<p>There are some things in life that just **** me off. Today I received a wonderful letter in the mail telling me effectively that the Naval Academy says that I am fat and that if I don't work hard I won't be allowed to enter with the class of 2010. I find myself torn between being so incredibly ****ed off and wondering why the navy is still antiquated and uses a reference of height and weight to consider someone fat or not. </p>
<p>I will be the first to admit that I am not a man with a 6-pack. However I am not a slob. I am very athletic and very strong. I am currently 6' 2-3" depending on morning/evening adn weigh ~230 pounds. Now according to the navy I am 19 pounds overweight. Amazingly with the other marvels of science, known as the neck waist measurement, I am also considered fat by the navy. I have a 17" neck and a 40" waist which equivocates out to ~22% body fat by the navy. </p>
<p>Now where does the insult to injury come in to this you ask? Well I will tell you. It comes in when there are personnel at my current command that are considered ~18% body fat by the navy at 5' 10" and 250 pounds because they have a fat neck that is 20". Now a person that is blessed with a slender neck such as myself is screwed in this department, as it is nearly impossible to fail a body fat measurement when you have an 18+" neck. </p>
<p>Now why does this all upset me? Because they are calling me fat? By all means no, I know that I am not in perfect shape. It makes me angry when I can be the person that I am crank out 80 situps, >100 pushups, and run under 9:30 for a 1.5 mile PRT. Not too bad, for someone considered obese by the navy, if I do say so myself. My concern comes into play when the 3 personnel that received the highest overall PRT score on my boat are on the FEP (Fitness Enhancement Program) because they are considered out of navy body fat standards. </p>
<p>I know that 6' 2" and 211 pounds for me is a weight that I have only seen once in my naval career. That was after not eating for a week in boot camp because I was throwing up everything I ate and had a fever of 105.3 </p>
<p>I know that I can do everything that the navy asks of me, why do they not accept people who are not of cookie cutter shape and size? </p>
<p>Oh and for all to know the letter says "we are very concerned about the health and APPEARANCE of our midshipmen and officers."</p>
<p>Whaa?? I'm 5' 9" and 160 lbs....There's definitely something wrong if the Navy considers someone my height and 100 lbs heavier to be within standards.</p>
<p>Is there anyway you can get your current command to send your health info and PRT scores to USNA as proof that you're good to go?</p>
<p>BTW...There are people in the UW NROTC unit who are 19 years old, considerably lighter than you (no offense meant), and couldn't run a 9:30 if their life depended on it.</p>
<p>Any idea why USNA decided to wait so long to tell you about this?</p>
<p>No idea why they waited so long. I am not overly concerned because I am within their 25% body fat standard as measured by the navy. However letters saying you must be this way or else are never fun and somewhat stressful. I am going to have my chief send in my stuff since he is the command fitness specialist. This is the one thing I have always hated being in the navy. I am not their body type so they think I am fat. Not my fault I am german, russian, and irish. We kinda get built big in those combinations.</p>
<p>I don't make regular appearances on the navy board, but you have to fight this fergsonfire! Don't let them take this away, it is yours and you earned it! Whatever you do, don't give up.</p>
<p>Oh don't worry they aren't taking anything away. I am within standards, it is just frusterating to always have to fill out extra paper work and have to do extra PT because you are built differently from someone else. Oh well, that is my stigma. That and being a 4th gen and a prior.</p>
<p>oh and if anyone wants to know how to put on weight or wants help with strength or weight training, please get ahold of me. I have been into weight training, strength training, and sports nutrition for years.</p>
<p>Check the stats on the football players - suspect they are over the stats as well. Work on lifting to increase neck size in the next month - it will help when they fit you for your choker as well. For big guys, I think they check body fat, etc. Don't go crazy - just lift inbetween running all through June. You will definately sweat off a bunch in July humidity anyway. Good luck!</p>
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oh and if anyone wants to know how to put on weight or wants help with strength or weight training, please get ahold of me. I have been into weight training, strength training, and sports nutrition for years.
