Very bad shape physically...

Worried123

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I am a four year scholarship winner for NROTC, and I am in really terrible shape physically. It is possible that I will fail the PFT when I get to campus in the fall. I'll be above the minimum for run/sit ups probably, but not for push ups (I can't do more than 20). What is going to happen? Do I lose my scholarship immediately? I'm working as hard as I can to avoid this happening, and it's a long story how this happened. Any advice would be appreciated. Looking to not get kicked out before I'm even in.

Incidentally, if I am 20 years old, are my minimums still the 17-19 year old standards, or do they go up to the 20+?
 
You have at least a month to work on this. There are tons of programs on the Internet that will help you. To be honest if you focus on this and follow a strict program 30 days from now you should double your push ups. My advice is to get off the forum, Google push up routine and get after it. Nola can answer if you don't pass the PRT upon reporting what happens. You will definitely stand out in a bad way. With that said, 30 days is a lot of time and to make a dent in your fitness.

I will leave the age question to Nola to answer. She didn't matter at USNA, but we didn't follow fleet standards for the fitness test. Be curious to know the answer too!
 
I am a four year scholarship winner for NROTC, and I am in really terrible shape physically. It is possible that I will fail the PFT when I get to campus in the fall. I'll be above the minimum for run/sit ups probably, but not for push ups (I can't do more than 20). What is going to happen? Do I lose my scholarship immediately? I'm working as hard as I can to avoid this happening, and it's a long story how this happened. Any advice would be appreciated. Looking to not get kicked out before I'm even in.

Incidentally, if I am 20 years old, are my minimums still the 17-19 year old standards, or do they go up to the 20+?

My DS is beginning the application process...SA's, ROTC, and SMC's. He will be a senior next year. He is extremely motivated and truthfully is so eager to serve he would enlist in a heartbeat. He has been working out with our local Marine recruiting office Monday-Thursday from 7-9 am. He says it's difficult, most of the kids there are preparing for boot camp, but it's the best thing he's done. The added bonus is he's making connections with wonderful people who genuinely want to see him succeed. I would check out your local office and see if they have this option available. Good luck!
 
My DS is beginning the application process...SA's, ROTC, and SMC's. He will be a senior next year. He is extremely motivated and truthfully is so eager to serve he would enlist in a heartbeat. He has been working out with our local Marine recruiting office Monday-Thursday from 7-9 am. He says it's difficult, most of the kids there are preparing for boot camp, but it's the best thing he's done. The added bonus is he's making connections with wonderful people who genuinely want to see him succeed. I would check out your local office and see if they have this option available. Good luck!
BTW...I did have to sign a waiver giving him permission to exercise with them since he is a minor. Just permission to work out...not enlist! LOL!
 
I am a four year scholarship winner for NROTC, and I am in really terrible shape physically. It is possible that I will fail the PFT when I get to campus in the fall. I'll be above the minimum for run/sit ups probably, but not for push ups (I can't do more than 20). What is going to happen? Do I lose my scholarship immediately? I'm working as hard as I can to avoid this happening, and it's a long story how this happened. Any advice would be appreciated. Looking to not get kicked out before I'm even in.

Incidentally, if I am 20 years old, are my minimums still the 17-19 year old standards, or do they go up to the 20+?

A GOOD in all three categories of the PRT is required of all Navy option midshipmen in NROTC. You will be held to the standard associated with your age, either 17-19 or 20-24. If you can't score a GOOD during the initial PRT, you'll typically be placed on Remedial PT/Fitness Enhancement Program (FEP). Remedial/FEP is required to occur at least three times per week and is designed to help students improve so that they can score a GOOD. The official PRT is traditionally at the end of each semester, and it is the one that is actually recorded and used to stay in good standing and maintain your scholarship.

