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Backstory
Well, I had been thinking of the military since Grade 10 and joining it so I did years of thinking and research. I didn't have any real efforts to go into it until my first year in university where I saw the Canadian Forces booth at the university fair. I asked them some questions about ROTP, etc and they were surprised at how much I already knew but gave me more information. For the rest of the year and the next year I focused on studies and women and didn't visit a Reserve unit until April of 2009 after completing my second year of university. I went there with a friend to the Reserve unit in St. Catharines and we talked to a young Corporal whose name escapes me. Everyone at the unit was very somber for the loss of their CWO/MWO (I forgot and if you haven't noticed already I am horrible for memory of names). My friend was very interested in the reserves but they basically told him not to join because he had to leave January for religious reasons which, is understandable to me. So I took the application he gave to us and began filling it out.
Application Process
So I began filling out the application and acquiring my five references. It was two teachers, two adults who knew me well and my great uncle (yes I know stupid me for not reading about the no relative references but I wanted to avoid a new application and I had asked him and he said it was fine since he wasn't going to lie and it could either help me or be against me). The reason I put down my great uncle was because he was a Major General (Ret) who was in command of LFCA. But alas all my references were used but him.
My St. Catharines situation changed and I had moved back to where my family was in Hamilton and took a break from school. This was also around the same time I didn't know if I wanted to be an Officer or an NCM. I never thought about picking what was best for me vs. picking things for it's wage, respect and duty. So I eventually decided to do Reserve NCM to try out the military and if all was well I would go Regular NCM. If I decided maybe Officer was for me later in my life I would finish my schooling and pursue that.
So I began working out again in the summer and started with a trainer in July. I had started off doing maybe 10 push ups in June with no lactic acid tolerance in my muscles and fairly crappy cardio. I was most worried about the 11:59 2.4 km run. I could manage a 1 mile run in 8 minutes (1.5 miles = 2.4 km) which, is about 66% of the run at the speed of 7.5 mph on the road. However, I could not go on a treadmill for more than four minutes at the speed of 7.5 mph and I had wondered how in god's name could I do such a fast run at the weight of 240 pounds 6'2". I could handle 5km jogs easily but running was not made for what I was built for and the only cardio I had been doing all summer since I began to avoid those jogs and runs was heavy weight elyptical. Thankfully, though I learned later that it was a step test not the run in the fitness test. Basically, I had no confidence in myself excluding sit ups since I could do sit ups all day long and people who can't do 19 bewilder me to no end. So I handed in my application July 28th finally after putting it off (I am stupid to not have done it earlier but I wanted to be more in shape stupid me thought that they would do something like a Fitness test the next day or week). I called the CFRC Hamilton about once a week since I handed in my application just to keep in touch and I believe it helped a lot since someone who applied before me is still behind me in processing. With my trainer I had been getting a lot stronger and I was up to 24 push ups at my standard (then I fixed my standard since that wasn't correct). I could never get stronger though at push ups doing as many reps as I could and what my trainer did was pause reps and slow push ups which, is much much better than doing as many reps as you can. The muscle and lactic acid threshold you build from pause reps is incredible and I went from 0 chin ups in a month to 5 chin ups. I would have never thought I could do either since I weigh so much (since a push up is 60% of your body weight). I had felt confident and instead of cardio we had been doing super sets with squat jumps (apparently he believes you increase upper body strength not by just increasing your upper body but also your lower body) but then I realized I couldn't get into the October session for the reserves because the processing was going too slow and I was in a bit of a downer mood. But I cheered up when I got my first contact on August 28th. I was so excited that things were moving and he had booked my CFAT and told me possibly an interview on September 28th. He had also informed me that there was a gigantic back log at the CFRC so that's why things were going so slow.
So I stuck with my training for another month and on September 28th I did my CFAT. I was so worried for nothing after I read all the horror stories on this website about people failing and the test was extremely easy. I had done the test with a 16 year old who had a background from Afghanistan. It was a funny day for me seeing five people at CFRC that day who were all potential recruits but all of them Middle Eastern. I was surprised why my background check wasn't put through hell being born in the U.S. moving to Canada when I was about 2 or 3 and my father being from Egypt. The guys at the place played a prank on me for both the CFAT and Interview. I was in there at 12:30 and they had told me that I was supposed to be there at 9 am. They had also told me about how my interviewer had scars and not to look at them or his balding hair line or his wiggling eye ball. I knew they weren't serious but it made for a great laugh. The guys at CFRC Hamilton are really great and I was the one trying to act all serious but they told me to lighten up and that they were just regular joes too.
