Looking For Ways To Pass The PAE PFT Please Help!

[Arctic Hou]

Okay, please bear with me because im new to this. I am in the
running for the Air Force ROTC Scholarship. I really want this
and am willing to do anything to get this. However, in the
past few years i have let my physical fitness "slide". I have
to pass the Air Force PFT (Physical Fitness Test) once I get
the scholarship and I must pass the PAE (Physical Aptitude
Exam) before I can get the scholarship. While the tests
themselves are easy, I do not merely want to pass them. I want
to excell the expectations and do the best I possibly can.

I am not in the best physical shape right now, but I am of the
mindset that I am willing to wrk as hard as possible to
achieve my goals! Here are the tests:

PAE (Physical Aptitude Exam)

Min Pull-Ups: 5 Min Standing Long Jump Score: 6' 10" Min
Pushups: 25 Min Kneeling Basketball Throw Score: 54' 300
Yard Shuttle Run (6 Round trips between 2 lines 25'
apart): 65 Sec

PFT (Physical Fitness test):

53 Situps In 2 Min 42 Push-Ups In 2 Min
12:00 1.5 Mile Run

While these could be done quite easily by some (most) I really
want to excell in each test. Basicaly Im asking for some help
in achieving my goal. How would I go about getting in shape
for these tests. Is it possible in 4 months?

Any help you could provide would be greatly apreciated!

Yournewcar007@*NoSpam*.homail.com

(remove *NoSpam*. to send me an email)

[Steve Frei]

This question comes up regularly on the Dragon Door forum -
you might want to post a message.
http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/tpost.pl

-S- http://www.kbnj.com

Arctic Hound wrote:
>
> Okay, please bear with me because im new to this. I am in
> the running for the Air Force ROTC Scholarship. I really
> want this and am willing to do anything to get this.
> However, in the past few years i have let my physical
> fitness "slide". I have to pass the Air Force PFT (Physical
> Fitness Test) once I get the scholarship and I must pass the
> PAE (Physical Aptitude Exam) before I can get the
> scholarship. While the tests themselves are easy, I do not
> merely want to pass them. I want to excell the expectations
> and do the best I possibly can.
>
> I am not in the best physical shape right now, but I am of
> the mindset that I am willing to wrk as hard as possible to
> achieve my goals! Here are the tests:
>
> PAE (Physical Aptitude Exam)
>
> Min Pull-Ups: 5 Min Standing Long Jump Score: 6' 10"
> Min Pushups: 25 Min Kneeling Basketball Throw Score:
> 54' 300 Yard Shuttle Run (6 Round trips between 2 lines
> 25' apart): 65 Sec
>
> PFT (Physical Fitness test):
>
> 53 Situps In 2 Min 42 Push-Ups In 2 Min
> 12:00 1.5 Mile Run
>
> While these could be done quite easily by some (most) I
> really want to excell in each test. Basicaly Im asking for
> some help in achieving my goal. How would I go about getting
> in shape for these tests. Is it possible in 4 months?
>
> Any help you could provide would be greatly apreciated!
>
> Yournewcar007@*NoSpam*.homail.com
>
> (remove *NoSpam*. to send me an email)

[Brandon Be]

"Steve Freides" <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in message
news:3F099C56.8E0558CC@fridayscomputer.com...
> This question comes up regularly on the Dragon Door forum -
> you might want to post a message.
> http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/tpost.pl

If it comes up regularly, wouldn't it make more sense to check
the archives for an answer?

By the way, you were right. The problems with my snatches
were on the way down. If I press out instead of swinging it
straight down in front of me, my forearms are fine. Since
I'm pressing out, though, do I have to limit the sets to
five reps?

[Steve Frei]

Brandon Berg wrote:
>
> "Steve Freides" <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in message
> news:3F099C56.8E0558CC@fridayscomputer.com...
> > This question comes up regularly on the Dragon Door forum
> > - you might want to post a message.
> > http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/tpost.pl
>
> If it comes up regularly, wouldn't it make more sense to
> check the archives for an answer?

The search function on the DD forum, while it's recently been
improved, still leaves a lot to be desired - often you know
just what you're looking for and, somehow, it doesn't find it.
I just posted a message myself because I tried several
searches looking for something and came up with nothing. Some
folks there seem to work it better than I do, so I try but
usually end up posting a message asking for help.

> By the way, you were right. The problems with my snatches
> were on the way down. If I press out instead of swinging it
> straight down in front of me, my forearms are fine. Since
> I'm pressing out, though, do I have to limit the sets to
> five reps?

