Informally, the number of pushups you must do in Navy boot camp depends on your drill instructor. More formally, you have to do enough pushups to pass the Navy Physical Readiness Test and graduate from boot camp. The PRT for boot camp recruits consists of pushups, situps and a 1.5 mile run. The points you receive for each of the three stages of the PRT are averaged to determine your final score, which must be 60 or above to graduate. You are awarded one point for each pushup completed in a two-minute period.
Workouts
Former Navy SEAL Stew Smith offers a workout regimen on Military.com to increase the number of pushups you can do. After a thorough warm-up, you do a pushup and situp routine that consists of 10 regular pushups, followed by 10 regular crunches, 10 wide pushups, 10 reverse crunches, 10 triceps pushups, and 10 left/right crunches. Repeat five to 10 times.
Timed Workouts
Since you will be timed on your PRT, Smith recommends timed workouts as well, since many recruits tend to become nervous when on the clock. A timed workout consists of two repetitions of one minute of pushups and one minute of situps, followed by three reps of 30 seconds of pushups and 30 seconds of situps, followed by four reps of 15 seconds of pushups and 15 seconds of situps.
Tips
In order to pile up the maximum number of points on the PRT in two minutes, go as fast as you can. Smith says that the slower you go, the more that gravity affects your strength. You must maintain proper form in order to receive points for each completed pushup. The proper pushup starting position is vitally important. Start with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Line them up with your shoulders. If your hands are too low or too high, you are in a weaker position and will not be able to complete as many pushups.
Considerations
Recruits are responsible for coming to boot camp in good physical condition. After you graduate from boot camp, you must stay in decent shape and pass the Navy Physical Fitness Test, or PFT, on a periodic basis, usually twice per year. Instead of an average score of 60 to graduate boot camp, you need to maintain an average of 50 on the PFT. However, a minimum score on the PRT or the PFT might damage your chances of advancement in the Navy, so strive for excellent or outstanding scores instead of good or satisfactory. To become a Navy SEAL, you must do a minimum of 42 pushups in two minutes. However, you should aim for 100 or more.
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