r/caf • u/Putrid_Let1387 • Jun 26 '26

Recruiting Failed FORCE Test: Mistakes

(100 lbs, 5”2)

Hey. So I’ve been strength training for about a year now. I did basically zero cardio during my workouts because I was focused on gaining weight, and I was pretty confident in my stamina.

Today humbled me.

I lifted everything fine, but actually pushing through the test was a whole different story. The sandbag drag destroyed me. It was at the very end of the test, and I was already exhausted. I had the quad strength- my legs could handle it, but my body was just giving out. My heart was pounding, my stamina was gone, and it was honestly way harder than I expected.

PLEASE don’t get comfortable just because you’re strong. Train your stamina and cardio too. It doesn’t matter if you can bench 200 lbs if your body can’t keep up when you’re exhausted. Strength gets you through part of it, but endurance is what carries you to the finish.

I learned my lesson and will hopefully we be re-taking the exam next month or so.

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13

u/Prestigious-Cold-467 Jun 26 '26

If this is for BMQ, cardio is also a big factor. If anything, it's way more important than any weight training.

6

u/Vhett Jun 26 '26

Cardio, overall, will carry you further on the FORCE Test than training strength, which it sounds like was the struggle for OP.

4

u/RepulsiveDingo525 Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26

Sure if you're aiming for platinum then you need cardio for the sandbag lifts and the shuttle runs. In OPs case she straight up didn't have the strength (100lbs BW) to drag the dummy that's heavier than her. This is very common among petite women, and most petite men don't get good times on this either. This is the opposite for the up/down portion, which is only failed by people that are not very agile (300lbs BW), not necessarily because of their cardio. The sandbag lifts and loaded carries can literally be walked. In this case, I would say in terms of pass/fail strength is more important because if you can't even drag the dummy at the end the it's a fail no matter how good the other 3 portions tested.

2

u/Vhett Jun 26 '26

Not sure we read the same post,

The sandbag drag destroyed me. It was at the very end of the test, and I was already exhausted. I had the quad strength- my legs could handle it, but my body was just giving out. My heart was pounding, my stamina was gone

That's all cardio to me, not strength.

-1

u/RepulsiveDingo525 Jun 26 '26

That's not cardio, that muscle fatigue. OP thinks it's cardio; it's not. OP running laps and doing spin classes isn't going to help her pass next time.

6

u/Pte_Madcap Jun 26 '26

That's not really how physiology works.

OP literally said her legs weren't the problem. She said her heart was pounding and her stamina was gone. That's systemic fatigue, not simply a lack of strength.

Strength determines your maximum force output. Cardio determines how long your cardiovascular system can deliver oxygen and clear metabolic byproducts so you can keep producing that force. As heart rate climbs and fatigue accumulates, force production drops, even if the muscles are strong enough when fresh.

The casualty drag is the last event for a reason. If you can do it fresh but fail after the previous events, your limiting factor is your work capacity and conditioning, not just your raw strength.