Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
napsgear
genezapharmateuticals
domestic-supply
puritysourcelabs
UGL OZ
UGFREAK
napsgeargenezapharmateuticals domestic-supplypuritysourcelabsUGL OZUGFREAK

Navy Seals Test- trying to pass

R

rocky_road

New member
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.
 
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.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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
 
They should really drop the situps, considering they put horrendus strain on the lumbar spine. Stupid military.
 
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!
 
Palms facing you/chinup/supinated grip is easier, yes. Use a shoulder-width grip where your elbows come in along your sides. This gives the biceps an optimal line of pull, allowing them to attribute to the exercise optimally, while using the lats as a shoulder extensor optimally. Also, keep the shoulders back and down on the way up. This helps to recruit the lats to be sure you're getting the most out of your time.

Pushups should go to the floor, yes. Principle of specificity - do what you want to get good at. Especially when it comes to endurance. It's often a mental game. You need to grind through tedious repetitions.

You should, instead, tell them to fuck off and say you're just as good as any guy. Then, do as many as any of them can do and you'll look like a god. Or goddess, whichever.

Didn't I say something along the lines of train frequently, too? :rolleyes:
 
Are we talking Highschool? Because what highschool makes athletes perform the mins for BUDS?
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Palms facing you/chinup/supinated grip is easier, yes. Use a shoulder-width grip where your elbows come in along your sides. This gives the biceps an optimal line of pull, allowing them to attribute to the exercise optimally, while using the lats as a shoulder extensor optimally. Also, keep the shoulders back and down on the way up. This helps to recruit the lats to be sure you're getting the most out of your time.

Pushups should go to the floor, yes. Principle of specificity - do what you want to get good at. Especially when it comes to endurance. It's often a mental game. You need to grind through tedious repetitions.

You should, instead, tell them to fuck off and say you're just as good as any guy. Then, do as many as any of them can do and you'll look like a god. Or goddess, whichever.

Didn't I say something along the lines of train frequently, too? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...


Sounds like good stuff. Update: When I posted earlier, I hadn't payed any attention to how low my pushups go, so I did them just now to be sure. They are definetely there. My nose is at most two inches from the floor, while my chest....eh...not so much, but I think it's right. My nose just seems to be so much closer to the ground, but I suppose thats normal because my back is flat and all that.

I intend to do this test as well as I can....even if that means taking it more than once. But if I can only make 5 before this school year's over, and that's what the test calls for, By God I will take it.

And Anthrax, yes you did, your advice has been nothing short of totally appreciated.

cw3 said:
Are we talking Highschool? Because what highschool makes athletes perform the mins for BUDS?
Click to expand...

UMM......MINE. But they are not making us do it. Where did you get that idea? It's just a challenge to shoot for, for the heck and benefits of it.
 
PurpleHulk said:
6 Chin-ups in 2 mins, doesnt that seem a lil to easy.
Click to expand...


UMMMMM....OHKAY.

Maybe you should stop assuming that everyone in the world is just-fucking-like-you.


Soory, but that made me mad.
 
rocky_road said:
UMMMMM....OHKAY.

Maybe you should stop assuming that everyone in the world is just-fucking-like-you.


Soory, but that made me mad.
Click to expand...

Woah, is she more angry than me? :FRlol:

I sure hope not. I have a title to defend.
 
The thing is.....I dont think you really use the 2 minutes. Can you drop from the bar? If not, you are only gonna spend about 15-20 seconds on the bar TOPPS. So 2 minutes doesnt really play at all. Well, at least that is how it is for The Marine Corp and the AF (for the AFA only) come to think of it.
 
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
Click to expand...

its not all that difficult really. Now im not saying its easy for everyone ...but if you put in some training towards that I dont see why you wouldnt pass *granted you are in some form of good physical health* which I assume you are since the running and swimming will be fine for you.
I think youll be fine working out your upper body pretty much everyday. A circuit of doing core training will do wonders.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Woah, is she more angry than me? :FRlol:

I sure hope not. I have a title to defend.
Click to expand...


lolz, I wasn't that angry, but I responded as soon as I read that, so my anger was at its high point.

I also think it's preety easy (for people who are fit)....but the thing is, not everyone here has started perfecting their fitness at the same stage, and i'm a lot younger and females have less natural arm strength and blah blah....

So its really not cool to discourage newbies to fitness, or for that matter, anyone who isn't exactly as fit as they want to be (wouldn't that be everyone?)


