# I am not doing enough, am I?



## khpark (5 Aug 2012)

I am a 24 year old male who submitted his application on late May, and taking the CFAT on 7th.  I know I am not a fit type so I've been doing some work outs since submitting the application.  

Currently I do a PT pyramid, (here's the link on explaining what it is, http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/pt-pyramid) 2.4km run, (trying to get the time under 11 mins) with few mins of rest and another 1km of running.  I finish it off by doing proper 20 push ups and 20 sit ups.  I do this for 6 days and have one day off.

I don't have an access to the gyms due to current financial problems (being a recent poor graduate).  I am looking for advices on what I can do to make this work out more efficient in terms of strength and endurance building.


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## Blackadder1916 (5 Aug 2012)

I'm sure there will be "PT fanatics" by to offer their advice.  I am not one and readily admit that my level of fitness since retiring from the military has dropped considerably.  But there was a time when soldiers under my command were of the (likely mistaken) impression that I was a "runner".  So take what I present with that caveat.

You probably aren't doing enough.  Even if you've just started into a fitness regime, that's not a lot of running.  Don't think of it as doing "X" distance and trying to reduce your time, all you are training for is meeting the (US Army) PT test.  If my assumption is correct you are now running about 18 to 20 minutes (if that).  Double it, try to maintain a steady pace, but don't get wrapped around the axle if you slow down as you get tired, just don't stop.  You should aim for a 5km circuit to begin with (if you can't go that far in the allotted time, make it shorter) and when you are able to go the distance in less than the time you allot for running, increase the distance, don't cut the time.

Push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups.  The best way to get better and stronger is to do lots.  Just including 20 at the end of your workout isn't going to result in much.  One suggestion I have (that I've used myself as well as offered to soldiers who were weak) is to incorporate push-ups and sit-ups (and to a lesser extent pull-ups) into daily activities.  Now I know that if one were to "drop and do 20" in the middle of the mall, they would probably be thought loony.  While it is not the same as a full push-up, one suggestion is to do inclined push-ups (or rather push-offs).  Anytime you are at a waist high fixed point like the vanity in the bathroom, the kitchen sink, dining table, other heavy furniture or even a stairs adopt an inclined position and crank out push-offs.  As for the number that you should do, that would depend on your strength and current ability to do proper push-ups but doing 20 or 40, or 60 in one or two minutes everytime you hit those locations will add a lot of daily reps without significantly changing your schedule.  (I also found the less strenuous inclined push-offs easier when trying to get back in shape while trying to recover from a shoulder injury).  If you can do full push-ups now, all the better, just do more, lots more.  For sit-ups, it could be anytime you are in the bedroom (after waking in the morn, before hitting the fart sack, anytime you enter your bedroom), anytime you sit down in front of the TV it becomes mandatory to do a set and additional ones each time you haul your carcass out of the chair to get more snacks.  Get the idea?  Pull-ups are a bit more problematic, you need an apparatus (well, a bar).  I've had one for over 25 years, that's moved with me and gets installed in an appropriate doorway, anytime you go through that door you have to hit the bar.

As for reps per set and training goals, that's something you'll have to figure out for yourself.  The regime that I described I adapted from a book I got about 25 years ago, "The Marine Corps 3X Fitness Program" by Martin Cohen.

Edited to add:

The shoulder injury that I referred to above was a torn Labrum, that occurred while I was doing push-ups.  Irony!


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## Towards_the_gap (5 Aug 2012)

No you are not doing enough.

I don't know what trade you are going for but if you want to excel, and not just succeed, at BMQ and further, you should be aiming for a 9 min 2.4km, and much more than 20 sit-ups and push-ups.

Just doing what you are doing until you join means you will plateaue and not go anywhere, PT wise. Change your routine up. Try hill reps (find a steep hill, about 50-75m from bottom to top, sprint to top, jog back down, repeat 10 times) interspersed with pushups, plyometric pushups, pull-ups and planks (side and straight). Or, if you live in a city, run around the block at about 70%, and time yourself. Rest for the same amount of time that it took you to run the block, then run it again (10x). Then once or twice a week run 3-5km, increasing after 4 weeks to 5-7km. You should aim to be running at a 5:30 min/km pace. Alternate your running days with days where you do body weight exercises, done in 30min sessions (pushups, pull ups, squats, burpees, etc). 