The interview had went well and but I was expecting it to be like a Regulars interview (apparently it's not as long and they don't ask much about you). Then I was booked for a Medical on September 7th and September 8th. I drank tons of water for my medical expecting blood tests etc but there was none. I showed up at 8:15 am for my 9:00 am appointment and they took me at 8:15 am. It was just questions, checking joints, movement capabilities, hearing, eye sight, family history, etc. I was told I was flat footed but I didn't think I was but didn't bother to say anything as to not question the MWO's observation but I do have an arch in my feet. But the thing that had been bugging me that week was that I had gotten sick on Sunday due to visiting friends in St. Catharines 3/4 were sick with the cold. I tried Cold Fx (damn you) the whole week extra strength and took probably about 16 pills that week as prescribed. I had felt mildly better but I was still in the sniffles.
So the fitness test day had finally arrived and I was extremely nervous. I had also been told that the step test was before the push ups and my confidence dropped. I did the step test and managed two levels (I am not sure what was a pass or what's good but I did pass). Then I did the strength test and managed to do about 50 kg per hand and was happy since I had no idea on my capabilities since I hadn't done a grip test since the 8th grade and I have one of the worst grips ever. Then I did the sit up portion and managed to do 39 sit ups in 60 seconds. Then I did the push ups and started on the floor with my hands under my shoulders (thank you broad shoulders it gave me a wider stance). I had managed to do 21 push ups and I didn't care that I just barely passed since I was happy that I had passed and that I felt like I could have done more if I pushed it. It was the most happy day of my application process and I was merit listed that day.
All in all it was a great experience and I am happy I decided to do it. I hope I get in the reserves but I am not sure if I can (I heard from someone there's 50 people applying for five jobs). If I don't get in I guess I could always transfer the application to the Regulars but all in all the experience was amazing and the journey was well worth it so far. I am happy I am finally deciding to follow this path after so many years of procrastination.
Tips for Applicants
Do not mention cadets to your reserve unit and do not act like hot **** because you can march ever. If you are a master cadet or your have other occupation or specialty courses you can apply for the Reserve or Regular incentive benefit. I believe the reserve one is listed under CFAO 49-5.
Be respectful at the CFRC and the Reserve unit. Your impression lasts everywhere but also recognize that they are all human.
Always be early to your appointments I was early to all my appointments by 30 to 60 minutes and I even got taken in to do my medical at 8:15 am when it was booked at 9:00 am. It's worth it and it makes a good impression on you.
Do not lie about anything and tell the truth for everything. Drink one a month? Write that down. If you sprained your ankle don't check the box for leg/ankle problems "No" until you clarify with the Medical Technician or person doing your medical on that point. I left several boxes unchecked until I went over them with my tester. If you lie your screwed and your military career is practically over.
The CFAT was easy for me but you can still practice for it. I didn't remember two formulas from high school for the CFAT. Practice your word knowledge, abstract reading and mathematics. The mathematics is probably the most important part of the test.
For the fitness test make sure you eat two to three hours before the fitness test and make sure it's high energy. You need all the energy you can for a high score or a pass. I had a bowl of cereal and two banana's.
Get five references who know you well but don't put people like your best friend on. The best people are older adults, teachers and old/current employers.
Pause reps and slow push ups are much better than doing as many push ups as you can in your sets. Build your strength, grip and Oxygen intake. The best way I found to improve Oxygen intake was not jogs but 100m sprints followed by a break of the same time it took you to do the sprint or fast runs on hiking trails. Jogging will not improve your Oxygen intake (which, is what is measured on the step test) unless your really out of shape. The best way to improve your grip is chin ups and if you can't do a chin up do a reverse chin up (go to the top of the bar and hold on as long as you can for pause reps and lower yourself slowly). Farmer's walks also help for grip but I enjoy chin ups more (farmer's walk is where you carry heavy weights in your hands and walk around). Remember, that healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand you can't do one or the other to get in shape. Also, improve your lactic acid threshold as much as you can. The higher it is the more reps your going to get out of every work out you do.
Hand in your application ASAP for the reserves. There should be no waiting for better fitness etc etc etc. Just hand it in because the process is going to take longer than the regulars.
REMEMBER, the names of the people you hand information to or if they tell you things. Handing your application + personal information to someone at the Reserve unit whose name you forget is very bad especially when the CFRC is trying to find where your file is at or located.
Be ready for a commitment, the Canadian Forces does not want Reserves who are only going to stay 6 months to a year. Yes, the military is a life style choice but if your going to do it do it well and make it worth the Canadian Forces time to hire you and train you.
Thanks for reading I apologize in advance for spelling mistakes.
