Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

[Bum]

Soldiers who score a 465 or better on the Army Fitness Test will not be subject to flagging actions for body fat percentage, the service decided this month.
An Army Directive distributed Sept. 4 allows for an exemption to the body fat rule for soldiers who score at least 80 points in each of the events on the fitness test: deadlifting, pushups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

The Army outlined the change as an incentive to maintain physical readiness and meet standards for high levels of physical fitness.

www.armytimes.com

I think this is a common sense action; I knew soldiers that would excel on their APFT, but would get flagged and placed on the fatboy program because they didn't "look" fit or failed the tape test.

 

[Fledermaus]

Soldiers who score a 465 or better on the Army Fitness Test will not be subject to flagging actions for body fat percentage, the service decided this month.
An Army Directive distributed Sept. 4 allows for an exemption to the body fat rule for soldiers who score at least 80 points in each of the events on the fitness test: deadlifting, pushups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

The Army outlined the change as an incentive to maintain physical readiness and meet standards for high levels of physical fitness.

www.armytimes.com

I think this is a common sense action; I knew soldiers that would excel on their APFT, but would get flagged and placed on the fatboy program because they didn't "look" fit or failed the tape test.

We had one sergeant who was flagged..... He was a body builder with biceps the size of small children.... He marched up to the XOs office and stripped down to his underwear and asked. DO I LOOK FAT?

Immediate waiver.

 

[Redress]

Soldiers who score a 465 or better on the Army Fitness Test will not be subject to flagging actions for body fat percentage, the service decided this month.
An Army Directive distributed Sept. 4 allows for an exemption to the body fat rule for soldiers who score at least 80 points in each of the events on the fitness test: deadlifting, pushups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

The Army outlined the change as an incentive to maintain physical readiness and meet standards for high levels of physical fitness.

www.armytimes.com

I think this is a common sense action; I knew soldiers that would excel on their APFT, but would get flagged and placed on the fatboy program because they didn't "look" fit or failed the tape test.

The tape test as you call it was such a poor measure anyway. The idea behind body fat standards was to ensure a certain level of fitness, and if you do well on the PFT, that is probably a better indicator.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Nothing about this reads as controversial, somewhat neutral, but I'm curious for other opinions on this.

 

[Bum]

The tape test as you call it was such a poor measure anyway. The idea behind body fat standards was to ensure a certain level of fitness, and if you do well on the PFT, that is probably a better indicator.

When I was in, they still used the caliper (pinch test) , water displacement ( dunk test) along with the tape test; none of those methods were particularly accurate.
For a while, in the mid 90's the Army experimented with bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device that ran a current through your body to measure "resistance" as fat is a bad conductor...it was dropped but I do not know why.

 

[BirdinHand]

BMI and “size” standards =\= how fit a person is or isn’t.

 

[dmpi]

We use these bio-measurements not as an indicators of strength and stamina but rather as a precursor to ones general health. A weightlifter can still get a heart attack, diabetes, etc.

 

[BirdinHand]

We use these bio-measurements not as an indicators of strength and stamina but rather as a precursor to ones general health. A weightlifter can still get a heart attack, diabetes, etc.

BMI, etc are old metrics and should be trashed.

 

[Peter]

I remember when there was a scandal about BMI because loads of professional rugby players were being flagged as obese despite being super fit.

They had to change the system as it was so obviously stupidly wrong.

 

[BirdinHand]

I remember when there was a scandal about BMI because loads of professional rugby players were being flagged as obese despite being super fit.

They had to change the system as it was so obviously stupidly wrong.

It really is stupidly wrong.

 

[Redress]

When I was in, they still used the caliper (pinch test) , water displacement ( dunk test) along with the tape test; none of those methods were particularly accurate.
For a while, in the mid 90's the Army experimented with bioelectrical impedance (BIA) device that ran a current through your body to measure "resistance" as fat is a bad conductor...it was dropped but I do not know why.

It was just the tape measure method when I was in. They actually taught us who where on the edge how to take advantage of it(a larger neck meant lower BMI, so we would do isometrics with out neck to pump it up in size).

 

[Rexedgar]

Not my Army, 72-75.

 

[Bodi]

He marched up to the XOs office and stripped down to his underwear and asked. DO I LOOK FAT?

I had the same thing happen with an ex-girlfriend. Crazy how she also referred to me as her XO.

.

 

[armycowboy]

Soldiers who score a 465 or better on the Army Fitness Test will not be subject to flagging actions for body fat percentage, the service decided this month.
An Army Directive distributed Sept. 4 allows for an exemption to the body fat rule for soldiers who score at least 80 points in each of the events on the fitness test: deadlifting, pushups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

The Army outlined the change as an incentive to maintain physical readiness and meet standards for high levels of physical fitness.

www.armytimes.com

I think this is a common sense action; I knew soldiers that would excel on their APFT, but would get flagged and placed on the fatboy program because they didn't "look" fit or failed the tape test.

I ****ing hated the tape test. How many Soldiers careers were ruined due to that wildly inaccurate measure of body fat? We all knew Soldiers who were overweight but were saved by having a big neck. Meanwhile, if you had a small neck or wide obliques, who better not exceed your screening weight or you were screwed.