No, the rep guideline is just that, a guideline. Pavel likes 5
reps and under for just about everything, and believes you can
achieve the "high rep" effect more safely and with better
technique by doing lots of short sets on short rests. But if
you're preparing for a competition and/or the weight is really
light and/or you know you can handle it safely, higher reps
are fine, at least some of the time.

E.g., I now do snatches with the 1-pood (16 kilo, 36 lb.) for
high reps 2-3x/week primarily for their cardio effect,
typically performing 100 or more without stopping by doing
20 right, 20 left, 15 right, 15 left, then continueing
with sets of 10 or fewer until I feel like I'm starting to
lose form, getting tired, or am sucking wind so badly the
pictures are coming off the walls. :) The reason I don't
mind the high reps is because of the lightness of the
weight - I've snatched the kettlebell that weighs twice
this much for 5 reps each side, so this one doesn't tax my
technique very much. In fact, the more you do a workout
like this, the more you learn to drive from your hips and
not pull with your arm because your arm tires out a whole
lot faster than your legs/hips
Eh. The idea is to finish the workout and not have trashed
your grip, arms, and shoulders.

I like to run, swim, and bicycle and I have to tell you that
every time I add this sort of training to my routine, which
takes all of about 5 minutes to perform, my sprint swim times
come down, my hill climbing on the bike gets faster, etc. For
the non-stop approach, you just take a short swing to switch
hands, you never put the bell down. If you're comfortable with
it, you can even switch on the fly by letting go on the
downswing of the final rep with one hand and grabbing it with
the other.

My usual format was/is 20-15-10-5 (50 per side, 100 total) but
I've been feeling good at it lately so I did 20-15-10-10 last
time and will likely try to keep increasing it slowly for a
while. And I'm a fairly small guy - the guys a notch up from
me, who weigh 180 instead of my 150 and can snatch the 2-pood
(32 kilo, 70 lb.) kettlebell for reps with ease are doing the
100 non-stop format with the 1.5 pood (24 kilo, 53 lb.) bell.
I can't manage that yet. And then there are people who compete
who, even in my weight class, snatch the 2-pood for 40-60 reps
in a single set with each arm, a mind boggling feat of
strength/endurance to
Ei.

Anyone who lifts can substitute a 5-minute kettlebell snatch
or c&j session like this for their usual 20 minute jog - it's
much closer to the Guerilla Cardio idea than it is to
traditional cardio and it offers the additional benefit of
being, well, being the kettlebell snatch, which works just
about every muscle you've got - abs, glutes/hips, legs on
both sides, grip, arm, shoulder - everything except the
chest, really.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com
http://www.kbnj.com/ManyUsesOfKettlebells.html#Steve

[Screachy P]

