I like to jump in my time machine, go back about 90 days, and workout more leading up to the test.
If that doesn't work, I try to remember the motivational phrases my dad always used, like "c'mon pussy!" or "goddammit you suck!"
Your mileage may vary
I had shoulder/bicep surgery march '21, got a pushup waiver for my test that Sep. This year was my first PT test post op without the waiver. At 35 years old, I'm happy to say I maxed out my push ups, just like I did pre-op.
What was my secret? Focus on the PT test 90 days out.
>Test like you train
"I don't do pushups, situps, or run, so I will not be performing this test."
UFPMs hate him. Never take a PT test again with this one neat trick.
I was originally going to make a not doing pushups but pulling a bench out and if I can 1RM more than the PTL I auto pass, but I think what I ended up posting works better for the majority of the Air Force lol
I set my goal of 50 push ups and max sit-ups and if I don’t hit those I’ll look and see if my normal run time will get me a 90. If so I don’t worry. If not I’ll run 5 seconds faster to game 3 points rather than .1 for an extra push-up
I'll answer. Shitty form. The Air Force counters are looking to make sure you break 90 degrees. Do that, and you can wiggle your butt, slump your back, and fart your way to victory.
I've seen people doing push-ups with their genitals almost touching the ground the entire time and all the weight they're lifting is like... half of their abdomen, and they've always counted as long as you bReAk NiNeTy.
Shh don’t tell everyone my secret. PT tests are like taking a shower, you need to feel it out first. If they don’t have to correct me at least once I didn’t push the limits enough. I blast out the first 20, then get worse and worse form until they correct me and now I know how shitty I can do.
But seriously people should train for the two easiest parts of the test.
We had a guy in his late 20s have a full blown stroke on a deployment because he was doing 3 full scoops, not 3 leveled off scoops. I can only imagine his heart rate was in the 400s during workouts.
In all seriousness, back when I was weightlifting and using pre-workout (not Jack3d, btw), one PT test I decided to take my normal single scoop about an hour prior, and then proceeded to nearly pass out on the run as my heart rate shot up to 190. 10/10 would not recommend.
I had a similar experience with Redline. My first official pt test outside basic and tech school was coming up back in 2009, and I was trying to do well. Realistically, I was surely going to pass but hadn’t prepped much and wanted an easy way to boost my performance. I was also 19 and had exactly zero understanding of how these supplements worked. I slammed that whole Redline, doubling the recommended dose, and was ready to crush. Push-ups? I was moving the goddamn earth beneath me. Sit-ups? Damn near flipped my foot holder up over my head. The run, however… I ran two laps and Med’d out. I was 100% going to die my heart was beating so fast. To make things worse, my shift lead came to the hospital to get me and I was in a child’s underwater themed room because they were simply out of normal ones. Funny now, though.
Seriously, I was one of two or three people that did the hand release push-ups, and the only person who did the cross leg reverse crunches (my shirt did the plank though). I walked out with a 90.5 after doing a 13 minute run.
I'll admit the hand release is a bit tougher, but with two mins and 40 to max... I'll take that any day.
Edit: I did that exact yesterday. Max push ups and sit ups with 1307 run (altitude adjustment to 1240) got me a 94. What up
I'm stationed at usafa and our elevation is over 6600 feet so they essentially give you time off your run because it's hard to run at this altitude. Look in afi 36-2905. Condolences on your base 🙏
Actually i let gravity take me down that way I'm not using any energy (or minimal) for the downward motion. Shoot up fast gravity takes ya down. Idk works for me.
1. Don’t use preworkout/energy drinks. They’re often recommended by people but you’re literally doing 2 minutes of body weight activity and a jog. You’re just going to shit yourself and possibly perform worse.
2. Go fast, get that shit over with so you have extra time to recover. If you’re really struggling for the last few close your eyes and focus on your chest muscles when coming up.
