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Sit-Ups

  • Thread starter Thread starter Veteran`s son
  • Start date Start date
In addition to Fusaki‘s post,
Polkovnik wrote, "I dont think that Canada‘s army has tough physical requirements".

What leads you to think the CAF doesn‘t have tough
physical requirements? What are you using for comparasions or background information?
 
"what i meant was 35 is a bit too late to be >joining< the army, that doesnt go for everyone ofcourse, everybody is different, if you have the energy and the ambition go for it."

Well I think anyone who joins and is not out of high school or college, is willing to give up a lot when they join the CF. And I think says alot about what type of person they are. I‘m 33 this what I want, this the career I want. I think once I‘m in I‘ll make a much better solier than that guy out of school who just doesn‘t take it seriously because they have no idea where their life going and the military is only a spot on that road for them. Of course not everyone, just out school is like that. But sure many are. Yes someone who is 20 most likely is in better shape, but so what. I can still do that job and do it well. Life experience is very important.

"I dont think that Canada‘s army has tough physical requirements,"

These requiremenets are for getting into the CF. Your going to basic and they will make you better. If you put the bar too high, then no one will get in. Look at society, schools are cutting back on gym time, parents drive their kids everywhere, and they eat junk and spend more time inside than out. The point of basic is that you start as a civi and become a soldier, and they push you too that higher level. You can‘t pass Infantry school is you just meet the physical requirements for getting into basic.
 
Speaking for myself, I am sure that I am not as physically fit as most people!

However, I will be going to the gym (starting tomorrow)to get in the best physical shape that I can(along with pushups/situps daily)!

I may be over 35 years old but if I am fortunate enough to be sworn into the CF Reserves, I will work really hard to be the best soldier that I can be! :)

I would consider it an honor and be grateful to serve and wear the uniform of a CF Reservist!

One of the reasons that I want to join is in memory of my Dad who served 31 years as a Regular Force member of the Canadian Forces. I would be proud to serve in the CF as Dad did for many years! :cdn:

However, I want to join for myself also as joining the CF would be an excellent opportunity to learn a trade and discipline to help me be the the best soldier that I can.

If I try my very best to be successful as a CF applicant and then member, my best is all that I can do, right?
 
I have many friends in Canadian army, some of them are in reserves some work part time. Some are in military college. I know a few guys who work in U.S army.

I have not served in the Canadian army, but I am thinking about it,

I have 2 brothers, one of them is in the Russian interior army (OMON), they are contract soldiers, my other brother was a marine, but then he had an injury and was signed off. My father was a colonel in the soviet army.
I have been 2 years in Russian army, but i had no choice whether to go or not, then I worked in Germany for a while.

Thats why I‘m saying that all armies are different,

I heard somewhere that army will pay for University education, but then I have to work for 4 or 5 years in the army, is this true?
 
I think that a person in their 30‘s and 40‘s make fine reserve soldiers. Remember, the militia is a citizen army first and formost, and does not have the same military responsibilities that their reg force counterparts have. Deployments are voluntary, and training is done secondarily to civilian commitments.

That being said, I find a great deal of reservists at all ages less active than they should be. Quite frankly, some of the fittest reservists that I know are in their 30‘s right now, but this is just my experience.
 
True, but everything has to be put into context.
Polkovnik‘s comments from my understanding reflect the whole CAF, every MOC, not just BMQ, the infantry or distinquishing beween regs or reserves.

One wouldn‘t expect a sailor, an airman, or a cook to have the same physical fitness level as a light infantry parachutist. Some MOCs require specialized or advanced skill sets. As an example made earlier, you can‘t expect a 19 year old ATIS tech to have the same experience as a 30 year old with prior civilian experience. The CAF needs both physical and skill set capability found in all age groups as explained to me by the Recruiter.
 
Actually, referring to his original question on the previous page, he is referring to the army.
 
