I want to join, but I don't know if I'm physically fit enough

[lapinpunki]

Hi, I applied on July 22, and I'm doing my first test next Monday! Its the aptitude and personality tests! I'm pretty sure those will be ok. I am more stressed about the physical part! I'm a 20 year old girl, and I am very active but I can't do more then 6-8 push-ups and about 15-20 sit-ups! You guys have any tricks up your sleeves to make me stronger? And to your knowledge, how do girls do in BMQ?

 

[BorisK]

Someone should be along any second now to give you a proper reply I'm sure, but in the meantime :

Here's how to do more push-ups regardless of size shape sex or other factor.

http://youtu.be/SqHg-aaUQzI

Best advice in general is use the search function, read more, and if you are lucky enough to be selected to attend BMQ, show up as fit as you possibly can be. If you're anything like me or many others, you'll find excuses not to get fit, but they all mean nothing at the end of the day.  Start working out now, your life or career aspirations might depend on it one day.

Edit to add : Welcome to the forum

 

[DAA]

The best and most honest "tip" I can give you.  I'd be more concerned with those tests and studying up for them, rather than worrying about the physical aspects that are a long ways out.

 

[Heraske]

As usual for the CFAT, get your good night's sleep, no caffeine, make sure you aren't sick, and since you can't study for it, practice.

Look over fractions, (Multiplying, Dividing, subtraction and addition), long division and multiplication with full work shown. Regular arithmetic, etc... You can find a lot of the study material by the internet. I practiced it quite a bit, and I scored just under officer and, at the time, I had not finished Grade 10 when I wrote the CFAT, meaning I didn't have the required education for my chosen position.

I wrote the CFAT when I had a throat infection (I thought it was just a cold), so my nose was running, my head felt like Arizona, throat sore and I had no tissues. (Sorry armies). You should have a better time writing it than I did.

After that is done, just start exercising. Try doing push ups every morning, set a goal, practice and achieve that goal. Find motivation as well, as that will help you push further when you feel like giving up. Good luck!

 

[ballz]

You guys have any tricks up your sleeves to make me stronger?

I am lazy and I have been trying to find a trick for 10 years. In hindsight, I should have just done more PT instead of wasting all that time looking...

If you find one in your search, let me know, I can still use it

 

[Chris Wiley]

A good method to help increase the number of pushups you can do is as follows.

Set your goal number of pushups.
Take the maximum number of pushups you can do and focus it by 2.
Do that number of pushups then rest 60 seconds
Repeat until you have completed your goal number
The next time reduce the rest time until your doing the full goal amount without stopping.

Example:
When I started I could only do 10 pushups
My goal is 40
I do 8 sets of 5 pushups resting between each set
I'm down to 20 seconds rest between each set.
I have been reducing the rest time by 5 seconds each time.

Good luck

 

[mrbill]

I have found, that when trying to do MORE push ups than usual, that by only counting every second push up, I was actually able to do more. so if your count is 10, you've actually done 20. Sort of like tricking your mind into not realizing how many you have done, therefore be able to do more.. or something.. not sure exactly how or why it works, but I know a few people that used this technique and it made a big of a difference.

 

[BorisK]

I have found, that when trying to do MORE push ups than usual, that by only counting every second push up, I was actually able to do more. so if your count is 10, you've actually done 20. Sort of like tricking your mind into not realizing how many you have done, therefore be able to do more.. or something.. not sure exactly how or why it works, but I know a few people that used this technique and it made a big of a difference.

This works for me also.  In addition, check the video I posted.  Narrow, medium, and wide grip sets repeated in sequence really spread around the muscle growth instead of solely focusing on one motion.  I knew a guy who applied and could do 25 push-ups, but because the CF wanted him to do them 'slightly different' (probably elbows in tighter to focus on the triceps) he had no strength in that area, and could only do 17... So he was sent home.  I'm sure there were other reasons he was not an ideal candidate, but that was one of them.  Be flexible in the 'style' of push-up you can do (in my opinion).

 

[jonsey]

Someone should be along any second now to give you a proper reply I'm sure, but in the meantime :

Here's how to do more push-ups regardless of size shape sex or other factor.

http://youtu.be/SqHg-aaUQzI

Best advice in general is use the search function, read more, and if you are lucky enough to be selected to attend BMQ, show up as fit as you possibly can be. If you're anything like me or many others, you'll find excuses not to get fit, but they all mean nothing at the end of the day.  Start working out now, your life or career aspirations might depend on it one day.

Edit to add : Welcome to the forum

Never realized just how much a change in arm position can affect how many you can do till I dried the diamond push ups. I managed 1 of those, while I could do 20 of the other two positions. Thanks for the video.

 

[BorisK]

Never realized just how much a change in arm position can affect how many you can do till I dried the diamond push ups. I managed 1 of those, while I could do 20 of the other two positions. Thanks for the video.

My pleasure. Always happy to share knowledge. 

If it is worth anything, two things that helped :

1) since I could barely do one diamond when I started, I did some (10) from the knee  (often referred to as girly way but I'm sure there are less offensive terms for it out there that aren't as stupid since it does have its place as a method) until I had enough strength to do two or three 'regular' diamonds.  Slowly built up from there. 

2) I got it in my head that the point of doing push-ups is to build strength for pushing objects, not just laying on the ground pushing yourself up in one specific form.  This helped me realize the importance of training in different positions (different hand, body, and arm positions) to more mimic real life situations when I might need said strength.  In short, I ditched the 'ideals' and spread the love around to various muscle groups to avoid missing areas useful in day to day activities. 


Best regards to you and everyone out there who's showing they're body some PT. 

 

[Chris Wiley]

Also make sure to rest as well. If you over do it you will end up with an injury and have to take more time off to recover.