USAF Fitness Test Defects
On its 'Fitness Score' exam ( less than 70 points = 'poor', 90 or more points = excellent), the USAF gives men 30 pts if their abdominal circumference is less than 32.5 inches, 21 points if their abdominal circumference is 40", and 0 points if it is more than 43"!
The USAF standards unfairly denigrate tall men (at 5'10" tall I am taller than 60% of American adult males), & unfairly advantage short men. If I was proportioned as I am now but shrank from a height of 5' 10" to a height of 4'9" tall, my score on the USAF 'Fitness Exam' would be such that my 9 point disadvantage compared to the studs with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5" would vanish.
What is the USAF trying to do, favor short men with narrow and weak torsos? Apparently, the USAF, has produced within itself, an unnatural predominance of the personality traits associated with narrow weak lower torsos, and short height. The narrow torsos are of course correlated with narrow shoulders. The narrow shoulders are correlated with low testosterone levels and a relatively 'unimpressive' appearance (such is what we seek in our Air Force men?). The USAF prejudices as reflected in their 'Fitness Test', infect even civilian life.
I have an abs-circumference measurement of 40" though I am not fat. Why? Because, all the soccer air-dribbling (sprints of 7-20 yards, done while juggling the soccer ball) I've done, has built up the muscles on the sides of the lower torso, the front of the stomach, and the lower back; also by nature I have a wide torso. I've noticed the muscles on the sides of my stomach have come to resemble those on a statue of a greek God (diffuse side-light is a good light for the body). I have impressively wide shoulders.
My waist at the point where my abdominal circumference (40") is measured is approx 13" wide and 10.5" deep. I estimate there is a layer of fat about 0.2" thick. If I had 0 inches of fat, my waist measurement would still be 38" (and the USAF would still penalize me, if I was 25-55 years of age, 8 points on the 'Fitness Score', relative to the score someone with an abdominal circumference of 32.5" would receive).
I figure if I lost all this muscle I've put on, my abdominal circumference would shrink to about 31.5". Then the USAF would not handicap me by 9 points compared to the guys with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5", but I would no longer flaunt unique strengths I now possess.
Unfair as the USAF "Fitness Test' would be to me, imagine what would happen to a hypothetical twin, 'BigDave'. BigDave is proportioned just like me, but he is 6'4" inches, six inches taller than me; his abdominal circumference is 43". BigDave would fall 30 points behind the 'studs' with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5" on the USAF Fitness Test, simply because his waist size is 43".
The USAF test looks at: the 1.5 mph run or a VO2 Bike Test, abdominal circumference, push-ups done in 1 minute, and abdominal crunch repetitions done in 1 minute.
My abdominal circumference is 40". Hence, for all the way from the under-25 to 55+ age groups, the USAF test penalizes me 9 points compared to the 'stud' whose abdominal circumference is less than 32.5 inches.
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my time on the 1.5 mile run from 16:54 to 14:55 would merely make up the lost 9 points (equivalent to an improvement of 80 SECONDS on the mile run).
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my time on the 1.5 mile run from 20:36 to 17:37 would just make up the lost 9 points (equivalent to an improvement of TWO MINUTES on the mile run).'
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my pushups-in-one-minute score from 8 to 63 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my pushups-in-one-minute score from 1 to 40 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my abdominal-crunches-done-in-one minute score from 3 to 52 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my abdominal-crunches-done-in-one minute score from 3 to 40 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
Think thats bad? Imagine if I was not 5'10" tall, but 6'4" tall, while continuing to be proportioned the same as I am now, and named 'BigDave'. BigDave's abdominal circumference would then be, 43.3".
For all the way from the under-25 to 55+ age groups, the USAF test penalizes BigDave and his 43.3" abdominal circumference, 30 points compared to the 'stud' whose abdominal circumference is less than 32.5 inches.
If BigDave was in the <25 age-bracket, improving BigDave's time on the 1.5 mile run from 20:36 to 12:55 (equivalent to an improvement of 5 MINUTES on the mile run) would do nothing more than make up the 30 points BigDave fell behind by on account of the dreaded abdominal circumference measurement routine.
If BigDave was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving BigDave's time on the 1.5 mile run from 26:06 to 15:19 (equivalent to an improvement of 7 MINUTES on the mile run) would do nothing more than make up the 30 points BigDave fell behind by on the dreaded abdominal circumference measurement routine.
If BigDave was in the <25 age-bracket, Bigdave improving his pushups-in-one- minute score from 3 to 75, combined with Bigdave improving his stomach-crunches- done-in-one-minute score from 3 to 65, would do nothing more than make up 20 of the 30 points BigDave fell behind the 32.5" abs-circumference 'studs' by, on account of his 43" waist.
If BigDave was in the 50-54 age-bracket, Bigdave improving his pushups-in-one- minute score from 0 to 45, combined with Bigdave improving his stomach-crunches- done-in-one-minute score from 3 to 50, would do nothing more than make up 20 of the 30 points BigDave fell behind the 32.5" abs-circumference 'studs' by, on account of his 43" waist.