Veteran‘s Son, I think you should just keep pursuing the reserves. Don‘t get so caught up in what tests and stuff need to be done, just do it. As you go through the process, you will understand it better, become stronger, and enjoy it more. My buddy, a reservist sergeant for many years, 37 years old, even tried out for JTF2. It‘s the path that counts, and you are not too old to do it. Another friend of mine joined the combat engineers at 39 as a NCM Sapper, is still there after 3 years, and at 42 parades and goes on exercises regularly, no problems. A fitness program will certainly help out, but they are not looking for a marathoner.

Hang in there and keep going.
 
Thanks for the encouraging reply, Roland, as it is appreciated! :)
 
When doing the CF style of pushups, your hands have to be under your shoulders, I believe.

When I start the pushups, my hands are under my shoulders but I cannot keep them under my shoulders during all of the pushups.

Does anyone have suggestions that would be helpful? :)
 
It might be, maybe you‘ll correct this assumption, that the push-up style is too hard on your triceps. Do you find the "hand under the shoulders" to be awkward and you move your hands out to put less strain on your triceps? Moving your hands out balances the stress from the triceps to the shoulders and outer chest area.
Unfortunately, the CF likes the tricep style it seems.

By keep practicing the tricep or CF style of push-up, you‘ll improve slightly over time. What might help is going to the gym and performing shoulder and chest exercises. Doing the bench press, inclined bench press, the shoulder press, lateral side shoulder raise, and the lat pull down builds the muscles in the push-up area. You may not want to over-train the tricep too much and risk a tendon pull at the elbow.

Try to find a weight that you can perform all the exercises above 8 to 11 repetitions. Find another weight that you can do the same exercises 4 - 7 repetitions. The less repetitions the more weight.

As a suggestion, do the exercises for one week at 8 - 11 reps and start at 3 sets each. Next week do 4 - 7 reps at 4 sets each. Next week after do the exercises at 8- 11 reps at 5 sets each. Next two weeks do the same with 4 - 7 reps at 5 sets.
Go back to week one and keep the cycle. You may want to do this about 3 to 4 times a week.
Likely you‘ll be using more weight each cycle. Then try the push-ups. You‘ll find you‘ll do them faster with more repetitions. It may take two cycles to see a significant improvement and it takes time and patience.

These weight exercises could be part of an overall fitness program and I‘m just offering it as an example. There are weight lifting programs designed for a full body workout that work the legs, back, abdomin (sp), mid-upper back, shoulders, chest, biceps and triceps. All muscle groups need focus and I‘d suspect will be used during BMQ lifting, carrying, running, and PT.
 
Do pushups every day. Once you get more used to them, do them once in the morning, once at night. The stress isnt /that/ great to require rest.

Once you can no longer do the pushup with your full wait, go onto your knees and keep going (sounds babyish, but you will only really be able to do a few more, but these few will stress the tissue just that extra little bit. You might as well...)
 
This should have been here to begin with:

I‘m new to this forum so forgive me if I missed the boat on some of these comments. Here‘s a fresh perspective:

I think Polkovnik is right, physical fitness standards in the CF are very low. I have been in for 4 years now and I know it doesn‘t seem that long but you‘d think I would have been subject to some sort of fitness review in that time. I have never had to pass a 13km ruck march, we did one on QL3 in 99 but it wasn‘t a requirement and a good thing too because 7 of us finished out of 28, instructors included. It is a problem when people can no longer fulfill their roles due to poor fitness standards. If there was some sort of yearly test like the ones they used to have (not sure of any details on that) then soldiers, especially reservists would have the motivation to go out and due it on their own. It doesn‘t take much. Give the common soldier a goal, not just one too get in, but one to maintain and the average person will due their utmost to acheive that goal. Possibly incentives or rewards? Competition is what the world thrives on and it breeds better soldiers, troops, units, armies, companies etc. Anyone can pass a test one time but could you pass it 3 days later, or a week, a year. The sad truth is that in this army there are a lot of "soldiers" who can‘t.

Commenting on the 7min/mile thing...we‘re Canadian so that doesn‘t apply to us but the 7min/mile pace is equivalent to a 22min 5km run which everyone, regardless of shape of size, should be able to do.

For your information: Donovan Bailey ran the 100m in 9.84s to win the 96 Atlanta Olympics. Maurice Green (that American) beat it by running 9.79. Last year another American, Tim Montgomery bettered it to 9.78.


