Navy Seals Test- trying to pass

[rocky_road]

A bunch of guys from my school have passed this test already and I want to too.

If I can, i'd love to be able to pass it in 3 months (before the school year is over). If I don't make the deadline, I will continue to train over the summer for completion early in the next school year. I don't want to wait too long after the start of the next school year because I will be getting into cross country and then swimming season, and I don't want to have to woory about the different types of training schedules interfering with each other.

Anyways, here is what I have to do (in a sequence, with only a short break between each exercise-like one minute or so):

500 Meter swim - 12 minutes, 30 seconds
42 Push-Ups - 2:00 minutes
50 Sit-ups - 2:00 minutes
6 Chin ups - 2:00 minutes
1 and 1/2 mile run - 11 minutes, 30 seconds

The swimming and running is absolutely no problem for me at all, so the only areas for which I need improvement are in the strength exercises
My upper body is quite week. The pull ups are my biggest challenge- I can't even do one real complete pull up right now, and I'll have to do them almost last, so my arm muscles will be so fatigued already.

Edit: I am a little confused about the difference between pull ups and chin-ups. If pull ups are with palms facing against you, that's what I have been doing, but I THINK its chin ups for the test. I'll check on that, because it's important!

My second weekest spot is the push-ups. Recently I performed 33 in 1:13. I set out to do as many as possible in 2:00, but even holding myself up steady to rest between the final reps had me fatigued. This was after doing a 25-rep up set a little before, so i'm not completly sure how many I could do on a "strong day", but I think this is about an accurate measure of how many I could do any given day after swimming a 500.

Finally, I also need some improvement for the sit-ups. I'm taking stablitiy classes 1 to 3 times per week (should I take them all 3?) to improve my core strength, and God is it helping. The class is so hard, so that's good.

Obviously I need to improve my upper body strength. This is where I need your advice. How and how often should I work out my upper body?Should I do push-ups (/chin ups) every day, or every other day? Besides the assisted pull-up machine, what can I do to improve this strengh- ie. bicep curls--(how much weight/reps with these?) (what other exercises would target chin/pull up capability best)

I will find out if its indeed chin ups or if it's pull ups.


Also, do any of you know how much losing 10 pounds of fat would help me reach my goal? I think this (getting to 130 pounds) would make me a lot leaner. I have about average body fat, so I have a feeling dropping to a more athletic body fat would help a lot.


Thanks in advance for any help. I am absolutely determined to pass this test, and I KNOW that I WILL by Senior year, even if I can't do it in these next 3 months.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

It's endurance stuff, and it's with your bodyweight. You can train every day, honestly. You shouldn't get burnt out from it. I know they fuck you up the poop chute with PT every day, so be prepped.

I know Debaser was going for the SEAL test. Too bad he's been executed.

If you can't do pullups, you have a few options. Do negatives until you build up enough strength to do the concentric portion of the rep. Do pulldowns to strengthen the muscles used in the pullup until you can do pullups. Use machines that assist you with pullups, using a percentage of your total weight.

Don't push yourself daily on pullups yet. If you can't even do one rep, they're going to drain you quickly. Once you get your reps up there, you can do 'em daily.

By the by, chinups is typically the term for the supinated/palms facing you grip. Pullups are the pronated/palms facing away grip. Pullups are what they have you do. You've been doing chinups, which are easier due to the better line of pull the biceps have.

 

[rocky_road]

By the by, chinups is typically the term for the supinated/palms facing you grip. Pullups are the pronated/palms facing away grip. Pullups are what they have you do. You've been doing chinups, which are easier due to the better line of pull the biceps have.

Thanks for the response.
Actually, I have been practicing pull-ups (palms facing away), and I am preety sure they have us do chinups. Our football coach is the person who tests us, so he is the person I will go to tomorrow to clarify this.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

There's also the SEAL workout:

http://www.navyseals.com/community/navyseals/navysealworkout_main.cfm

 

[fortunatesun]

I used to be very weak with pull ups (still not my best) and once ran across a usefull bit of advice:

Arnold's idea for getting strong in this exercise- Do fifty pull-ups every time you work out. You're shooting for 5 sets of 10, but take as many sets as you need and as long as you need to hit fifty. So if you're beginning, you 'll probably be doing 3's, 2's and 1's at the end.

If you can't do even 1, it's good that you have a machine assist because the even better way to get good at this is by actually doing them. But I was thinking you could modify the idea by starting so that you can do 2-3 sets of ten, and then struggle for the rest. I'd imagine if you keep reducing the assist, to always work for 50, after awhile, doing 6 will be a snap.

I'm not sure if this method would fit in well with the rest of your program because it's a high volume approach. It's helped me though, so I thought I'd post it for you to consider.

 

[Numani]

work with weights to build up your strength and strength endurance for chins and pecs/delts/triceps.

I think you you should easily meet those rep targets.
with about a month to spare would then move to train the specific movements.
use the approach: frequent practice , whilst keeping fresh.
that could mean doing a single chin up every hour or 10 push ups on the hour regulating the volume during the week.
Pavel of Dragon Door.com has a great push up program called hit the deck and always stresses 'greasing the groove' to get the nervous system/body used to the exercise and frequent practice whilst trying to stay fresh as possible

 

[plrpower]

That by no means is a "real" SEAL test. I would be embarrased if I was a guy in high school and could not pass that test. But for a high school girl it is a reasonable test of ablity. At leat it made me laugh for a good half hour on how easy that posted test is.

 

[redguru]

edit -

The run is in combat boots and fatigue pants. All of those guidelines are minimum requirements for BUDS entry, but you aren't getting into BUDS putting up those numbers.

To be competitive

500 yd Swim utilizing only side or breast strokes in 9 minutes.

Average score for pushups in two minutes is 100.

Average score for situps is also between 90-100.

You should be able to do 20 pullups in 2 minutes.

1.5 mile run in combat boots and pants should be around 9:30

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

They should really drop the situps, considering they put horrendus strain on the lumbar spine. Stupid military.

 

[rocky_road]

Update:

I talked to the coach more today about the test and here is what I found out:

-I can do the chin ups either chin-type or pull-up type (with my palms facing towards me or away from me). I have been practicing with palms away from me (referred to as the pull up type, I think), but I plan on trying out the other kind today to see where i'm at with it. Palms towards you is easier, right?

-I found out that the push ups should come down almost to the floor, so I will need to work on them using this form.

-Also, the coaches are considering reducing the number of pull-ups required for a girl, to perhaps 4 or 5 (probobly 5). This would make it easier for me, yay!

Redguru.....these are just MY requirements are for this test. I'm not taking the real test persay, i'm just doing it to get recognition at school. They lower the standards, basically.

Thank you, Numani and Fortunateson. I will use your advice. And Numani, i'm glad to find out that training frequently is beneficial, because I don't have much time to wait around and rest!