Euphoric, yeah, their is no doubt it my mind that I won't pass this test within a year. The only thing I'm wondering is if I can pass it in 3 months. I have been working on my core more~I used to hardly ever do abdominal exercises! Right now I do a stability ball class 2 x's/week, and once April begins I can attend the class 3 x's/week. It's very hard and will keep me challenged for a long, long time.

cwc: No I can't drop the bar, silly. That sounds retarded of the Marine Corps---> what's the point in doing 6, if you can rest in-between?
 
rocky_road said:
lolz, I wasn't that angry, but I responded as soon as I read that, so my anger was at its high point.

I also think it's preety easy (for people who are fit)....but the thing is, not everyone here has started perfecting their fitness at the same stage, and i'm a lot younger and females have less natural arm strength and blah blah....

So its really not cool to discourage newbies to fitness, or for that matter, anyone who isn't exactly as fit as they want to be (wouldn't that be everyone?)


Euphoric, yeah, their is no doubt it my mind that I won't pass this test within a year. The only thing I'm wondering is if I can pass it in 3 months. I have been working on my core more~I used to hardly ever do abdominal exercises! Right now I do a stability ball class 2 x's/week, and once April begins I can attend the class 3 x's/week. It's very hard and will keep me challenged for a long, long time.

cwc: No I can't drop the bar, silly. That sounds retarded of the Marine Corps---> what's the point in doing 6, if you can rest in-between?
Click to expand...
The guy you flew off the handle at had no reason to suppose you couldn't drop off the bar. If you could drop off the bar it'd be very easy for anyone not way out of condition, as you've just pretty much agreed with. As such, the two-minutes doesn't really enter into consideration. You just need to train to get the six reps and it'll likely take 20s, tops.

It sounds like your pushups are incomplete. Keep your back flat and get down to the ground with your nose unless you know that those partial reps are accepted.

What type of sit-ups do they have you doing? Straight-legged or bent? If bent, how much bend is tolerated? Do you have to return to being fully in contact with the ground behind you with your shoulders between each rep?
 
so the last two posts make me sound really stupid. LOL I was just saying that because Purplehulk said something about that being really easy....Granted it is for me cause I did 20 (the max) on my Marine PFT today.
 
Hey if u want to make your pull ups easier, I know this may sound strange but when youre pulling up, look straight up at the ceiling (as in chin in the sky) and just arch ur back and pull up. When u do the bar should come to the middle/lower portion of your chest. It sort of looks like a reverse bent over barbell row and/or sloppy incline bb bench. This recruits the lats soo much more and helps you shoot up .. if u dont arch or look up, alot more biceps are involved and it makes it alot harder. Try it.. you have nothing to lose.

I went from 8 of the regular ones I was doing to 12 of these ones. Then when I switched back I got 11 regular ones. Well this variation actually MAY be the 'regular' way.. I might have just been doing it wrong all along, haha.
 
Well, to me throwing your legs forward (to just below waist high) helps me. So your body is almost in a "C" or "J" shape. Yea, "J" looks right.
 
Although I can't actually kip, because I don't have a bar that's free of obstacles.

I noticed that not extending my arms all the way makes them a lot easier. I know it's a bit of a cheat, but it lets me get the reps in, which I find difficult otherwise. Once I've built up my strength, I can go back to full extension.
 
anotherbutters said:
I noticed that not extending my arms all the way makes them a lot easier. I know it's a bit of a cheat, but it lets me get the reps in, which I find difficult otherwise. Once I've built up my strength, I can go back to full extension.
Click to expand...

this is how I'm going to practice them, only not very far down at all, until I can get a few in, and then gradually make them lower.
 
Negatives and stronger-range partials (advocated by Jules) work wonderful for pulling movements.

Yarg also gave good advice regarding technique, although you don't need to look up at the ceiling. You simply depress your shoulders as you rise. They should be back and down, and you should focus on pulling the elbow down and behind the body for maximal lat activation. This will have you tilted sort've like this -> / <- under the bar.
 
I'm guessing you lost a good deal of size and strength on it, huh?

Notice any positive benefits?
 
well, I wasnt refering to Kipping because that is a momentum movement. I just meant raising my legs forward to about waist level. That video on kipping is cool. I downloaded it last year.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
I'm guessing you lost a good deal of size and strength on it, huh?

Notice any positive benefits?
Click to expand...

I did lose a lot of fat and some strength. I was still able to bench 315 with ease. Having a solid weight lifting background made the bodyweight workouts easy once I got use to the higher reps and started to loose weight. The swimming was a nice change but I hate to run.

