CFA Pull-ups

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Firecracker070403

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2020
Messages
53
Hey y'all so I'm training for the cfa and for the longest time I wasn't able to do one pull-up. I finally got it. Now that I've crested that hill I'm trying to improve, I've been working out monday-friday giving the weekend to do some R&R. I've been doing negatives and assisted pull-ups and jumping pull-ups. No matter how hard I pull, train, and struggle it's like I can't get past 1 pull-up. Can anyone give some advice that might help get over this? Thank you in advance.
 
Best advice: be consistent with your workouts. If you're looking to see improvement, I suggest working on your pull-ups five times a week. I was once in your boat, in which I could only complete one pull-up, but after eight months of being consistent with my workouts, I can now do 18. So, stay positive and motivated throughout this whole process. That is the only way how you're going to accomplish your goal.

When it comes to what types of pull-out workouts you should do, I highly recommend you do pyramid sets mixed with push-ups. Push-ups are also a critical exercise for developing a strong upper body, and they really go hand-in-hand with pull-ups. So, considering you currently perform a maximum of one pull-up, I recommend the following:
---------------
Workout A: Push-Pull Pyramid [4 sets]
a. One negative, 2 pushups [No rest]
b. Two negatives, 4 pushups [No rest]
c. Three negatives, 6 pushups [No rest]
d. One pull-up, 8 pushups [No rest]
c. Three negatives, 6 pushups [No rest]
b. Two negatives, 4 pushups [No rest]
a. One negative, 2 pushups [No rest]
x 4
Rest between sets not reps for 60-90 seconds
---------------
Workout B: Strict Pullups and Pushups [5-10 sets, depending on ability]
a. Perform one pull-up [No rest]
b. Perform 4-8 pushups, depending on ability
----------------

Weekly Schedule: Monday: A, Tuesday B: Wednesday: Rest, Thursday: B, Friday: A, Saturday: Rest, Sunday: Perform a mock-CFA for yourself.

*As you start to develop more upper-body strength throughout the upcoming weeks/months, begin performing Set A on Wednesdays.

Again, these are just my recommendations. If it doesn't work for you, I encourage you to create a schedule/plan that does. Try and alternate these workouts throughout the week, in order to have a variety. Don't get discouraged if you have a bad day and can't complete all the reps. If you can't maintain proper push-up form throughout the set, finish the remaining reps on your knees. If you can't perform the negatives/pull-ups, give yourself a little rest, and then try again. As long as you stay the course and don't give up, I have no doubt you'll be able to achieve incredible results. Believe it or not, You're stronger think.

I hoped this helped, and best of luck on your CFA.
 
I'm a bit late to this conversation, but one of the things that hold people back with pull-ups is a lack of grip strength. Most people have the back and upper body strength to perform pull-ups but do not have enough grip strength to use said strength. A few good ways to train for grip strength are strict form curls (more specifically reverse curls), shrugs with either a barbell or a dumbell with high rep volume, and flexed arm hangs. Once you begin to add reps on and have your foot in the door, doing more and more pull-ups becomes easier and easier.
 
Hello everyone,

I'm new here, but I wanted to ask a question about the pullups.
I have done the entire CFA and got some decent scores, I believe. However, when I was watching the videos I noticed that my CFA administrator did not do the cadence count. Would this be a significant detriment to my application? Or should I just submit it as is?

Thank you
 
Accord said:
Hello everyone,

I'm new here, but I wanted to ask a question about the pullups.
I have done the entire CFA and got some decent scores, I believe. However, when I was watching the videos I noticed that my CFA administrator did not do the cadence count. Would this be a significant detriment to my application? Or should I just submit it as is?

Thank you
Click to expand...
Submit and they'll let you know. I don't think it was really audible for my son either.
 
Accord said:
Hello everyone,

I'm new here, but I wanted to ask a question about the pullups.
I have done the entire CFA and got some decent scores, I believe. However, when I was watching the videos I noticed that my CFA administrator did not do the cadence count. Would this be a significant detriment to my application? Or should I just submit it as is?

Thank you
Click to expand...
It shouldn't be a problem. My administrator forgot to count my pull-ups during my CFA, and USMA still accepted my video.
 
Firecracker070403 said:
Hey y'all so I'm training for the cfa and for the longest time I wasn't able to do one pull-up. I finally got it. Now that I've crested that hill I'm trying to improve, I've been working out monday-friday giving the weekend to do some R&R. I've been doing negatives and assisted pull-ups and jumping pull-ups. No matter how hard I pull, train, and struggle it's like I can't get past 1 pull-up. Can anyone give some advice that might help get over this? Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
So here's what I did.
I was like you in the sense that I could barely do any pull-ups and, to be completely honest, started training them late as well. (Understand, however, that I could do all the other events so I was somewhat overall physically fit.)

What I did to train was I bought a door pull-up bar hanger. Essentially every time I had to go past my door I did a certain amount of pull-ups (I started with 5. Even if I dropped it was okay I just rested a bit and kept going til I hit my number). Then as it started getting easier to do 5 pull-ups I started going for more reps.

For me, this was my pull-up game changer. In literally a few weeks I went from about 3 pullups to doing 14 on my CFA.

Yes, it sounds pretty crazy for such a huge number jump but you'll see that this training method is a lot harder than you think. You probably go through your door multiple times a day, so while 5 pull-ups each time doesn't sound like a lot, throughout the day you'll really end up doing a whole lot more :)

Hope this helps!
 
FuturePilot1220 said:
So here's what I did.
I was like you in the sense that I could barely do any pull-ups and, to be completely honest, started training them late as well. (Understand, however, that I could do all the other events so I was somewhat overall physically fit.)

What I did to train was I bought a door pull-up bar hanger. Essentially every time I had to go past my door I did a certain amount of pull-ups (I started with 5. Even if I dropped it was okay I just rested a bit and kept going til I hit my number). Then as it started getting easier to do 5 pull-ups I started going for more reps.

For me, this was my pull-up game changer. In literally a few weeks I went from about 3 pullups to doing 14 on my CFA.

Yes, it sounds pretty crazy for such a huge number jump but you'll see that this training method is a lot harder than you think. You probably go through your door multiple times a day, so while 5 pull-ups each time doesn't sound like a lot, throughout the day you'll really end up doing a whole lot more :)

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Firecracker070403 said:
Hey y'all so I'm training for the cfa and for the longest time I wasn't able to do one pull-up. I finally got it. Now that I've crested that hill I'm trying to improve, I've been working out monday-friday giving the weekend to do some R&R. I've been doing negatives and assisted pull-ups and jumping pull-ups. No matter how hard I pull, train, and struggle it's like I can't get past 1 pull-up. Can anyone give some advice that might help get over this? Thank you in advance.
Click to expand...
Yes! This is what I did! Put a pull-up bar on you door frame, and just do a couple every time you walk by. Honestly, I don’t think there is any secret formula do get better at them quickly other than just doing them and practicing with intention. At the beginning of this summer at virtual SLE, I could do 4, and on my CFA I did 15. Just by doing a couple, and maybe once a day challenging myself to do 5, then the next day 6, and so on and so on. Keep at it! The CFA is a good and early representation of pretty much every aspect of applying to an academy, you’re going to need a lot of dedication, persistence, and grit to push though the uncomfortable parts. Trust me, it’s a long and tiring process, but in the end should you earn an appointment, I promise it’s worth it!
 
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