ARmy Rumour SErvice

**J Mac** · 06-09-2010, 21:21

Originally Posted by DukesMW

Interview is tomorrow, eek! Electronic Warfare Op as first choice, then Comms System Engineer and OPMI. I've battered my run time down from 10:50 to 10:18 in order to continue with my application (they put it on hold til I was under 10:30), but my heaves just aren't improving.

Every day I do between 20 and 50, with a couple of rest days, but when it comes to testing in one go I can pull off about 6! It's starting to p*** me off! Likewise with pressups, last test I got 59 (to utter failure). I do them every day, up to 150 odd, but I really don't improve much. I've gone from 50 to 59 in like a month.

Anyone got any advice at all?

Exercise becomes less effective after a few weeks of doing the same thing. Your muscles get used to it and stop developing. You need to vary it by changing your routine every 4 weeks or so. It means that your muscles keep building as you're training them in different ways. If you're not wobbly after a workout you need to switch it up a gear.

If you go to any big gym you'll see maybe 4 different machines for triceps, 4 different machines for biceps etc. Don't forget that press ups, heaves, sit ups etc. rely on loads of different muscles all at the same time, and each exercise requires the muscles to move in a different way. Try to do stuff that isn't press ups/sit ups/heaves for a few weeks but target the same muscle groups. This way you'll be building the same muscles, just in a different way. Maybe do a fitness test once a week to check on your progress, but don't worry that because you aren't doing press ups etc. you're going to get worse at them. As long as you don't forget what a press up is you'll only get better!

As for the heaves, I've read on here that it's a "best effort" test. So if 6 is the maximum you can do, go for 7. I believe the important thing is that they can see you tried your best, though my PT would slap me if I told him that...

Also, make sure you're getting enough protein. If not you're pissing in the wind...

I'm certainly no authority by the way; just passing on the same advice I've been given. Good luck with the interview!

**Army Brat** · 06-09-2010, 21:32

I got told it's best effort for heaves and that women dont even have to do any....I think 6 is amazing, as i said earlier today it's taken me 6 weeks to manage 1 lol, so if your giving your best effort they will recognise it and you'll get marked appropriatly (i presume) good luck with your interview Dukes

**AlphaKennyThing** · 06-09-2010, 21:53

Cheers for the replies, I think protein and my exercises may well be a factor. Meat is expensive, and I'm poor. Ha! Though I love meat. Ah well, I'll see how I do.

Thanks again!

**Danny250785** · 06-09-2010, 22:12

yeah protein is a major factor with exercise i think you need about 1g per Kg of body weight atleast to be effective,is that press up score 1 set max?

**J Mac** · 06-09-2010, 23:04

Meat is expensive! I'm a poor student, so I know how that feels. You can get your protein from cheaper foods though. I use couscous instead of rice for example, and I buy a lot of tinned tuna. Things like soya beans and almonds are also really high in protein and dead easy to drop into a meal. Also very cheap if you know where to look (market/local health food store).

If I'm doing ok financially I'll grab a tub of whey protein powder from Holland & Barratt. Definitely worth the price for the convenience and they last for a few months. A lot of people think that these are only for bodybuilders and get put off, but it's just a really convenient way of getting high quality protein in to help with muscle repair. No nasty stuff in them at all. Some of them even taste nice!

P.S. Danny, whereabouts in Lincolnshire are you from? I'm in Grimsby, though at Uni in Liverpool.

**Danny250785** · 07-09-2010, 08:41

I live in Grimsby too

**Crook_J** · 07-09-2010, 08:46

Heya : ).

I've got my ADSC up at Glencorse on the 27th of this month. Really nervous... Quietly confident on the physical side of things - run time, heaves etc... It's the command tasks and icebreaker i'm really bricking it for! Ha.

Anyone else done selection up at Glencorse recently and got any tips or is anyone up there the same dates as me??

Thanks

**J Mac** · 07-09-2010, 10:33

Originally Posted by Danny250785

I live in Grimsby too

Small world! Let me just say - I feel your pain...

**Danny250785** · 07-09-2010, 10:46

lol yeah you can understand my hurry to get into the Army

**AlphaKennyThing** · 07-09-2010, 13:19

Passed my interview, wahey!

On to ADSC zoom zoom. The time is nigh for much running! And pushups. And all that. Bit of GCSE level maths revision perhaps?

I'm gonna get hold of that whey protein. There's loads here at work for some reason (I work for an IT company..), so I think I'll chav that.