Steve Freides wrote:
>
> Brandon Berg wrote:
> >
> > "Steve Freides" <steve@fridayscomputer.com> wrote in
> > message news:3F099C56.8E0558CC@fridayscomputer.com...
> > > This question comes up regularly on the Dragon Door
> > > forum - you might want to post a message.
> > > http://www.dragondoor.com/cgi-bin/tpost.pl
> >
> > If it comes up regularly, wouldn't it make more sense to
> > check the archives for an answer?
>
> The search function on the DD forum, while it's recently
> been improved, still leaves a lot to be desired - often
> you know just what you're looking for and, somehow, it
> doesn't find it. I just posted a message myself because I
> tried several searches looking for something and came up
> with nothing. Some folks there seem to work it better than
> I do, so I try but usually end up posting a message asking
> for help.
>
> > By the way, you were right. The problems with my snatches
> > were on the way down. If I press out instead of swinging
> > it straight down in front of me, my forearms are fine.
> > Since I'm pressing out, though, do I have to limit the
> > sets to five reps?
>
> No, the rep guideline is just that, a guideline. Pavel likes
> 5 reps and under for just about everything, and believes you
> can achieve the "high rep" effect more safely and with
> better technique by doing lots of short sets on short rests.
> But if you're preparing for a competition and/or the weight
> is really light and/or you know you can handle it safely,
> higher reps are fine, at least some of the time.
>
> E.g., I now do snatches with the 1-pood (16 kilo, 36 lb.)
> for high reps 2-3x/week primarily for their cardio
> effect, typically performing 100 or more without
> stopping by doing 20 right, 20 left, 15 right, 15 left,
> then continueing with sets of 10 or fewer until I feel
> like I'm starting to lose form, getting tired, or am
> sucking wind so badly the pictures are coming off the
> walls. :) The reason I don't mind the high reps is
> because of the lightness of the weight - I've snatched
> the kettlebell that weighs twice this much for 5 reps
> each side, so this one doesn't tax my technique very
> much. In fact, the more you do a workout like this, the
> more you learn to drive from your hips and not pull with
> your arm because your arm tires out a whole lot faster
> than your legs/hips
> do. The idea is to finish the workout and not have trashed
> your grip, arms, and shoulders.
>
> I like to run, swim, and bicycle and I have to tell you that
> every time I add this sort of training to my routine, which
> takes all of about 5 minutes to perform, my sprint swim
> times come down, my hill climbing on the bike gets faster,
> etc. For the non-stop approach, you just take a short swing
> to switch hands, you never put the bell down. If you're
> comfortable with it, you can even switch on the fly by
> letting go on the downswing of the final rep with one hand
> and grabbing it with the other.
>
> My usual format was/is 20-15-10-5 (50 per side, 100 total)
> but I've been feeling good at it lately so I did 20-15-10-10
> last time and will likely try to keep increasing it slowly
> for a while. And I'm a fairly small guy - the guys a notch
> up from me, who weigh 180 instead of my 150 and can snatch
> the 2-pood (32 kilo, 70 lb.) kettlebell for reps with ease
> are doing the 100 non-stop format with the 1.5 pood (24
> kilo, 53 lb.) bell. I can't manage that yet. And then there
> are people who compete who, even in my weight class, snatch
> the 2-pood for 40-60 reps in a single set with each arm, a
> mind boggling feat of strength/endurance to
> me.
>
> Anyone who lifts can substitute a 5-minute kettlebell snatch
> or c&j session like this for their usual 20 minute jog -
> it's much closer to the Guerilla Cardio idea than it is to
> traditional cardio and it offers the additional benefit of
> being, well, being the kettlebell snatch, which works just
> about every muscle you've got - abs, glutes/hips, legs on
> both sides, grip, arm, shoulder - everything except the
> chest, really.
>
> -S- http://www.kbnj.com
> http://www.kbnj.com/ManyUsesOfKettlebells.html#Steve

Sounds like you could call the KB stuff a sort
of "dynamic weightlifting"--with considerably
less weight than with a traditional lift at 1
RM. In general, how do the weights in various KB
moves compare with "analogous" traditional 1 RM
weight lifts?

Apropos of "bells", have seen the stone lifts in the
strong man contests on cable? That 320 lb stone is
incredible! Can you imagine the strength required to
hoist a 320 lb ball, which allows no secure grip??
After all the previous balls have been hoisted?? Good
gawd... Talk about stabilizer muscles!
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching
Systems, Yonkers, NY to email: Remove the numeric value of pi
in my address
----------------------------------------------------------
----------

[Steve Frei]

Screachy Preachy wrote:
> -snip-
>
> Sounds like you could call the KB stuff a sort of
> "dynamic weightlifting"--with considerably less
> weight than with a traditional lift at 1 RM. In
> general, how do the weights in various KB moves
> compare with "analogous" traditional 1 RM weight
> lifts?

Yes, that's true. It is dynamic but we should point out the
difference between a dumbbell and a kettlebell. People do
swings, one of the most basic kettlebell movements, with
dumbbells as well. The general consensus is that a 36 lb.
kettlebell provides approximately the same "feel" in terms of
difficulty as a 45-50 lb. dumbbell. This is because the
kettlebell's bulk sits at the end of a thick (thicker than
even Olympic handle size) handle. The word we use to describe
kettlebell swings, snatches, and the like is "ballistic."

It's also worth noting that kettlebells, for slow, grinding
types of movement similar to those often done with dumbbells
and barbells, function a bit differently and, because there is
no barbell version of a kettlebell, one-handed versions of
common movements are more common. For example, one of my main
exercises is the kettlebell military press. Done like the
"Arnold" press, it provides tremendous work for the
midsection, stabilizing the body while pressing a heavy weight
overhead on one side only.

> Apropos of "bells", have seen the stone lifts in the
> strong man contests on cable? That 320 lb stone is
> incredible! Can you imagine the strength required to
> hoist a 320 lb ball, which allows no secure grip??
> After all the previous balls have been hoisted??
> Good gawd... Talk about stabilizer muscles!

I wish they were on in prime time more often because I really
enjoy watching them. One of the things about kettlebell
training (some it's the kettlbells, and some it's the training
methodology that's grown up around them) is that it seems to
better prepare one for real world lifting, even strongman
lifting, than barbbell lifting alone does, probably because
the swinging-on-a-handle nature of the weight requires great
grip strength and midsection stabilization.