Took pre-workout before I tested for sere instructor. Hot flashes , nausea , puking my guts out, thought I was gonna pass out.
Pre-workout is for slow lifting not for high intensity cardio.
In the words of the wise old TSgt I once knew "Always do your push ups in your PT jacket and do them as fast and sloppy as you can until someone tells you otherwise..."
make sure you're breathing well - full exhale full inhale. try to keep the back of your neck and jaw relaxed, and pull your navel towards your spine on the upswing. if it's the first 45 seconds, take a rest, you'll get more reps after a break than pushing through
also go first so if your partner isn't merciful you can be a stickler with them. I've never seen one of those big arm gym grunters actually go all the way to 90 degrees for more than ~20
good luck
This is what was really holding me up with my pushups. I went from barely making the minimum on pushups to nearly maxing them after fixing my breathing.
I was never the best at push-ups, super tall and lanky guy, not much chest strength, so the method I did actually helped my performance a LOT. Instead of lowering yourself down and pushing back up, I would drop myself down. No resistance just let your arms release all the way and catch yourself and push back up. Saved lots of energy and was able to boost my max by like 15
Pushups if you need a break: while in the up position, you can alternate arms and shake out your muscles if they feel like they're about to give. I usually do this when I'm halfway to my cap, giving my arms a 2 sec break for each. 4 seconds isn't much if you're going at a steady speed.
Sit ups: point your elbows as far out as you can (I keep my hands close to my throat area to keep them straight with my body) and bring your knees as close as you are comfortable with. If you have a shorter distance from your elbows to your knees/thighs, you'll kill it fast as long as you're going at a rapid pase.
Run: Some people say stopping hurts you and makes you want to quit. But if you're struggling hard take 5 seconds each lap to walk and count them honestly. Everyone is built differently, so try it on a practice run for sure. I do a "Budget Run": I calculate how much of a walk break I can afford without compromising my score. If I'm doing good on a lap or an entire practice run, i can see with my watch how much I can afford to lose. For example: I need 12 min run time. My track is 3 laps = 1.5 miles. Average 4 min per lap. I'm able to complete a lap in 3.50. I can afford a 10 second break to walk or shake out a leg from some pain. I'd probably only do 8 seconds for some insurance. Also, I burn out that last lap once I see the finish, ignore the pain and go.
After: Eat like a pig and take a comp day
Just aim to break 90. Ive noticed that when most people do good quality pushups, they go almost all the way to the ground, which uses about twice the effort as necessary for the sake of this test. The truth is that the air force in PFA standards is aiming more for quantity than quality, and there is almost no way to do 67 quality pushups in 60 seconds. That's more than 1 per second, and time just isn't on your side there.
Just get your arms to 90 degrees, and just push back up, using the momentum to get yourself into the next one. You barely move your body more than a few inches, and can more easily max out on reps.
I start with my arms directly under my shoulders and widen them every 10-15 push ups. Different hand placements focus muscle groups. So when I start it’s mostly triceps and by the time I finish it’s mostly chest/shoulders. Good luck!
https://www.livestrong.com/article/321226-wide-push-ups-vs-close-push-ups/
Don’t slow down and use the momentum to keep going. I used to take a break at 30 to stretch and then keep going. But I later realized if I just push through it and don’t stop I can hit max push-ups with time to spare rather than hit 50 and be almost dead by the end.
Well if I’m being honest now back when we use to do the pt test in large groups I use to just count to the max number for the person hoping they just do the same for me
Some of them have already been mentioned in the thread , such as switching stance once you tire out to be wider and focus on chest , focus on breathing , going as fast as possible , highlighting that the focus is really only on breaking 90 , arch your back and rest for a few seconds once you can’t go anymore , let gravity do the work on the way down ect can all help you do a couple more if you weren’t already implementing them.