None of the above require gym membership.


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## exuberance (5 Sep 2012)

I advise you to get a book called "Body by Science" http://www.amazon.com/Body-Science-Research-Program-Results/dp/0071597174

One of the authors explains the cell structure and how it works.  How the metabolism cycles and what kind of adaptions your body makes with high intensity training versus, low intensity training.  Explains why high intensity training is so much more benefitial... 

I can personally attest to what he says in it. I've been doing crossfit for two years. (high intensity weight moving BS) never trained for long distance running, ever. (I hate it) anyway. I signed up for a death race type event. During the work up I had to run 15km. I was able to do it in 72 minutes.  From what I've learned and experienced, high intensity (strength) training is the best course of action if you want to be fit.

A lot of people here probably will not like it or agree with it but the authors also advocate only working out once a week. The purposes being, they find that you'll get relatively the same results without the wear and tear or working out multiple times a week.  The book is all about *health* and fitness.

I think it's really important for you to know what it is you're doing to your body in pursuit of "health and fitness"...  this book will shine a really bright light on it and I'm sure you'll learn a lot and be able to figure out relatively easily the best structure you need to pursue your goals.

Good luck man,

Also, it may be worth looking into a primal diet...


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## Devo3733 (5 Sep 2012)

Get a dufflebag or something (old military ones actually work great) and fill it with sand, rocks, whatever you would like and duct tape the crap out of it.  Now work with it ALL THE TIME.  Pick it up, put it over head, drop it.  Pick it up again.  Try throwing it.  Toss it on your back and run around, do squats, climb stairs.   Lie on the ground and press it.  Put it on your back and do pushups, heave it onto 1 should and do lunges.  Dirt cheap and it will be great full body exercise!
As far as an actual routine I'd really recommend a mix of max strength and high rep work for getting both strong and conditioned.  More muscle is great, but you should be able to work that muscle for a long time.  Low weight high rep stuff like 50-60 curls with an empty bar, hold something roughly 20 lbs. in front of you and do squats for 5 minutes, that kind of stuff.
If you can't afford specific heavy things like a big weight set, any pawn shop should have 20-30 lb. dumbells.  grab a pair and start doing as many reps for as many sets as you can.

And, of course, run a lot.


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## blacktriangle (5 Sep 2012)

khpark said:
			
		

> I am a 24 year old male who submitted his application on late May, and taking the CFAT on 7th.  I know I am not a fit type so I've been doing some work outs since submitting the application.
> 
> Currently I do a PT pyramid, (here's the link on explaining what it is, http://www.military.com/military-fitness/fitness-test-prep/pt-pyramid) 2.4km run, (trying to get the time under 11 mins) with few mins of rest and another 1km of running.  I finish it off by doing proper 20 push ups and 20 sit ups.  I do this for 6 days and have one day off.
> 
> I don't have an access to the gyms due to current financial problems (being a recent poor graduate).  I am looking for advices on what I can do to make this work out more efficient in terms of strength and endurance building.



Run further. Mix shorter, faster runs, with longer, slower runs. Do pushups often - try for 25 a set and do more sets.  Find a park with bar that you can do pull ups or chin ups on. Do air squats, do lunges, do wind sprints, do leg lifts, sit ups, burpees...hold the plank. 

You don't need to ever set foot in a gym to be in great shape for basic.


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## khpark (6 Sep 2012)

Didn't expect replies to be still posted.  I've been increasing my running distance weekly, and I've just started on my 6km week.  Trying to run it below 30 mins (I got 27 mins and 42 secs on the first try but I might have missed a lap :/).  Before the run, I do the PT pyramid (sans chin ups but I try to do some of it after the run) and 200 leg raises and 200 bicycle crunches.  (All of this happens between 7 to 9 in the morning).  Also I'm doing 20 pushups and 20 situps hourly when I am at home.  

