PCA/Fitness test

Bob Law

I've upped my flexing to twice a day, bound to help!

aeternus

My only issue with not upping my training now is that in January for 3 weeks I was literally floored, hospitalised and signed off work with an illness, so now has been my only time to get fit in any sense. I've been told to lay off things the last week before the pca but I have to admit I am trying to do as much as possible now (I also have a youngster and work a lot so gym time is when I can get it).

whatinthe

Just be careful not to overdo it! If your PCA is within the next 3-4 weeks then you wont get much return from 2 weeks hard training. That would be suitable for an advanced trainer but seeing as you've been sick and have a child to look after, it would be very risky. Turn up healthy as opposed to overtrained and/or injured!!

As I said before, the PCA is not easy but it is not difficult either. From your previous comments you seem to be worrying too much about it. The PCA doesn't require a high level of fitness. It is a basic assessment. Anyone who put 100% effort into it, myself included, felt like they'd busted a lung after it. That's natural (especially for those people that didn't do a warm up)!

Remember.. if you want to pass it, you will! So no more sad faces; focus and get it done.

student15

whatinthe wrote: »

Just be careful not to overdo it! If your PCA is within the next 3-4 weeks then you wont get much return from 2 weeks hard training. That would be suitable for an advanced trainer but seeing as you've been sick and have a child to look after, it would be very risky. Turn up healthy as opposed to overtrained and/or injured!!

As I said before, the PCA is not easy but it is not difficult either. From your previous comments you seem to be worrying too much about it. The PCA doesn't require a high level of fitness. It is a basic assessment. Anyone who put 100% effort into it, myself included, felt like they'd busted a lung after it. That's natural (especially for those people that didn't do a warm up)!

Remember.. if you want to pass it, you will! So no more sad faces; focus and get it done.

I know you mentioned about overtraining there.Going to be a pedance here and say as a pt I ddon't believe in over training. I believe that there is underresting and under revovery, so to speak.
Only way your muscles are going to grow is if they are train upto amd beyond capacity hence no such thing as over training. It's all about how you care for yourself after the training refulfing re hydrating and getting stretches and sleep in!

Also two weeks work is beneficial to you in comparison to doing 2weeks no work.
You aren't going to have changed your body much but theres change no matter how little.

whatinthe

student15 wrote: »

I know you mentioned about overtraining there.Going to be a pedance here and say as a pt I ddon't believe in over training. I believe that there is underresting and under revovery, so to speak.
Only way your muscles are going to grow is if they are train upto amd beyond capacity hence no such thing as over training. It's all about how you care for yourself after the training refulfing re hydrating and getting stretches and sleep in!

Also two weeks work is beneficial to you in comparison to doing 2weeks no work.
You aren't going to have changed your body much but theres change no matter how little.

Have to disagree with ya there! Overtraining can be done through a combination of things: poor rest & recovery strategies usually married to doing too much too soon. Overtraining can be attributed to poor rest etc, but it is largely due to people undertaking training they are not ready for (e.g. poor movement skills and overloading CNS by completing Oly lifts with no previous experience, or a novice runner upping weeky mileage by 50%). Doing this will mean they are pushing too far beyond that capacity you mentioned, which is overreaching. There is a fine line between overreaching and overtraining; the line being approached only by advanced trainees! Even with adaquate R&R, jumping in at the deep end will lead to overtraining quite fast. I agree that doing something is better than nothing over 2 weeks, but what and how much is very important!
Anyway, I'm going way off topic that's a discussion we'll hopefully save for GV haha!

If anyone here has there PCA in 3 or 4 weeks time and decides to go from training 2-3 times a week to 6 times a week.. or goes from doing running and circuits each week to several high intensity sessions.. be very careful. Don't just consider your muscles; your ligaments, tendons, joints, immune system, central nervous system etc will be affected by training. If you haven't done any training at all, start gradually. Doing a little training often, will go farther for you than cramming in sessions over the next few weeks. Turn up healthy!:)

.S.

As someone who launched into gym stuff around the closing date for applications and then had several weeks off / light exercise / Pilates due to developing sciatica (too much weights too fast) I can see both point of views. I haven't got my ac results yet but I'm currently going to the gym 5-6 times a week and I know if I get a PCA date the last thing I plan on doing is dropping gym work. I agree limited progress can be made in two-three weeks though. If anyone is worried I would really recommend personal training, my pt was shown the PCA when I started and we work on my aims inc passing that course. He's been invaluable to me, if you are worried use a pt, get their advise. They might have a better idea than you on how much you can do without overdoing it/causing injury.

19087

I'm just going to stick with what I've been doing (circuits, some weights and a bit of interval training) with the intention of taking the week before pca off completely to allow fresh legs!

Sofia2011

The amount of training some people are doing is scaring me lol.

Im sticking to 4 sessions a week interval training on the spin bike and weights session.

As a parent I simply would not have time for anymore than that.

.S.

I train as much as poss for weight loss too, not just PCA prep (and I enjoy it) I have horses too so am quite active in general.

No doubt like some of you, before the applications closed I went to one of the recruitment events, purely to find out as much as poss about the PCA. I took notes (of pretty much everything they said lol) and spoke to the instructors. Basically in a nut shell the main points I got from asking a lot of q's was do cardio / HIIT and weights, weights particularly for the push pull. Shield posted here a while back with interval guidelines for the treadmill and rowing machine. Use them (I am) and do your cardio and weights every session.

I've spoke to a serving officer, when he got in the PCA wasn't until GV but he took his as part of the application as his BMI was over 30. He says to think about endurance. He thinks it's not about being superfit. It's about keeping going when you're tired, when it gets difficult. Testarossa said on here he heard people fail because the wall drains them.