Well, I had been thinking of the military since Grade 10 and joining it so I did years of thinking and research. I didn't have any real efforts to go into it until my first year in university where I saw the Canadian Forces booth at the university fair. I asked them some questions about ROTP, etc and they were surprised at how much I already knew but gave me more information. For the rest of the year and the next year I focused on studies and women and didn't visit a Reserve unit until April of 2009 after completing my second year of university. I went there with a friend to the Reserve unit in St. Catharines and we talked to a young Corporal whose name escapes me. Everyone at the unit was very somber for the loss of their CWO/MWO (I forgot and if you haven't noticed already I am horrible for memory of names). My friend was very interested in the reserves but they basically told him not to join because he had to leave January for religious reasons which, is understandable to me. So I took the application he gave to us and began filling it out.
Application Process
So I began filling out the application and acquiring my five references. It was two teachers, two adults who knew me well and my great uncle (yes I know stupid me for not reading about the no relative references but I wanted to avoid a new application and I had asked him and he said it was fine since he wasn't going to lie and it could either help me or be against me). The reason I put down my great uncle was because he was a Major General (Ret) who was in command of LFCA. But alas all my references were used but him.
My St. Catharines situation changed and I had moved back to where my family was in Hamilton and took a break from school. This was also around the same time I didn't know if I wanted to be an Officer or an NCM. I never thought about picking what was best for me vs. picking things for it's wage, respect and duty. So I eventually decided to do Reserve NCM to try out the military and if all was well I would go Regular NCM. If I decided maybe Officer was for me later in my life I would finish my schooling and pursue that.
So I began working out again in the summer and started with a trainer in July. I had started off doing maybe 10 push ups in June with no lactic acid tolerance in my muscles and fairly crappy cardio. I was most worried about the 11:59 2.4 km run. I could manage a 1 mile run in 8 minutes (1.5 miles = 2.4 km) which, is about 66% of the run at the speed of 7.5 mph on the road. However, I could not go on a treadmill for more than four minutes at the speed of 7.5 mph and I had wondered how in god's name could I do such a fast run at the weight of 240 pounds 6'2". I could handle 5km jogs easily but running was not made for what I was built for and the only cardio I had been doing all summer since I began to avoid those jogs and runs was heavy weight elyptical. Thankfully, though I learned later that it was a step test not the run in the fitness test. Basically, I had no confidence in myself excluding sit ups since I could do sit ups all day long and people who can't do 19 bewilder me to no end. So I handed in my application July 28th finally after putting it off (I am stupid to not have done it earlier but I wanted to be more in shape stupid me thought that they would do something like a Fitness test the next day or week). I called the CFRC Hamilton about once a week since I handed in my application just to keep in touch and I believe it helped a lot since someone who applied before me is still behind me in processing. With my trainer I had been getting a lot stronger and I was up to 24 push ups at my standard (then I fixed my standard since that wasn't correct). I could never get stronger though at push ups doing as many reps as I could and what my trainer did was pause reps and slow push ups which, is much much better than doing as many reps as you can. The muscle and lactic acid threshold you build from pause reps is incredible and I went from 0 chin ups in a month to 5 chin ups. I would have never thought I could do either since I weigh so much (since a push up is 60% of your body weight). I had felt confident and instead of cardio we had been doing super sets with squat jumps (apparently he believes you increase upper body strength not by just increasing your upper body but also your lower body) but then I realized I couldn't get into the October session for the reserves because the processing was going too slow and I was in a bit of a downer mood. But I cheered up when I got my first contact on August 28th. I was so excited that things were moving and he had booked my CFAT and told me possibly an interview on September 28th. He had also informed me that there was a gigantic back log at the CFRC so that's why things were going so slow.
So I stuck with my training for another month and on September 28th I did my CFAT. I was so worried for nothing after I read all the horror stories on this website about people failing and the test was extremely easy. I had done the test with a 16 year old who had a background from Afghanistan. It was a funny day for me seeing five people at CFRC that day who were all potential recruits but all of them Middle Eastern. I was surprised why my background check wasn't put through hell being born in the U.S. moving to Canada when I was about 2 or 3 and my father being from Egypt. The guys at the place played a prank on me for both the CFAT and Interview. I was in there at 12:30 and they had told me that I was supposed to be there at 9 am. They had also told me about how my interviewer had scars and not to look at them or his balding hair line or his wiggling eye ball. I knew they weren't serious but it made for a great laugh. The guys at CFRC Hamilton are really great and I was the one trying to act all serious but they told me to lighten up and that they were just regular joes too.