Could someone tell me whether this is a good enough lunch?
1 banana, 45 to 50 almonds, 8 cherry pits, a granola bar and a cup of soy milk.  My lunches for the past  month has been like this and I'd like an opinion if this seems to have enough protein and other essential nutrients?


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## Devo3733 (6 Sep 2012)

I have a good food tracker program called fitness buddy for iphone and ipad, I'd really recommend checking it out.

Punching in your lunch you have:

674 calories
Carbs: 90g
Fat: 33g
Protein: 20g
Sugar: 48g

I'm no nutritionist, and every individual is different, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt.  To me if that's a general snapshot of your diet it's far too low on protein and too high on carbs.  I personally do about 40% protein, 40% fats, and only 20% carbs in total calories, then again I've been training for mass and strength, with less emphasis on the distance stuff.  That looks like a vegetarian meal so best recommendation I can make is start adding things like beans and other high protein vegetarian fair.

With the PT if you're not able to do chin-ups then you should be upping the number of pushups considerably to try and make up the difference.  Also a great piece of ab training gear is a simple ab wheel, you can find one for like 15 bucks at a fitness store and and works every part of your core, and works it hard.  With all of this increased pushing up, ab working, and running, you're really gonna want to increase your protein to repair all the damage being done.  Without it you can "lean out" for sure, but you're not going to build the new muscle to help make those chins and pushups a breeze.  A fairly common rule of thumb is 1 gram protein per pound of bodyweight.


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## Pusser (6 Sep 2012)

Sometimes I think folks take the physical fitness requirements for BMQ a little bit too seriously.  The way some folks talk, you would think that the CF is made up entirely of muscle-bound triathletes and the only reason they're not on the Olympic team is that their dedication to the defence of the nation takes precedence.  Sadly, that's just not the case.  Instead, the CF is made up of a lot of very average people for whom, I would argue, the collective level of health and fitness is only marginally above that of the general population.  Yes there are a lot of people who are exceptionally fit, but then there are also a lot who are not.

Some folks will show up at BMQ with a good level of fitness.  Some folks will show up in exceptional shape and will actually gain weight  and go down in fitness because the course won't challenge them enough.  There will also be a few who won't have done a thing beforehand and will struggle.  Some folks will fail out over fitness, so it's good that you want to be proactive and get in shape before you get there.  It will make things easier, but don't get too stressed about it.  Did the recruiting centre give you a pamphlet on preparing for BMQ (they used to do that).  If they did, that's a good starting point.

Here is my personal advice on getting ready:

1) Eat a normal diet.  When I say normal, I mean what most people would consider a normal balanced diet including lots of fruits and vegetables with reasonable amounts of cabohydrates and protein.  Unless you need to lose or gain a significant amount of weight, don't do anything strange (e.g. 45-50 almonds? Eight cherry *pits*?  Eat the cherries.  Spit out the pits).  Have a sandwich and eat a diet you can stick to.  If you deprive yourself or force yourself to eat things you don't enjoy, you will fail.  If you're really concerned about this, talk to a professional nutritionist/dietician, not some dude at the gym.  In my opinion, if you're eating a proper diet, you should have no need for supplements.

2)  Exercise, but don't get stupid.  It is worth noting that the CF has recently come out against any kind of extreme fitness training (e.g. "crossfit").  Here's what I do:

a)  Bicycle to and from work (about 30-35 minutes each way) three days per week.  Not only is this good cardio exercise, it's cheaper than driving or taking the bus and is also more comfortable and faster than the bus.  Furthermore, it kills to two birds with one stone.  I use a heart rate monitor and try to stay in "Zone 3" for the trip.

b)  Rugby practice two days per week (I bicycle to and from that too).  Soon to be replaced with hockey twice a week.