If / when I get my PCA date I know I'll be nervous about it but I think if you're determined enough you'll get it, you'll push forward cause you want the job. It is just a pass/fail as well, you can pass with 30s to spare or 3s to spare, it's treated the same. Good luck people

Sofia2011

The amount of training some people are doing is scaring me lol.

Im sticking to 4 sessions a week interval training on the spin bike and weights session.

As a parent I simply would not have time for anymore than that.

Mr.Peanut

Sofia2011 wrote: »

The amount of training some people are doing is scaring me lol.

Im sticking to 4 sessions a week interval training on the spin bike and weights session.

As a parent I simply would not have time for anymore than that.

Don't worry I haven't started training yet, still got cheast infection that should make you feel better

aeternus

I can't even do 4 sessions a week each week with work and childcare so you are doing fab! Have done a spin class 3 Times this week however and weights class twice and then some training at home with weights etc whenough child is asleep. But next week I'll be lucky if I get to the gym once. I'm definately seeing a benefit. Never knew how tough a spin class could be! Ouch

.S.

Some of the suggested work outs on the PCA leaflet, burpees etc can be done at home, use it if you're house bound. If you didn't already have one they gave them out at the end of the ac. Prob online too.

aeternus

Was doing those pre illness and again now when im unable to get to gym. Luckily my partners a bit of a fitness fanatic so I have all the tools I need for home fitness training.

.S.

aeternus wrote: »

Was doing those pre illness and again now when im unable to get to gym. Luckily my partners a bit of a fitness fanatic so I have all the tools I need for home fitness training.

He'll keep you right then, keep doing what your doing! :-)

Bob Law

dear god...I'm used to doing 2/3 reps for 90%+ ....dropped it back to 50% and did sets of 10/15 super setted...the last cheeky smoke I had 3 weeks ago came back to haunt me. lungs were burning!

whatinthe

Bob Law wrote: »

dear god...I'm used to doing 2/3 reps for 90%+ ....dropped it back to 50% and did sets of 10/15 super setted...the last cheeky smoke I had 3 weeks ago came back to haunt me. lungs were burning!

Have you passed the PCA?

mreilley

do the majority of people who train for the pca pass?

aeternus

You would hope so mreilly but reality is some people will never pass due to their composition. I think it's only this year that they brought in pca as part of pre-requisites. Previously you did your 26 week GV training then PCA at the end. I've heard you used to get two chances at this and some women failed no matter how much training they had put in mainly on the push pull. I guess all we could do is put in 100%.

mreilley

aeternus wrote: »

You would hope so mreilly but reality is some people will never pass due to their composition. I think it's only this year that they brought in pca as part of pre-requisites. Previously you did your 26 week GV training then PCA at the end. I've heard you used to get two chances at this and some women failed no matter how much training they had put in mainly on the push pull. I guess all we could do is put in 100%.

Yeah im 5'4 and petite so im quite worried about the push pull although i train 5 times a week and i have been lifting weights since september so i hope i will be ok!

aeternus

Sounds like you will be fine! I used to do manual labour 5 day's a week for a few years so my upper body is quite strong. Been doing weights since December as much as I can. If you could just walk in and do the push pull I dont think I'd have an issue. It's having the energy to do it after the circuits (and the breath with the dry air in the hall everyone is talking about). I'm still excited to do it though. Just wish I'd had more time to get training done.you will do great I'm sure

mreilley

aeternus wrote: »

Sounds like you will be fine! I used to do manual labour 5 day's a week for a few years so my upper body is quite strong. Been doing weights since December as much as I can. If you could just walk in and do the push pull I dont think I'd have an issue. It's having the energy to do it after the circuits (and the breath with the dry air in the hall everyone is talking about). I'm still excited to do it though. Just wish I'd had more time to get training done.you will do great I'm sure

I hope so! do they give u anytime to recover between the course and the push/pull?

.S.

As far as I know u finish your laps, and walk a few metres over to push pull. No break, no water, I imagine you could manage a deep breath or two (in crappy dry air apparently) but no proper rest no

Chief Wiggum2

You will never walk as slow as you do to the push pull machine

student15

Chief Wiggum2 wrote: »

You will never walk as slow as you do to the push pull machine

I consider myself to be quite a fit fella but afyer the pca I waddled over to the push pull haha
The beauty of maximal effort tests!

Bob Law

whatinthe wrote: »

Have you passed the PCA?

Haven't got mine til the end of the month. Putting in some new work to let me body know there is something new coming. Feeling much better today but yesterday was a real lung burner.

whatinthe

Bob Law wrote: »

Haven't got mine til the end of the month. Putting in some new work to let me body know there is something new coming. Feeling much better today but yesterday was a real lung burner.

Ya was going to say change it upa little. I came off a 6 week hypertrophy phase a week before my PCA, and I got gut checked haha

mreilley

i take it when u are doing your pca u just wait your turn to go into the hall and then there is only you and the assessor?

Ploddington Pea

mreilley wrote: »

i take it when u are doing your pca u just wait your turn to go into the hall and then there is only you and the assessor?

There is a panel of 67 independent observers to ensure fairness, and Dame Mary Peters is there with a stop-watch.

hopeful34

mreilley wrote: »

i take it when u are doing your pca u just wait your turn to go into the hall and then there is only you and the assessor?

You all go in to familiarise yourselves. Then are all taken out. You will be told your order and be expected to remember when you go. Then 1 of the PTIs will come get you. As you are finishing your last lap the next person starts. But you wont even notice they are there.