# Does it look bad?



## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

So it is deceided...I want to join. Well I've been wanting this for a looong time but my life took a different direction unfortunatly. Today is day one of crossfit training which i intend to do 3 times a week. I am also doing the Paleo way of eating. I will trow in there some swimming session, running 2-3 times a week and practice my push up because i really suck at it. I refuse to put in my application right now because i cant even do 1 full nice military push up...I will consider myself ready to join when i can do my 9 push ups, plenty of chin up and a good run  without trowing up my last meal  :nodAm 33 years old female). I am the kind of person that expect much for herself and i will not set myself for failure. also...my spouse is an instructor in St-Jean and I do know a bunch of people there (they are my circle of friends) so failure is not an option for me. Now here is my question; I am very aware that many position will be opening in April but I do not feel ready physically to put in my application right at this moment. I've been told to do it anyways and if the recruiting center calls me I can just say no for now and they will call some other time to offer me again later down the road. I feel like this does not look too good on a file...now am I wrong??
Oh and feel free to give away any advice. I have been snooping around the forums here, harrassing my friends at the base and ask away my questions but what I could more of trainning suggestions...
Thanks!!

**If you don't stand behind our troops then feel free to stand in front of them!


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## Pusser (16 Feb 2012)

I don't know why everyone gets so worked up over chin-ups.  There is NO requirement to be able to do chin-ups in the CF, unless it is a personal goal,  if you want to jump out of serviceable aircraft or perhaps for Special Forces (I'm not sure on that one).  For everyone else, the ExPres Test is fine and the only strength tests are push-ups, sit-ups and the grip test.


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

Pusser said:
			
		

> I don't know why everyone gets so worked up over chin-ups.



Nowhere in her post is she getting "worked up" over chinups.


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## Maxadia (16 Feb 2012)

If I were you, looking at some of the wait times that people have posted, apply now.  

As for training, perhaps trying this might help in the short term:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/how-1-minute-intervals-can-improve-our-health/


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## Occam (16 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Nowhere in her post is she getting "worked up" over chinups.



Well, she did say 



> I will consider myself ready to join when i can do my 9 push ups, plenty of chin up  and a good run  without trowing up my last meal



which would imply that if she can't do plenty of chin ups, she wouldn't consider herself ready to join - which is an incorrect assumption, as Pusser points out.  I'd call that getting worked up over the wrong thing.


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> I'd call that getting worked up over the wrong thing.



She was not getting worked up and certainly not over the wrong thing. Working on doing chin-ups is not a bad thing. Its not because something isn't on the expres test that its not a good idea to work on it.


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## SentryMAn (16 Feb 2012)

I did many many many chin ups on Basic.  It wasn't a part of the pass/fail portion of it but you woudl get yelled at if you were not completing them in a timely manner.

Suggestion: Apply now, they won't be calling before April.  Continue your training mix up your work outs a lot if your just starting to work out.


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## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> She was not getting worked up and certainly not over the wrong thing. Working on doing chin-ups is not a bad thing. Its not because something isn't on the expres test that its not a good idea to work on it.



Thanks to the both of you! I am not "work up" on the chin up part...but to me it is part of being fit. I do know that it would help me greatly if I can do them for activities like; monkey bars, the 12 foot wall with the rope in Farnham...and it is upper body strenght! Which we need. Am more nervous about the damns push ups. BUT motivated to do them. I will be able to do my 10 push ups!! I will!! I will!!


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## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

SentryMAn said:
			
		

> I did many many many chin ups on Basic.  It wasn't a part of the pass/fail portion of it but you woudl get yelled at if you were not completing them in a timely manner.
> 
> Suggestion: Apply now, they won't be calling before April.  Continue your training mix up your work outs a lot if your just starting to work out.



Thanks! I really do appreciate the suggestion/encouragement!!  :nod:


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

armywife78 said:
			
		

> Which we need.



It's like i know what i am talking about or something eh ?

Good luck.


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## ttlbmg (16 Feb 2012)

I'm not sure that it would look "bad" if you refused a position with the CF, but I do understand what you mean by that. You don't want to turn something down and make them think that you're not that interested. I guess it depends on what you want as a trade. If you call the recruitment center and ask them maybe for some projected numbers for your chosen trade, maybe that might give you an idea of how many they might accept for the year. (are you hoping to get in this year? Or are you willing to wait longer?) It might be good to get everything together and then put in the application in April no matter what. 

