Fitness test

FMCA

Hi I hope to join the Irish defence forces soon and was wondering what kind of push-ups you're allowed to do at the fitness test.
Can they be wider stance with your elbows out far or do they have to be the ones were your elbows are tucked really close to your sides. I just want to know which kind to train more.

Please answer if you have experience of being at one of the military fitness tests,
Thanks!

Utd93

If you go to youtube and type in irish defence forces fitness test there is a video that explains the whole fitness test.

FMCA

Utd93 wrote: »

If you go to youtube and type in irish defence forces fitness test there is a video that explains the whole fitness test.

Yeh I saw that video but still can't work out if they'd allow wider stanced push-ups or not

Utd93

Well any time iv done my fitness test they never really tell you what stance to take, i think its once you can get enough pushups using proper form you should be fine but im not 100% sure

FMCA

Utd93 wrote: »

Well any time iv done my fitness test they never really tell you what stance to take, i think its once you can get enough pushups using proper form you should be fine but im not 100% sure

So they care more about keeping your back straight and going down far enough?

Utd93

Yeh once you do the correct form you should be ok but i cant say for sure

Brian Clowen

Hands placed slightly outside your shoulder width.
Eblows pointed to the rear at approximately 45 degrees away from your body.
Head in a neutral position looking slightly forward helps you maintain a natural strong spine.
Straight lines from shoulder to hip to knee to ankle.
Heels together is best.
Lower the body down until the elbow breaks 90 degrees and push back up until arms are straight.

The best way to train pushups is to do lots of pushups.

The elbow brushing of your ribs pushup or the marine pushup as some people call it is a fantastic pushup that trains your triceps more than your chest.

Most people who are poor at pushups have weak triceps so should train pushup styles that have more of a focus on the heads of the triceps.

Try to mix up your pushup drills but remember your gaol is to stop just a few reps before complete muscular failure.

If you overdo the training and hurt yourself then that's all she wrote.

Also train the Defence Forces Crunch (Sit Up) before you do any other abs or core exercise, it's is possible to be able to do lots of normal sit ups and be miserable at the DF crunch.

FMCA

Brian Clowen wrote: »

The elbow brushing of your ribs pushup or the marine pushup as some people call it is a fantastic pushup that trains your triceps more than your chest.

Thanks for that Brian, the marine push up is quite hard! Do they accept the other pushup in the PDF? thanks!

Brian Clowen

FMCA wrote: »

Thanks for that Brian, the marine push up is quite hard! Do they accept the other pushup in the PDF? thanks!

The first pushup described in my post above is the standard DF pushup that is preferred and should be trained for.

It is pushup that balanced efforts between the triceps and pectoral muscles thus displaying local muscular endurance across the upper body.

Most important of all is not to stress about the small stuff, as hard as that can be at times.

The best of luck to you.

FMCA

Thanks for your help!