If you are considering becoming a Military Standards Member, you may find some help getting ready for your qualification exam on this page. Since you will be testing on a military base, its probably a good idea that you also brush up on your military protocol and etiquette.
Everything a Commissioned Corps Officer needs can be ordered from the Lighthouse Uniform Company. Additional items of interest including PHS workout attire can be purchased from the PHS Officer's Device Supply Center.
Officers should follow the regulations for uniform wear described in the Commissioned Corps Personnel Manual (CCPM) Pamphlet 61. During processing, (16:30-16:45)most problems will be identified and remedied before the inspection.
Getting in Shape
First and foremost, you need to gain medical clearance before starting any exercise program. Get a complete physical. If you've been inactive for awhile, you need to make sure your body can withstand even a mild conditioning program before you start.
Once you've been medically cleared, you should begin a mild conditioning program that will gradually and safely lead to a level of fitness that will enable you to pass a PT test. There are some excellent organizations that offer advice on-line that can help you get in shape. We recommend you review the web pages for The Cooper's Institute for Aerobic Research, which is nice for getting an overview of how exercise will improve your life and health. The American Council on Exercise is a great resource for the prevention of injury while you get back in shape. Other groups such as The American College of Sports Medicine and The National Strength and Conditioning Program even provide training and certification for conditioning instructors.
Start out slowly, with realistic goals in mind. For example, you should probably walk 4-6 weeks every day before beginning a jogging/running program. This will give your body adequate time to remodel your joints, tendons and muscles. This is especially true of the lower back, hips, knees and ankles. When you can walk 3 miles at a reasonable brisk pace without injury, you're probably ready to start the jogging phase of your training. Use the links above, especially the Runnersweb.com to find some excellent programs on getting started.
Some Generalities to Keep in Mind
Once you've attained an adequate level of fitness, its time to start thinking about the specific events of a PT test. It is recommended that before you take your actual PT test, you should be able to pass it three times on your own. Don't "wing it". This is the most frequent cause of injury and accidents. Many people (especially younger) overestimate their level of physical prowess, and this is why failures are more common in younger officers. It is unreasonable to assume because you are adept at a sport you will be able to pass each event directly.
For a general overview that compares the various Armed Forces PT tests, click here.
Push-ups are highly beneficial exercise for building upper body strength. If you are just getting started, you may want to consider starting from your knees and increasing the number of reps and sets until you can perform multiple sets of 20 reps. The next step would be to get on your toes in the up position and gradually lower yourself to the floor (negative). After training with negatives for some time, you will have adequate strength to push-up. If you can only do one good push-up, then rest and repeat the single push-up until you can't do any more that day. Soon you will be doubling your reps and before long you will be able to perform a set of 5 reps. Once you can do 5 reps from your toes, then do multiple sets of 5. Eventually, you will increase the number of reps in each set naturally.
Sit-ups (APTF) and Curl-ups (NPRT) build abdominal strength. If you're having trouble getting started on this exercise try starting from the up position and lowering yourself slowly to the floor (negative). Repeat this as often as you can until you can go up and down with your arms extended in front of you. Then place your hands behind your head (sit-ups) or cross over your chest for curl-ups while performing as many reps as possible per set. Once the abdominal muscles become toned, you'll find that progression in this exercise is very manageable. Leg lifts, and crunches will also provide supporting strength to the lower back and abdominal exercises and prepare you for a great performance.
Timed-run in most cases, is the most difficult part of the PT test. The operative word is timed. Because of the time factor, most joggers have to increase their level of intensity to achieve a sufficient level of cardiovascular endurance before they can pass. There are numerous resources on the web that have been constructed by expert runners, one of the best is Runnersweb.com. From here, many tools can be accessed that can keep your running program safe and progressive.
Since this is the most frequent PT chosen by our members, we provide you with a few helpful links. If you haven't been in the Navy, you may want to learn about the Navy's philosophy and policies regarding health, and physical readiness. The new Navy PRT standards are now in effect to become a MSC member. Also we have a Navy PRT calculator, that may help to evaluate your point rating if you are interested..