The interview had went well and but I was expecting it to be like a Regulars interview (apparently it's not as long and they don't ask much about you). Then I was booked for a Medical on September 7th and September 8th. I drank tons of water for my medical expecting blood tests etc but there was none. I showed up at 8:15 am for my 9:00 am appointment and they took me at 8:15 am. It was just questions, checking joints, movement capabilities, hearing, eye sight, family history, etc. I was told I was flat footed but I didn't think I was but didn't bother to say anything as to not question the MWO's observation but I do have an arch in my feet. But the thing that had been bugging me that week was that I had gotten sick on Sunday due to visiting friends in St. Catharines 3/4 were sick with the cold. I tried Cold Fx (damn you) the whole week extra strength and took probably about 16 pills that week as prescribed. I had felt mildly better but I was still in the sniffles.
So the fitness test day had finally arrived and I was extremely nervous. I had also been told that the step test was before the push ups and my confidence dropped. I did the step test and managed two levels (I am not sure what was a pass or what's good but I did pass). Then I did the strength test and managed to do about 50 kg per hand and was happy since I had no idea on my capabilities since I hadn't done a grip test since the 8th grade and I have one of the worst grips ever. Then I did the sit up portion and managed to do 39 sit ups in 60 seconds. Then I did the push ups and started on the floor with my hands under my shoulders (thank you broad shoulders it gave me a wider stance). I had managed to do 21 push ups and I didn't care that I just barely passed since I was happy that I had passed and that I felt like I could have done more if I pushed it. It was the most happy day of my application process and I was merit listed that day.
All in all it was a great experience and I am happy I decided to do it. I hope I get in the reserves but I am not sure if I can (I heard from someone there's 50 people applying for five jobs). If I don't get in I guess I could always transfer the application to the Regulars but all in all the experience was amazing and the journey was well worth it so far. I am happy I am finally deciding to follow this path after so many years of procrastination.
Tips for Applicants
Do not mention cadets to your reserve unit and do not act like hot **** because you can march ever. If you are a master cadet or your have other occupation or specialty courses you can apply for the Reserve or Regular incentive benefit. I believe the reserve one is listed under CFAO 49-5.
Be respectful at the CFRC and the Reserve unit. Your impression lasts everywhere but also recognize that they are all human.
Always be early to your appointments I was early to all my appointments by 30 to 60 minutes and I even got taken in to do my medical at 8:15 am when it was booked at 9:00 am. It's worth it and it makes a good impression on you.
Do not lie about anything and tell the truth for everything. Drink one a month? Write that down. If you sprained your ankle don't check the box for leg/ankle problems "No" until you clarify with the Medical Technician or person doing your medical on that point. I left several boxes unchecked until I went over them with my tester. If you lie your screwed and your military career is practically over.
The CFAT was easy for me but you can still practice for it. I didn't remember two formulas from high school for the CFAT. Practice your word knowledge, abstract reading and mathematics. The mathematics is probably the most important part of the test.
For the fitness test make sure you eat two to three hours before the fitness test and make sure it's high energy. You need all the energy you can for a high score or a pass. I had a bowl of cereal and two banana's.
Get five references who know you well but don't put people like your best friend on. The best people are older adults, teachers and old/current employers.
Pause reps and slow push ups are much better than doing as many push ups as you can in your sets. Build your strength, grip and Oxygen intake. The best way I found to improve Oxygen intake was not jogs but 100m sprints followed by a break of the same time it took you to do the sprint or fast runs on hiking trails. Jogging will not improve your Oxygen intake (which, is what is measured on the step test) unless your really out of shape. The best way to improve your grip is chin ups and if you can't do a chin up do a reverse chin up (go to the top of the bar and hold on as long as you can for pause reps and lower yourself slowly). Farmer's walks also help for grip but I enjoy chin ups more (farmer's walk is where you carry heavy weights in your hands and walk around). Remember, that healthy diet and exercise go hand in hand you can't do one or the other to get in shape. Also, improve your lactic acid threshold as much as you can. The higher it is the more reps your going to get out of every work out you do.
Hand in your application ASAP for the reserves. There should be no waiting for better fitness etc etc etc. Just hand it in because the process is going to take longer than the regulars.
REMEMBER, the names of the people you hand information to or if they tell you things. Handing your application + personal information to someone at the Reserve unit whose name you forget is very bad especially when the CFRC is trying to find where your file is at or located.
Be ready for a commitment, the Canadian Forces does not want Reserves who are only going to stay 6 months to a year. Yes, the military is a life style choice but if your going to do it do it well and make it worth the Canadian Forces time to hire you and train you.
Thanks for reading I apologize in advance for spelling mistakes.
