off I'll be. I'll have to get back to my 5k a day routine. It's amazing how time consuming staying health is.[/QUOTE]

Just so you know, physical aptitude is not the only thing that will get to slotted for those schools. Don't forget your studies also.
DS went to Air Assault and by no means was the biggest, strongest, fastest, (6' and 155 pounds) or smartest. Didn't score the highest on his APFT but did pass his first one and contracted before a lot of others. But he was well rounded and a good student, really good in his MS classes and labs and kept out of trouble.
 
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