The new, fatter, more feminized Army

watcher · #21 08/31/10, 08:17 PM

I wish they had him hit the guy with the tissue box. That and maybe an R rated version where he could use the words DI's used to be able to use.

salmonslayer · #22 08/31/10, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Well I guess that the US Marine Corps is still holding on to their high physical standards, as compared to the other Military Branches... We had sit up drills with oodles of situps, pull-ups, runs, and other physical activies pushing the edge every time.

We never had any of those 'Pilates' type stretches, or other modifed PT training.
What we had was, 'heaven help you if you ever fell out of formation during a run'!!!!

I did 16 years active duty in the Marine Corps (0369) and 8.5 years in the Army (11B) and the Marine Corps dumped situps years ago in favor of crunches which is what the Army is doing now along with adopting pullups for upper body strength. The main reason for the changes (they dropped bayonet practice too) is to prepare Soldiers for the rigors of combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where you wear body armor, a ruck, and carry your weapon and ammo. If you think pilates and strength and agility training is fluff you have never had to conduct sustained operations in a built up area and I doubt you would be so dismissive after a morning PT session with a line unit.

The Marine Corps long ago developed a PT program that was geared towards combat readiness, the Army's old program was geared toward making stick figures who could run fast for long distances and the PT program was geared towards just situps, pushups and the 2 mile run which doesnt do much for prepping for 100+ degree heat and all of the crap you have to carry. The overweight and physically weak recruits are prevalent in all service branches now including the Marine Corps and its a consequence of a lack of PT programs in schools, people who are nutritionally deficient, and addiction to computer games.

By the way, I enlisted in the Army at the age of 41 and could pass the USMC PFT for my age group because thats what I trained for to get ready to re-enlist (I was too old to reenlist in the USMC), I had a harder time passing the APFT for the Army initially because of the 2 mile run time I had to obtain with half a foot missing . Dont confuse the state of the civilians we are trying to turn into Soldiers and Marines with a somehow softer military; its different to be sure than when I joined in 1977 but these people today are doing the heavy lifting on multiple fronts and some have been in a constant state of war time footing for their entire careers.

The good old days are great for nostalgic conversations at the old VFW but its just not todays reality for these men and women in uniform and they lack nothing in Soldierly virtue and competence when compared to those who came before.

Semper Fi Radiofish

wyld thang · #23 08/31/10, 09:08 PM

salmonslayer you are so on a roll your last few posts here in GC

re situps, just wanted to say they are an effective TEST of anaerobic muscle endurance, but there are WAY more effective ways to train the core muscles.

the TEST is to perform how many situps, WITHOUT PAUSING. when you rest you are done. the more situps you can perform the more muscular endurance you have, as well as you have a higher lactic acid threshhold. situps at a quick pace will bring on the burn pretty quick(you go anaerobic), if you can SUSTAIN that you have good "endurance"--which also takes mental will to keep going.

so, i use other ways of training my core, but no situps, and no plain crunches. yet i can score very well on the situp test

if y'all mockers want to test your selves to see how you stack up go here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Physical_Fitness_Test
and tell us your score.

to put my money where my mouth is, i am 45 yr old female, i score max for pushups and situps for a twenty something female, and my 2 mile run is 18 minutes, not spectacular, but qualifying(i dont work hard on my running)--if i had a roll of duct tape i could run faster(heh)

EasyDay · #24 08/31/10, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyld thang

to put my money where my mouth is, i am 45 yr old female, i score max for pushups and situps for a twenty something female, and my 2 mile run is 18 minutes, not spectacular, but qualifying(i dont work hard on my running)--if i had a roll of duct tape i could run faster(heh)

I thought those were tomatoes in your profile pic!

Sonshine · #25 08/31/10, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiofish

Well I guess that the US Marine Corps is still holding on to their high physical standards, as compared to the other Military Branches... We had sit up drills with oodles of situps, pull-ups, runs, and other physical activies pushing the edge every time.

We never had any of those 'Pilates' type stretches, or other modifed PT training.
What we had was, 'heaven help you if you ever fell out of formation during a run'!!!!

We're Air Force and I have no clue what branch does pilates, or whatever they're called. AF still does the situps, pushups, runs, etc. too.

Sonshine · #26 08/31/10, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourDeuce

It's kind of ironic that they would get rid of the situp. That was the only part of the 3-part PT test that was the same for women and men(except for the different number of situps for men and women). The other 2 parts of the test were the pushup, which women did on their knees, and the 2-mile run, which had lower standards for women.

When I was in we didn't do pushups on our knees. The 2 1/2 mile run we were given a little more time for.

willow_girl · #27 08/31/10, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Running may or may not be the best exercise for fitness. I believe it is, but that is my opinion. But the really important thing about running is that one keeps pushing oneself when one is hurting, uncomfortable, tired and thirsty. Running teaches a person not to quit, not to give up. Running teaches a person to endure. Running makes a person mentally tough.

Same goes for shoveling out a barn!