=S= http://www.kbnj.com

> ----------------------
> Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching
> Systems, Yonkers, NY to email: Remove the numeric value of
> pi in my address
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> --------

[Steve Frei]

Screachy Preachy wrote:
> -snip- Sounds like you could call the KB stuff a sort of
> "dynamic weightlifting"--with considerably less weight than
> with a traditional lift at 1 RM. In general, how do the
> weights in various KB moves compare with "analogous"
> traditional 1 RM weight lifts?

I didn't answer this one completely. With me as an example, I
weigh 150 lbs. and have a 325 deadlift best. I do most of my
work with 53 lb. kettlebells, some with 36, some with 72, very
little with the 88 lb. beast. I can, just barely, military
press a 72 lb. bell, can press the 53 lb. version well for
high volume, and can press the 36 lb. version almost
endlessly. I can one-leg deadlift a pair of 72 lbs. bells,
likewise I can clean and front squat them, but I often use a
pair of 53
lb. bells instead because I can do more reps - I will
typically front squat a pair of 72's only for a few
singles and doubles, sometimes a triple, while a pair of
53's lets me put in several sets of 5 reps fairly
comfortably. I mix weights regularly in my training and if
I am taking only one bell, e.g., on vacation, I can use
either a 72 or a 53 effectively.

Since I'm lighter than most lifters, you'll find most serious
lifters do more of their work with the 72's than I do.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com

[Screachy P]

Steve Freides wrote:
>
> Screachy Preachy wrote:
> > -snip- Sounds like you could call the KB stuff a sort of
> > "dynamic weightlifting"--with considerably less weight
> > than with a traditional lift at 1 RM. In general, how do
> > the weights in various KB moves compare with "analogous"
> > traditional 1 RM weight lifts?
>
> I didn't answer this one completely. With me as an example,
> I weigh 150 lbs. and have a 325 deadlift best. I do most of
> my work with 53 lb. kettlebells, some with 36, some with 72,
> very little with the 88 lb. beast. I can, just barely,
> military press a 72 lb. bell, can press the 53 lb. version
> well for high volume, and can press the 36 lb. version
> almost endlessly. I can one-leg deadlift a pair of 72 lbs.
> bells, likewise I can clean and front squat them, but I
> often use a pair of 53
> lb. bells instead because I can do more reps - I will
> typically front squat a pair of 72's only for a few
> singles and doubles, sometimes a triple, while a pair of
> 53's lets me put in several sets of 5 reps fairly
> comfortably. I mix weights regularly in my training and
> if I am taking only one bell, e.g., on vacation, I can
> use either a 72 or a 53 effectively.
>
> Since I'm lighter than most lifters, you'll find most
> serious lifters do more of their work with the 72's
> than I do.
>
> -S- http://www.kbnj.com

Makes me tired just reading this!

But very interesting. Clearly KBs have neuro-muscular
advantages over traditional weightlifting, altho
paradoxically, I think traditional weightlifting could
be used to improve KB "performance", by dint of the
inherently better muscle isolation in trad'l weights.
Actually, if you view KB more as a sport, replete with
compound motions, weightlifting by default is how one
would "train" for KBs! Not really paradoxical, then.
But not to take anything away from KBs, either. I think
it is very valuable, and like HH, can stand all by
itself as a really efficient and effective fitness
method. Not my particular cup of tea, but I could see
myself incorporating it as part of a routine--mostly
for that whole-body effort.

Some time ago, I remember someone posting about a
routine where they would jog/walk, and pick up and
throw a big-assed stone ahead of them. I tried this one
day as a lark, and it is indeed exhausting--ambulatory
weightlifting! And, as in KBs, pretty versatile, as
there are quite a few ways to hurl a stone, catching a
great variety of upper body muscles, not to mention the
lower back in the lift.

Apropos of the recent post on walking with 22 lb
weights in each hand, which I think is *entirely*
unproductive, heavy stone hurling while walking is
probably better in some ways than Heavy Hands, and
probably a fair approximation to a KB workout. Kinda
like a HH/KB meld...