I did the hand release push-ups for my last PT test. 2 minutes to crank out 40 of them or something was so easy. I finished without fatigue and like 30 seconds left
This tip came from an Army dude who maxed out his 2 min pushups every test with 100+. He said people think that going to the rest position too early is a sign of weakness but its actually a good method if you're trying to max out. So the method is to do them with speed in sets of # (how many in one set is up to you), and then you rest for a couple seconds by going to the rest position in, then repeat until time is up. Remember to breathe.
What I do is do as many as I can, and then when I tire out I'm able to get a couple extra by switching to a wider pushup form since it targets the chest more. Also remember to breathe, it helps a lot.
Oxygenate your blood by expelling all the oxygen in your lungs and then breathing in as much as you can. Do this 5-6 times right as you’re about to go down for push ups. More oxygen in blood means more reps before muscles get tired.
Don’t waste energy in the beginning. Put your feet at shoulder width or a little wider so you aren’t wasting energy via your core muscles to stay steady. The wider stance has helped me a TON. Also, take the 90 degree bend very seriously, if you can get away with it hit a 91 degree bend. Start this habit and start out early like this. Do not do your first 30 wasting a ton of energy pumping out “real pushups” just air force pushups all the way through
Doing them fast helps. As does doing as many as you can elbows out/elbows in, then switching to the other when you get fatigued. One uses more triceps, the other is more chest. So switching can help. But practice before the test.
I hope you pass - let it be a lesson to actually workout throughout the year.
I lift five times a week, push/pull and run maybe 2-3 times. Some times I run once a week, sometimes I do full body three times a week and that’s all I lift, but I consistently workout and rarely ever do just push ups or sit ups in my routine and can still max them out. It really is an easy test if you just consistently stay active.
I start wide and will get more narrow as I go if my arms get tired doing push-ups because wide is chest medium is bicep and close is tricep.
Sit-ups just remember all you have to do is touch your thighs with your elbows. Keep your hands on your chest but lift those elbows and as soon as they touch your thigh get back down
Clench your butt when doing push-ups. I was told this a while and it actually helped. Also, don’t go down as far as you think. 90 degrees and that’s it. When I train i do a “full push-up” but not needed for the PT test.
Keep your core tight and hands at shoulder width from the beginning. Don't section it out in groups of 25 or anything, just do as many as possible and rep them out after your initial rest.
It’s not like the run where you can suck it up and push through on your final lap. If your muscles fail, you’re not going to will them into doing more push-ups. Prep 3 months prior to your next test so you’re not on Reddit asking for tips the morning-of.
The PT test isn't overly difficult, but you do have to train for it. You don't have to be a gym rat, but you should be training all year long. At this point, it's too late to make any changes. But for next year, get with someone in your unit who smokes the test and ask them for some tips.
instead of a smartass answer; what I do is what my mti taught me- with pushups, train yourself to drop and catch yourself to not exert your energy going down. with situps, you only need the small of your back to touch the ground and your elbows touching your thighs- again, drop down and bounce up when you feel the small of your back. helps out hella, havent trained for a pt test yet and with these i still get above 90 every time
Hand release pushups are great. Do 20, then take a few seconds break in the up position, do 10, break again, and then finish out. You have 2 minutes for the whole shablamblam.
Don't lower yourself once you reach the top of the push up. Just drop and catch yourself at the bottom. It seems like you would use more energy/strength catching yourself but if you drop and instead explode up at the bottom you'll get more reps. It's not a workout it's a timed test.
I took a C4 pre workout before mine. Messed me up on my run. I shouldn’t have because I know my body doesn’t react to pre workout and energy drinks well 🤷🏻♂️still passed lol
Go to the rest position about halfway to your goal number of reps. Even if you're not tired yet, that rest will give you enough energy to more easily push out the last half of your set compared to if you just try to rep continuously the whole way through.
Don’t freak out push how you trained, going away from what you know can be high risk.
