The new, fatter, more feminized Army

[primroselane]

That familiar standby, the situp, is gone, or almost gone. Exercises that look like pilates or yoga routines are in. And the traditional bane of the new private, the long run, has been downgraded.

A study found that at one training center in 2002, 3 recruits suffered stress fractures of the pubic bone, but last year the number rose to 39.

The new fitness regime tries to deal with all these problems by incorporating more stretching, more exercises for the abdomen and lower back, instead of the traditional situps, and more agility and balance training.

“Between 1995 and 2008, the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were overweight rose nearly 70 percent,” according a report titled “Too Fat to Fight.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/us...ef=global-home

[willow_girl]

That's interesting. I spend a few hours each week in a recruiting center. I know that recruiters will work with potential recruits who need to get their weight down in order to be eligible. They'll take them running and even to the gym.

I wonder about the standards, though. I do physical labor 6 days a week. I'm overweight but I carry a lot of muscle, too, and I'm agile. I can and do work hard all day long, but I'd never meet the weight requirements to join any branch of the military. OTOH, I see a lot of slender young women coming in who meet the weight requirements, but they certainly don't seem very muscular or accustomed to hard work.

[NoClue]

Originally Posted by willow_girl

That's interesting. I spend a few hours each week in a recruiting center. I know that recruiters will work with potential recruits who need to get their weight down in order to be eligible. They'll take them running and even to the gym.

I wonder about the standards, though. I do physical labor 6 days a week. I'm overweight but I carry a lot of muscle, too, and I'm agile. I can and do work hard all day long, but I'd never meet the weight requirements to join any branch of the military. OTOH, I see a lot of slender young women coming in who meet the weight requirements, but they certainly don't seem very muscular or accustomed to hard work.

For a time while I was in the Navy, I was a Command Fitness Coordinator. The height/weight standards were as concerned with appearance in uniform as they were with 'fitness'.

[primroselane]

Originally Posted by willow_girl

but they certainly don't seem very muscular or accustomed to hard work.

I think this is the important point for both sexes.

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.

The few, not so important, things in my life that I have been able to accomplish, I feel are due to perserverence more than anything else. Supplies and determination, along with having the fewest stupid generals usually determines which side wins.

[Sonshine]

I can't speak for all the military, but DH has to run 3 miles a day before the start of work. I think it depends on the Commander.

[NickyBlade]

My DH has PT daily, most days they run a couple miles... a couple times a month they run 5 or 6 miles.

One of our friends who is also in the army, but a different unit, is supposed to do PT on her own. I bet anyone can guess how that goes?

[Sonshine]

Originally Posted by NickyBlade

My DH has PT daily, most days they run a couple miles... a couple times a month they run 5 or 6 miles.

One of our friends who is also in the army, but a different unit, is supposed to do PT on her own. I bet anyone can guess how that goes?

Yeah, my DH has to run the 5 miles once a month and does PT daily, along with their couple mile run. When I first got out of basic training for the AF (which is the branch DH is still in) we weren't required to run or doing PT after basics, except once a year. I continued running though because I was afraid I wouldn't pass my yearly PT test.

[Farmerwilly2]

That's what video games, women in combat and 'don't ask--don't tell' will get you. Before you try to deny it take a look at the results.

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by primroselane

That familiar standby, the situp, is gone, or almost gone. Exercises that look like pilates or yoga routines are in. And the traditional bane of the new private, the long run, has been downgraded.

A study found that at one training center in 2002, 3 recruits suffered stress fractures of the pubic bone, but last year the number rose to 39.

The new fitness regime tries to deal with all these problems by incorporating more stretching, more exercises for the abdomen and lower back, instead of the traditional situps, and more agility and balance training.

“Between 1995 and 2008, the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were overweight rose nearly 70 percent,” according a report titled “Too Fat to Fight.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/us...ef=global-home

Understand the fatter, but what is more feminized?

Pilates? Real Pilates, makes situps look like an afternoon nap and toughens many more muscles, that situps.

If most recruits are too fat and out of shape, for running and situps, they have to do something different. Otherwise, there will just be a lot more injuries and recruit dropouts.

Unfortunately, this the the new America.

[plowjockey]

Originally Posted by Farmerwilly2

That's what video games, women in combat and 'don't ask--don't tell' will get you. Before you try to deny it take a look at the results.

Guess we all missed the memo, that girls and gays, can't run or do situps.

FWIW, if the male recruits are "fat bodies", then we have the get recruits from eslwhere.

Are are spot on, about the video games.

[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'!!!!

[jill.costello]

Originally Posted by Farmerwilly2

That's what video games, women in combat and 'don't ask--don't tell' will get you. Before you try to deny it take a look at the results.

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.

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by Farmerwilly2

That's what video games, women in combat and 'don't ask--don't tell' will get you. Before you try to deny it take a look at the results.

Video games, concur.

'don't ask--don't tell', doesn't apply here. This is about gender, not sexual preference. (Not all lesbians are "butch", and not all gay men are "sissies". No offense intended to anyone.)

As far as women in combat, I've known women that can haul a 250 lb man further than some of the men. Again... no count.

Let's keep this to the op, which I took to be "Too fat to fight".

[EasyDay]

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.

You GO, girl!!!

[EasyDay]

Originally Posted by NoClue

For a time while I was in the Navy, I was a Command Fitness Coordinator. The height/weight standards were as concerned with appearance in uniform as they were with 'fitness'.

When I was a DP2, I worked for a DPCS that was Samoan. He was about 5'10 or 5'11' with a 56" chest! His neck was HUGE. That was when the height/weight chart was the ruling factor. They put him on mandatory weight loss program. When he still didn't meet the req's, they processed him out with 18 years in. When he "cleared his desk", it wasn't pretty.

Had they been using the BMI chart at that time, his career would have been saved.

[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.

[big rockpile]

Here you go Had one to help me through Whatever in 1970

YouTube

big rockpile

[tarbe]

That was funny Rock.

Except they got it wrong.......he was never a drill sergeant. He was a Drill Instructor!

Big difference!!!

Semper Fi all


Tim

[Win07_351]

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'!!!!

I remember falling behind on a long full pack march because of a huge blister on both heels. Needless to say, I did finish.

[mullberry]

I served in the 197th inf bgde. we had PT then we worked all day & had a 5 mile run AFTER WORK every day. Back in the Viet nam Green fatigue army days an "Airborne Ranger" was a LEAN, MEAN & tough as nails killer by nature & trade. & thats it . I still live close enough to post to hear small arns fire every day. I have MANY MANY soldiers come to my buisness. These guys would of never made it through BCT in the Westmoreland army. These guys are BIG ! I meam pot bellied & flabby! The squaw's just don'y figgure in