Candidate Fitness Exam

<p>4:40 mile at 1500ft will probably be about 5:20-5:40 when you first get here. After a couple months of adjustment and exercise, you will be about back to normal...but not quite. </p>

<p>For sit-ups, do 150 crunches minimum every day (in one set). If you do that for more than a month, you should have NO trouble maxing the sit-ups for the CFA and PFT...especially if you run on some days. Your abs can be worked every day. Don't go too wild, unless you want to be really sore. You can do quite a bit without ill effects.</p>

<p>I see. I've been trying since freshman year to lose weight. When I was a freshman I could not do not even one push up. I couldn't run a 1/4 of a mile without stopping to gasp for air. I was about 5'5 and weighed about 225. I lost a lot of weight and I went down to like 195 sophomore year. Today I am 69' or 5'9' and weigh about 220. But I can do like 15-20 good pushups and can run a mile like in 8:45 but I have good endurance. I can go for like 5-6 miles without stopping. Anyway my point is that for my height which is 69 inches, i have to be 185 MAX to be medically qualified to go to the Academy. I've tried everything to get my weight down. Did extensive research on nutrition and stuff. My parents don't have a lot of money so they just buy whatever there is to buy that is affordable that have no nutritional value whatsoever. Empty Carbohydrates and stuff with sat fat and partially hydronated oil (trans fat). So I started to count my calorie intake and eat more healthier. Kind of hard because you pay for what you get. You buy crap your going to get crap. Stuff that is really healthy and organic usually cost more. I feel like I tried everything to lose weight but nothing seems to work. Maybe its because I wish I could see immediate effects.</p>

<p>I remember my first visit to the Academy was last July. I got so sick that I had to go to the medical clinic. I don't think that was because of the altitude though because it was stomach probmes. Anyway. when I first got out of the airport I was like oh this isn't so bad. But when I got to Jacks Valley, I got sunburn and frequent nosebleeds. It was hard to breathe just walking up hills. What I'm thinking of doing is if I get accepted to the Academy (hopefully). I will go to Colorado springs a week before BCT starts and run everyday. BTW thanks for all your advice. This is my biggest deficiency besides academics.</p>

<p>Don't wait, exercise NOW.</p>

<p>Trust me on this one. You want to be in THE BEST shape possible on I-day. Don't wait. If you have trouble sticking to a good workout plan (one where you are tired and sore the next day, but not for the next week), find someone to workout with. Alternate what muscle groups you work on each day, or alternate between cardio and strength workouts.</p>

<p>You don't want to be on Recondo for nearly 2 years, like I was!</p>

<p>USAFA10s, like singaporemom said, I'd recommend reverse pull-ups.</p>

<p>Last summer, I couldn't do any either. I convinced my very skeptical dad to let me join a gym, and went 3 times a week. My parents also installed a pull-up bar in the door frame (of the garage because they didn't want the holes in the house walls :) ), and every time I walked past it, I'd pull myself up as far as I could, then jump up and do as many reverse pull-ups as I possibly could.</p>

<p>It was just a conscious effort on my part to make sure I actually did it whenever I walked past. I truly thought it was futile, but eventually I built up and by the time I took my CFA 3 1/2 months later, I did 3 :D</p>

<p>There was also a weight-assisted pull-up machine at the gym where I could kneel on a pad and set the amount of assistance you want. I worked with that too, starting at 80 lb or something ridiculous and eventually working my way down to no help.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>PS how come it's so stinking hard to do a pull up????!! ;)</p>

<p>Anatomy, upper body strength will always be harder for a female. Potter was able to do pull-ups at home before she left for BCT, but after 6 weeks her arms were burned out, and she couldn't do any. Failed her PFT and ended up on recondo. Fast forward a few weeks and everyone on recondo wanted to know why she was there. Aced the AFT and earned her Lightning bolts. Fast forward some more (got lazy), and is having trouble knocking out three pull-ups. Moral of the story don't stop once you think you have arrived.</p>

<p>cheers to that...soccer season started (it's a winter sport for us), and I got lazy on the pull-ups...basically I was back at square one in December, but I'm progressing again and have learned my lesson. please don't anyone else make the same mistake! :)</p>

<p>raimius, quick question. Whats Recondo? Is that something that cadets are put on when they don't meet the standard physically?</p>

<p>reconditioning.. to help you get ready for the pft/aft.. you nailed it ^</p>

<p>Recondo = bain of Raimius' existance....What doesn't kill you will make you stronger. Extra physical training intended to prepare you for the PFT/AFT. Running is ususally what gives cadets the most trouble, but in some cases like Potterfan pullups can be a problem.</p>

<p>arent those programs run by marines at the academy?</p>

<p>Only the head guy is a marine. It's not run by marines per se, he's just one of the instructors for it.</p>

<p>I see. So based on what your weaknesses are you can get a different workout program? Does it include nutrition as well? What month during the academic semester does one take the exam?</p>

<p>PJ, worry about BCT and the A-course first. Screaming Rugby giants, fire breathing Lacrosse players, and other manner of human nemisis.</p>

<p>AFPJ, not quite. Recondo is a set, mandatory workout that you go to 3 days a week. They tell you exactly what to do. Then, the "off" days are your own work outs. It sucks...don't get on it. Doing your own workouts is a MUCH better way to go.</p>

<p>if the AFA doesn't accept the CFA scores from NASS, and the candidate is not accepted into AFASS, how does the candidate have a proper CFA test administered at high altitude when they live in a low lying area?</p>

<p>There is no USAFA requirement to take the test at a high altitude.</p>

<p>oops, my mistake, i misread a previous post.</p>

<p>Beyond that, DON'T take the CFA at altitude, if you do not live at altitude! It will hurt your scores.</p>

<p>Hey guys. I completed my first pull up today!! It GREALTY helps if you exhale when your pulling up.</p>