Not sure about my physical aptitude for West Point.

O

OGKid96

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Dec 28, 2016
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Hey this is my first time here and I've seen the help people receive and I thought I could use some. I've received my nominations and completed all my stuff except for my CFA. Now I'm staring to dread this as I question my own physical fitness. I'm 5' 10 and weigh 210 lbs. Ona trial run myself I can do 43 push-ups, 70 sit-ups, about 7:30 on my mile run, 9:05 on my shuttle run and sadly not even one push up:oops: ( I wasn't able to test for my basketball throw but I'm confident on it.)

I really want to go to West Point but no I'm not sure if I'll make it. I want to know what could happen because of this and what I need to do to improve.
 
I always recommend Stew Smith's website. He's a USNA grad, former SEAL and USNA staff officer, now a fitness professional.

http://www.stewsmith.com/linkpages/serviceacademycfa.htm

Daily PT and an elevated fitness level are part of military life. Figure out your weak points, set goals, seek the help of a coach or gym professional.

Do you mean pull-up that you can't do? Get a doorway pull-up bar and try every time you go through. Use the assisted pull-up machine at the gym. There are several pull-up threads scattered throughout all the SA forums here with additional tips.

Mentally visualize success. Work on form. Believe in yourself. Commit.

With a nom in hand, you must be triple q'ed to have a chance at an appointment. The CFA performance is part of that.

If you really want to go to West Point, you know what to do. Put down your devices and PT!


Edit: I decided to refresh on USMA CFA at this link. http://www.usma.edu/admissions/shared documents/cfa_instructions.pdf

You can see what the average score is. You want to do better than average.

Do take a moment for some introspection and ensure this is what YOU really want. Some get caught up in the competitive chase after an appointment to a prestigious SA, the excitement of family, the urging of family friends who are SA grads, teachers, etc. Every year, cadets and mids turn down appointments, quit during the summer or leave after a summer or two, for various reasons, which can include they hadn't felt they could get off the roller coaster during HS senior year. You absolutely can, and proceed to Plan B. Presumably, you looked up the CFA in your junior year, and you've had time to train for it. Focus on what you want, and, again, commit to do what it takes - whatever that path may be.
 
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OGKid96 said:
Hey this is my first time here and I've seen the help people receive and I thought I could use some. I've received my nominations and completed all my stuff except for my CFA. Now I'm staring to dread this as I question my own physical fitness. I'm 5' 10 and weigh 210 lbs. Ona trial run myself I can do 43 push-ups, 70 sit-ups, about 7:30 on my mile run, 9:05 on my shuttle run and sadly not even one push up:oops: ( I wasn't able to test for my basketball throw but I'm confident on it.)

I really want to go to West Point but no I'm not sure if I'll make it. I want to know what could happen because of this and what I need to do to improve.
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Since you have completed everything else, don't give up and don't assume you won't pass. Talk to your RC and find out the latest time you can take the CFA. The application deadline is late February, so you may have several weeks to prepare. Concentrate on pull-ups and push-ups, but don't ignore the others. Take the CFA, do your best, and let the chips fall where they may.

USMA publishes the maximums and averages, but avoids discussing minimums. I don't have the height/weight chart handy, but at 5'10"/210 I assume you did not pass the chart standards, but passed the body fat test. If this is the case, you may get some leeway on pull-ups. USMA loves pull-ups, but understands that fit people of certain body types have difficulty with pull-ups. If they didn't account for this, the Army football team would have no linemen. There is no guarantee this will be considered in your case, so work as hard as you can to improve.
 
You have time to get in shape. Buy a pull-up bar.
 
Do pullups several times a day every day. If you keep at em you can get em up quick. During the summer I was at two or three when I was out of shape. I started training and in the fall when I did the CFA I got 15. It all depends on how hard you get at it and how much you want it. Push hard. Do other things constantly like push ups and dips because they can help. Practice will make a difference. Also if you don't do a sport, as someone above mentioned, go to Stew Smiths website and make a daily routine to build up.
 
The pull-ups are important and just a precursor of your athletic requirements. The following is the IOCT that every Cadet must pass. Another very physical requirement is the Combat Swim that must be passed. Ask yourself can I do this?



