<p>Ok, so according to Major Viles, the Great Lakes Admissions Advisor, I am a shoe-in academically at West Point. Furthermore, I received a nomination from a senator a few days ago. One problem: I can't do any dang pullups. The pullups are honestly the only thing keeping me out, and according to my advisor, I have to take the CfA in a couple weeks or else it may be too late. What am I supposed to do? I think my only option at this point in time is to go do rotc at a civilian college (I already got into the University of Michigan). Any suggestions?</p>
<p>Go to the gym, every day. Use a machine that helps push you up if you can't do a full pullup. Keep doing this untill you can do one unassited. If you live in Indianapolis I can help ya out! But otherwise, do pullups! Today!</p>
<p>Also, be doing pushups, situps, running...etc. But since you can't do pullups right now, focus on that!</p>
<p>Mike</p>
<p>Practice without hurting yourself. Hire a trainer for a couple sessions if you think it will help. Perform really, really well in the other parts of the CFA. You may be able to turn in your scores "unofficially" to see if they would be good enough to receive an appointment. Start today! And good luck.</p>
<p>Having a personal trainer help you for a couple of sessions is a good idea. Have you tried googling 'how to do pull ups' for some tips? Here is one site that has some advice. <a href="http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_033004,00.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Smith_033004,00.html</a>
I am sure I could not do one if my life depended on it. But you need to do it every day to build up strength. Good luck.</p>
<p>You may want to order "The Official Naval Academy Workout. If you can get through this, you can pass the CFA, Beast and the APFT.</p>
<p>thanks guys, but ive been training at the gym for a few months, and still, nothing. im hoping that by at least next year i can grind out 8 or so pullups at least, but thanks anyway.</p>
<p>Use the lat pulldown machine in the weight room and other workouts. Really work on your back and biceps because they are the muscle groups used in a pull up. Only practicing pullups won't do it.</p>
<p>Be careful about using "The Official Naval Academy Workout" - I can only assume it focuses on strengthening the wrist and fingers - all the better to be able to raise or lower the air conditioning control in their barracks.</p>
<p>Try a bar-dip machine with assisted weight, then decrease that weight incrementally, pull-ups are my worst section of the CFA so during weight training I will focus on that occasionally.</p>
<p>BigGreen,</p>
<p>You crack me up! :D :D</p>
<p>im not usually mean, but stop being a little bi#ch. are you seriously giving up on going to USMA because you "cant" do pullups? i promise you that if you actually worked and pushed yourself to increase your pullups you would. when i first started working out for the CFA i could only do 2-3, so i got a rope and a metal bar, hung it over a tree, and worked pullups til i cried. within 2 1/2 weeks i was up to 8. </p>
<p>if you truly want to go to westpoint, you'll man up and do what it takes to get there</p>
<p>UofM,
This may be a delicate question, but how much do you weigh? Are you somewhere you could healthily cut that weight? I've lost an embarassing amout of weight since graduation. Now that the Dean can't kick me out of the Army, I have more time for PT. I run almost like the demon I was in high school, and I can finally do pull ups again.</p>
<p>Think about it. It's easier for me to do pullups at only 120 pounds, than it was trying to do it with 140. </p>
<p>Also - climb ropes to build upperbody. It's an excellent, excellent workout.</p>
<p>Pull ups are tough. I am 6'5" and 200 lbs. It's tough to pull up that much weight and arm length.</p>
<p>Well I'm 5'9 165 which seems farely proportional and I did 9, i think its all just muscular strenght. I ran a 5:24 on the mile and I have schort legs, I think its just how hard you push yourself</p>
<p>bzzt: haha yes u are very right, and i am overweight. however, i still pass all the other exercises. i have a 7 exact mile time, which is amazing to what i used to run before the sls, and i can do a little over 50 pushups, depends on how im feeling. in fact, i used to stink at exercising before i found my enthusiasm for west point, and, well, i hope to continue improving my fitness. hopefully by next year, i can do pullups, and thanks to all who have given me tips on pullups.</p>
<p>brt2011, while i take no offense to what u said, i really dont have the time to practice all i want. i get 2 hours a day, and i want to improve my fitness holistically(as a whole). That means i have not just done back exercises and pullups for 3 months, i have also focused on other areas of my body and the cfa. and anyway, ur case is extreme, increasing ur pullups by 4 fold in 2 weeks is amazing, and i turly envy u. and no i have not given up on west point totally, my advisor just said that i have to turn in my cfa by next week, or else spots are going to be very limited, and only the cream of the crop will have any chance. while i am not considered a mediocre candidate, i am not one of the elite students who have perfect scores, are born leaders, and hardcore athletes. if i apply even a month from now, according to my advisor, those such ppl will be my competition.</p>
<p>and btw, im planning on doing army rotc next year with a 4 year scholarship. i qualified for it, so hopefully my cards fall in place and ill be in the long gray line of the class of '12.</p>
<p>by the way, fitness-wise im not exactly a typical west point candidate. pm me if ur really interested in this statement, but im sure u guys kno what i mean. pulling myself up with my current body is honestly next to impossible; id have to be incredibly strong... im running everyday tho to lose weight, and that is why im giving myself a year to do pullups.</p>
<p>Don't give up on yourself, man.</p>
<p>Pull ups are a difficult event, West Point wants to see how far a person will stretch themselves to earn their place in the Long Grey Line. Doing ROTC is an excellent idea it will show next year’s committee that you are committed to becoming an officer and not just the education. Besides 6 mile runs and 13 mile road marches will get you into shape. Doing military style PT I improved to 15 pull ups at 5' 10" and 180 pounds. Stay committed and hang tough, if George Rash can do it in Absolutely American so can you.</p>
<p>You might want to include negative pull ups. Since you’re not strong enough to do pull-ups, you can have a trainer assist you to the top of the movement and then you very slowly lower your own body weight. You will work the muscle in a different way, incorporating additional muscle fibers and promoting strength gains.</p>
<p>I thought George Rash flunked out on physical fitness. Anyway, that doesn't mean that you have to. If there's a will, there's a way.</p>