I'm thinking Garrison or Cardone would make pretty good
dead weights, if they would shut up and stay still.
It'd be pretty satisfying, I think, to hurl Garrison
every 10 feet or so throughout a 1 mile power walk.
<thud-whimper> <walk> <thud-whimper> <walk>.... And if
they wear a belt, there goes yer KB handle!! Could even
use Garrison in the Hammer Throw!
Mr. Bagnol: Did I just lower my signal-to-noise
ratio--again???
----------------------
Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching
Systems, Yonkers, NY to email: Remove the numeric value of pi
in my address
----------------------------------------------------------
----------

[Steve Frei]

Screachy Preachy wrote:
>
> Steve Freides wrote:
> >
> > Screachy Preachy wrote:
> > > -snip- Sounds like you could call the KB stuff a sort of
> > > "dynamic weightlifting"--with considerably less weight
> > > than with a traditional lift at 1 RM. In general, how do
> > > the weights in various KB moves compare with "analogous"
> > > traditional 1 RM weight lifts?
> >
> > I didn't answer this one completely. With me as an
> > example, I weigh 150 lbs. and have a 325 deadlift best. I
> > do most of my work with 53 lb. kettlebells, some with 36,
> > some with 72, very little with the 88 lb. beast. I can,
> > just barely, military press a 72 lb. bell, can press the
> > 53 lb. version well for high volume, and can press the 36
> > lb. version almost endlessly. I can one-leg deadlift a
> > pair of 72 lbs. bells, likewise I can clean and front
> > squat them, but I often use a pair of 53
> > lb. bells instead because I can do more reps - I will
> > typically front squat a pair of 72's only for a few
> > singles and doubles, sometimes a triple, while a pair
> > of 53's lets me put in several sets of 5 reps fairly
> > comfortably. I mix weights regularly in my training
> > and if I am taking only one bell, e.g., on vacation, I
> > can use either a 72 or a 53 effectively.
> >
> > Since I'm lighter than most lifters, you'll find most
> > serious lifters do more of their work with the 72's
> > than I do.
> >
> > -S- http://www.kbnj.com
>
> Makes me tired just reading this!
>
> But very interesting. Clearly KBs have neuro-muscular
> advantages over traditional weightlifting, altho
> paradoxically, I think traditional weightlifting
> could be used to improve KB "performance", by dint of
> the inherently better muscle isolation in trad'l
> weights.

I can't agree with this last part of your sentence. There is
very little to be gained by isolation for most people. It has
some place in the training of a powerlifter trying to work on
a weakspot, and certainly lots of application for a
bodybuilder, but for someone working for general athleticism
and/or fitness, the body wants and needs to work as an
integrated whole. That's why the kettlebell is so great.

> Actually, if you view KB more as a sport, replete
> with compound motions, weightlifting by default is
> how one would "train" for KBs! Not really
> paradoxical, then. But not to take anything away from
> KBs, either. I think it is very valuable, and like
> HH, can stand all by itself as a really efficient and
> effective fitness method. Not my particular cup of
> tea, but I could see myself incorporating it as part
> of a routine--mostly for that whole-body effort.
>
> Some time ago, I remember someone posting about a
> routine where they would jog/walk, and pick up and
> throw a big-assed stone ahead of them. I tried this
> one day as a lark, and it is indeed
> exhausting--ambulatory weightlifting! And, as in KBs,
> pretty versatile, as there are quite a few ways to
> hurl a stone, catching a great variety of upper body
> muscles, not to mention the lower back in the lift.

There are lots of versions of this, and anyone interesting in
kicking their fitness up a notch ought to consider them. In
its simplest form, you can walk or run between exercise
stations in your local park or, if your park doesn't have
them, adopt a simple approach of every xxx distance, drop and
do 10 pushups and 10 situps before continueing on. Some of the
kettlebellers take their bells to the track and, once or twice
per lap, do a set of something with them. My worry with a
truly heavy weight would be that one shouldn't do such a thing
while in a fatigued state. Again, the weight of a kettlebell
is about right for such mixed activities, heavy enough to be
challenging, but light enough that it's not likely to put
someone's back out.

-S- http://www.kbnj.com

> Apropos of the recent post on walking with 22 lb
> weights in each hand, which I think is *entirely*
> unproductive, heavy stone hurling while walking is
> probably better in some ways than Heavy Hands, and
> probably a fair approximation to a KB workout. Kinda
> like a HH/KB meld...
>
> I'm thinking Garrison or Cardone would make pretty
> good dead weights, if they would shut up and stay
> still. It'd be pretty satisfying, I think, to hurl
> Garrison every 10 feet or so throughout a 1 mile
> power walk. <thud-whimper> <walk> <thud-whimper>
> <walk>.... And if they wear a belt, there goes yer KB
> handle!! Could even use Garrison in the Hammer Throw!
> Mr. Bagnol: Did I just lower my signal-to-noise
> ratio--again???
> ----------------------
> Kristofer Hogg, ms, rd HoloBarre Rehab/Fitness/Stretching
> Systems, Yonkers, NY to email: Remove the numeric value of
> pi in my address
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> --------