You can be separated if not completed

Push Hard, Press Forward
 
Thanks to all of you. I really hope this helps and I'll tak all the suggestions into consideration
 
A couple of thoughts.
1. Do you do any sports or physical activity regularly? A coach or PE teacher can help you better than any of the internet websites in making sure you have the right fitness program for you.
2. Have you done DODMERB. As an Army officer for over 15 years your weight concerns me. The screening weight for a 70 inch 18 year old male is 180 lbs or passing a tape test (which you can research) saying your less than 20% body fat. The problem is if you're over now you need to consider all the lifestyle choices you need to make in order to meet this requirement.
3. Your run time is okay but keep in mind that at USMA or in ROTC you will also need to be able to comfortably run 4 miles in formation at about a 8:30 pace and you are tested twice annually on your ability to run a 2 mile in less than 15:54. Your at the beginning of the journey but if you start USMA or AROTC you don't want to be the dude who fails an APFT and quite honestly adversative training is easier mentally if you are physically fit.
4. To reiterate what Capt MJ said in the second post consider why you want to do this. USMA is a great school but the purpose is to train Soldiers. Soldiering is a physical business regardless of MOS. I walked 4 miles with 40 lbs on my back this morning with my human resources guys in 18 degrees with snow on the ground today because we preach to all our Soldiers they have to be ready to fight and win when called upon to do so. My commo guys were carrying 5 gallon water cans over 50 m intervals in full combat gear this morning. My artillerymen are doing all this as well which you can expect but the point is everyone needs to be ready to be physical and as an officer to be a physical leader.

Good luck and if you want it get out there every day particularly during Christmas break and get after it.
 
You're about 6 months from induction if you gain an appointment. That's only 180 days. It's taken 6000 days to get your body into the shape it's in today.

You don't have much time. Your life at Army will be miserable if you can't get into shape. Make sure you have some good back up plans. Good Luck.
 
emwvmi01 said:
A couple of thoughts.
1. Do you do any sports or physical activity regularly? A coach or PE teacher can help you better than any of the internet websites in making sure you have the right fitness program for you.
2. Have you done DODMERB. As an Army officer for over 15 years your weight concerns me. The screening weight for a 70 inch 18 year old male is 180 lbs or passing a tape test (which you can research) saying your less than 20% body fat. The problem is if you're over now you need to consider all the lifestyle choices you need to make in order to meet this requirement.
3. Your run time is okay but keep in mind that at USMA or in ROTC you will also need to be able to comfortably run 4 miles in formation at about a 8:30 pace and you are tested twice annually on your ability to run a 2 mile in less than 15:54. Your at the beginning of the journey but if you start USMA or AROTC you don't want to be the dude who fails an APFT and quite honestly adversative training is easier mentally if you are physically fit.
4. To reiterate what Capt MJ said in the second post consider why you want to do this. USMA is a great school but the purpose is to train Soldiers. Soldiering is a physical business regardless of MOS. I walked 4 miles with 40 lbs on my back this morning with my human resources guys in 18 degrees with snow on the ground today because we preach to all our Soldiers they have to be ready to fight and win when called upon to do so. My commo guys were carrying 5 gallon water cans over 50 m intervals in full combat gear this morning. My artillerymen are doing all this as well which you can expect but the point is everyone needs to be ready to be physical and as an officer to be a physical leader.

Good luck and if you want it get out there every day particularly during Christmas break and get after it.
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1. I do cross country in the fall and volleyball in the spring.
2.I did my DODMERB, was disqualified for vision but I'm having it waivered.
3. I'm slowly trying to work on my endurance now instead of speed.
 
Maplerock said:
You're about 6 months from induction if you gain an appointment. That's only 180 days. It's taken 6000 days to get your body into the shape it's in today.

You don't have much time. Your life at Army will be miserable if you can't get into shape. Make sure you have some good back up plans. Good Luck.
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I do have back up plans. I had them since I decided I wanted to apply to West Point. I've already gotten admission to schools like Rutgers and I'm applying to Columbia, Notre Dame, Stony Brook, Boston College, Purdue and etc. In case I don't make it into West Point this year, I will train that year and prepare for the next time I apply. Most of the colleges I am applying to has ROTC too.
 
