Step Test

[jerrythunder]

hey there, im taking my testing to get into the military soon and im wondering what the step test will be like. I have heared from friends that it is like an arobic excercis where u step on this elevated board and then back down for a while.
Can anyone please shed some light on this subject for me please?

 

[Island Ryhno]

Been done a million times here bro. Try the search "step test" or go to the recruiting section. Here's a link to get you started. Cheers
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/25652.0.html

 

[FITSUMO]

the step test:

two steps, step up 2,3 down 2,3 to the best music ever invented.............depending on your age, you start at certin level and for 3 mins you follow the cadence set forth by the step music( not slower or faster) after 3 mins the PSP staff takes your heart rate, if you are under your cutoff heart rate( depends on age) you go for another 3 mins, if still under you  keep going with the 3 min rounds that get harder and harder. until you are above the cutoff heart rate.  Then to pass the PSP staff fills out info on a formula and if you are above a certin level for your VO2Max then you pass( for my age group it was 39).  If you are fit then you will be fine, but pay attention to your footing as there have been people that have wiped out or missed step and then you have to hussle to catch up(and that affects your HR).  As an older fattie I had to go 12 mins to get a pass.  if you are younger and slim you will not have to go as long, but you should.

make sure you are doing your push ups that army way.  lay flat extend your arms and then bring them back under your shoulders, keep your arms by your side and push to lock out on your arms and then ( for good practice) chin to the ground.  If you do not lock out, the PU is not counted.

train hard, not for the fit test but for what follows.

respect

FITSUMO

 

[Fry]

lol, I had excellent VO2, but I kept on screwing up on the 2nd damn step. The music is kinda different... a few times I put 2 feet on the middle step and that was a no-no. I was stopped a few times, and was told that my step test had been terminated due to me screwing up that step, however, my VO2 was still good enough. My screwups were calculated into it somehow... But most definately you need to be able to do more than 2.4 km in 12 mins. The pushups and situps come right after the step test and they're a hell of a lot harder than when you practiced at home, trust me.

 

[prom]

lol, I had excellent VO2, but I kept on screwing up on the 2nd darn step. The music is kinda different... a few times I put 2 feet on the middle step and that was a no-no. I was stopped a few times, and was told that my step test had been terminated due to me screwing up that step, however, my VO2 was still good enough. My screwups were calculated into it somehow... But most definately you need to be able to do more than 2.4 km in 12 mins. The pushups and situps come right after the step test and they're a heck of a lot harder than when you practiced at home, trust me.

lol fry ya i know....... had no trouble.... but i was spent whe i was done..... i figure it is because i rarely done them right after running..... wold do them in the morning... andafter noon... then run at night....... guess i was just not thinking.... so you should also practice it that way... do the run then wait 2 -5 mins... and do your push up and sit ups...... the civi  tester for teh fitness... said i had great form, it was a welcome sight that she did not have to correct me....... that i kept my butt in just the right spot and done great full extentions......

 

[Manimal]

we only did two 3 min rounds on the step. and i messed up the second step (both feet) a number of times, so did the other guy, but the tester wasn't watching us at all. we all passed.

 

[FITSUMO]

"But most definately you need to be able to do more than 2.4 km in 12 mins."  not true, my fastest time was 12 flat and I had no problems.  And as stated the PU seem harder than at home.  So make sure you can do at least 25-30, gives ya lee way incase the tester double counts.

 

[Fry]

It is true. Very true. There are exceptions to it all, everyone's size, etc is different. The 2.4k is to make sure that pretty much, if everyone can pass that test, they should have no troubles with the step test. As mentioned dozens of times before, the step test measures VO2. The  2.4k run ensures your VO2 is acceptable and that you're ready for the step test.

I don't think the CF creates these standards just so they can say they have entry standards. Everyone should adhere to them.

 

[Roy Harding]

I don't think the CF creates these standards just so they can say they have entry standards. Everyone should adhere to them.

Nobody should "adhere" to them - they are minimum standards.  If you train to a minimum standard, you get a minimum soldier.