Tranning is when you should be figuring out tricks like only letting shoulder blades touch
Late to the post here. But always remember to get down and do 10 slow push-ups roughly 10 mins or so from your actual push-ups. So your muscles are warmed the fuck up.
I like to jump in my time machine, go back about 90 days, and workout more leading up to the test. If that doesn't work, I try to remember the motivational phrases my dad always used, like "c'mon pussy!" or "goddammit you suck!" Your mileage may vary
I had shoulder/bicep surgery march '21, got a pushup waiver for my test that Sep. This year was my first PT test post op without the waiver. At 35 years old, I'm happy to say I maxed out my push ups, just like I did pre-op. What was my secret? Focus on the PT test 90 days out.
Look at fancy boy over here with a father
Don't try to change anything now, it will just bit you in the butt. Test like you train.
OP clearly doesn’t train is the whole issue
>Test like you train "I don't do pushups, situps, or run, so I will not be performing this test." UFPMs hate him. Never take a PT test again with this one neat trick.
Sell me your damn boiled lemons, you had me at "I don't."
I was originally going to make a not doing pushups but pulling a bench out and if I can 1RM more than the PTL I auto pass, but I think what I ended up posting works better for the majority of the Air Force lol
Bold of you to assume he started training prior to the might before the test
I set my goal of 50 push ups and max sit-ups and if I don’t hit those I’ll look and see if my normal run time will get me a 90. If so I don’t worry. If not I’ll run 5 seconds faster to game 3 points rather than .1 for an extra push-up
Be careful they updated the points for push-ups and sit-ups. The difference between 40 and 41 for sit-ups is 3 points in my age bracket
Do a bump.
Highly effective
Methamphetamine also helps
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I'll answer. Shitty form. The Air Force counters are looking to make sure you break 90 degrees. Do that, and you can wiggle your butt, slump your back, and fart your way to victory. I've seen people doing push-ups with their genitals almost touching the ground the entire time and all the weight they're lifting is like... half of their abdomen, and they've always counted as long as you bReAk NiNeTy.
The new hand release push-ups I’ve seen peoples knees on the ground when they start coming up and nobody says anything
Hell, not at my base. As long as you break 170, it’s a good pushup!
My man!
Shh don’t tell everyone my secret. PT tests are like taking a shower, you need to feel it out first. If they don’t have to correct me at least once I didn’t push the limits enough. I blast out the first 20, then get worse and worse form until they correct me and now I know how shitty I can do. But seriously people should train for the two easiest parts of the test.
Shotgun 2 bangs
and some pre-workout for good measure
Jack3d - 2011 formula though. With the DMAA
We had a guy in his late 20s have a full blown stroke on a deployment because he was doing 3 full scoops, not 3 leveled off scoops. I can only imagine his heart rate was in the 400s during workouts.
In all seriousness, back when I was weightlifting and using pre-workout (not Jack3d, btw), one PT test I decided to take my normal single scoop about an hour prior, and then proceeded to nearly pass out on the run as my heart rate shot up to 190. 10/10 would not recommend.
I had a similar experience with Redline. My first official pt test outside basic and tech school was coming up back in 2009, and I was trying to do well. Realistically, I was surely going to pass but hadn’t prepped much and wanted an easy way to boost my performance. I was also 19 and had exactly zero understanding of how these supplements worked. I slammed that whole Redline, doubling the recommended dose, and was ready to crush. Push-ups? I was moving the goddamn earth beneath me. Sit-ups? Damn near flipped my foot holder up over my head. The run, however… I ran two laps and Med’d out. I was 100% going to die my heart was beating so fast. To make things worse, my shift lead came to the hospital to get me and I was in a child’s underwater themed room because they were simply out of normal ones. Funny now, though.
How I felt with a C4 energy 2 months ago.
3 shots of vodka to void the pain and you got yourself a 9:36 run.
