Total Failure/Request for advice..

As some of you know I've been fighting to balance lifting for strength/power with keeping a decent score on my Army PT tests. For the last three months my numbers have shown a steady climb in the deadlift and bench. I thouth I was balancing that increase by adding a ton of pushups and situps at the end of my workouts.
I had a PT test this weekend and I can only say...I sucked ass.

I scored lower on every test ( still better then 90% of my unit). This was my single worst PT test ever.

I'm looking for a way to increase my strength for carry over into real world activities, but also increase my pushups and situps. I've been following a more or less westside template. I also have to run two to three time per week.

 

I attempted to look at your training log on here, you dont have one. What is your routine?

 

Sunday:
ME Upperbody
ME movement ( Rotates from week to week, Closegrip bench, Regular Bench, Incline, Decline, Overhead press) Work up to a 1 or 2 rep max

Dumbell incline press or Dumbell decline press 3-4 sets 8-12 reps
Bent Row 4X10
Weighted Abs (usually with a plate behind my neck) 4X15
Pushups 4X25

Monday:
2 mile run for time

Tuesday
ME Lowerbody
Box Squat or deadlift workup to 3 rep max
Step ups or lunges 3X8-12
Good mornings 3X8-12
Shrugs 3X8
Snatch grip high pull 2X10
Clean grip high pull 2X10
thick bar hold for time ( 3 sets)

Wed
Sprints, light jog followed by 8 sprints up a slight incline ( about 300 meters each)

Thur
Rep upperbody day
Either 4 sets of max pushups or 4 sets of max bench reps at 135 pounds
Chins 4X12 (never going to failure)
Bradford Press 4X8-12
Some sort of tri work (skull crushers, extensions or pressdowns) 4X15
ABs 4X max number of reps ( never to failure)

Friday
Slow jog day: 5 mile run for distance, not time

Sat/Sun off

I also throw in some forearm work on my run days, but nothing major.

 

maybe you would be better of with some periodization. Like focusing on improving your max for 6 weeks - musculare endurance 3-4 weeks - 2-3 weeks conditioning - 6 weeks max and so on. I dont know if this will work better. but you could give it a try.

 

That's excellent advice. I'd say to mix it up a little more. It seems you're going more for strength than stamina.

 

I dont see why you'd be doing a WSB split with your goals.

What is your reasoning?

 

Well my goals are max strength..however I must also have good endurance.

 

Max strength in terms of the big 3? or in a general sense?

 

Thats a good question. I always think of the big three, but I just want to be able to lift heavy things and carry heavy loads, and generally be as strong and fast as possiable...I am going to deploy at some point and I'm not getting killed because I'm too weak or slow

 

Foulsmeller, when I was in the Corps 95-99 I was exactly like you. Granted I also had the bodybuilding mindset (being huge) but I started hanging around some of the bigger guys and dabbled in powerlifting. I also hated running. That being said I never really tried to specifically increase my score by running more, doing extra pulls/chins, or sit-ups. I did all of those things as part of my training but I wouldn't say extra. I kind of always stuck with my own weighlifting programs and did well on most all of my PT tests. I don't really have much advice other than to say if you are getting consistently good scores I wouldn't sweat it to much. Especially if you are accomplishing personal feats that are important to you.

 

If you just want to be strong. A constant rotation of lifting methods would probably benefit you more, especially by incoporating simple endurance work(ie puships, situps) that you're looking to improve.

http://home.comcast.net/~joandbryce/

have a look at this site, interesting thoughts on lifting, definetley give some new approaches to working out.

 

Good stuff.

I rotate my lifts weekely anyway. I also rotate my rep scheme from workout to workout. For example monday this week was "classic" 10X3. Today will be differant lifts and reps of around 30+. I will work ideas from that site into my schedule.

 

My PT test (navy) consists of pushups, situps, and a run.

To work on it, I'm doing pushups, situps, and running. This is one of those ones that's not rocket science. Plus, these are low-impact enough exercises that you can do them every day. I'd suggest you simply do the components of your PT every day.

 

Unless you are going Seals, the Navy PT is a joke
You are 100% correct in your comments. In the past ( when I was on active duty and did not have access to weights) I did just that. I scored very well. But my OVERALL strength declined. I noticed that I was able to do 100 pushups but couldn't hold my own against larger people when rolling, or that I couldnt carry as much or lift as much when doing certain things.

I'm attempting to find some sort of balance, where I can improve my overall strength AND maintain decent pt scores.

 

Passing the Navy PRT is a joke. Passing the next one with the outstanding high standard for my age (will be 37) is a goal for me though.

76 pushups
95 situps
1.5 mile run in 9:25

The run's going to be the toughest. I'll actually feel in pretty decent shape when I pull this off.

Oh, and I'm still pretty strong, too.

 

The 95 situps is a bit much
I'm surprised that your age has to do that many. I usually max my pushups ( 76) and my run ( 13 and change for 2 miles) but I'm usually around 90% for my situps.

 

Yeah the situps are tough for me. It's good, though, I can use the work - I used to have way better ab strength/endurance, and I'd like to have it back.

 

BTW-- Its not like Army PT is that much tougher, at least not the APFT.

 

How much time do you get for the situps/pushups in the Navy? Is it 2 minutes like in the Army?

 

Yes, two minutes.