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I think you should be commended for recognizing you have a weakness that needs to be improved on. Lots of people don't get to that point even when its staring them straight in the face as why they're struggling or unable to accomplish something. Doubt is fine, but translate that into motivation to go improve. There are a lot of comments in this thread that are completely correct that the Army is a physically demanding occupation and may sound discouraging but realize that whatever shape you're in now, there's still time. Yes, CBT will be infinitely easier the better shape you are in. That's true of pretty much everything in the Army, but there are always those who show up and have the realization it sounds like you are having, that they are not in good enough shape, and take that to improve over the next 4 years before commissioning and they're totally fine. Really, its not even an improving over 4 years thing. Its a lifestyle change and commitment to physical fitness. If you have the desire and translate that to action, you will be capable of making it through. Just be ready to put in the hard work.

Nothing is ever easy that's worth it. I sucked at pull ups before CBT. By the end of plebe year I was tabbing the IOCT. I almost drowned twice during cow drowning but now I can do half ironman swim distances without even thinking (still working on that whole full ironman distance...someday). Progress takes time but you can get there and honestly, that experience will give you a perspective on how to work with Soldiers who are struggling with their fitness that your peers who have been natural PT studs their entire life won't have that you can use to help motivate them to improve. At the end of the day, we work not for ourselves but the people we lead. Sounds cliche, but that's always been the motivation I use to try and get better. Its easy to be satisfied with just good enough for myself but if other people are counting on me, well I'm going to put in a lot more effort to make sure I don't let them down.

#getsoffsoapbox I must be getting old...
 
Hey everyone. I am currently applying to USMA and am also deeply questioning whether I am going to be able to handle not just the CFA, but the IOCT, Mil Mov, and whatever big fitness obstacles I'd face if appointed as I have seen my sibling go through these events. I am coming back from an ACL injury, so I worked to cut my mile time by 1 minute in 1 month, practiced situps, stressed on push ups, etc. I am trying to take the CFA in January, but if I took it right now here's what it would look like:

Basketball throw: 28-30 ft
Flexed arm hang: 15 sec (I can push to 20 hopefully)
shuttle run: haven't timed yet but will be decent
sit ups: 55-60
push-ups: 25-30
1 mile run: 8:07 was the fastest so far

These have been tested separately. I'm going to work with my athletic trainer to practice this test twice a week. I'm also doing 200 pushups a day from Stew Smith's plan and am going to the gym. Please give me any advice or words of encouragement. I am trying very hard not to let this injury stop me from completing my application. :(
 
purpledog394 said:
Hey everyone. I am currently applying to USMA and am also deeply questioning whether I am going to be able to handle not just the CFA, but the IOCT, Mil Mov, and whatever big fitness obstacles I'd face if appointed as I have seen my sibling go through these events. I am coming back from an ACL injury, so I worked to cut my mile time by 1 minute in 1 month, practiced situps, stressed on push ups, etc. I am trying to take the CFA in January, but if I took it right now here's what it would look like:

Basketball throw: 28-30 ft
Flexed arm hang: 15 sec (I can push to 20 hopefully)
shuttle run: haven't timed yet but will be decent
sit ups: 55-60
push-ups: 25-30
1 mile run: 8:07 was the fastest so far

These have been tested separately. I'm going to work with my athletic trainer to practice this test twice a week. I'm also doing 200 pushups a day from Stew Smith's plan and am going to the gym. Please give me any advice or words of encouragement. I am trying very hard not to let this injury stop me from completing my application. :(
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Practice pullups...being able to do 1 will give you more points then maxing flexed arm hang! DD got a pull-up bar and hung it in her doorway so every time she passed she had do do some. She did 1 pullup at SLE first week of June and on Oct 31 she maxed it doing 7. Practice is key.
 
Thank you for the advice @Teragram! I am using one and am doing negatives as I walk past it right now. I'm also using many of the machines meant for the back muscles.
 
I just wanted to update since I'll be taking my test in two days and I can now do 3 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 7:30-50 on my mile run, 71 sit-ups, about 50 ft for the basketball throw and my shuttle run is the same.
 
So I have taken my test today and these were my final scores:
Pull-ups:5
Push-Ups: 55
Sit-ups: 77
B-ball throw: 57 ft
1 mile run: 7:27
Shuttle run: 8:9
 
Good job. You worked really hard and improved. You cannot ask for better than yourself for this application. Did you send it in? Send it in! They cannot pick you if you do not have a completed application--and you can take it again. DO NOT QUIT working out. Continue to improve. The pull ups will come. The only way to get good at pull ups is to do them all the time--and in sets.
 
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