c)  Weight training two days per week.  I start with some light cardio (stationary bike and elliptical) to get the blood flowing and then do a "full-body" workout to cover all the muscle groups.  My goal is to build endurance and tone, so I work with lighter weights and do more reps than I would if I was trying to bulk up.  These workouts also include push-ups and sit-ups in strict accordance with the CF protocol to ensure that my "muscle-memory" will tell that it feels right on the test.  The "test" (which is the thing you really need to worry about on BMQ) is the CF ExPres Test and consists of:

 1) 20m shuttle run (run 20m turn, run back, repeat until you reach the required stage).  Each stage is one minute.  Stage 1 is a slow jog and each additional stage increases in speed by 0.5km/h.  The stage required to pass is determined by age and sex.

2)  Grip test.  You squeeze a measuring device with each hand.  Again pass level is determined by age and sex.

3)  As many continuous push-ups as you can do.  Once you stop the test is over, but there is no time limit.  Pass level is, you guessed it, determined by sex and age.

4)  As many sit-ups as you can do in one minute.  Do I need to repeat the age and sex thing?

With exercise, just like your diet, it has to fit with your lifestyle, or you will give up.  Recognize, you may have to change your lifestyle.  I do not suggest you adopt any kind of routine that revolves around three-hour daily workouts or exotic diets.  You won't be able to keep these up once you get into CF training and the result of that can be quite damaging.  Be careful of repetitive strain injuries.  Give your muscles time to recover.  Aerobic exercise (e.g. running, cycling, other cardio) needs about 24 hours of recovery time, while anaerobic activities (e.g. weight training) require at least 48 hours.

Finally, realize that there is a lot more to BMQ than physical fitness.  You need to concentrate on what they're teaching you and pass the tests.


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## exuberance (6 Sep 2012)

Pusser said:
			
		

> Give your muscles time to recover.  Aerobic exercise (e.g. running, cycling, *other cardio*) needs about 24 hours of recovery time, while anaerobic activities (e.g. weight training) require at least 48 hours.
> 
> Finally, realize that there is a lot more to BMQ than physical fitness.  You need to concentrate on what they're teaching you and pass the tests.


You've given some great advice.

I'd like to share something that you've helped bring to mind and that is, ..._other cardio_...  like weight training?  do three repititions of some heavy clean and jerks and try to say you're not working your cardiovascular system.
high intensity strength training probably does more for your cardiovascular system than multiple 30 minute jogs ever will.  I can't get into the science beacuse well, I've only read a couple books, what the hell do I know?  (I know what I've experienced... see above)  

Dr. Doug McGuff really sold me on high intensity strength training and the primal diet...  just saying and that's after torturing myself with constant crossfit workouts. (stupid, right?)

just something else to think about...


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## Vanguard48 (13 Oct 2012)

Awesome reply Pusser!

This was just the advice I was looking for! 

Right now I do a all muscle group workout that ranges from 10, 12, 15 reps adding 5 lbs per cycle, as well as a Cardio session afterwards running at 8.5 MPH (So far) and achieving 2.65 miles in 25:00 minutes using 1 minute rest and 2 minute running intervals. 

Obviously I got way more hard work ahead of me.


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## shadownet (3 Nov 2012)

Pusser said:
			
		

> Sometimes I think folks take the physical fitness requirements for BMQ a little bit too seriously.  The way some folks talk, you would think that the CF is made up entirely of muscle-bound triathletes and the only reason they're not on the Olympic team is that their dedication to the defence of the nation takes precedence.  Sadly, that's just not the case.  Instead, the CF is made up of a lot of very average people for whom, I would argue, the collective level of health and fitness is only marginally above that of the general population.  Yes there are a lot of people who are exceptionally fit, but then there are also a lot who are not.
> 
> Some folks will show up at BMQ with a good level of fitness.  Some folks will show up in exceptional shape and will actually gain weight  and go down in fitness because the course won't challenge them enough.  There will also be a few who won't have done a thing beforehand and will struggle.  Some folks will fail out over fitness, so it's good that you want to be proactive and get in shape before you get there.  It will make things easier, but don't get too stressed about it.  Did the recruiting centre give you a pamphlet on preparing for BMQ (they used to do that).  If they did, that's a good starting point.
> 
> ...



