Exercise regimen for new job

Visserian

Hello everyone,

I'm hoping that someone here can give me some advice or point me in the direction to get some help.

Very long story cut short, I'm about to lose my job in about 2 months. However I have found another government job that would be absolutely perfect for me. I meet all the requirements save for one, the physical requirements.

I've tried doing some of the physical fitness tests that they would require and I'm nowhere near good enough shape for any of it. I'm not afraid of working out hard if necessary (I use to be around 300lbs when I was younger and am around the 165 to 170 range nowadays), but I have no idea how to even begin to work out for the kind of strength and fitness level they would require. Anyone have any idea where I could even start?

RUNN1NGMAN

What's the job? What are the physical requirements? If there's some sort of test, what do you have to do for the test to pass?

Visserian

Well the ones I'd be tested on are a timed 300m sprint (under 48 secs), 1.5 mile run (under 11 mins), number of situps within a 1 minute period (50), number of pushups (50), and number of pullups (not timed and unknown).

I attempted the pushups and situps at home just to see where I stand, and I was in the ~25 range for them. I normally jog about 3-4 miles every couple of days, but not at the speed that they would have me at jogging is just about the only exercise I do anymore, and even that I've stopped recently due to hurting my ankle a couple of days back so I've stopped to let it recover abit.

RUNN1NGMAN

Well, from what you said about where you're at, you should be able to get there from here. The simple answer is that if the test is pushups, situps, and pullups, then do pushups, situps, and pullups. Every day, as many as you can. You'll get better fast.

The 1.5 mile run under 11 mins is a decent pace but doable. Build up your endurance by running long and slow, and then once a week do tempo runs where you run at a "comfortably hard" pace for about 3 miles.

Mego Thor

Physical requirements for a government job? Is it the Marines?

programjunkie

Those requirements aren't a joke.

In any case, I recommend doing a small set of all of those exercises every hour if practical (pullups may be an only at home thing especially). The good thing is that practicing for specific events is easier than training general fitness because if you lots of pushups, your body gets good at doing pushups.

For the run, the jogging is good, including distance, but incorporate a sprint day. I personally get on an oval track and sprint the straights and jog the curves for, say, 1.5 miles, then run another mile or so at a reasonable pace. For the jogging days, try to time yourself and push yourself a little to go faster.

For the practical part of taking the test, 1.5 miles falls in a place where you don't really get to use sprinting or endurance specifically, so you do have to push yourself pretty consistently for the duration.

hsu

For the situps, pushups, pullups portion of the test, your best bet is to just do a real strength training workout at a gym.

Benchpress, dips, or muscleups (pick one) are a lot harder than pushups, and will force your chest and triceps to grow faster than just doing pushups.

Squats and deadlifts are a lot harder than situps, and will force your core muscles to grow faster than situps.

For pullups, still do pullups, but do them overhand, to force faster bicep and back growth. Find an assisted pullup machine at a gym, if you cannot do a pullup unassisted.

When doing your actual test, underhand pullups, pushups, and situps should be a piece of cake, since all of those are the easier versions of the exercises above.

One more note: you needed to start strength training yesterday. There is no such thing as gaining strength quickly.

RUNN1NGMAN

Another tip for the test--figure out what "correct" form is. If a push-up is considered going down to the point where your arm forms a 90 degree angle, you don't get extra credit for going all the way down to the deck.

zagdrob

I've got to agree that those physical requirements aren't as much of a joke as most.

If you recently hurt your ankle, be careful when you start training. If you re-injure it, it could make it very difficult to get trained in the timeline you are giving. You may want to consider an ankle brace (one of the lace-up ones) for your bad ankle before you start running.

Depending on the pace that you are jogging now, it shouldn't be too difficult to get your 300 m and 1.5 mile runs in. Try to run more (every day if possible), and incorporate an interval / sprint day in there like programjunkie recommended. If you can do 1.5 or 2 miles of interval training with a 1 mile warm-up jog and 1 mile cool-down jog, you probably will find that you can meet the requirements well within two months. On your normal run days, try and push your pace a little harder, but don't hurt yourself. The only real worry about the running requirements should be re-injuring your ankle or having other injuries that take you out of training.

With the situps / pushups / pullups, I'd definitely back up what RUNN1NGMAN suggested about finding out what the 'correct' form is. Incorporate some standard strength training at the gym, but the good thing about the exercises you're being tested on is that you can do them anywhere. If you can't do a set of 50 situps / pushups now, start doing sets of as many as you can. Time yourself, and try and increase your volume and reduce your time. If you can do 50, start timing yourself and trying to do them faster. I'd aim to consistently be able to do a set of 60 in 1 minute to give yourself some 'wiggle room'.

Something that may help you out is to go every say...two weeks...and do the series of tests you'll be tested on, one after another. Time yourself and keep track of your improvement. Don't be surprised if you plateau somewhere, but also don't be surprised if you make the requirements much more easily than you expected. Just keep pushing yourself to do better so you have more wiggle room even if you do make it. Two months is a lot of time to get conditioned for something like this, and if you are moderately fit now it shouldn't be too difficult.

frijolefrito

I am in the air force and do a pt test like that but we don't do pull ups. This is what I do:
To get your speed down sprint the straight aways walk the curves on a track. Treadmill run as fast as you can 1.5 miles than finish out another 1.5 at any speed until you hit 3 miles. I find distance running hurts people run times because they are used to a slower pace and need a good 2 miles to get in the groove. Circuit training to include: p90x, insanity, or any other variant are amazing. If you don't like that idea do the 100 situp/pushup routines you can get off the internet. If you don't like that just do pullups, pushups and situps. I'd add planks, mount climbers, angry russians (aka cherry pickers), squats (if your knees can take it) and maybe bicycle kicks/flutter kicks.

Good work out routine is tues thurs strength and than sprinkle 3 runs in between that.

frijolefrito

OH and check with your doctor before doing anything.