army weight requirement

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Hi,

I plan on joining the army nurse corps and will be going down for my physical in a few weeks. I am about five pounds over the weight requirement, I was just wondering if this was going to disqualify me or if I get flagged or anything like that.

Thanks so much.

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Hi,

I plan on joining the army nurse corps and will be going down for my physical in a few weeks. I am about five pounds over the weight requirement, I was just wondering if this was going to disqualify me or if I get flagged or anything like that.

Thanks so much.

If, over your allowed body weight per Army Regs they will use the tape measure to determine if your within your Bodyfat percentage, per age, sex, according to Army Regs.

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Specializes in Junior Year of BSN.

You can sometimes get a waiver for that. If your over the weight requirement they usually tape you then if your over that requirement you need to lose weight in order to get in unless you can get a waiver. But if its just over the weight but you pass the tape then you are fine.

You can't get flagged unless you fail the tape and/or fail the APFT.

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Well you can either lose those 5 lbs. or you can get taped in. Then depending on your body type and age also you could still pass. You are allowed a certain percentage of body fat:

Age 17-20 - 30%

Age 21-27 - 32%

Age 28-39 - 34%

Age 40+ - 36%

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Hi,

I plan on joining the army nurse corps and will be going down for my physical in a few weeks. I am about five pounds over the weight requirement, I was just wondering if this was going to disqualify me or if I get flagged or anything like that.

Thanks so much.

Hello ajcranky,

I think you would do yourself a disservice to go if there is a risk of your weight currently disqualifying you. Check the tape standards and see for yourself first if you qualify.

If not, then you have made much more paperwork for yourself to get in after the fact. If you measure and meet the tape at home they great.

I hope you do NOT use any sort of drastic diet or water restriction because that is going to mess with your v/s and urine and may dq you that route, (as well as is not good for your body.)

Hope to hear good news!

Gen

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Well you can either lose those 5 lbs. or you can get taped in. Then depending on your body type and age also you could still pass. You are allowed a certain percentage of body fat:

Age 17-20 - 30%

Age 21-27 - 32%

Age 28-39 - 34%

Age 40+ - 36%

Holey Cow!

36% for a 40 year old, 30% for a 17 year old?

That is over the recommended amount for women, (22% according to the link below). Wow, I think the OP can definately relax then. :)

FWIW, I am forty and just used the below calculator, mine comes to a lowly 14% but, I am not below the minimum weight requirement so I think it is scewed. When I calculate my body fat by the height,weight and age meathod it comes to about 16%. So, I think the tape meathod is better if you are at the higher end of the weight than the lower.

Body fat calculator

http://www.he.net/~zone/prothd2.html

When I used this bf calc http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/home-body-fat-test-2774-143.html my number went to 23% However, this is the method I saw them using at Meps for other people, EXCEPT the one below does not factor your height in, like they do at Meps.

Good luck OP!

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Well you can either lose those 5 lbs. or you can get taped in. Then depending on your body type and age also you could still pass. You are allowed a certain percentage of body fat:

Age 17-20 - 30%

Age 21-27 - 32%

Age 28-39 - 34%

Age 40+ - 36%

Where do these numbers come from? If they are accurate, I'm a Happy old man... haha. Now all I have to worry about is.... those darn push ups...

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Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
Where do these numbers come from? If they are accurate, I'm a Happy old man... haha. Now all I have to worry about is.... those darn push ups...

Hello,

I have no clue where that original chart came from but, if you look at

http://www.military.com/Recruiting/Content/0,13898,rec_step07_hw_army,,00.html

You will see this:

Maximum Body Fat Percentages:

Female Age Group

Age 17-20 21-27 28-39 40+

Prior 30% 32% 34% 36%

Non-Prior 30% 32% 34% 36%

Male Age Group

Age 17-20 21-27 28-39 40+

Prior 20% 22% 24% 26%

Non-Prior 24% 26% 28% 30%

endpaste. So, since you are a male age 35 your body fat limit is at 24%. If you go to that page they also list the weight to height requirements prior to the BF.

Gen

p.s. according to the chart for my height and age they claim I could weight up to an extra 37 lbs...I couldn't imagine, it must be relative

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