THE “7x7” CPA EXAM REVIEW STRATEGY
Greetings, I figured it would be a reasonable time to talk about reviewing for the CPA exams. One strategy I have implemented over the last few weeks which has worked very well is what I call the “7 by 7” review strategy.
The goal of this strategy is to accumulate an average of 7 hours of review time per day 7 days per week. Currently I am preparing for the hardest section of the exam- FAR (financial accounting and reporting). The total recommended preparation time as per Becker- the review service I am personally using (not sponsored) is 150-200 hours. By averaging 49 hours per week, I am effectively able to prepare for this test within 4.5-5.5 weeks.
This strategy is not recommended for individuals with a full time job. I am fortunate enough not to have to work full time and really only work weekend nights. If you’re in the same boat I’d highly recommend doing this.
The key to this operation is averages. Some days there can be 10 hours of preparation, while others can be one to two. The goal is to AVERAGE 7 hours per day 7 days per week. Below is a sample of a basic schedule I’d recommend to accumulate the 49 weekly hours.
One thing that has helped me a lot is not taking a day off, while the schedule shown above is quite fatiguing, It does allow for some flexibility on the weekends and time allocations in the mid afternoon for training / relaxation.
My goal for the summer is the pass FAR before fall camp begins for Football. So this schedule is not a long term solution. This is designed to be ran for 5-6 weeks MAX! After this section is complete I plan on taking a break from exam prep review.
To also be noted: If you find yourself ahead of schedule with the actual course planner, get off the computer early. While I find myself creating time allocations such as the schedule above, I can often get ahead enough so that the second PM session before bed might turn into a 15 minute review and calling it a night.
There are also other variants of this schedule that can be applied depending on the anticipated time frame. I’m a big fan of square numbers so there could be 3x3’s, 4x4’s,5x5’s and 6x6’s discussed in the future.
Be well! Study hard!
HEAVY Zercher Squats and strongman event training…
Amazing session in the books today. One of my all time goals was to complete a 250kg/ 551 lb raw zercher squat in preparation for my final year of college football. I phased out the standard barbell back squat in favor of the Zercher squat in April of 2024. The results have been astounding. First off, I have no lower back pain and my shoulders feel great. Secondly, my upper back, spinal erectors and quads have gotten immensely stronger in the last 3.5 months of training. While the Zercher squat has been an almost forgotten lift it seems to be making a comeback thanks to exposure on social media. In my book, the zercher squat is a top tier exercise that should be utilized by almost everyone to develop functional strength and power.
To prepare for this lift, I take a hyper-efficient approach to “warmups”. I believe warmups are exactly what they’re called- warmups. The goal of warmup sets is to prime the body for the actual moving set- not exhaust it prior to a max effort exertion. I took only 5 attempts prior to this max effort single: 135x1, 245x1, 365 x1, 425x1, 495x1.
To follow up my zercher squats, I took a heavy run with the frame. My goal for the day was to be somewhere over 700lbs for a distance of 40 feet without the use of straps. Again, I do not like to waste time excessively warming up. The frame implement weighs 170lbs empty, so I added 8 plates to it for a first attempt of 530 lbs. For the last run, I added 4 more plates to get to a combined weight of 710lbs for my 40 foot burst- a massive PR.
To wrap the session up, I also did 2 runs with a 600lb yoke. Today was my first time training the yoke outside of the zercher position so I was ultra-conservative with my steps and the weight on the yoke. After I did some single leg RDL’s with a med-ball, banded neck extensions and medicine ball throws overhead. As a football player, I believe functional and effective training is cardinal when it comes to dominating the line of scrimmage and staying healthy. Choosing heavy compound lifts that stimulate the most growth is the way to go in my book!