Also, if you wanted, I am sure that the PSP staff at the base can put together something for you to build up your upper body strength. My friend, that is currently in the ROTP program, has the same issue, she really wants to increase her upper body strength. The PSP staff mentioned that she might want to work on strength training in addition to crossfit. (she does crossfit, yoga, running) I think, given a few months, you will be there at that push-up goal. Honestly, apply now, and complete everything you can, that way when you're ready to go, everything will be done.

Good luck in your workouts and application! Good luck on the chin ups too


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## Maxadia (16 Feb 2012)

There's an iPhone app for 100 push ups, if you need to find a training schedule to start with.  You can find the online website too.


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## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

Thanks for the iphone app suggestion! and to the one suggestion of psp staff...yes great idea!! I also never thought of asking the recruit center the numbers for the upcoming year. What a great idea!! You guys are awesome! See, team work; one of the reason I want to join!  :nod:


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## Occam (16 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> It's like i know what i am talking about or something eh ?



Or something.   



			
				SentryMAn said:
			
		

> I did many many many chin ups on Basic.  It wasn't a part of the pass/fail portion of it but you woudl get yelled at if you were not completing them in a timely manner.



They're going to yell at you even if you are doing them in a timely manner.  Seems pointless to me to be overly concerned about how many chinups you can do when it isn't part of the standard.  Sure, it contributes to overall fitness, like any other exercise does, but you may as well concentrate on what you're going to be tested on and let them waste air yelling at you over chinups.   

During Cornwallis, I couldn't climb that stupid rope in a timely manner to save my life, and got no end of screaming directed at me because of it.  But I sure could do pushups - which are what mattered.


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> Seems pointless to me to be overly concerned



She just said that she's not overly concerned.



> may as well concentrate on what you're going to be tested



Train for the test eh ?

Lovely attitude  :


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## Occam (16 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Train for the test eh ?
> 
> Lovely attitude  :



Yes.  It's a fine attitude.  I can guarantee you weren't studying friendly radar parameters when you were going to have a PO check on hostile radar parameters.

Know what happens if you fail an Expres test?  You get remedial PT.  Doing running, push-ups, and sit-ups.  Once you pass the standard, you're expected to maintain that level of fitness as a minimum, but encouraged to improve on it by doing a more well-rounded fitness routine.

I suppose the PSP people have been doing Remedial PT all wrong?

You only get a limited number of weeks at BMQ.  When you have limited time, you train to beat the standard.  If you want to only have to do it once, then ensuring you can meet the minimum standard (and pushups aren't part of the standard) is wise.


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## SentryMAn (16 Feb 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> Yes.  It's a fine attitude.  I can guarantee you weren't studying friendly radar parameters when you were going to have a PO check on hostile radar parameters.
> 
> Know what happens if you fail an Expres test?  You get remedial PT.  Doing running, push-ups, and sit-ups.  Once you pass the standard, you're expected to maintain that level of fitness as a minimum, but encouraged to improve on it by doing a more well-rounded fitness routine.
> 
> ...



In BMQ/BMOQ if you fail the first Express test without hitting the minimum standards, 3 push-ups for Females and 6 for males then you are removed from platoon and places in PAR platoon and swiftly discharged.  This happened on my platoon to 3 cadets(2 females and a male), they were removed from the platoon that very day and discharged from the military shortly after.

Training to exceed standards should always be the norm, not the exception in a perfect world.


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## ttlbmg (16 Feb 2012)

Armywife (getting back on topic) where are you applying out of? If you don't have a recruitment center really close you can always contact the main center, although I find the local ones a little friendlier. I see a lot of people posting on here that they don't want to pester the centers, but I have never experienced anyone that was "annoyed" that I contacted them. Also, if your husband knows anyone (you said he was at St. Jean?) Maybe they could run you through an expres test, to see where you are at, and where you need to be.


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## Occam (16 Feb 2012)

I was talking about _Life After BMQ_.   ;D

Yes, when in a limited window of training like BMQ, training to exceed standards should be the norm.  Exceeding the min pushups, min situps, min shuttle run and min grip test.  Not chinups...

Once you've passed BMQ, you can do chinups, one-arm pushups, crunches, whatever to your heart's content because it builds total fitness.  Let them scream at you for chinups during BMQ, it's part of the training....not part of the standard.

/ends my part of the discussion


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

Occam said:
			
		

> Know what happens if you fail an Expres test?



