<p>"I am past that, I weigh 170 and adding just 10 pushups is not easy for me!"</p>
<p>"I cannot do 75 pushups, at least not by the summer seminar."</p>
<p>With the attitude indicated by your comments, you're absolutely right - you won't be able to do that many pushups by summer. </p>
<p>No one said that any of this would be easy. It's not supposed to be easy. But if you are willing to throw in the towel on your ability to improve your number of pushups with more than a month left in which to train, how much do you really want to succeed? During plebe summer, if a detailer ordered you to do 100 or more pushups in the p-way, how would you react? Would you say (as in your own statements, above), "I can't?" Or would you keep going until your arms feel like falling off, and then find it in yourself to keep going? </p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds harsh, and others may jump all over me, but I'm the parent of a plebe wannabe who has (so far) been told that she can't make it medically at USNA (she has an LOA), even though she has an NROTC waiver, and even though she has actually completed all the hardest workouts in the "Official USNA Workout Book," AND has had a totally independent lifeguard witness her successful completion of the USNA "40 year swim," - in a 25 yard pool, making it twice as hard as what's actually required at USNA. She wants USNA so badly that, even though she so far has been denied a waiver, she is now completing at least 200 pushups per day IN ADDITION TO the workout book workouts, in the hopes that she will be ready if she gets the call. So quit feeling sorry for yourself or making excuses for why you can't, or why pushups shouldn't be required, and start doing whatever you can to improve as much as possible in the time you have.</p>
<p>"I am past that, I weigh 170 and adding just 10 pushups is not easy for me!"</p>
<p>"I cannot do 75 pushups, at least not by the summer seminar."</p>
<p>With the attitude indicated by your comments, you're absolutely right - you won't be able to do that many pushups by summer. </p>
<p>No one said that any of this would be easy. It's not supposed to be easy. But if you are willing to throw in the towel on your ability to improve your number of pushups with more than a month left in which to train, how much do you really want to succeed? During plebe summer, if a detailer ordered you to do 100 or more pushups in the p-way, how would you react? Would you say (as in your own statements, above), "I can't?" Or would you keep going until your arms feel like falling off, and then find it in yourself to keep going? </p>
<p>Sorry if this sounds harsh, and others may jump all over me, but I'm the parent of a plebe wannabe who has (so far) been told that she can't make it medically at USNA (she has an LOA), even though she has an NROTC waiver, and even though she has actually completed all the hardest workouts in the "Official USNA Workout Book," AND has had a totally independent lifeguard witness her successful completion of the USNA "40 year swim," - in a 25 yard pool, making it twice as hard as what's actually required at USNA. She wants USNA so badly that, even though she so far has been denied a waiver, she is now completing at least 200 pushups per day IN ADDITION TO the workout book workouts, in the hopes that she will be ready if she gets the call. By the way, she can do 76 pushups in 2 minutes now, and she'll be even better before I-day, or her report day to her NROTC unit. So quit feeling sorry for yourself or making excuses for why you can't, or why pushups shouldn't be required, and start doing whatever you can to improve as much as possible in the time you have.</p>
<p>I push myself on things that actually matter, that is. Doing heavy squats 3x a week (much, much more intense than pushups) and taking 5 ap tests and going for a 5 on every on. By the time I'm done my workouts, I physically can't handle any more. </p>
<p>I'm not that motivated to go to USNA, such that I'd switch up my whole life just to get in. I am who I am, and if they don't want me, I'm not going to go through a whole bunch of BS to fit their "perfect person" for the military.</p>
<p>I think I qualify for the USNA in my own way, and if they don't think so, that's fine. I have plenty of other options.</p>
<p>Sorry if I come off as harsh; I appreciate all of your help and responses.</p>
<p>Wow... Probably not the best response but I just wanted to say that yes, we all have our strenghts and weaknesses that set us apart (either in a good or bad way) from other candidate.</p>
<p>
push myself on things that actually matter