If you are training ONLY to meet the minimum, then you aren't training very hard.

 

[Gouki]

If you fail the step test due to poor cardio... hang your head in shame then proceed to do a complete re-evaluation of your physical fitness.

I was talking and joking with my PSP staff tester when I did it a month and a half ago (had to renew it). Sometimes I would go too fast and mess myself up and almost fall. Now, I'm not a great runner and I can still do that, so really you have no excuse to fail the step test (unless you're an asthmatic or something)

 

[Fry]

Nobody should "adhere" to them - they are minimum standards.   If you train to a minimum standard, you get a minimum soldier.

If you are training ONLY to meet the minimum, then you aren't training very hard.

True, that's what I as implying, I shoulda said everyone should at least be able to do the minimum.

If you fail the step test due to poor cardio... hang your head in shame then proceed to do a complete re-evaluation of your physical fitness.

I was talking and joking with my PSP staff tester when I did it a month and a half ago (had to renew it). Sometimes I would go too fast and mess myself up and almost fall. Now, I'm not a great runner and I can still do that, so really you have no excuse to fail the step test (unless you're an asthmatic or something)

Yep, I agree.

 

[ExistancE]

I whole-heartedly agree with the idea of going beyond the minimum... had I been content with 2.4 in 12 minutes I wouldn't have pushed myself to run 4k in 19 minutes today.

 

[scottyeH?]

I hope everyone can past the step test. A guy I work with smoked for 3.5years, didn't run or train before his physical and made it to stage 3.

 

[Island Ryhno]

How about we lay off on the people that can't pass the test hey. Do you think they need any more discouragement? Some people are just not fit, they know that when the test is done and they know what's required of them. No need to bash on them. It's easy for some people and not easy for others.

 

[FITSUMO]

"I whole-heartedly agree with the idea of going beyond the minimum... had I been content with 2.4 in 12 minutes I wouldn't have pushed myself to run 4k in 19 minutes today. "

I hope no one thinks I am saying that I am content with 12mins, but for someone who is 34 and used to be 310LBS 12 mins is not bad, if I was content with x time I would never have improved and I never would have lost 70 lbs( sorry 71 as of today).

The min requirements are the starting point.  If you fail and then work to meet then exceed the mins, that should speak volumes of the persons drive. 

once again Island Ryhno speaks the truth.

 

[Fry]

that's cuz he's a newf

 

[REJ]

I did my PT test yesterday and am much relieved that I passed. I was very worried, particularly about the pushups. When I first started to train, I couldn't do any as low as they needed to be. I was able to exceed the minimum requirement yesterday.

Here are a couple of things I learned yesterday during my testing:

1) The stair master at the gym is much more difficult than the step test. Run and spend some time on the stair master and you will be fine. Just remember to focus and breathe while performing your step test.

2) As was mentioned by Futsimo, make sure you lock your arms at the top of your push-up position. Go nice and low: arms at a 90 degree bend. Make every push-up count.

3) The Recruiting office has little cd's with information on the PT test. This cd will show you exactly what happens in the test and how the push-ups are to be done, etc. If you can get a hold of it, do. I found the PT test to be much nicer than my imagination made it out to be.

4) I was told that when training for push-ups, try to make your chin touch the floor and move slowly. You will be going beyond the expected range but it will help you build strength.

I hope this adds to the great posts already made. Thanks for everyone's input. It was most helpful!

Good luck! And remember to keep training after the PT test!

 

[Manimal]

i've been doing push ups and sit ups at kung fu for years, so i wasn't worried about them. i worked up to 15 mins on the stair master, and i kept the running up. i was pretty let down with the PT test, i expected it to be harder.
i almost didn't get to do it because my blood pressure was really high that day....he let me do after some deep breathing, telling some jokes and got it down to normal....took four tests before it was normal.

 

[Fry]

Nervousness srews with your pulse bigtime...  I wonder... how many people actually failed the VO2 because of nervousness?

 

[dk]

If you feel that you've improved in the PT dept. can you retest after you've been merit listed?