Below a GOOD is a SATISFACTORY. A SATISFACTORY basically means that you didn't fail, but you also didn't reach the NROTC-required minimum of GOOD. If you don't score at least a SATISFACTORY in all categories, you fail. The current guidance is that NROTC Commanding Officers should not activate scholarships of freshmen midshipmen who fail the initial PRT in the fall. Also, student who show up outside of height/weight/BCA limits should not have their scholarships activated.

If your scholarship is not activated, you essentially become a College Program student. Your tuition is not paid, your stipend is not paid, etc. Once you score at least a SATISFACTORY on a mock/official/inventory PRT, your Commanding Officer can activate the scholarship.

Pushups are not hard to improve at, you simply need to build them into your life. As was previously mentioned, there are many programs available online. Bottom line, just do them, and do them frequently. You'll improve faster than you think. It's either that, or start saving up to pay your own tuition.
 
The only way to get better at pushups is to randomly do them throughout the day. If you get up to go make food drop down and do 15. If you are coming back from the bathroom drop down and do 15. So on and so forth. Do as many as you can in a day.
 
USN PRT standards... 20 yr male

PERFORMANCE POINTS CURL UPS PUSH UPS 1.5-MILE
"Maximum" 100 105 87 8:30
Outstanding 90 98 81 9:15
Excellent 75 87 71 10:30
Good 60 58 47 12:00
Satisfactory 45 46 37 13:30
Failure <45 <46 <37 >13:30


USN PRT for 20 yr female

ERFORMANCE POINTS CURL UPS PUSH UPS 1.5-MILE

Maximum 100 105 48 9:47
Outstanding 90 98 44 11:30
Excellent 75 87 39 13:15
Good 60 58 21 14:15
Satisfactory 45 46 16 15:30
Failure <45 <46 <16 >15:30


When posted, the columns do not line up but you can still see the numbers.
 
Also, student who show up outside of height/weight/BCA limits should not have their scholarships activated.

NavyNOLA, my DS is headed to a SMC on a 4 yr NROTC Marine Option scholarship. He is a few pounds (5-7) over the weight limit for his height. The kid works out like a madman and has a very muscular build. His diet is good, but with all the working out he is not dropping the few pounds and doesn't want to back off on the workouts. He can score close to max on the PRT, the run being the area he probably won't max (but will easily pass). I'm thinking this won't be an issue for him, but I think he is a little concerned. Any comments? I'm not getting involved and letting him work this out on his own, so my question is more out of curiosity about how this type of situation would typically be handled.
 
NavyNOLA, my DS is headed to a SMC on a 4 yr NROTC Marine Option scholarship. He is a few pounds (5-7) over the weight limit for his height. The kid works out like a madman and has a very muscular build. His diet is good, but with all the working out he is not dropping the few pounds and doesn't want to back off on the workouts. He can score close to max on the PRT, the run being the area he probably won't max (but will easily pass). I'm thinking this won't be an issue for him, but I think he is a little concerned. Any comments? I'm not getting involved and letting him work this out on his own, so my question is more out of curiosity about how this type of situation would typically be handled.

We have several guys like that in my battalion, mainly that are lacrosse or football players and are in amazing shape but are just really bulky and oftentimes on the shorter side. I don't know the specifics, but they do the tape test after every PFT and are always fine.
 
I am a four year scholarship winner for NROTC, and I am in really terrible shape physically. It is possible that I will fail the PFT when I get to campus in the fall. I'll be above the minimum for run/sit ups probably, but not for push ups (I can't do more than 20). What is going to happen? Do I lose my scholarship immediately? I'm working as hard as I can to avoid this happening, and it's a long story how this happened. Any advice would be appreciated. Looking to not get kicked out before I'm even in.

Incidentally, if I am 20 years old, are my minimums still the 17-19 year old standards, or do they go up to the 20+?

@Worried123, you've got a lot of good advice here. And as you'll find in NROTC, stories don't matter - results matter.