^^What really does matter? Not an appointment to the USNA and service to your country as an officer? Apologies for my densness and direct question; but how is being able to squat a heavy amount going to "matter" in the future?</p>
<p>I just wanted to add this:
I will be adding pushups to my routine, and I am willing to make some sacrifices to increase my odds of getting in USNA.</p>
<p>Squats help in pretty much every domain in physical fitness, whereas pushups help in a more limited range. </p>
<p>I meant moreso that I push myself academically, though I am already well qualified in this domain for USNA (if you see what I'm saying).</p>
<p>If I get nominated, I will def. change my priorities in life.</p>
<p>If you want some advice from a former enlisted diver, I'd say start with free weights.</p>
<p>If you are more than two weeks out, you should be doing mostly free weights and cardio. After you have solid strength gains, you can improve much faster in body weight muscle endurance exercises, like push ups. Make sure to hit everything, especially chest, tri's, and shoulders.</p>
<p>Mix pushups into the free weights one month out, though. At least by two weeks out, do them to failure three times a day, three sets each time, two days on, one day off. If you do them every day, your muscles will never have time to repair. If you hit a plateau, try one tactic at a time, reduced time between sets, forced reps, different types of pushups (google that ****). </p>
<p>And at least 50% is nutrition, lots of whole grain carbs, lean meat, fruits and veggies!</p>
<p>Could someone give us a more detailed description of how to do the basketball throw. I keep hearing that it is all about form, but I still do not understand how to do it right. My first attempts were way short of the goal.</p>
<p>Why do you think my priorities are backwards?</p>
<p>I'm not totally sure I want to go to the Academy yet, which influences how I prioritize things. I haven't even been to the Summer Seminar, who knows, Academy life might not be for me.</p>
<p>I have a lot of other options, I would likely get a full ride to UMCP and I already get free tuition to any MD school. I have the academic credentials to get significant scholarships at other places as well.</p>
<p>If you were truly dedicated you would change your priorities in your life, NOW to increase your chances of getting a nomination.</p>
<p>If you don't care if you get a nomination and appointment then just go ahead and apply. Don't do anything to prepare why waste your time? Then when your rejection letter comes you can blame it on the Academy's "irrelevant push up requirements".</p>
<p>honestly powerhawk from your comments you sound like a big arrogant a$$ (i wish i could truly state my mind) who cares only about what effects your current priorities and no one else. the academy does NOT want that. the military does not want that. no one wants that. you make excuses like they are part of your daily speech. as my coach once told me</p>
<p>"excuses are like armpits and a$$-holes. everyone has them and the all stink".</p>
<p>so please stop making excuses for every reason why you cant, and find reasons to just do what is required. if you want to do something, then get it done. dont give reasons why you cant. </p>
<p>i dont give a crap if you think you are hard core cause you lift. you honestly arent very good at it. you act like you are in incredible shape but believe me, you have barely scratched the surface of your potential. i dont care if people on this forum jump all over me for saying that to you. you need to hear it. we all need a good "slap in the face" occasionally. </p>
<p>if you want to achieve a goal, go for it. dont let your mental weakness hold you back. you can do more than you believe you can. your brain is by far the weakest part of your body. you can do more than your brain lets you believe. thats part of what boot camp and stuff is meant to teach you. so please take everyone's advice. work on your pushups and quit making excuses.</p>
<p>to those asking about basket ball throw, here is a short video where a goal keeper throws a ball in the form i mentioned. do it like this, but on your knees and it will soar.</p>
<p>To be honest, just don't apply. The honest truth is, you will NOT enjoy your first year at the Academy, and you might not enjoy the years after that. </p>
<p>The only thing that will keep you at the Academy is if YOU, and only YOU truly want to be there, and want to have a career as a Navy or Marine Corps officer AND call yourself a "U.S Naval Academy graduate". </p>
<p>There will be days at the Academy where these ideas and goals are the only thing that keep you from quitting.</p>
