LE Physical Fitness Test Help/Advice

[spemma]

thanks fazer, i appreciate your thoughtful response.

[spemma]

i did a mock PFT yesterday and overall i'm optimistic with how it went.

• situps: 44 in 1 minute, same as the official PFT, but i could've done more and 44 didn't = failure this time around like it did on the actual PFT
• sprint: ~0:58, down from 0:57 on the official PFT, however, again, this 0:58 wasn't b@lls out like the official one was and i was actually able to recover in time for the pushups
• pushups: 40, same as the official PFT, but i had some more in the tank, so i felt good there
• 1.5 mile run: 11:39, down from 13:00 on the official PFT, and it felt good, except for the last 1/2 lap that i sprinted to try and get under 11:35

so overall i feel pretty optimistic. i'm going to keep doing fast 5's, 600m resets, 1 short E and 1 longer E, plus by Fighter Bangkok (Tango) cluster each week.

edit: i'll add that i lost about 6lbs over the past 6 weeks as well. i accomplished that with a slight deficit (~15%). i didn't want to make it too high to impede recovery. my typical deficit when cutting is 25-30%, so i scaled that back to account for increased activity. i think it's worked well so far, but anything more aggressive and i would've been in trouble.

[Aelian]

[*]1.5 mile run: 11:39, down from 13:00 on the official PFT, and it felt good, except for the last 1/2 lap that i sprinted to try and get under 11:35

Good job. Keep working at this. Now stay consistent and keep doing what you've been doing.

[spemma]

ran another mock PFT yesterday so i figured i'd post the results:

• sit-ups: 46 in 1 minute, +2 from last time. i have to work on my speed/tempo on these now. i have the ability to score higher.
• sprint: ~0:58 again, but i'm only +0.2 seconds away from the next point category and my recovery is much improved and this isn't nearly as taxing.
• push-ups: 42, +2 from last time, but this was to failure. i'm disappointed with my lack of progress here. i might move to weighted push-ups per grouchyjarhead's success.
• 1.5 mile run: 11:18, improvement of 0:21 from last time, and i didn't even sprint the last lap. the 400m resets and fast 5's are really helping my speed and tempo here. i'm only 0:08 away from the next point category and i still feel like i have solid room for improvement.

• does anyone have tips for quickening my sprint recovery? i stretch and do a lot of deep breathing, but i would ideally like my heart rate to go back down to a more normal level within my 5 minute rest period.

the above results put me at a passing score now. i'm really glad that i listened to everybody here and did basebuilding. this is my last week of basebuilding. aside from the push-ups, it feels like solid improvement in every category.

thanks again to everyone who helped me here.

[spemma]

Some of you may remember my call for help back in April regarding a short notice (~3 weeks) PFT I had to take. If not, you can refer to it here > http://tacticalbarbell.com/forum/viewto ... 8107#p8107.

Despite the board's best efforts to guide me and my prep, it just wasn't enough time to get into running shape for the test. My results were as follows:

May 2017
PFT: FAIL

• sit-ups: 44
• 300m sprint: ~0:47
• push-ups: 38
• 1.5 mile run: 13:00

Well, I'm pretty happy to report that I just did a retake and passed:

September 2017
PFT: PASS

• sit-ups: 53
• 300m sprint: ~0:47
• push-ups: 44
• 1.5 mile run: 11:14

You can view my log here > http://tacticalbarbell.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=5&t=822

Key to my improvement was the Basebuilding. My 1.5 run was my weakest event, and after 5 weeks of Basebuilding, I got it down to 11:30. Since then I've just been training training training to improve more.

I'm debating on what to do with Continuation now since I haven't been able to start one yet. I thought the test could come any time July or after, so it didn't make sense to switch to a Strength protocol that could last only a couple of weeks. I never thought the retake would be delayed until September, otherwise I would've embarked on Continuation.