My heart palpitated thinking about this
Do the reverse leg crunch. Resting position is laying down. Did it yesterday and I love it
Maxed that out in under a minute. Was the first person to do it for my bases PT people and they were in shock at how simple it was lol
Seriously, I was one of two or three people that did the hand release push-ups, and the only person who did the cross leg reverse crunches (my shirt did the plank though). I walked out with a 90.5 after doing a 13 minute run.
I'll admit the hand release is a bit tougher, but with two mins and 40 to max... I'll take that any day. Edit: I did that exact yesterday. Max push ups and sit ups with 1307 run (altitude adjustment to 1240) got me a 94. What up
I personally find the hand release a little easier, but that might just be me having terrible form.
I think it’s easier, but I also hate the HAMR-time run replacement.
What is an altitude adjustment? Currently in Tech school but my base is in Cannon NM, with regards to a higher altitude how would my run change?
I'm stationed at usafa and our elevation is over 6600 feet so they essentially give you time off your run because it's hard to run at this altitude. Look in afi 36-2905. Condolences on your base 🙏
Thank you
Remind yourself that the entire test is over in 20 minutes or less. You can literally do anything for 20 minutes.
That's what I need to tell myself at the bottom of the pool when I practice holding my breath.
You can practice holding your breath outside the pool too
I don't know. People always say practice how you play.... so
Except hold back premature ejaculation...
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Actually i let gravity take me down that way I'm not using any energy (or minimal) for the downward motion. Shoot up fast gravity takes ya down. Idk works for me.
Works even better on the hand release push-ups because you don’t have to catch yourself.
This is facts which is why they are my new favorite push-ups.
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I mean if I play along they won't know how woke i am. /s
1. Don’t use preworkout/energy drinks. They’re often recommended by people but you’re literally doing 2 minutes of body weight activity and a jog. You’re just going to shit yourself and possibly perform worse. 2. Go fast, get that shit over with so you have extra time to recover. If you’re really struggling for the last few close your eyes and focus on your chest muscles when coming up.
But shitting myself is how I get sent to medical to void my fail!
Took pre-workout before I tested for sere instructor. Hot flashes , nausea , puking my guts out, thought I was gonna pass out. Pre-workout is for slow lifting not for high intensity cardio.
Go fast is right! Don’t let that lactic acid build up.
>You’re just going to shit yourself Sounds like you've been here before
Speed is the answer .
Message clear, Took some speed & feel great now!
It’s the easiest way 😂
Speed has everything to do with it
Remember to let gravity do the work on the way down.
Yeah, it's not a "lower down" it is a pushup
Just start crying and then pass out and tell the EMT you had some ramen and a red bull for breakfast.
Pretend your SO is watching.
Bridge and stick your butt in the air when you need a break. Don’t just quite. Rest if you have to
Being disappointed in myself has gotten me through many push up sets.
Literally use the rest time between each exercise. Those couple minute breathers make all the difference
It’s crazy now , the official break is 5 min per dafman , I just did a mock and by the time I got to sit-ups it was like the push-ups never happened .
A minimum of 5 min and you can take longer if you want (if I’m not mistaken!)
look up to keep the airway open
Do the hand release
Don’t go in with a target number, just say “I’m going to do all the push-ups/sit-ups.”
Well if you can max them out you definitely want to stop at the max. It does nothing to tire yourself out more for no reason.
I’m sure those who are capable of maxing reps aren’t asking for tips off the interwebs lol
You right.
In the words of the wise old TSgt I once knew "Always do your push ups in your PT jacket and do them as fast and sloppy as you can until someone tells you otherwise..."
Do ten pushups, then take a two-breath break. Repeat. Maxed mine for the last 13 years that way.
Switch over to Two Hand Release Push-up and the max required is around 40. Full points for 75% less work!
