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Topic: Pick up the pace, porky.... (Read 962 times)
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
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A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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Gee, what happened to the BMI test? I would remind all serving Royal Canadians that it is your duty to The Regiment to keep oneself in shape... As for us retired porkers, well...  do yer best... 1,000 people fail military fitness test: report Updated Sun. Nov. 4 2007 8:46 PM ET The Canadian Press OTTAWA -- More than 1,000 military members flunked the first national physical fitness test the Canadian Forces have conducted in a decade, a newly released report shows. The failures are a fraction of the 47,000 enlisted men and women who passed the basic four-part test in 2006-07 under orders from Gen. Rick Hillier, chief of the defence staff. But the demographics of those unfit members point to potential problem areas, such as the navy where the flunk rate was significantly higher than that of the military as a whole. The report, obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act, shows 286 sailors failed to make the grade. Most of those -- 159 men and women -- were stationed at Canada's Pacific naval base in Esquimalt, B.C., for a failure rate of 4.6 per cent, or more than twice the national rate for all services. The East Coast base at Halifax, with 134 failures, recorded a flunk rate of 2.4 per cent by comparison, closer to the national rate of 2.2 per cent. The detailed statistical report provides numbers only, without any analysis of the results. The tests, conducted through the year that ended March 31, consist of a so-called shuttle run, pushups, sit-ups and a handgrip strength section. Standards are based on age and gender, so a male under age 35 must do 19 pushups, for example, while a woman in the same age bracket must do nine. A male over 35 years of age must do 17 sit-ups, while his female counterpart must do 12. The 30-minute fitness test, in place since 1990, is designed to predict whether serving members can carry out five basic military tasks, including digging a trench and hauling a sandbag. A few professions in the military, including members of the JTF-2 special forces, are required to meet tougher fitness standards. And members who voluntarily demonstrate a higher level of fitness can be given an exemption from the following year's test. Hillier, a trim running enthusiast, launched a campaign in December 2005 to build a strong fitness culture in the forces and to do baseline testing of every member. National testing had lapsed in the mid-1990s. The new results suggest a relatively fit military, though almost 1,300 were excused from testing for medical reasons and another 15,000 remained untested for various reasons, including overseas postings. Among the somewhat poorer performers in the new report were master warrant officers, sometimes called the backbone of the army. Fifty-three of the 1,408 who were tested flunked, for a failure rate of 3.8 per cent, the highest of all the non-reserve ranks. None of the 80 officers in ranks higher than colonel flunked. Failure rates were somewhat higher among those over age 55, and women had a slightly higher failure rate than men. Members stuck pushing pencils at headquarters were also somewhat less fit. Army members were the most fit of all the three services, followed by the air force. "The failure rate is not a huge issue,'' said Marie Danais, the civilian who's in charge of physical fitness programs across the military. "It's not a big number.'' "I'm pretty sure Canadian Forces members are a lot fitter than the general population.'' If a member fails the fitness test, he or she has as many as four chances over 48 weeks to make the grade or face sanctions, including dismissal. But since 1998, only eight people have been released because they could not meet fitness standards, said spokesman Lieut. Desmond James. "We're in the military -- we have to keep ourselves in shape.'' Danais said annual testing is only one element of fostering a fitness culture in the military. "We want to focus on people going into the gym,'' she said in an interview, adding the Canadian Forces aim to reduce failure rates for next year's report. |
1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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Mike Blais
SSM (NATO Bar), CPSM, UN-Cyp, CD
Ultimate 2000+ Member
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Posts: 3476
A ROYAL CANADIAN "NEVER PASSES A FAULT"
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The only exemption I would accept is a medical as that would include operational restrictions anyways. I tell you one thing, as I was watching the remembrance days activities, I could not help but notice how many porkers were in the ranks of the serving ... of course, Ottawa is Ottawa, not like they are running a field unit there but, nevertheless...
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1RCR 1977-79 Depot (Italy PL), B Coy, Mortars, Pioneers, D Coy (CFB London)
3RCR 1979-82 M Coy, Pipes & Drums, Sigs, Mortars. (CFB Baden-Soellingen)
1RCR 1982-88 Mortars. Dukes, Cyprus-Welfare NCO 84-85, Injured, WO&Sgts Mess, (CFB London)
1988-92 Med-remuster to HELL/ 35 DU, CFB Baden
1992 Medical release. God Bless you all!
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ranrad
Ron [Andy] Andrews
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Hey, Gerry, exactly, that BMI was never a very good indicator of the main goal...FITNESS...but in fairness, those people who think its ok to not be fit because they have a sedentary job, that is not so... you must be ready for all sorts of scenarios, that will likely be outside your regular job... and you are much more alert if you are fit physically.. no matter what you do... and those real jeeps were not that light....heheheh ... ranrad
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RCAF,CAF, converted RCR?,1RCR 74-77 CD: SSM (Nato);CPSM,;UN-Cyp.; UN- Golan
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Tim McCully
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Hey there BJ, when I was posted to the Base Chief's Office in Halifax 88-90 it was expected of me to set the standard of dress and enforce it in my day to day duties. I did it well, and I realized that I had to present a physically fit appearance to do so. Being Base Chief's staff, I was able to sign for the key to the gym every morning at 06:00. I went in and ran 3 miles around the upper track and then 30 minutes on the weights, this became a problem eith the BMI scale, because as the nutritionist told me, I was bulking up with muscle and it put me over the line. She suggested that i give up the weights, as I did, well at least not so much anyway! I used to ride trails every sat/sun with a young Navy buddy from Halifax to Rainbow Haven, I even joined a cycling club and rode with them. But for some reason, even today I could never get below 190 and I am 5'8", my waist would go to about 36 and people always tell me how good I look but I can never see what they are talking about. I still push myself, I do 5 mile runs and weights at home because I feel that one day I will be called to fight and I better be fit! I'm 45 now but still feel 25 most days though it is getting a little harder on the joints. Tim
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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RIV
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GANTLEMEN IM 52 AND CAN STILL RUN LIKE A DEER , YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT ,PERIOD.
I NEVER DID AGREE SOME OF THE MILITARY STANDARDS , OR SHOULD I SAY DOUBLE STANDARDS OF TESTING SOLDIERS FOR FITNESS. AGAIN YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!!!!
EX-SGT. RIV KENNEDY
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Tim McCully
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Hey Riv, how are ya old man? havn't seen ya since the reunion in London what around 95? We'll see you in Kingston August. I agree you are what you eat, I'll pass up a steak if there is a can of beans next to it, and even better if there is some rice to mix in. That's the sort of diet i like but it hasn't always been that way, i'm trying! So you must eat alot of deer if you still run like one aye. Talk soon Brother, Tim
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1RCR (82-88) B coy 6pl, (84-85) UNFICYP- BBC coy Tpt, C coy 9pl, E coy Mortars, (88-90) CFB Halifax Base Chief's Staff, CFB Trenton Refinisher Tech.(90-92). UNFICYP,CPSM
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BJ MacLean
B.J. / Rusty
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