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<p>Father Ferggy, we could become good friends. ;)
I already run. You can make me a monster.</p>
<p>I don't make monsters. I make strong people with strong minds. The body is nothing without the will to use it appropriately. But I think I am good with strength training, considering I leg pressed 1100 today for 6 reps, not too bad. But definitely if you want some tips just give me some areas you want to work on and well go from there.</p>
<p>It is my opinion that 22% body fat should not be considered "fat." If you really want to fight this you might consider going to a research hospital in your area and having a total body fat composition done. This brings back bad memories of the time the military decided to change the physical fitness test. (Air Force) Tons of obviously unfit people failed the test and quite a few fit military members failed. They have now gotten rid of that particular fitness test.</p>
<p>Oh my, I CAN sympathize with you ferg. At 5'7", 190 lbs. (use to be 220!), I've loved the "charts" for years. IF they give you any flak, request a body density evaluaton. I'm a bunch older, slower & weaker now but don't do TOO bad, for a decrepit senior citizen! ;)</p>
<p>Keep the faith my friend, you already know how they "love" to push people's buttons!</p>
<p>(you also know you're NOT going to add any appreciable size to your neck in 30 days without extensive supplementation.)</p>
<p>You'll be fine, by week 4 - no worries! :D</p>
<p>Look forward to hopefully seeing you I-Day. Since you're done a day early come on down and meet with us if possible. Sierra has a 0700 report time. I'm bringing a list of CC posters and, you're at the top!</p>
<p>sweet I'm at the top of someones list. I wonder if thats because its alphabetized? Nah because then Dmeix would have me beat. Oh well. All you people hype me up, I like it, it feeds my ego. HAHA. Not really, just makes me wonder. I am not that outstanding, just someone who knows that I have been applying here for 5 years and no one is going to take it away from me. Although a lot of people will learn my secrets real quick. Don't volunteer information, keep your mouth shut. Although I have a feeling I might not be able to do that. Everyone says to stay unnoticed, well you all should have a good time of that, because I don't want to. I am not afraid of some 20 year olds spotlight. What are they gonna do? Make me do pushups? The spotlight is where the brave are. As long as its for good reasons. Don't be afraid to join in if one of your classmates gets dropped for something. Show them its a team thing. We win as a team, we die as a team. Therefore we suffer as a team, don't ever let anyone fall behind.</p>
<p>For me, it's the pull-ups that are killing me. I can't get past one during running season. (While I was swimming in the winter, my back and arms were stronger and I was able to get up to four without actually doing pull-up training.) Now I struggle to do one, even when I've been working on grip, arm hangs, and negatives. The running coach advised me to be able to do 7-10 before Plebe Summer began.</p>
<p>If you're a guy, then yes you ought to be able to do more than 1 pull-up. It's not that hard to do pull-ups if you train properly, eat properly, sleep properly. However, most people don't have a clue how to eat (which is 90% of what training the body is about) or how to train (the other 10%).</p>
<p>I could use a little advice about gaining some weight. I barely meet Minimums for the AF now, and am worried about loosing weight during BCT. That could cause serious problems for me. Any advice?</p>
<p>I have a high metabolism and am increasing my workouts. I could use some help.</p>
<p>How you eat is not 90%. It is important, but more in the point of making sure you dont eat crap ALL the time. You can still eat out or at fast food places, just minimize it, as in 2-3 times a week. The rest of the time, eat whole foods, lean meat (turkey, steak, tuna, etc), and make sure that you get the right vitamins. I personally use Animal Pak. It has been great for me and all it is is merely vitamin supplementation. </p>
<p>As far as training for pullups, do alternate excersize to strengthen your lats as well as doing assisted pullups. Try things like lat pulldowns, seated rows, straight arm pulldowns, bicep curls, concetration curls, preacher curls. Working both your back and your biceps allows you to build strength enough for pullups. The biggest part is getting the pullup motion down. This means lots of assisted pullups. Which means doing pullups with legs at a 90 degree angle with someone holding your shins. This allows you to put some leg into the pull up, however try to maximize lat use.</p>