US Marine Corps postpones pullups for women, cites potential risks

Submitted by Mastodon on Sun, 2013-11-24 03:49

Article here. Excerpt:

'Female Marines will now have more time to prepare for the pullup requirement to pass the Physical Fitness Test.

The Corps announced Friday that Phase 1 of the change requiring female Marines to complete pullups as part of the Physical Fitness Test, in which women were given the option of doing pullups or the flexed-arm hang, “will continue into calendar year 2014.” Service officials want to further evaluate and validate the assumption that pullups are an appropriate metric for assessing upper-body strength in all Marines, said Lt. Col. Neil Murphy, a Marine spokesman at the Pentagon.
...
Murphy said the Corps wants to ensure that female Marines are set up for success in combat and overall fitness. The assessments it’s conducting are a collaborative effort between Headquarters, Training and Education Command, Marine Corps Recruiting Command, and Manpower and Reserve Affairs, he added.'

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Comments

LMAO! Nope, I already did the 4th grader "told ya so" routine on this one, so I'll just ask this: What is an appropriate upper-body strength test for military personnel? Or indeed, anyone? Let's consider the "traditional possibilities":

1. Push-ups: Already nixed. Still, it's a biggie.
2. Pull-ups: Under scrutiny already.
3. Clean and jerk, and variations: Google if necessary to read abt. it.
4. Clean and press, and variations: Similar to #3, but the weight bar is lifted overhead in the classic way. It's one of only two weight-lifting events that are in the Olympics because it is a comprehensive body strength test, but esp. tests one's upper-body strength.
5. Bench press: Classic exercise, lying on one's back and lifting bar-mounted weights over one's thoracic mid-section.
6. Military press or overhead press: These are slightly different but the idea's the same: lift a weight bar with plates on it (or use a station on a Universal gymset) overhead from shoulder level.

What else? I'm sure there are many others. But the question is: Just how can the Marines or indeed anyone test for upper-body strength without actually... demonstrating one's ability to move things from point A to point B?

They'll have to... now that their intention is to "ensure success". They could simply ask recruits to pick up an MRE and move it from one backpack to another. I guess that'd prove the recruit has upper-body strength.

There. That does it.

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Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2013-11-25 03:16