Yes, i am familiar. As a WO, remedial measures for PT is on my list of things i deal with.

Yes, you have it all wrong. 

While chin-ups are not on the test, they are done on BMQ. While getting yelled at is no big deal, having the ability to deal with doing chin-ups means you endure them that much better and that leaves you with energy to endure BMQ better. You recover from your day faster and that leaves energy and capacity to do the things for which you are evaluated. 

Theres more to fitness at BMQ than just completing the CF Expres test.


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## Pusser (16 Feb 2012)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Nowhere in her post is she getting "worked up" over chinups.



As OCCAM pointed out, she does imply that she doesn't want to enroll until she can do some chin-ups.  She is not the only one on here that I have seen make a statement like this (hence the "everyone" to which I referred).  I never said that training for chin-ups was a bad thing.  I just said that it's not worth worrying about and an inability to do them certainly isn't something that anyone should delay joining over.

I sucked at the Flexed Arm Hang in elementary school and I don't think I've ever done a real chin-up in my entire life.  Nor have I ever been required to in 30 years of service.  Yet, I don't feel less of a human being as a result of this,  I have successfully climbed plenty of walls (although I prefer to go around or through them) and in 18 years of tight-five rugby, there have been plenty of opponents who will testify to my overall strength.


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## kenmnuggas (16 Feb 2012)

Would it be at all possible to hammer out a communally understood definition of what 'getting worked up' means before this turns into 14 pages of people getting worked up?


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## aesop081 (16 Feb 2012)

I'm working up an appetite. How's that ?

 ;D

OP:

Join when you're ready to, based on your own judgement.


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## armywife78 (16 Feb 2012)

haha! ok you guys...i am not so concern with the chin up..i really want to do them so that i can really do whatever they ask me too without struggling. I am not going to be one of them sent to fatcamp. No thanks. Liek someone else mentionned here, i do not believe in people joining without being in shape. My man is an instructor in St-Jean...horrible stories i hear constantly. To be military is not only to have a title and look good in front of people when you mention what you do for a living. For me being military is not only a job but a way of living your life which includes sports, fitness etc etc. I want to do this for myself and make my country proud. Somebody said that perhaps a PSP or recruiter could give me a express test...that is a great idea. But contrairly to many guests here i have done sooo much search that I know exactly what is going to happen and how it will happen. AND thank God for the episodes of Basic up!! And...when I do not do the dishes, hubby makes me do sit ups  lol I love it!!!


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## Miller97 (16 Feb 2012)

armywife78 said:
			
		

> push up...I will consider myself ready to join when i can do my 9 push ups, plenty of chin up and a good run  without trowing up my last meal  :nodAm 33 years old female).



Don't aim for just 9.. aim for 25, and then aim for 50, always do more then what is asked, doing the bare minimum is half assed, I'd rather fight alongside someone who can struggle to do 25 when the minimum is 19 or in your case 9, it will make you feel more rewarded in the end..

Good Luck


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## Jarnhamar (16 Feb 2012)

I did 20 chin ups the other day.

No big deal.


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## PMedMoe (16 Feb 2012)

I couldn't do a chin up to save my life.

No big deal.


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## micah (16 Feb 2012)

Hey armywife78,

Have you very tried going to a climbing wall? I definitely noticed a difference in my upper body since I started climbing. About a month ago I couldn't even do one push up, but now I can do about 3-4 good ones. I still have a while to go but I feel thankful that a friend recommended this to me.

Best of luck.


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## brian8225 (16 Feb 2012)

micah said:
			
		

> Hey armywife78,
> 
> Have you very tried going to a climbing wall? I definitely noticed a difference in my upper body since I started climbing. About a month ago I couldn't even do one push up, but now I can do about 3-4 good ones. I still have a while to go but I feel thankful that a friend recommended this to me.
> 
> Best of luck.



If you want to get good at pushups, start doing more pushups. Same with running or almost anything else in life  The simplest answer is the best one here.

This is a good place to start: http://hundredpushups.com/index.html 

I would think most don't get to 100 in 6 weeks but if you knock off a few sets multiple time per week you'll be on your way. Pushups require no equipment and you can do them almost anywhere. Waiting for your food to cook? bang out a set on the kitchen floor. Off to bed? Crank out a set before you hit the hay.


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## Maxadia (16 Feb 2012)

There's several iPhone apps and websites as well....for chin ups, pull ups, squats, pushups, etc.


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