Simple guide for push ups, pull ups, and sit ups in the Air Force special warfare pipeline
Click here for a simple running guide. To become a PT animal, read below
One thing I was really good at during my time in combat control training was physical training. Other than rucking, I showed up for the training in the best possible shape I could have been.
Although I'm not an expert, I feel comfortable sharing information to future candidates about how to prepare for this type of training. Because the information about the pipeline was pretty lousy when I entered training, back in 2005, I was able to share some of my knowledge with some guys before we started the CCT orientation course.
Some guys were in over their head because all they focused on was passing the PAST test, and didn't really know much else about the rest of the course.
I've learned a lot more since that time. One guy, who happened to be in good shape, did a sit up session with me a few days before the start of the course. He failed the sit up exercise ( it was the the PAST entry test again at the start of the orientation) because he was so sore!
I didn't realize how good of shape I was in, even after basic training. I got into this shape mostly from using pyramid training on push ups, sit ups, and pull ups.
You've probably already heard of using pyramid training as a way to build endurance and become stronger, but I wanted to explain how to use them as a primary way to prepare your body for the demands of the Air Force special warfare pipeline.
Even if you have no interest in the military, you can use pyramids anywhere to constantly improve your fitness. The only equipment you'll need is a place to do pull ups, which you can get creative with. For example you can do them at a park while your kids are playing there.
Pyramids are awesome because you never really reach the top. It kind of goes in line with the attitude we should all adopt about life, especially special operations. You've never arrived because there is always improvements to be made.
Why you should incorporate pyramids into your training
I don't know about you, but I want keep things as simple as I can in my life. I don't want to complicate ways of getting or staying in shape. I want to use techniques that work as quickly and efficiently as possible, and pyramids with calisthenics are a perfect way to accomplish this.
How pyramids work
Pyramids build you up to you max effort and back down. They include a nice warm up, which also serves as getting in repetitions of a certain exercise. As you may already know, your endurance is crucial in any special ops training, more so than pure strength. You also get a cool down, which also serves as more repetitions.
You don't really have to think much about the execution because once you reach the point that you can't do anymore, you go back down the other side of a pyramid.
You can also make your pyramids more challenging, with more repetitions per set, or less intense by doing less. If we use push ups in an example, you could do them by 5. So, after your first set of 5, you'd do ten, and then 15. You keep doing this until you reach the max reps that you can do. After that, you work your way back down.
For a quicker workout, you could go by 10. For example, 10 all the way up to 50 and back down. The key to this workout is to go to your Max and back down.
If we are still using this example, and you do 50, and there's no way you could possibly get 60, then begin to work your way back down. For a bigger challenge, do you max again before working your way back down to 40.
Different ways to apply the PT pyramid
As you see in the example below from Stew Smith's book, The Complete Guide to Navy Seal Fitness, which is a fantastic preparation guide for the SEALs and even Air Force special warfare.
The PT pyramid is for three exercises.
With the information from this article, my running guide, rucking guide, and my future swimming guide, you should be able to construct a simple training plan for yourself.
In this pull up example below, the pull ups start at a challenging level off the bat, so it is a quick, but efficient workout. Some days you may have 20 minutes for pull ups, and this style could do the trick.
Half pyramids
Although you should have the overall goal and focus of a lot of repetitions, sometimes this isn't possible. By stepping up the numbers, and going up a short pyramid, you can still get a great workout with max effort at the top.
You could start pull ups at 6, 8, 10, 12. For me, that alone would give me a workout that reaches a max level. If I did not other pull up that day, it would still be a workout.
You could do this a couple more times if you have time.
It's the same for push up and sit ups. For push ups, you could start push up at 20, 40, 60. You could do another couple of rounds of that. The key is to constantly work up to a max level.
A few details about pyramids
Make sure your rest times aren't too long in between sets. You will be able to get higher on the pyramid if you rest, but the main point of the exercise is to bring your muscles to exhaustion. When you make your rest time a minute or two, you will get there much quicker.
Although you can use pyramids for just about any exercise, the focus should be on push ups, sit ups ( or crunches if the Air force changed the exercise) and pull ups.
Before you join the Air Force, the main goal is to get the PAST numbers as high as possible, so below I'll give some tips on how to incorporate pyramids into a training plan to prepare you for the PAST test.
How to build a training plan
The PAST test is the first challenge for anyone interested in in Air Force special warfare, but after this test you will be doing the three exercises discussed in this article for the rest of your career.
Once you train your body with pyramids, especially when you're younger, the results will stick with you. Regardless of time of with basic training, or life events taking you away from training, a few months of bringing your muscles to max effort, consistently, will make your muscle memory come back like riding a bicycle.
Just like running, you can incorporate PT pyramids starting now, regardless of your current physical status.
Negatives
If you are just starting out and cannot even do 1 pull up, you can still begin this training. You can start with negatives until you can do a pull up. Negatives are a simple way to use gravity to assist strengthening your muscles.
