Are Varsity Sports Required?

Mmy best advice is that you create a training schedule and stick to it. Whether it's 10 degrees out or 95, go out, run, work out, and you'll see results.
I was not able to do pull-ups 4 months ago. But I spent months training and went from 0 to 7. (I'm a female). I did them every other day (need 48 hr rest for muscles to repair). I would do two to three every hour, and it really helped. I would also suggest that when you do pull-ups do not hang for a long time and go into a dead hang but immediately push yourself back up one by one. Every second hanging wears out your already tired muscles on the CFA.

Push-ups and sits up I say do them every other night. Higher your scores the better.

For the mile, which I can give the most advice on since I do run competitively, an 8:22 can go down to an 8 with practice sprints of 400m, down to 7:30 with more 400m and 200m sprint training, and to get to 7 and to 6:30 you'll have to run every day. Distance runs of 30-45 mins, and interval training will help. Switch off with hard and easy days.
West Point has a great PT fitness schedule that you should google, so does Air Force and it can definitely help if you follow it.
Good luck!!! And if anything hurts, stop, rest and ice! Overtraining won't help at all
 
CrazyHorse said:
Junior.. Excellent! You have some time..
But.. Keep that sence of urgency.. I still suggest you get a trainer.
Maybe.. Join the wrestling team for conditioning :thumb:
Good luck!
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Of course. That sense of urgency is starting to get on my parents' nerves! :biggrin:

I've got a loose training schedule now. I exercise every day, but my routine is pretty random right now.
 
AcademyHopefulOne said:
Of course. That sense of urgency is starting to get on my parents' nerves! :biggrin:

I've got a loose training schedule now. I exercise every day, but my routine is pretty random right now.
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Dear HopefulOne,

You are doing well to be thinking of all of this as a junior and it should make a big difference to you attaining your goal. I'm a teacher who acts as our school's advisor to students interested in attending service academies, and I have had a number of conversations with representatives from the various academies, including USMA, in that role. So I hope you won't mind me chipping in with an opinion.

To get back to your original question about whether you really should do a varsity sport: I get that this is not a cost-free decision, given your commitment to your extracurricular and the fact it will somewhat impact your GPA. However, your ACT scores are outstanding. In my experience -- and this is just as an educated observer -- West Point will not regard your academics as a question. They may, however, regard physical activity/prowess as a question for you. Why give them "a question" in any category? If you can do a varsity sport, like track or cross country, you can check that box in your application and help resolve the question of physical stamina/suitability.

As other posters have said, a superb performance on the CFA can help put to rest this issue, but as you recognize (and kudos for your honesty), your starting point for the CFA is significantly sub-par (particularly on pull-ups and the run time). The great thing about the CFA is that it is almost wholly in your control (barring injury): you can improve. But if you are at zero pull-ups and 8 minute mile now, it is a long shot to assume you'll max out with 18 pull-ups and a sub 6-minute mile in 9 months.

If you join a team, you'll help lay the physical activity question to rest; you'll get the points that a varsity letter gives to your application (assuming you can letter); and, perhaps most importantly, you will be working in a structured environment, with expert leadership and guidance and the support of teammates/friends, on improving your physical fitness.

With all that said, you are the applicant -- choose the path that you feel is best for you and be at peace! Good luck to you.
 
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