AROTC Physical Fitness

I will definitely try and work on that. If I can ask, how much do you weigh, and do you consider yourself a "fat" person. Relative to your size.

I would personally consider body fat something I need to work on, which could bring me closer to that ideal 70 mark. I'm within Army regulations for active duty 17-21 at 180 (70 inches) so just barely. You think that's my trick to getting that number higher? Im fine in all the categories, I'm able to do everything I need to do, 5 23 mile, enough situps, (didn't pace myself properly.)

I think I need to have my coach test me on the real test. Just to see where I really am.
 
StowieJ said:
I will definitely try and work on that. If I can ask, how much do you weigh, and do you consider yourself a "fat" person. Relative to your size.

I would personally consider body fat something I need to work on, which could bring me closer to that ideal 70 mark. I'm within Army regulations for active duty 17-21 at 180 (70 inches) so just barely. You think that's my trick to getting that number higher? Im fine in all the categories, I'm able to do everything I need to do, 5 23 mile, enough situps, (didn't pace myself properly.)

I think I need to have my coach test me on the real test. Just to see where I really am.
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I'm not fat, around 10-14% bodyfat, I just always have been good at push-ups. I can get around 90 in 2 minutes. Just set goals for yourself. Don't pace for push-ups. Try to get 55 in the first minute and 25 in the next. You don't have to max out in the first minute.


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
 
civic29 said:
What I do is train 30 second and minute intervals to improve my time. My upper body weighs a lot so I may go down faster than most. If you can get one every second you would easily max as 60 in a minute means you only have around 10 more to max out.

2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
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Not directly pertaining to the topic, but something to remember for physics when you take it (again) in the future. Galileo established this a few hundred years ago... "all objects, regardless of size or shape or weight, free fall with the same acceleration." So you cannot go down faster than most. :D You may go down faster though, because you've mastered the technique of allowing your body to free fall from the top of the pushup, which presumably anyone can do with practice.
 
kinnem said:
Not directly pertaining to the topic, but something to remember for physics when you take it (again) in the future. Galileo established this a few hundred years ago... "all objects, regardless of size or shape or weight, free fall with the same acceleration." So you cannot go down faster than most. :D You may go down faster though, because you've mastered the technique of allowing your body to free fall from the top of the pushup, which presumably anyone can do with practice.
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Maybe I'm just more aerodynamic :)


2019 WestPoint class appointee

Recipient of 4 year army rotc scholarship.
 
kinnem said:
Galileo established this a few hundred years ago... "all objects, regardless of size or shape or weight, free fall with the same acceleration."
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... in a vacuum!

Call me Captain Obvious
 
Ahhh... you science guys are making it so hard to have fun! Don't you think the friction over the distance is negligible? :D
 
What goes down faster....comes back up slower. Just saying.

Also, Arm length makes a big difference. When my older son joined there was a MS4 that could crank out 104 plus PU's (Yes all to regulation) on a bad day. He was about 5'-3"
 
From my experience, it depends on what your individual weaknesses are. I walked in and for 2 years sucked at running, but got over 100 (very to standard) sit-ups every APFT.

I hate running, but figured out rucking is a great way to cut your run time down. The summer between sophomore and junior year, I didn't run once. I built up slowly, but rucked 2-3 days a week at a fast pace (12 minute mile or faster) with 15-20# for 1-2 miles, maybe 3, and 1-2 days a week at a slower pace (15-16 minute miles) with 30-50# for 6-12 miles. The record APFT before this summer, I ran a 16:45 (I'm a female), and came back in the fall running a 14:23. Again, I didn't run once. But build up slowly, listen to your body, and be smart. I also did tabata push-ups and tabata sit-ups on alternating days, mixed in with some weight training and a lot of pull-up work.

Watch APFT videos for standards. I showed up thinking I had the form down and I did not for my first APFT. Also, the standards don't mention it as far as I've seen, but keep your head up and looking ahead when you do push-ups to avoid reps not being counted.

If you can, find a veteran in the neighborhood (Army is ideal since you'll be taking the APFT. Different branches have different standards) to "grade you" on a few pushups and a few situps to give you an idea of where you're at.

Don't stress, keep up the hard work, and based on the numbers you posted initially, you'll do just fine.
 
Any tips for the sit-ups? My 6'4 son maxes the run (easily), usually maxes the push-ups, but really struggles with the sit-ups. And it's not his abs or core strength. It's his hip flexors that burnout.
 
I think with everything the trick is practice. Maybe he needs a big exercise ball. (I know nothing on the subject though.)
 
How to get good at sit ups? Do more situps. Pushups? Do more. How to get good at the run? Run every day, sometimes run a fährtlich, other times do a 6-mile jog. It doesn't matter how fast or jacked you are, or how much PRT or the APFT doesn't work or measure physical fitness well, if you can't pass it, you can't be a soldier.
 
ArmyArmor said:
My trick: Sit-ups with a 40 pound weight vest. I highly recommend it.
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For those just starting to try and increase your SU's, I'm not sure I would try this until you have done SU's for a while and have strengthened your lower back muscles. Doing SU's on an incline board and possibly holding a weight on your chest can work, just don't jump into using weights while doing SU's until you are in very good shape. These things can cause injuries if you do it too soon.
 
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