"Not trying is the greatest sin of all"

me
 
This should have been here to begin with:

I‘m new to this forum so forgive me if I missed the boat on some of these comments. Here‘s a fresh perspective:

I think Polkovnik is right, physical fitness standards in the CF are very low. I have been in for 4 years now and I know it doesn‘t seem that long but you‘d think I would have been subject to some sort of fitness review in that time. I have never had to pass a 13km ruck march, we did one on QL3 in 99 but it wasn‘t a requirement and a good thing too because 7 of us finished out of 28, instructors included. It is a problem when people can no longer fulfill their roles due to poor fitness standards. If there was some sort of yearly test like the ones they used to have (not sure of any details on that) then soldiers, especially reservists would have the motivation to go out and due it on their own. It doesn‘t take much. Give the common soldier a goal, not just one too get in, but one to maintain and the average person will due their utmost to acheive that goal. Possibly incentives or rewards? Competition is what the world thrives on and it breeds better soldiers, troops, units, armies, companies etc. Anyone can pass a test one time but could you pass it 3 days later, or a week, a year. The sad truth is that in this army there are a lot of "soldiers" who can‘t.

Commenting on the 7min/mile thing...we‘re Canadian so that doesn‘t apply to us but the 7min/mile pace is equivalent to a 22min 5km run which everyone, regardless of shape of size, should be able to do.

For your information: Donovan Bailey ran the 100m in 9.84s to win the 96 Atlanta Olympics. Maurice Green (that American) beat it by running 9.79. Last year another American, Tim Montgomery bettered it to 9.78.


"Not trying is the greatest sin of all"

me
 
At the risk of offending anyone, I can‘t believe this topic has generated so many responses.

Very simply,

How do you train for a running test? - RUN
How do you train for push-up test? - PUSH UPS
How do you train for a sit-up test? - SIT UPS

There are a lot of people who have posted on this board that, forgive me if I‘m wrong, are only interested in fitness because they‘re being tested. For those who want to be in the military, get used to the idea that fitness has to become a part of your life - something you don‘t even think about. Never mind "how many situps should I be able to do to pass the test". How about "how many situps would I be able to do if I pushed my body to the breaking point". If you don‘t think this is a way of life you can adopt, then maybe the Army isn‘t for you.

You think the Express Test is hard, wait until you have to do the 13km ruck march, which everyone should have to do. Or hump your ruck, with a 522 radio set strapped on top of it, up a snow-covered hill, with a toboggan in tow. You‘ll be wishing for the Express Test.

Just get out, start running, start doing pushups and situps. Don‘t worry about details. And when you‘re ready to drop - keep going.
 
You think the 13km ruck is hard. The Brits I was training with overseas did a 20km ruck every saturday. And Brit ruck marches include a few stretches of doing "double time." We have a long way to go in terms of physical fitness in the Forces, and the the additude Murph has pointed on this thread isn‘t helping. Listen to what he is saying, because he is right.
 
That‘s a great point infanteer. The Express test is controlled...not specifically a measure of fitness discipline. The best way to go is get out there and work out. period. you can always do the test...the hard part is getting the discipline to workout and train regularly...particularly for a reservist who spends a lot of time in civvy life.
 
No one should have problems with the express test. It is ridiculously low. Remember, it is the absolute minimum, not what is expected.
 
Well, unfortunately people do have trouble with the test, if they didn‘t there would be no point in having the test. Just because some people can say it is a joke and too low doesn‘t mean that someone who fails the test is a fat *** and doesn‘t deserve the chance. I‘m glad people find it easy, but I bet most people work very hard in trying to pass the test, so saying it is a joke and everyone who tries should pass is wrong. Just my opinion, so don‘t be too hard on me for expressing it.
 
The test isn‘t very hard. I‘m 20 pounds overweight and I passed it no problem. Just practice for the test. By the way, you‘ll always do better on the test than you can do at home. When I went for my test, I did 7 push-ups than I ever did at home. The atmosphere motivates you.

GO ARMY :sniper:
 
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