<p>I have noticed that over the years standards throughout the military are dropping to very poor levels. The policy on fitness has gone soft. I read the other day that enlisted men need only do 15 pushups and 17 situps to stay in regular boot, if lower they go to a special fat camp. They still need to eventually reach the APFT standards but have time to do that later. I also read about some new program to allow the physically inept to join by taking their PT on a stepper (I just had a teacher do something similar for a stress test on his heart, hes like 50 and he passed it easily). The individual being interviewed in the article FAILED the test! Worse yet (beware Navy fans, bashing is on the way) I took the CFA for the USNA and got atrocious scores at NASS (I'm talking 0 pullups, a 9 minute run, 35 or so pushups --- really tired and really out of shape at the time) and I was considered physically qualified. They suggested I retake it to improve my chances but told me that my scores were "qualifying" but that I should take it again if I think I could do better. (This was by an admissions officer over the phone this Spring. I retook it and got much better scores, of course since I've been working my arse off 73 pushups, 6 pullups, 93ft throw...etc etc) My point is come on! Those scores should have been laughed at, not considered qualified. Now anyone who got the most recent packet from West Point probably read it cover to cover. Did you notice the minimum APFT scores? I hope that was a typo because those are the minimums for 22-25 yo or something as far I thought. 42 pushups not 35, 53 situps not 47, a 15:45 run not 16:36...PT good for you good for me, right? Doesn't seem like the Army thinks so these days... I think America needs a wakeup call as everyone doesn't get motivated (as I did) and get off the sofa on their own accord. Has anyone on here been in poor shape before other than me? I mean its a really depressing way to live. [[One last observation...Why are 52 year old men still required to do more pushups than 17 year old woman?? eh..]]</p>
<p>The Army is generally a reflection of the US as a whole. 31% of Americans are obese. 63% are overweight. If that is your definition of the Army getting fat, then no. Height weight standards are enforced. </p>
<p>If you're asking if the Army is getting weak, no. PT standards have actually gone up in the last decade, while Americans have been getting large and in charge. <a href="http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/stripe/archives/oct31/str_d103197.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.dcmilitary.com/army/stripe/archives/oct31/str_d103197.html</a></p>
<p>As for the PAE, it's not that difficult for the same reasons PT standards aren't that high for boot camp. We can generally make you physically strong, we can't make you smart or give you leadership abilities. Although the PAE is important, it's probably weighed the least against the other variables. </p>
<p>And please, kill the sexist attitude before you get here. There are physiological reasons why the APFT standards are different for men and women. They are calibrated to the same amount of effort. Men do more pushups than women because they are built differently. They have less body fat, more lean muscle mass, and their elbows are put together differently. Women have more core muscles than upperbody, that's why the situps are the same. Men and women use oxygen differently, which is why I can SCUBA dive for over an hour on a single tank of air, while the guys I dive with are going back up between 30 and 45 minutes after going down. So, although women use oxygen more efficiently, their lung capacity is reduced. Run the two mile breathing only through your nose and get back to me on that...eh?</p>
<p>ragman,
good luck keeping up with some of those girls!</p>
<p>go on the ranger school diet. guaranteed to lose weight!</p>
<p>Haha, just yanking ya'lls chain. Of course I know there are physiological reasons. That doesn't mean I don't think its funny in a way. I had never heard the SCUBA thing, but its sounds about right as the amount of oxygen you use is proportional to your body weight. Don't be offended! (I met a number of USNA who are ridiculously sexist, I don't know about West Point, but those guys complain incessesently that they do 5 miles in the times girls do 3 and blame them for holding them up and everything.) Sounds like it its tough to be a female at one of the academies being that so many people behave that way. BTW, when I went to NASS my squad leader out did my entire squad in PT. She was a rather small woman, probably 5'5", and all the guys in my squad were PT kings in at least one of the events, and a few almost maxed all of them. (She never hit 18 pullups, but everything else she was crazy on).</p>
