COT weight requirements

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg. Telemetry.

Hello! Just wondering if anyone knows anything about weight requirements when you get to COT. For some reason I am stressing about possibly not making the weight/height ratio. I was never at my height/weight ratio, even when I played sports and did powerlifting. Of course that was in high school. I am currently scoring in the 90s for the PT. But I am concerned with the weight requirement. I have read online that they would measure the waist and neck and subtract. does anyone know details concerning the weight and what happens if you don't make weight when you get to cot? Thanks a lot!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

If you are over the weight limit they will measure your neck and waist (at the belly button, not where you button your pants). this will determine your body fat percentage. For officers you cannot exceed 22%. I was taped several times over my application process because I was over the weight limit and my neck kept shrinking as I lost weight so this affected my body fat percentage. I finally lost enough weight (60 lbs woot!) and got sworn in on Tuesday (Navy). If you've been a powerlifter and have a thick neck this will help out alot as the bigger the neck the better the ratio will be and you'll pass tape easier. When I first went in i had an 18" neck (hoss! haha) and am now down to a 16.5" neck which kept skewing my body fat percentage to the 25% range until I lost enough weight not to be taped. Good luck man! When do you go to MEPS?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg. Telemetry.

Thanks for the reply. I am actually leaving for COT in less than a month. I passed my meps by weight but have been lifting weights since, and gained weight. I read that the air force measurement needs to be less than 20. I can't find any official document though. I was wondering what happens when I get to COT and I am a few pounds over and don't make tape for some reason. Will I get sent back home? I have been working out almost everyday. I run my 1.5 mile in 10:30, 70 pushups in minute, 60 situps/min., and abd. measures 35 in. I am trying to get my waist down in case I get taped. Just worried that I might be over.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

honestly if you've gained muscle then i doubt you'll fail the tape. if you're that worried about it give your recruiter a call - someone at the station can tape you and give you peace of mind. They taped me a few times at the recruiting station while i was losing the weight. better yet you can tape yourself (just measure your waist at the navel and your neck at the adams apple) there are online calculators for body fat percentages using these measurements. Congrats on going to COT! I'm heading to ODS Oct. 16th - can't wait! Good luck man!

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Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

They won't send you home from COT for being overweight. When I was there, some people were overweight, some couldn't pass the PT test. They put you on some program, but it doesn't stop you from doing COT. When you get to COT, you already have your commission and they want to keep you.

Good luck.

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My recruiter told me stories of how is you are over at the COT weigh in they would send you home. Blah blah blah. Truth is i was about 10 lbs over and they did nothing! No body fat percentage or anything. We all lined up were weighed and our heights were taken and our waist were measured.

Towards the end of COT we all weighed ourself and had one of the people there measure our waist. Thankfully, most people there lost weight and inches. I lost 1.5 inches on the waist and only two pounds.

I do not know what would happen if you arrived to COT 40 pounds over, but there were a few people there (men/women) who had to be well over 20 lbs overweight.

In the real AF there are many folks well overweight. It can be a constant struggle to maintain with swing shifts and families and so little time to exercise, but this is what we signed on for! Good Luck!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg. Telemetry.

Thank you guys so much! I really don't feel like they should be looking at my weight if I can pass my pt test in the excellent category. I can see if I really fail it and it is in relation to my weight. It is such a relief to hear this, and it does make sense. Thank you very much musings and yammar!

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