Lex_Anderson

I've been invited to take the fitness test for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation on August 8th. The test is based on the Cooper Fitness test and is graded on its standards for sex and age. The test is in the following format:

• Do as many push-ups as possible in 1 minute
• Rest 2 minutes
• Do as many sit-ups as possible in 1 minute
• Rest 2 minutes
• Run 300 meters as fast as possible (stop watch/timed)
• Rest 5 minutes
• Run 1.5 mile as fast as possible (stop watch/timed)

I've been running the past month to prepare, as my endurance is not that great to be honest with my fastest mile time being 8:37 on a treadmill, I have been doing a mix of long, slow distance (LSD) and sprint work. I was wondering what some of you would recommend to your client if they were faced with having to take this test?

CJ Gotcher

This is very similar to the Navy PRT I take twice a year. You've only got a little over a week left – this is not enough time for effective training. At this point, the best (and probably only) thing you can do to improve your time on the test...is to practice the test.

Between now and the 8th, complete the test, start to finish, at least 5 times. Match your conditions (clothes, running location, etc.) to the test conditions as closely as you can. If it's going to be run on a track, don't do it on a treadmill.

While you're still far out from test day, between now and Thursday, you might stand to benefit from a few rounds of the SBI 1.5 (complete the whole thing, then do the pushups, situps, and 300 M run again, without repeating the 1.5 mile run) for a little extra volume and to get a feeling for how you might do on a "bad-day run-through." You'll be surprised how much your performance at the test will improve from just a few repetitions as you get used to the experience, and it drops the anxiety factor dramatically to have completed the test so many times.

Chill on August 7th so that you're rested going in, then crush it on the 8th. Good luck!

WRH

I have two questions I'd like to ask. The first is about having a few beers on the weekend while taking the 3500 calorie paleo for the chubby guy approach (mid 20s bf% at 5'10", 230 lbs, weaker than I'd like). Are a few beers acceptable?

I am beginning to lift again on the novice program after having a very painful and odd sensation plague me during deadlifts before I took a break (~2 months). The only way to describe it is that it feels like my genitals are being pulled into my body. The weight wasn't heavy. It started around 225 lbs and stopped me after two reps at 245 lbs.

I DLd today a very light 135 lbs and could feel a slight twinge in the affected area. Nothing major, but ominous nonetheless. Any idea about what it might be? I don't want to go to a doctor because the last time I went for an exercise related injury I was told that I should be using the smith machine as it is "the safest piece of equipment ever invented" (his actual words).

I don't mind working around an injury or pain, but this is a pretty important piece of anatomy we're talking about, so I want to work this out. I will be upping the weight 15-20 pounds on Friday, unless you say otherwise.

Thanks in advance.