This winter I developed pretty severe shoulder bursitis. I had to stop swimming and doing pushups entirely - doctors' orders. Last October, I did 40 pushups and 75 situps every morning and could pass the Navy PRT for a woman my age (44!) at "excellent." No pushups, no swimming, no lifting, for seven months. About went out of my mind. I got the okey-dokey to start swimming and doing knee pushups (GAH) on May 20. First day I did eight knee pushups (HARD) and swam 300 meters (and about sank, doing it). Two months later, I'm doing 20 full pushups daily and swimming a mile, 1600 meters, 3x per week. (Doc and PT have me on a schedule.)

Here is my point. You are not going to let an OLD LADY kick your a** - ARE YOU??? :cool: Train like you're being chased, my friend, because that's me back there! Train smart, but train like you're being chased!
 
NavyNOLA, my DS is headed to a SMC on a 4 yr NROTC Marine Option scholarship. He is a few pounds (5-7) over the weight limit for his height. The kid works out like a madman and has a very muscular build. His diet is good, but with all the working out he is not dropping the few pounds and doesn't want to back off on the workouts. He can score close to max on the PRT, the run being the area he probably won't max (but will easily pass). I'm thinking this won't be an issue for him, but I think he is a little concerned. Any comments? I'm not getting involved and letting him work this out on his own, so my question is more out of curiosity about how this type of situation would typically be handled.
They'll tape him if he is outside the weight/height guidelines. See here: http://www.colorado.edu/nrotc/sites.../guide_4-_body_composition_assessment_bca.pdf

My son has never been stocky, but rather slender. Nevertheless, because of all his muscle, he is always outside the weight/height guidelines and must be taped. Not to worry if he's in good shape with lean muscle mass. He'll be fine.
 
For any USMC types... Make sure you are taped per the guidance while in ROTC. The fleet is pretty harsh on this and you really want to know accurately where you stand. I can't tell you how many Marines in amazing shape would be cutting weight prior to a weigh in. Heck we had an ironman in my unit who they tried to put on remedial because he weighed in 2 lbs over. Remind you he ran a 300 PFT and ran everyone in circles in our unit. Also the USMC just passed new PFT and weight standards. I personally think they are great changes, but it would be good for you to get an understanding of them now. Also make sure your pull ups are dead hang. This is what gets most when it comes form. Also the easiest way to pick up points on the PFT.
 
You will be categorized by your age at the test since it is an initial test. if you go active duty, you will be categorized by your age at the start of the cycle.
Understand that historically, the issues you start your career with will not go away. 30 years of watching the process has proven that the folks who have a hard time with a section of the physical fitness test (weight, run, push-ups) battle that issue their entire career.
 
For any USMC types... Make sure you are taped per the guidance while in ROTC. The fleet is pretty harsh on this and you really want to know accurately where you stand. I can't tell you how many Marines in amazing shape would be cutting weight prior to a weigh in. Heck we had an ironman in my unit who they tried to put on remedial because he weighed in 2 lbs over. Remind you he ran a 300 PFT and ran everyone in circles in our unit. Also the USMC just passed new PFT and weight standards. I personally think they are great changes, but it would be good for you to get an understanding of them now. Also make sure your pull ups are dead hang. This is what gets most when it comes form. Also the easiest way to pick up points on the PFT.

NavyHoops tells it like it is for Marines.
 
DS is using an online program with like 400 programs so he isn't bored He only is using a set of 5, 8 10 weights an 8lb medicine ball and the big ball; he is also running 6 miles every day. We live at sea level so we are lucky that my cousin lives near his college so he is going up next week so he will have a month continuing the workouts that have great push-up building exercises and core to get the sit -ups and the time to get used to running at an altitude that they may think is normal but is a few hundred feet above what he is used to and all the flora to figure out if will have a reaction to or not. I think that acclimating to sea level, temperature, humidity and different flora is too often overlooked in prepping since all of those can effect your test scores.
 
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