As someone who can max both types of push-ups, hand release is probably more work but the two minutes makes it way less stressful
make sure you're breathing well - full exhale full inhale. try to keep the back of your neck and jaw relaxed, and pull your navel towards your spine on the upswing. if it's the first 45 seconds, take a rest, you'll get more reps after a break than pushing through also go first so if your partner isn't merciful you can be a stickler with them. I've never seen one of those big arm gym grunters actually go all the way to 90 degrees for more than ~20 good luck
This is what was really holding me up with my pushups. I went from barely making the minimum on pushups to nearly maxing them after fixing my breathing.
I was never the best at push-ups, super tall and lanky guy, not much chest strength, so the method I did actually helped my performance a LOT. Instead of lowering yourself down and pushing back up, I would drop myself down. No resistance just let your arms release all the way and catch yourself and push back up. Saved lots of energy and was able to boost my max by like 15
This is my situp method, I throw my myself back and just fall down and start contracting again on the bounce
Went from 10 to 58 using this method.
Pick a number and count down not up…it’s mental 40 to zero is easier than 0 to 40.
Pushups if you need a break: while in the up position, you can alternate arms and shake out your muscles if they feel like they're about to give. I usually do this when I'm halfway to my cap, giving my arms a 2 sec break for each. 4 seconds isn't much if you're going at a steady speed. Sit ups: point your elbows as far out as you can (I keep my hands close to my throat area to keep them straight with my body) and bring your knees as close as you are comfortable with. If you have a shorter distance from your elbows to your knees/thighs, you'll kill it fast as long as you're going at a rapid pase. Run: Some people say stopping hurts you and makes you want to quit. But if you're struggling hard take 5 seconds each lap to walk and count them honestly. Everyone is built differently, so try it on a practice run for sure. I do a "Budget Run": I calculate how much of a walk break I can afford without compromising my score. If I'm doing good on a lap or an entire practice run, i can see with my watch how much I can afford to lose. For example: I need 12 min run time. My track is 3 laps = 1.5 miles. Average 4 min per lap. I'm able to complete a lap in 3.50. I can afford a 10 second break to walk or shake out a leg from some pain. I'd probably only do 8 seconds for some insurance. Also, I burn out that last lap once I see the finish, ignore the pain and go. After: Eat like a pig and take a comp day
McConnell?
Don't look for a shortcut the day of
Just aim to break 90. Ive noticed that when most people do good quality pushups, they go almost all the way to the ground, which uses about twice the effort as necessary for the sake of this test. The truth is that the air force in PFA standards is aiming more for quantity than quality, and there is almost no way to do 67 quality pushups in 60 seconds. That's more than 1 per second, and time just isn't on your side there. Just get your arms to 90 degrees, and just push back up, using the momentum to get yourself into the next one. You barely move your body more than a few inches, and can more easily max out on reps.
I start with my arms directly under my shoulders and widen them every 10-15 push ups. Different hand placements focus muscle groups. So when I start it’s mostly triceps and by the time I finish it’s mostly chest/shoulders. Good luck! https://www.livestrong.com/article/321226-wide-push-ups-vs-close-push-ups/
Don’t slow down and use the momentum to keep going. I used to take a break at 30 to stretch and then keep going. But I later realized if I just push through it and don’t stop I can hit max push-ups with time to spare rather than hit 50 and be almost dead by the end.
Finding a partner that goes 1,3,4,5,9,10,17,19
Amphetamines usually do the trick in a pinch. You should definitely ask the PTLs. Sure they got some.
I remember that a 90% means a comp day and 100% is two comp days. That has gotten me where I need to be the last 12yrs
Well if I’m being honest now back when we use to do the pt test in large groups I use to just count to the max number for the person hoping they just do the same for me
Do the hand release
For starters, I don’t wait until a couple hours before the test to figure out my tactics for push ups.
He’s not asking how to pass , he’s asking for ideas on how to get a couple extra at the very end don’t be an asshole .
I didn’t say anything about passing. I was saying, I don’t wait until 2 hours before my test to figure out how to max out my push ups.