<p>If you are not committed to going to the Academy, then please let someone else who truly wants to be there go. For every person who gets accepted, another 10 will get rejected.</p>
<p>and btw, scubaguy is right. </p>
<p>Making great gains in the gym is different than the things the military needs. Sure, cool, you can bench 640 lbs and squat 1250. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, you can only lift 640lbs and 1250lbs if that weight is on a barbell. </p>
<p>Your body will make muscles according to what it needs. It's "bulk muscle" is what it is. In no way shape or form is it practical in everyday life. Sure, it's aesthetically pleasing, but that's all it is.</p>
<p>If you get where I'm going at. Benching 640lbs and doing 100 push ups, though they use the same muscle, are completely different and will require different training all together.</p>
<p>I don't mean to come off as arrogant, I am not that way in real life (I don't think so, anyway).</p>
<p>If I choose to go to the naval academy, trust me, I won't be doing it because I think I will like it. I think I have the motivation to get through if I need to.</p>
<p>I will do pushups/etc., whatever I need to do if I decide I want to go, but you have to remember, I am not sure I want to go yet! </p>
<p>It is one of the biggest decisions of my life!</p>
<p>I shouldn't have said I will only change my priorities if I nominated. I will change my priorities if I decide I want to get nominated.</p>
<p>You are right, this is the biggest decision of your life. Attending a SA and serving in the military is a serious commitment. You are right to be considering all options.
If you are a junior and will be attending NASS, you are begining the decision process. Visit the other schools you are considering this summer if you can. The SA application and nomination process begins much sooner than civilian schools.
If you decide to apply to USNA, please be committed. Remember there are lots of people applying who have always dreamed and work very hard to get into USNA.</p>
<p>powerhawk, you definitely come off as arrogant whether you intend to or not. I think that you should think before you post on here-most of what you have said about 'doing pushups' or not sounds to me like an argument within yourself. I don't think it does any good to start stirring everything up here about your decisions to lift weights or whatnot. The bottomline is that you need to make up your mind soon if you want to be serious about completing the application progress and being competitive for nomination(s)...with that in mind, I think that USNA2012Mom gives good advice (as always) and you should heed her words, in addition to many others' posts regarding your decision.</p>
<p>concerning NASS: go in there with a very positive attitude but remember, what you will do and see there is in a way very jaded. they will show you only the fun parts of the academy life and not the crap that people deal with every day. it is their advertisement to juniors so they want to attract and not repel candidates.</p>
<p>also realize, many (if not most) people who go there have wanted to go to USNA for many years. i decided in middle school that I wanted to be an officer in the Marine Corps and graduate from the academy. you are entering the application process a little late, especially if you are just now trying to build your resume or get fit enough or trying to decide if it is what you want. use NASS as this time. take it as a challenge, but also realize it is a very exciting and fun glimpse of only the best parts of academy life.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks for your advice, and thanks for helping motivate me. I found a perfect way to fit pushups in my routine. I will be doing them very often in the day, as was recommended earlier, but not so many that I am fatigued and can't do them the next day.</p>
<p>I hope I will be able to prove my (old) self wrong and do 70 pushups by June!</p>
<p>It does make sense that NASS would only show the best parts, and thanks for telling me that. I have a couple of books and a friend in the academy, so I have a general idea of all the rules/etc. that plebes go through.</p>
<p>I weigh 180, lift weights nearly every day and max the pushups portion on the PRT (101). So, it is possible to lift weights (which is something I thoroughly enjoy doing) and still be in the physical shape necessary to a large number of pushups. The key is balancing the two. When you're on an off day for lifting, do a good push up workout.</p>
<p>As for scubaguy17 and midshipman2012...neither of you are at USNA yet. I would heed your own advice about being cocky and arrogant, you, like powerhawk, have no idea what you're in store for, whether you went to NASS or not.</p>