The best benefit was being able to eat anything I wanted and still lost weight. :chomp:
 
AEKDB said:
I did lose a lot of fat and some strength. I was still able to bench 315 with ease. Having a solid weight lifting background made the bodyweight workouts easy once I got use to the higher reps and started to loose weight. The swimming was a nice change but I hate to run.

The best benefit was being able to eat anything I wanted and still lost weight. :chomp:
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm surprised you didn't lose much strength. How much were you able to bench beforehand? Was your power to weight ratio better?

How about size? You lost fat, but what about muscle?

I've always wanted to run that routine all the way through. I can't imagine that insane volume though. 6x25 pushups or something.
 
Anthrax Invasion said:
Wow, I'm surprised you didn't lose much strength. How much were you able to bench beforehand? Was your power to weight ratio better?

How about size? You lost fat, but what about muscle?

I've always wanted to run that routine all the way through. I can't imagine that insane volume though. 6x25 pushups or something.
Click to expand...

I do not credit this program for anything. My room mate and I tried the routine to see if we could finish it. I did, he didn't.

That was so long ago. I remember that I could still do 315 since being able to lift 6 plates was a source of personal pride in college. I also remember that I was able to wear old pants for the first time in a few years although I was significantly stronger.
 
You don't credit it for anything? What about your gut loss, fatty? ;)

Seriously though, I wasn't asking if you credit it for anything, just if you lost muscle mass. Yes, you lost fat, yes you maintained strength. I just figure a type of routine like that would eat up muscle quickly.
 
I'm sure I lost some muscle I just can't remember and do not have many pictures of that time. I benched 385 the end of my 5th year but I did this workout before that. If I had to guess I was probably at 350ish. Those years I ate a lot and slept a lot. I did the program and stopped after the last day. Continuing the program would have definitely sped up muscle loss.

Maybe Rocky would do a before and after squat and bench press for us?
 
AEKDB said:
Maybe Rocky would do a before and after squat and bench press for us?
Click to expand...

Soory, I'm not following the program thing, I am just working out like normally only emphasizing my upper body so that I can do pull-ups.

Update:: Today I went to the gym fresh, warmed up properly, and got started right away on my pull ups. I could do like 2 half-pull ups with my arms spread out slightly, and 3 half-pull ups with them closer on like a bicep-concentrating thingy (I used the bar for the first one, and like two little close-together rod things for the other....does that make sence?) Then, I worked on the assisted pull up machine starting with like 20 pounds and gradually adding more assistance and more reps.

Then, I did cardio. I'm really excited about my pull-ups improving! I'm not sure how often to practice my pull-ups, though...what do you think?

Right now these parts of my work outs, weekly, are set in stone:
Tuesdays I do aerobics with slight weight training, and then stability ball class with abs only (no weights)

This Wednesday, but most Thursdays, I don't work out due to SAT class which is usually on Thursday but this week Wed.

Saturday: Stability ball class with weight work


Does anyone have suggestions to help me fill in the open spots? I'm not regular with the other days, my workouts are all-over the place, because I have found it impossible to make my own schedule. Or, should I keep my workouts random like they are, because adaptation is our enemy?
 
Keeping workouts random isn't going to benefit you in any way, despite what some "gurus" might say. You know, that whole shocking the body and keeping it guessing arguement is moronic.

Train either Monday, Wednesday, & Friday with chinups, or train daily if you want. As long as you can recover, you can do it pretty often, since the workload is ridiculously low. It shouldn't take long for neural adaptations kick in and get you a couple reps with pullups.

Could always do pulldowns to strengthen the muscles used with pullups as well. Lots of ideas, but I think we discussed them all above.

and 3 half-pull ups with them closer on like a bicep-concentrating thingy
Click to expand...

You're a prodigy, aren't you?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
best pulling workouts for upper back strength
Replies
7
Views
656
Arabian
Arabian
M
Monday training at a packed gym
Replies
7
Views
756
SteveMobsterG
SteveMobsterG
V
how would you weight train on a big steroid cycle?
Replies
10
Views
1K
SteveMobsterG
SteveMobsterG
PhillDragon
Rest Time Between Sets — Timer or Just Go by Feel?
Replies
1
Views
307
SteveMobsterG
SteveMobsterG
J
how would you build up your upper body on arms?
Replies
14
Views
2K
the_alcatraz
the_alcatraz
Top Bottom