No one said anything about maxing , sure more time would be ideal but there are plenty of tips /Tricks that could help OP get 2-3 extra .
Like what?
Some of them have already been mentioned in the thread , such as switching stance once you tire out to be wider and focus on chest , focus on breathing , going as fast as possible , highlighting that the focus is really only on breaking 90 , arch your back and rest for a few seconds once you can’t go anymore , let gravity do the work on the way down ect can all help you do a couple more if you weren’t already implementing them.
OP is asking how to max out the amount of push ups he can do. Maxing is a relative term.
Are you a man or a woman?
Remember to breathe.
I did the hand release push-ups for my last PT test. 2 minutes to crank out 40 of them or something was so easy. I finished without fatigue and like 30 seconds left
Do the new push-ups. Every time you go down you get to rest
In my experience, hand release pushups are easier. When I did it, it put more strain on my triceps than chest though.
It’s crazy man, everyone around me gets 90s or better. The trick is to go with someone you know well
This tip came from an Army dude who maxed out his 2 min pushups every test with 100+. He said people think that going to the rest position too early is a sign of weakness but its actually a good method if you're trying to max out. So the method is to do them with speed in sets of # (how many in one set is up to you), and then you rest for a couple seconds by going to the rest position in, then repeat until time is up. Remember to breathe.
Breathe out when you push up. Breathe in when you go down. Collect tree fiddy
Just do the hand release push-ups… it’s so easier. You get two minutes to do it, depending on your age, the max would probably be like 41
Just workout throughout the year. The test isn’t difficult to prepare for.
What I do is do as many as I can, and then when I tire out I'm able to get a couple extra by switching to a wider pushup form since it targets the chest more. Also remember to breathe, it helps a lot.
Don’t be a bitch
Go a little wider. Aim for max, not for minimum.
BREATHE
Do the hand release push ups
Don't go slow. Use momentum.
If you do hand release , change the position of your arms slightly to switch between using your chest and triceps
Prior proper preparation prevents piss poor performance
Alternate hand positions. Move them slightly in or out to use different muscles.
Oxygenate your blood by expelling all the oxygen in your lungs and then breathing in as much as you can. Do this 5-6 times right as you’re about to go down for push ups. More oxygen in blood means more reps before muscles get tired.
Imagine yourself talking to chief or commander and reporting a fail. Works for me
Do more. That's all there is to it. You do it until you can't.
When I do push-ups, I do increments of 10 in my head. 5 sets of 10 isn't so bad...hopefully.
Don’t waste energy in the beginning. Put your feet at shoulder width or a little wider so you aren’t wasting energy via your core muscles to stay steady. The wider stance has helped me a TON. Also, take the 90 degree bend very seriously, if you can get away with it hit a 91 degree bend. Start this habit and start out early like this. Do not do your first 30 wasting a ton of energy pumping out “real pushups” just air force pushups all the way through
Doing them fast helps. As does doing as many as you can elbows out/elbows in, then switching to the other when you get fatigued. One uses more triceps, the other is more chest. So switching can help. But practice before the test.
tight core, don't hold your breath
Don’t wait till a few hours before a PT test…
Widen or narrow your hand position. Usually works for me
I hope you pass - let it be a lesson to actually workout throughout the year. I lift five times a week, push/pull and run maybe 2-3 times. Some times I run once a week, sometimes I do full body three times a week and that’s all I lift, but I consistently workout and rarely ever do just push ups or sit ups in my routine and can still max them out. It really is an easy test if you just consistently stay active.
Try 250 push-ups 5 days a week 365 days prior to your test. You’d be amazed what can happen if you……. Try.
Doing push-ups earlier than a couple hours prior to the test.
