RAFFT

[ItsAWingThing]

Hello all, I'm going to be taking the RAFFT soon and was just wondering about a few details. I am, as a part time job, a fitness instructor and so am not really too worried about the fitness aspects of the test. However, as i understand it, the sit-up requirement is 35 in 1 minute. Are these proper situps or crunches?..if situps, is there someone holding down your feet (otherwise i fear that 35 in 1 minute is nearly impossible without severely engaging your lower back)...

I know that probably seems like a very random question...but its just an issue that as a fitness instructor i take an interest in. If anyone who has indeed done the RAFFT could shed some light, that would be fantastic.

Ta Much

[Ken Scott]

They are 'proper' situps, legs bent at 45 degrees, someone holding your feet, fingertips on temples, & all the way back so your shoulder blades touch the ground. This must be your first RAFFT?!

[Green Flash]

Try here http://www.raf.mod.uk/structure/raffitnesstest2007.cfm

[ralphmalph]

Not too sure about the RAF but the stats for under 30's are.

50 Situps in 2 mins. (assisted)

Hope that helps?

Ralph

[ralphmalph]

First time I have looked at the comparison between services in regard to fitness.

Having seen the palava about fitness going from 12 to 6 month currency I was surprised to see the difference in pass levels from army to air force!.

Yes I know a soldier has to potentially fight and "run about", but why the difference in services?. Surely we all have to do a similar job?,the infantry obviously have high standards with regard to physical fitness. Other arms in the army apply the basic pass rate.

Why is it that the RAF has lower requirements when actually many of its personnel could be forward based in an op theatre, not living thier whole life in a base in the UK?.

Ralph

[Green Flash]

Ralph

Do you have a link to the Army fitness levels please?

[ralphmalph]

Sure do

http://www.army.mod.uk/atra/idt/making_an_application/physical_standards.htm

Any joy?

Ralph

[Bob Viking]

If you really want to start a debate, lets talk about why the requirements are different between men and women!!
BV:E

[Mr C Hinecap]

ralph - interesting you think that. My boss (previous joint appts, v fit chap) was a member of 'the 300 club' on the Army fitness tests. Under our new fitness tests (coloured bands of achievement one) he very much doubts he'd get the 'deep blue' highest level. Depends how you view it, but harder to get the top level in this.

[TMJ]

First time I have looked at the comparison between services in regard to fitness.

Having seen the palava about fitness going from 12 to 6 month currency I was surprised to see the difference in pass levels from army to air force!.

Yes I know a soldier has to potentially fight and "run about", but why the difference in services?. Surely we all have to do a similar job?,the infantry obviously have high standards with regard to physical fitness. Other arms in the army apply the basic pass rate.

Why is it that the RAF has lower requirements when actually many of its personnel could be forward based in an op theatre, not living thier whole life in a base in the UK?.


Different standard, yes, but lower? I don't know how to draw an accurate comparison between a 2.4km run and a bleep test, so that's a quandary; personally I'd prefer the option of doing the run as it's harder to constantly accelerate and decelerate prop forwards like me than it is for those racing snakes out there... On the situps and pressups, you'll note that the Army levels are over 2 minutes whereas the RAF levels are over 1 minute. Comparing the level I have to get as a 30 year old bloke with the Army levels:

====== RAF === RAF*2 === Army
Press == 19 ==== 38 ====== 41
Sit ==== 32 ==== 64 ====== 46

Granted simply doubling the RAF level doesn't necessarily show what someone who can pass the RAF test could do in 2 minutes, as tiredness may well mean an individual can do fewer reps in the second minute than the first, but it looks to me as if the Army has a higher press up standard and a lower sit up one.

[Spit the Dog]

Can somebody explain the complete lunacy, as touched on earlier, the desparity between the pass rate of a 17 year old female being lower than a 54 year old male Warrant Officer. Are you seriously expecting a man in his last year in service, having served 37 years, to run for longer in the gym between 2 upside-down red bowls, than his SACW. !!! :*

[spanners123]

Spit the Dog,
I think it's called sexual discrimination, but the RAF put a different spin on it! Up here, there is at least one lad who is seeking legal advice on this very subject!

[Spit the Dog]

Interesting, ..after all..they have had to bring the press-ups in line.!

[spanners123]

No doubt some one will explain the reasons behind the differences, but as far as I'm concerned, we are all expected to carry out the same duties when on ops, in the same climate whilst receiving the same pay.
Oh yes, and no time off work to go to the gym!
Yet another nail in the coffin!:ugh:

[spanners123]

Aidu, I am!! Are you really that happy, 'cos you seem a little angry to me??:ok:

[musclemech]

Sit-Ups

With regards to the sit ups, I agree with IAWT, the modern fitness industry dislikes the feet-fixed, full sit-up as it is thought that the abdominal muscles only work for the first 30 degrees of the sitting up movement. Thereafter, it is suggested, the hip flexors take over and, as they attach into the lower back, it is 'severely engaged'.

However, this is a somewhat simplistic view of the sit-up as the abdominal muscles work throughout the movement, albeit as stabilisers rather than as the prime mover in the later stages (try it yourself: do a sit-up, stop at the top of the movement and feel whether your abdominal muscles are tight).

At the same time, the knees-bent position makes it harder for the hip flexors to work as they are already shortened, and this makes the abdominal muscles have to work harder. And actually, if your abdominal muscles are strong enough then you actually use the hip flexors less anyway (think of the number of full sit-ups boxers do to improve the strength of their abdominal muscles).

The sit-up, rather than the crunch, was used in the RAFFT mainly for standardisation reasons, and bearing in mind what I have mentioned above. In addition, it had already been used as a part of the fitness test by the British Army for many years, without a huge increase in lower back injuries amongst its soldiers.

HTH
MM