 

[armycowboy]

Not my Army, 72-75.

Some things changed after we stopped using muskets.

 

[Rexedgar]

Some things changed after we stopped using muskets.

Hey, hey, respect your elders……

 

[Oozlefinch]

Here is the interesting thing, I'm old enough to remember the "old ways".

Back in the 1980s the rule of thumb that if you failed height and weight, you would appear appear in front of your CO in PT gear and show that you had a "fit military appearance". And one guy I remember was a body builder that would bench press over 300 pounds easily. And once every three months he would have to appear in front of the CO, and immediately be sent away. But by the 1990s tapes and body fat calculations became the norm.

And I can actually see both sides of the argument. Even decades later I was often high in my PT scores, but often struggled with my body fat ratios. But that is mostly because I was in my 40s and 50s. I was no longer the 20 year old that could eat a triple Whopper with heavy bacon and still never break 160 pounds. I was middle aged, where I had to watch my diet as my metabolism slowed down and I was no longer running 7 minute mils, but running 9 minute miles. And I retired before the new PT tests became the norm.

But this is a good compromise. I found it annoying that somebody higher up in my chain of command thought I needed "Extra PT" because I ran 9 minute miles, not even realizing at the time I was in my late 40s. Yet in more endurance related activities I could walk kids less than half my age into the dirt, like on a 5-6 mile forced march. And even into my 60s now and retired I am within 1-2% of the body fat ratio I still had on active duty and could still likely do a forced march that could put those that could be my grandkids into the ground.

And I even saw my weight fluctuate many times over the decades. During the winter in garrison my body fat would increase. But once I was active in the field or on deployment it would just melt away. I even remember after I first got injured in 1990 and saw my weight balloon from 165 to almost 200 pounds, then worked it back off again within six months. And had to for the first time go through the entire body fat tape nonsense. And still come in well under regulations because I was determined to stay in the military.

Myself, there should be a compromise. I have seen both fat bodies that could not pass a PT test to save their lives and were so fat they had no business wearing a uniform. And people like me that had no problem passing a PT test, but because we are a bit heavier simply failed height and weight.

And to give an idea, in the Army before I retired a few years ago for me that meant at 5'8" I had to be under 181 pounds. And when you are pushing your mid to late 40's, that's actually rather hard. But I was allowed to measure up to 26% body fat, and normally came in at around 23%. That part actually became somewhat of a joke as they had to tape me, even knowing I would pass without a problem. And between the ages of 40 and 60 (mandatory retirement), that actually never changes.

And ironically, a female in the Army that is pregnant and surpasses the height and weight ratio allowed can not be promoted. That is absolutely nonsensical. And women are actually allowed to have a 10% higher body fat ratio.

 

[Redress]

Soldiers who score a 465 or better on the Army Fitness Test will not be subject to flagging actions for body fat percentage, the service decided this month.
An Army Directive distributed Sept. 4 allows for an exemption to the body fat rule for soldiers who score at least 80 points in each of the events on the fitness test: deadlifting, pushups, sprint-drag-carry, plank and a two-mile run.

Soldiers with high fitness test scores now exempt from body fat rule

The Army outlined the change as an incentive to maintain physical readiness and meet standards for high levels of physical fitness.

www.armytimes.com

I think this is a common sense action; I knew soldiers that would excel on their APFT, but would get flagged and placed on the fatboy program because they didn't "look" fit or failed the tape test.

On the other hand, the military is doing away with what we in the navy called shaving chits. People with skin issues causing them to need to not shave(these are mostly black dudes) have 1 year to get the issue resolved or face discharge.

Pentagon Says Troops Can Only Be Exempt from Shaving Their Facial Hair for a Year

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that troops who need an exemption from shaving their facial hair for longer than a year should now be kicked out of the service.

www.military.com

 

[Bum]

Hey, hey, respect your elders……

I respect anyone that test fired the first M1A1 Arm launched spear, or test drove the M112 All Terrain Armored Mammoth.

 

[Rexedgar]

I respect anyone that test fired the first M1A1 Arm launched spear, or test drove the M112 All Terrain Armored Mammoth.

My assigned vehicle was the non-swimming “Gama Goat.”

 

[Bum]

The Goat and SUSS V were my first vehicles...Alaska 1984

 

[Rexedgar]

The Goat and SUSS V were my first vehicles...Alaska 1984

I spent the bulk of my time at Fort Bragg. Every year we convoyed east, for about 100 miles or so, for the division wide FTX. Speed was about 25mph. The night before my lady had come down from VA and we got a room. Between lack of sleep and that god damn droning diesel right behind my head, I was asleep in no time. My section sgt had to take over not long after we set off.

 

[Bum]

I spent the bulk of my time at Fort Bragg. Every year we convoyed east, for about 100 miles or so, for the division wide FTX. Speed was about 25mph. The night before my lady had come down from VA and we got a room. Between lack of sleep and that god damn droning diesel right behind my head, I was asleep in no time. My section sgt had to take over not long after we set off.

My biggest challenge was snow blindness and staying warm.