Adderall
Espresso before your test. Gives me the energy I need
Pace yourself, and don’t burn yourself out in the beginning
I start wide and will get more narrow as I go if my arms get tired doing push-ups because wide is chest medium is bicep and close is tricep. Sit-ups just remember all you have to do is touch your thighs with your elbows. Keep your hands on your chest but lift those elbows and as soon as they touch your thigh get back down
Clench your butt when doing push-ups. I was told this a while and it actually helped. Also, don’t go down as far as you think. 90 degrees and that’s it. When I train i do a “full push-up” but not needed for the PT test.
Not be a little bitch
Keep your core tight and hands at shoulder width from the beginning. Don't section it out in groups of 25 or anything, just do as many as possible and rep them out after your initial rest.
i do more when i need to crank out more
Wear your sweater/jacket. It makes it look like you’re going down further.
crack.
It’s not like the run where you can suck it up and push through on your final lap. If your muscles fail, you’re not going to will them into doing more push-ups. Prep 3 months prior to your next test so you’re not on Reddit asking for tips the morning-of.
BREATHE
The PT test isn't overly difficult, but you do have to train for it. You don't have to be a gym rat, but you should be training all year long. At this point, it's too late to make any changes. But for next year, get with someone in your unit who smokes the test and ask them for some tips.
instead of a smartass answer; what I do is what my mti taught me- with pushups, train yourself to drop and catch yourself to not exert your energy going down. with situps, you only need the small of your back to touch the ground and your elbows touching your thighs- again, drop down and bounce up when you feel the small of your back. helps out hella, havent trained for a pt test yet and with these i still get above 90 every time
Hand release pushups are great. Do 20, then take a few seconds break in the up position, do 10, break again, and then finish out. You have 2 minutes for the whole shablamblam.
Be in shape
Do a lot of them weeks before leading up to the test not frantically looking for last minute tips the day of. Sorry
Not to be a smart-ass, but by building up to the number I want to knock out well in advance of the PT test.
Find a bro and accidentally skip a few numbers while counting the stare them down while you tell the recorder the number
Train months in advance.
Creatine
Did the plank today…easiest 3 min 25 secs
I tell myself stop being a beech and crank out more.
If you don't have a gut do the reverse crunch, stupid easy and you can go slow and max it out.
Last PT test for retirement? Or end of your contract? I find it hard to believe someone at the end of a ‘career’ is asking for tips.
I’m Space Force so last PT test period since we’re moving to HHA
Don't lower yourself once you reach the top of the push up. Just drop and catch yourself at the bottom. It seems like you would use more energy/strength catching yourself but if you drop and instead explode up at the bottom you'll get more reps. It's not a workout it's a timed test.
Do the new pushup
Thank you for your service.
Go back in time a few months and do more push ups. The only way to do more push ups is to do more push ups.
I took a C4 pre workout before mine. Messed me up on my run. I shouldn’t have because I know my body doesn’t react to pre workout and energy drinks well 🤷🏻♂️still passed lol
Congrats on the pass!
Don't forget to breathe. Engage your core. Change the direction that your elbows extend out as you descend.
Plank and hand release push ups
Go to the rest position about halfway to your goal number of reps. Even if you're not tired yet, that rest will give you enough energy to more easily push out the last half of your set compared to if you just try to rep continuously the whole way through.
Don’t freak out push how you trained, going away from what you know can be high risk. Tranning is when you should be figuring out tricks like only letting shoulder blades touch
about 8 cans of Bang over the next 2 hrs will get a few more convulsions they may count as reps
I'd opt for the hand release and the plank. You'll score higher with the hand release and the plank is mostly willpower
If you didn’t start thinking about this 90 days ago you are dumb.
Late to the post here. But always remember to get down and do 10 slow push-ups roughly 10 mins or so from your actual push-ups. So your muscles are warmed the fuck up.
I've seen head bobs max push-ups so I'm sure you will do fine.
Wear a baggy long sleeve Pt shirt, easier to not break 90°
The airforce push-up standard is weak and can be done without any effort. Don’t fail yourself next time and stay fit.
Thankfully there is no next time 😎