<p>Ranger diet...psh... I can't keep my little sister away from the fridge. Theres no way she'd live on 1.5 MREs a day or less.</p>
<p>The Army is ABSOLUTELY getting fat. The females (and a few of the males) are getting away with murder when it comes their height/weigh limits!! I could go on and on; but at risk of sounding sexist, I decline.</p>
<p>openning up another point of discussion: Who cares as long as the soldier can charlie mike?</p>
<p>qb1981
Generalizations like that are usually incorrect. That one certainly is.</p>
<p>Well yeah its not to hard to prepare for a weight test. You can lose about 10+ lbs in a day if you want to. (and get it all back the next day) Wrestling was always like that. Don't eat for two days, lose about 10-15 lbs, run around in full sweats before the meet, lose another 2-4. (Some people would throw on illegal plastics or laxatives to lose more...but I've seen the laxative-wrestling combo go horribly bad) Either way you can drop alot of weight quick. [or gain alot. For some reason I couldn't wrestle 171 or 189 (and definitely not 215!) so I had to put on 20 lbs in just two hours to get up to 189.5 lbs so I could wrestle heavyweight as there was a spot open...]</p>
<p>that seems so dangerous to your health! how do you put on that much weight in so short amounts of time?? plus, is it really worth it to do that for one match?</p>
<p>It's not healthy, at all, and is one reason I refuse to wrestle. What you are effectivly doing by not eating is starving your body. (insert DUH! statement here :)) When your body is not getting any nurishment your metabolism will slow down to conserve as much fat and muscle as it can. What this means is the minute you eat, your body will not be digesting it right, and/or fast enough, and most of what you eat will turn into icky fat instead of good old muscle. And running around in sweats, plastic bags, latex, etc, all you are doing is sheding water. The minute you go to a water fountain and drink, you will gain it all back.</p>
<p>Yes megbee1119 it is. Eat alot and drink a ton of water.
No, it is not healthy.</p>
<p>ragman the problem with dropping weight and the military height weight is that you're usually taped AFTER an APFT. Cutting weight in wrestling is fine because you have at least an hour after weigh ins before you wrestle. Im confused why you started this thread but on another thread you said you barely make the height/weight standard.</p>
<p>Haha. Cheap shot. I do barely make the height-weight ratio but my body fat test came in about 14%, so I am not in that high end. I have been before. And I can see when I am a little heavy and I do something about it.</p>
<p>the army is desperate for recruits right now, so as far as fitness standards go, beggers cant be choosers.</p>
<p>People, don't stress the height/weight ratio--it's the body fat percentage that matters when it comes down too it. We (the CPTs course I'm in) had our final APFT for it today, and half the class gets "taped" but that includes all of us that maxed it too...remember, muscle weighs more than fat. Your ability to do your job is what matters. The Army is looking at it more and more, and even if they do "officially" relax some of the weight standards--they will not relax the actual PT test standards, if anything, they may increase the # of events, etc. And that would make sense---I've seen plenty a people who may not meet the table weight, but that out-ruck, out-run, out push up and out sit up some skinny little weak guys and girls that can't do any of that (nothing against skinny people, just don't be weak!). Endurance is the key...pursue physical fitness, and trust me, USMA will POUND this into your brain, that when you get into the Army aftewards it'll be culture shock to not see it to the extent it is at USMA--but you'll be physically set up for success.</p>
<p>For some one of my height (5'9'') you would have to have a 39+ waste to be booted out of the Army. By that time you are really packing (this is w/ a 16 inch neck to clarify) on the pounds. (and for that matter would probably be failing your PT test). Do most people who get booted for failing the APFT or failing the body fat comp. test? I mean will they kick you out if you max all your events but have a 25% fat content? I know the Marines allow you to have a 22% fat comp instead of 18% if you have a first class pt score. So I imagine the army might have something similar.</p>