I've taken the past 4 months off of BJJ completely and I sorely miss it. I would like to go 2 days/week, so I'm thinking a set-up like this:

• Fighter (Bangkok), cluster of BP, SQ, WPU, DL (1 working set/week).
• Adding push-ups and sit-ups at the end of Fighter sessions. I will follow Alpha/Bravo for push-ups, but something different for sit-ups since they are a 1-minute timed event, so I have to work speed.
• HIC: Fast 5 and something like Oxygen Debt/600m Resets/Speed Endurance Ladders/Anaerobic capacity
• E: One 60-minute run per week, might make a fun run

Schedule:

• Monday: BJJ
• Tuesday: Fighter (Bangkok), Fast 5
• Wednesday: BJJ
• Thursday: Fighter (Bangkok)
• Friday: E
• Saturday: Sprint workout HIC

Questions:

• Is there a better way to combine a strength and conditioning session?
• My push-ups feel like they should be improving more - could this just be due to missing the MS work?
• 1.5 mile hit a wall, 11:00 is about my limit currently - should I do more E?
• I want to continue to improve. I was running 4 days/week before and I'm a little apprehensive dropping to 3. I was trying to get my fitness up to a better level though. Is this enough to maintain my current fitness and perhaps improve?

Other Information:

• 33yo, male, 200lbs, 5'10"
• Lift maxes estimates are 265 BP, 330 SQ, 400 DL
• Training to maintain and improve PFT scores
• Diet is dialed in pretty good

Anyway, thanks to the community here for all the help. Thank you for the books and the programming that got me where I am.

[WallBilly]

Congrats!

I like the looks of your continuation, with one exception.

If I was only lifting 2 days a week, I would not do it on Tuesday and Thursday. Spread it out more. Flip the Thursday/Friday, for example. Lots of other ways to go, but do it so there are 2 days off on one side and 3 on the other, not 1 and 4.

I have found that keeping the long E once a week is key to my program. KB says every other week is OK, but even when I am playing hockey 3 times a week along with everything else, it all seems to fall apart if I start skimping on the E.

[WallBilly]

PS I just read your questions more carefully.

I believe you will be able to improve your 1.5 mile time with the schedule that you have proposed. Obviously, you already got the "easy" gains.

My only other suggestion would be to include some shorter, full-effort sprinting, like short hills, track work (100, 200, 400 m sprints), or intervals (alternate balls-out sprinting with slow jog or walk/recover). I have found that going really fast for shorter distances helps with the race speed, even when the race is 10k, let alone 1.5 miles.

My favorite current HIC, which I set up my running watch for, consists of:

5 minute warm-up, jogging at an E pace, no more than 135 bpm.

10X intervals, consisting of:

1 minute balls-out, followed by 1.5 minutes slow jog or walk.

5 minute cool down.

the whole thing takes about half an hour, and it is a killer. I like to do it in the woods on a trail.

[Barkadion]

I have found that keeping the long E once a week is key to my program.

This is soooooo true

Congrats, Spemma!!!

[Aelian]

Some of you may remember my call for help back in April regarding a short notice (~3 weeks) PFT I had to take. If not, you can refer to it here > http://tacticalbarbell.com/forum/viewto ... 8107#p8107.

Despite the board's best efforts to guide me and my prep, it just wasn't enough time to get into running shape for the test. My results were as follows:

May 2017
PFT: FAIL

• sit-ups: 44
• 300m sprint: ~0:47
• push-ups: 38
• 1.5 mile run: 13:00

Well, I'm pretty happy to report that I just did a retake and passed:

September 2017
PFT: PASS

• sit-ups: 53
• 300m sprint: ~0:47
• push-ups: 44
• 1.5 mile run: 11:14

You can view my log here > http://tacticalbarbell.com/forum/viewto ... ?f=5&t=822

Key to my improvement was the Basebuilding. My 1.5 run was my weakest event, and after 5 weeks of Basebuilding, I got it down to 11:30. Since then I've just been training training training to improve more.

I'm debating on what to do with Continuation now since I haven't been able to start one yet. I thought the test could come any time July or after, so it didn't make sense to switch to a Strength protocol that could last only a couple of weeks. I never thought the retake would be delayed until September, otherwise I would've embarked on Continuation.