To do a negative with pull ups, you begin by starting in the up position with support to help you stand, or a partner to help you get up to the up position. Once you are in the up position, slowly let yourself down to the starting position by removing the support on your body. Do this several times in a session, as slow as you can, to help you get the strength you need to begin an actual pull up routine.
The same can be done with push ups starting in the up position, and you can slowly let yourself down to the starting position.
Once you can do a few exercises, you starting pyramid can be small. You can go up to 3 and back down on pull ups, and you will still benefit from the workout!
Pull up Form
Before I discuss a workout plan, I must emphasis form! Work on really good form regardless of numbers. If you get 5 less pull ups, but your form is perfect, that is much more beneficial.
For pull ups, make sure your hands are facing forward on the bar, and make sure your thumb is facing up, and your hands are shoulder width apart see below
When you pull yourself up, make sure your chin goes above the bar, and your body is straight without your legs moving for assistance. Moving your body, especially your legs, is called kipping in the pipeline. Make sure when you train, you train with the focus on your back and arms only moving your body up and down.
When you're training with the pyramids, make sure you go down from the up position on the pull ups quickly to ensure minimal effort is used going down. This will conserve your energy for the next repetition.
Push up form
For push ups, make sure your back is straight and you are lowering yourself far enough down. If you are unsure how far to go down, have someone make a fist, and and make sure your chest hits it every time. If your back is not straight, or you can't go down far enough, reduce your reps on the pyramid until you can successfully accomplish good form.
Quality over quantity!
Sit up or crunch form
Sit ups and crunches are the same. All the way up, and all the way down for sit ups, and crunches focus on your abs, and only using your mid section.
The plan
When I share information about physical fitness, I want the process to be simple and easy to understand.
Now that I've explained a little about pyramid exercises, I want to show some examples of how to incorporate these into your workout routine.
I'm a little old school in the fact that I encourage upper body physical training three times a week, which could be Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, but could be any three days of the week. As long as there is a day of rest in between, it really doesn't matter.
The focus is on three core exercises strengthening the chest, abdominal, and back muscles, but it doesn't mean you can't add variety by switching up the forms of exercise.
For example, instead of the standard grip pull up, you can use the close grip pull up by placing you hands together on the bar. You probably can't do as many of these, but it strengthens different muscles and it will be nice to add variety to your routine.
Another day you could do extra wide grip pull ups, or reverse ( chin ups), which also work different muscles. The key is to do some form of pull up exercise.
It's the same for the push ups. Close or wide grip push ups accomplish the same task, although you won't be able to do as many.
Sit ups can be done, or crunches, flutter kick, leg levers, or atomic sit ups. It's really whatever you choose for the day.
Goals
Any workout plan prior to the training pipeline should really accomplish two goals. The first one being crushing the PAST test and successfully getting into training. The other is to build that solid foundation of fitness that should quickly return when the heat is applied at A&S.
Every fourth week should be a PAST test practice for you because after your first PAST test, you can expect a routine AFSOC test in the pipeline, which is similar to the PAST except you do a 3 mile run, and the swim is 1500 meters with fins.
That's no big deal, but as you practice performing the PAST test, you will become more comfortable exerting yourself to the max. It's a perfect test to prepare you for life in the pipeline.
Instead of your normal PT pyramid on Monday ( or your first PT day of the fourth week), you simply max out your push ups, pull ups, and sit ups. It's a great way to assess your progress on the exercises as well.
Some goals you should be close to, or hitting by the time you join the Air Force are:
Push ups- 80 to 90 in two minutes
Sit ups - 100 two minutes
pull ups- 20 no time limit
These are solid numbers that will be very competitive in Air Force special warfare. If someone says they can get 120 push ups in 2 minutes, they are very talented, or their form sucks. More than likely the latter.
Tapering
When you make the decision to begin the training for special warfare getting started on a workout plan is the first step. When you get the momentum started from the work outs, you can make the commitment to join the military.
Once you receive a date to take the PAST test with a recruiter, it's time to taper off your training and give your muscles a real chance to grow and benefit from your hard work.
The taper is pretty simple. You need to give yourself about two weeks, and the training continues, but you don't quite reach your max on the pyramids. You go until you feel a little bit of challenge. You don't go until failure anymore.
It's like you are keeping your muscles working, but not totally exhausting them. If you consistently get up to 12 on the pull ups, then go to about 9, or maybe even 8.
This will give your muscles a chance to repair themselves more than they did while you were working to max effort about three times a week. After about two weeks, you should see a big increase in PAST test numbers.
You can do this for the as well. Reduce your mileage way down before the test so your body can recover before the test.
It's the old tear your body down to make you stronger approach, but it still works.
Hopefully this article makes getting into great upper body shape for the Air Force special warfare pipeline simple and effective.
Kevin
Comments
Post a Comment