The USAF standards unfairly denigrate tall men (at 5'10" tall I am taller than 60% of American adult males), & unfairly advantage short men. If I was proportioned as I am now but shrank from a height of 5' 10" to a height of 4'9" tall, my score on the USAF 'Fitness Exam' would be such that my 9 point disadvantage compared to the studs with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5" would vanish.
What is the USAF trying to do, favor short men with narrow and weak torsos? Apparently, the USAF, has produced within itself, an unnatural predominance of the personality traits associated with narrow weak lower torsos, and short height. The narrow torsos are of course correlated with narrow shoulders. The narrow shoulders are correlated with low testosterone levels and a relatively 'unimpressive' appearance (such is what we seek in our Air Force men?). The USAF prejudices as reflected in their 'Fitness Test', infect even civilian life.
I have an abs-circumference measurement of 40" though I am not fat. Why? Because, all the soccer air-dribbling (sprints of 7-20 yards, done while juggling the soccer ball) I've done, has built up the muscles on the sides of the lower torso, the front of the stomach, and the lower back; also by nature I have a wide torso. I've noticed the muscles on the sides of my stomach have come to resemble those on a statue of a greek God (diffuse side-light is a good light for the body). I have impressively wide shoulders.
My waist at the point where my abdominal circumference (40") is measured is approx 13" wide and 10.5" deep. I estimate there is a layer of fat about 0.2" thick. If I had 0 inches of fat, my waist measurement would still be 38" (and the USAF would still penalize me, if I was 25-55 years of age, 8 points on the 'Fitness Score', relative to the score someone with an abdominal circumference of 32.5" would receive).
I figure if I lost all this muscle I've put on, my abdominal circumference would shrink to about 31.5". Then the USAF would not handicap me by 9 points compared to the guys with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5", but I would no longer flaunt unique strengths I now possess.
Unfair as the USAF "Fitness Test' would be to me, imagine what would happen to a hypothetical twin, 'BigDave'. BigDave is proportioned just like me, but he is 6'4" inches, six inches taller than me; his abdominal circumference is 43". BigDave would fall 30 points behind the 'studs' with abs-circumferences of less than 32.5" on the USAF Fitness Test, simply because his waist size is 43".
The USAF test looks at: the 1.5 mph run or a VO2 Bike Test, abdominal circumference, push-ups done in 1 minute, and abdominal crunch repetitions done in 1 minute.
My abdominal circumference is 40". Hence, for all the way from the under-25 to 55+ age groups, the USAF test penalizes me 9 points compared to the 'stud' whose abdominal circumference is less than 32.5 inches.
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my time on the 1.5 mile run from 16:54 to 14:55 would merely make up the lost 9 points (equivalent to an improvement of 80 SECONDS on the mile run).
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my time on the 1.5 mile run from 20:36 to 17:37 would just make up the lost 9 points (equivalent to an improvement of TWO MINUTES on the mile run).'
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my pushups-in-one-minute score from 8 to 63 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my pushups-in-one-minute score from 1 to 40 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the <25 age-bracket, improving my abdominal-crunches-done-in-one minute score from 3 to 52 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
If I was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving my abdominal-crunches-done-in-one minute score from 3 to 40 would do nothing more than make up the lost 9 points.
Think thats bad? Imagine if I was not 5'10" tall, but 6'4" tall, while continuing to be proportioned the same as I am now, and named 'BigDave'. BigDave's abdominal circumference would then be, 43.3".
For all the way from the under-25 to 55+ age groups, the USAF test penalizes BigDave and his 43.3" abdominal circumference, 30 points compared to the 'stud' whose abdominal circumference is less than 32.5 inches.
If BigDave was in the <25 age-bracket, improving BigDave's time on the 1.5 mile run from 20:36 to 12:55 (equivalent to an improvement of 5 MINUTES on the mile run) would do nothing more than make up the 30 points BigDave fell behind by on account of the dreaded abdominal circumference measurement routine.
If BigDave was in the 50-54 age-bracket, improving BigDave's time on the 1.5 mile run from 26:06 to 15:19 (equivalent to an improvement of 7 MINUTES on the mile run) would do nothing more than make up the 30 points BigDave fell behind by on the dreaded abdominal circumference measurement routine.
If BigDave was in the <25 age-bracket, Bigdave improving his pushups-in-one- minute score from 3 to 75, combined with Bigdave improving his stomach-crunches- done-in-one-minute score from 3 to 65, would do nothing more than make up 20 of the 30 points BigDave fell behind the 32.5" abs-circumference 'studs' by, on account of his 43" waist.
If BigDave was in the 50-54 age-bracket, Bigdave improving his pushups-in-one- minute score from 0 to 45, combined with Bigdave improving his stomach-crunches- done-in-one-minute score from 3 to 50, would do nothing more than make up 20 of the 30 points BigDave fell behind the 32.5" abs-circumference 'studs' by, on account of his 43" waist.
posted by David Virgil at 4:18 AM
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