Wow, gee, thanks! This really helped me! No joke! I can always jog to work and back unless the weather really forbids that. What's a couple inches of rain gonna do? I will heed this advice for sure!


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## Guelph (9 Apr 2013)

Pusser said:
			
		

> Sometimes I think folks take the physical fitness requirements for BMQ a little bit too seriously.  The way some folks talk, you would think that the CF is made up entirely of muscle-bound triathletes and the only reason they're not on the Olympic team is that their dedication to the defence of the nation takes precedence.  Sadly, that's just not the case.  Instead, the CF is made up of a lot of very average people for whom, I would argue, the collective level of health and fitness is only marginally above that of the general population.  Yes there are a lot of people who are exceptionally fit, but then there are also a lot who are not.
> 
> Some folks will show up at BMQ with a good level of fitness.  Some folks will show up in exceptional shape and will actually gain weight  and go down in fitness because the course won't challenge them enough.  There will also be a few who won't have done a thing beforehand and will struggle.  Some folks will fail out over fitness, so it's good that you want to be proactive and get in shape before you get there.  It will make things easier, but don't get too stressed about it.  Did the recruiting centre give you a pamphlet on preparing for BMQ (they used to do that).  If they did, that's a good starting point.
> 
> ...



That is THE BEST ADVICE, period. Very wise and non-extreme (nutjob) style, if I may be so bold.


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## UndeadMutation (2 Oct 2013)

Hey, first of all, sorry to reply here. I just feel like opening up a new thread for a simple question is just useless and since this is in relation to the topic, I guess it would be relevant. Anyways, I'm currently working out a couple days a week and doing 10km to 20km on bike 5 days a week. Do you guys think I should push myself harder for BMQ?
 :bowing:


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## PuckChaser (2 Oct 2013)

UndeadMutation said:
			
		

> Hey, first of all, sorry to reply here. I just feel like opening up a new thread for a simple question is just useless and since this is in relation to the topic, I guess it would be relevant. Anyways, I'm currently working out a couple days a week and doing 10km to 20km on bike 5 days a week. Do you guys think I should push myself harder for BMQ?



Depends if you want to barely pass, or suceed. You'll learn quickly that the minimum acceptable level of effort is not all that acceptable in most places in the CF.


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## Pusser (3 Oct 2013)

UndeadMutation said:
			
		

> Hey, first of all, sorry to reply here. I just feel like opening up a new thread for a simple question is just useless and since this is in relation to the topic, I guess it would be relevant. Anyways, I'm currently working out a couple days a week and doing 10km to 20km on bike 5 days a week. Do you guys think I should push myself harder for BMQ?
> :bowing:



From what you've described, I think you should be fine.


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## Zulopol (14 Mar 2014)

I suggest you to do more push up and sit up all the other day !


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## x_para76 (14 Mar 2014)

Life said:
			
		

> Hey, first of all, sorry to reply here. I just feel like opening up a new thread for a simple question is just useless and since this is in relation to the topic, I guess it would be relevant. Anyways, I'm currently working out a couple days a week and doing 10km to 20km on bike 5 days a week. Do you guys think I should push myself harder for BMQ?
> :bowing:



First of all IMO there is no such thing as showing up for course too fit. Your fitness level is the only thing you have control over before you start your courses. The course staff will throw all kinds of crap at your to increase your stress level but if you're fit and you don't struggle with the PT then that's one less stress for you to deal with. Furthermore unless things have changed since I went through you're gonna a do a lot more running than cycling and although cycling is good cardio it's still not the same as running. The best way to train for a lot of running is to run.


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## The_Falcon (15 Mar 2014)

Zulopol said:
			
		

> I suggest you to do more push up and sit up all the other day !



Posting onto old threads is good, when it's still RELEVANT.  Case in point this thread was started 2 years ago by someone who hasn't been active on the site in over a year.  Add to your post count my commenting on something more RELEVANT.

locked.


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