I like to tease the young soldiers when I notice them doing push-ups or chin-ups in the back room. I tell them if they REALLY want a workout, I have a spare pitchfork (or a wagon full of hay to unload). I have yet to have one take me up on the offer, though (darn!).

ET1 SS · #28 09/01/10, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jill.costello

Oh? Do tell. I am a woman, AND I was in combat, AND I whupped every one of the other females, as well as 1/3 of the males in my unit at every single aspect of PT requirements.

I took enemy fire, and fired back.

The results? My squad came home alive.

Nice

Win07_351 · #29 09/01/10, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by salmonslayer

I did 16 years active duty in the Marine Corps (0369) and 8.5 years in the Army (11B) and the Marine Corps dumped situps years ago in favor of crunches which is what the Army is doing now along with adopting pullups for upper body strength. The main reason for the changes (they dropped bayonet practice too) is to prepare Soldiers for the rigors of combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan where you wear body armor, a ruck, and carry your weapon and ammo. If you think pilates and strength and agility training is fluff you have never had to conduct sustained operations in a built up area and I doubt you would be so dismissive after a morning PT session with a line unit.

The Marine Corps long ago developed a PT program that was geared towards combat readiness, the Army's old program was geared toward making stick figures who could run fast for long distances and the PT program was geared towards just situps, pushups and the 2 mile run which doesnt do much for prepping for 100+ degree heat and all of the crap you have to carry. The overweight and physically weak recruits are prevalent in all service branches now including the Marine Corps and its a consequence of a lack of PT programs in schools, people who are nutritionally deficient, and addiction to computer games.

By the way, I enlisted in the Army at the age of 41 and could pass the USMC PFT for my age group because thats what I trained for to get ready to re-enlist (I was too old to reenlist in the USMC), I had a harder time passing the APFT for the Army initially because of the 2 mile run time I had to obtain with half a foot missing . Dont confuse the state of the civilians we are trying to turn into Soldiers and Marines with a somehow softer military; its different to be sure than when I joined in 1977 but these people today are doing the heavy lifting on multiple fronts and some have been in a constant state of war time footing for their entire careers.

The good old days are great for nostalgic conversations at the old VFW but its just not todays reality for these men and women in uniform and they lack nothing in Soldierly virtue and competence when compared to those who came before.

Semper Fi Radiofish

I think yourself, radiofish, and I were in about the same time . I was a 6024 (jet engine mech.on the F-4 Phantom)

salmonslayer · #30 09/01/10, 10:30 PM

Quote:

I think yourself, radiofish, and I were in about the same time . I was a 6024 (jet engine mech.on the F-4 Phantom)

Right on brother. Platoon 3129 San Diego.

Gercarson · #31 09/01/10, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willow_girl

Same goes for shoveling out a barn!

I like to tease the young soldiers when I notice them doing push-ups or chin-ups in the back room. I tell them if they REALLY want a workout, I have a spare pitchfork (or a wagon full of hay to unload). I have yet to have one take me up on the offer, though (darn!).

Might be the "perfume" - just saying.

PrettyPaisley · #32 09/01/10, 11:42 PM

This is what happens when children are raised on processed foods and an excessive amount of soy. These 20-something kids have been raised on the most over processed food than any other generation. It's only going to get worse if we don't wake up.

I'm not surprised. Saddened but not surprised.

radiofish · #33 09/02/10, 02:51 AM

salmonslayer and win07 351 -
It was 1978 at M.C.R.D. San Diego - Platoon 3078 here/ 3rd Battalion RTR.
I still remember every detail of those 13 weeks there.
Yellow Footprints, I see Yellow Footprints, everywhere.
Why are they screaming at me???
Dress, Right, Dress?
This is my rifle, this is my gun...

With a MOS of 0311 and 0331 (Infantry) most of my time at parts of Camp Pendleton, or 29 Palms/ 1st MarDiv 3/5..

We tended to wander the desert, unless I was TDY at exotic places such as Fallon NAS or Yuma NAS on guard details.

So I guess that I am a 'Hollywood Marine', and not one of them there Parris Island Swamp Marines!

willow_girl · #34 09/02/10, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Might be the "perfume" - just saying.

Hey! Where I'm from, we call that "the smell of money."

tarbe · #35 09/02/10, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by radiofish

salmonslayer and win07 351 -
It was 1978 at M.C.R.D. San Diego - Platoon 3078 here/ 3rd Battalion RTR.
I still remember every detail of those 13 weeks there.
Yellow Footprints, I see Yellow Footprints, everywhere.
Why are they screaming at me???
Dress, Right, Dress?
This is my rifle, this is my gun...

With a MOS of 0311 and 0331 (Infantry) most of my time at parts of Camp Pendleton, or 29 Palms/ 1st MarDiv 3/5..

We tended to wander the desert, unless I was TDY at exotic places such as Fallon NAS or Yuma NAS on guard details.

So I guess that I am a 'Hollywood Marine', and not one of them there Parris Island Swamp Marines!

0351

Parris Island Plt 188

Graduated November 1976

There are a bunch of us here from more or less the same cohort!

Tim