Elitetrack: Sport Training & Conditioning

Fat or fit, does that have to be the choice? Last Friday’s USA Today had a front page story on the sad state of the recruits entering the military. One third of the 18 year olds who applied for service in all branches of the military were overweight. Between 1996 and 2006 the applicants considered obese doubled to 6%. In speaking with people who have worked with army recruits they report tha


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Ok I agree completely that most of this country needs to get off there arse and get in shape. But i feel because I'm in the military I need to defending it alittle bit. I was overweight at 5'11, 185, bod pod 5 % body fat multi athlete. My best friend is a nationally ranked 187 pound wrester at 5'9 and he's overweight, our starting running back and good friend is 5'9 245 runs a 4.5 40 and has a 470 bench, yet can still drop a sub 13 two mile any day everyday. Stats can be twisted and distorted however you want but I'd gladly take my odds that 9 of my brothers in arms can straight destroy 10 of the rest of this whole society at damn near contest, whether it involves brains or muscles. 

The sample population you are looking at and referring to (cadets at West Point) does not represent the population of the Army as a whole....which more closely resembles the general population. 

meat he has not saying people in the army are out of shape. he is saying recruits who are fresh out of the general population our out of shape. its true. the army has had to develop a pre-basic physical fitness program to get people in shape to handle basic. there not even in shape to get in shape. the problem can be linked back to the schools and the PE programs were fitness isn't emphasized just fun. thats why gym classes play badminton or learn to bowl not how to live healthy. when the people trying to teach the kids on to be healthy are fat you know there is a problem.