What are the fitness requirements for the Naval Academy?

I'm looking into applying to the Naval Academy and I'm curious about the fitness requirements. What kind of exercises or benchmarks do I need to meet to qualify, especially for the Navy? Any tips on how to best prepare?

The U.S. Naval Academy, like other service academies, has stringent fitness requirements to ensure that all cadets are physically prepared for the rigors of military service. The specific test they use is the Candidate Fitness Assessment (CFA), which includes six different events:

1. Basketball throw

2. Pull-ups (or flexed arm hang for women)

3. Shuttle run

4. Crunches

5. Push-ups

6. One-mile run

For each event, you are awarded points based on your performance, and the points are totaled to give your final score. There isn't a strict "pass" or "fail", but higher scores will definitely improve your candidacy.

As for the benchmarks for performance, the Naval Academy does not publicly disclose specific minimum requirements. However, optimal performance might look something like this:

- Basketball throw: Greater than 75 feet for men and more than 66 feet for women.

- Pull-ups: More than 12 for men, and for women, a flexed arm hang lasting longer than 20 seconds.

- Shuttle run: Less than 8.6 seconds for men and less than 10 seconds for women.

- Modified sit-ups: Greater than 95 in two minutes for both men and women.

- Push-ups: Greater than 75 in two minutes for men and more than 50 in two minutes for women.

- One-mile run: Less than 6:00 for men and less than 6:35 for women.

To prepare, you might want to adopt a workout routine that targets the necessary muscles for each of these events. Strong arms and shoulders can help with the basketball throw and pull-ups, while a good core workout can assist with the sit-ups and push-ups. Regular cardiovascular exercises like running or cycling can improve your performance in the one-mile run.

Remember though, these exercises do not just test your raw physical strength. They are aimed at assessing your agility, coordination, speed, and endurance. So make sure you are working these areas as well. Good luck with your preparation!