I've taken the past 4 months off of BJJ completely and I sorely miss it. I would like to go 2 days/week, so I'm thinking a set-up like this:

• Fighter (Bangkok), cluster of BP, SQ, WPU, DL (1 working set/week).
• Adding push-ups and sit-ups at the end of Fighter sessions. I will follow Alpha/Bravo for push-ups, but something different for sit-ups since they are a 1-minute timed event, so I have to work speed.
• HIC: Fast 5 and something like Oxygen Debt/600m Resets/Speed Endurance Ladders/Anaerobic capacity
• E: One 60-minute run per week, might make a fun run

Schedule:

• Monday: BJJ
• Tuesday: Fighter (Bangkok), Fast 5
• Wednesday: BJJ
• Thursday: Fighter (Bangkok)
• Friday: E
• Saturday: Sprint workout HIC

Questions:

• Is there a better way to combine a strength and conditioning session?
• My push-ups feel like they should be improving more - could this just be due to missing the MS work?
• 1.5 mile hit a wall, 11:00 is about my limit currently - should I do more E?
• I want to continue to improve. I was running 4 days/week before and I'm a little apprehensive dropping to 3. I was trying to get my fitness up to a better level though. Is this enough to maintain my current fitness and perhaps improve?

Other Information:

• 33yo, male, 200lbs, 5'10"
• Lift maxes estimates are 265 BP, 330 SQ, 400 DL
• Training to maintain and improve PFT scores
• Diet is dialed in pretty good

Anyway, thanks to the community here for all the help. Thank you for the books and the programming that got me where I am.

First off, congrats. Good job. Despite your injury you soldiered on and won the game.

Moving on to your questions; your Continuation goal needs clarification. Are you training to improve PFT scores or as BJJ/lifestyle enhancement? Both will have a different answer depending on how seriously you take each.

Next:

b]Questions:[/b]

• Is there a better way to combine a strength and conditioning session?
• My push-ups feel like they should be improving more - could this just be due to missing the MS work?
• 1.5 mile hit a wall, 11:00 is about my limit currently - should I do more E?
• I want to continue to improve. I was running 4 days/week before and I'm a little apprehensive dropping to 3. I was trying to get my fitness up to a better level though. Is this enough to maintain my current fitness and perhaps improve?

You haven't hit a wall, this isn't stalling. This is normal, it's progress. You're putting in the correct kind of work, but you simply haven't been doing it for long enough yet.
I sincerely applaud your hard work so far, but in the grand scheme of things a few weeks or months is nothing. If you're trying to hit a sub nine 1.5, join the 100 push-up club, rep out 20+ pull-ups, it takes years. Maybe 1, maybe 5, maybe 10. Many factors involved. How long does it take someone to hit a 200% bodyweight bench press? Why would this be any different? Conditioning markers are just as challenging, sometimes more so. You don't get to advanced or elite scores in a set number of neat little blocks....sometimes you just gotta put the time in man.

The good news is since you're doing TB, I seriously doubt it'll take you 10 years. The biggest hurdle is usually spent on trial and error trying to find out what works. There is no "Just-So" magical combo that'll accelerate your results much more substantially than what you're already doing....now you have to add the ingredient of time.

With that in mind, if you clarify your conditioning goals as mentioned above, it'll be a lot easier to fine tune things.

[spemma]

Thank you all.

@WallBilly - I like your idea about moving the second MS session to Friday. I will do that. Also, I agree with your suggestion of including some balls out sprinting. The 300m sprint is kind of a weird beast, and I felt a little like goldilocks trying to fit the sprinting HICs from the book, which are all great btw, into my training. None felt "just right". I will probably do some straight up track work like you said, with longer rest intervals.

@Aelian - I am training to maintain and improve my PFT scores. I will have to take the test again before the academy and at the academy, if I am fortunate enough to move on. I did bury that goal in my original post, but it was like the last thing I put in that diatribe, so it was easy to miss. Timeline-wise, if all goes well, I would say I'm taking another PFT in the January timeframe, for potentially a February/March academy.

Also, WallBilly said something that finally clicked with me regarding the run when he said I'm past the "easy gains". I totally know what that means for strength/bodybuilding, but it never clicked for the running. Plus I guess I was a bit biased in seeing a lot guys posting here and reddit about sub 10min 1.5 miles. It seemed like that was easier to achieve than say....a 300/400/500 BP/SQ/DL combo.

Additional Question

• November would put me at about 6 months since my last basebuilding - would it be worth doing another basebuilding cycle in light of the timelines cited above, or no?