Marines: Most Female Recruits Don't Meet New Pullup Standard - Polidicks

[URL="http://www.npr.org/2013/12/27/257363943/marines-most-female-recruits-dont-meet-new-pullup-standard"]NPR Story[/URL] [quote=NPR]Starting Jan. 1, every woman in the Marines Corps was supposed to meet a new physical standard by performing three pullups. But that has been put off. The Marine Corps announced it quietly. There was no news conference — just a notice on its social media sites and an item on its own TV show, The Corps Report. Lance Cpl. Ally Beiswanger explained that the pullup test had been put off until sometime next year, to gather more data and "ensure all female Marines are given the best opportunity to succeed." So far, female Marines are not succeeding. Fifty-five percent of female recruits tested at the end of boot camp were doing fewer than three pullups; only 1 percent of male recruits failed the test.[/quote]

I don't understand why they don't just practice doing pull-ups? Everyone can do them with enough practice and training.

[QUOTE=Thaard;43325495]I don't understand why they don't just practice doing pull-ups? Everyone can do them with enough practice and training.[/QUOTE] Agreed. Hell I can do three pullups and I've never exercised once in my entire life.

if this was at the start of signup i could understand maybe, but at the END of boot camp?? isn't boot camp supposed to prepare you for an army environment?

I know plenty of women who can do more pullups than me. Surely these marines do training exercises and stuff. Include pullups in that, work them up, and I bet by the end of boot camp or whatever they could do plenty. It's not like it's [I]impossible[/I] for women to do pullups.

[quote]by performing three pullups[/quote] Only 3? And they are failing this?

I'm glad more militaries are opening full opportunities to women, but the standards exist for a reason. The same would go for a male recruit who couldn't do it. [editline]27th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Thaard;43325495]I don't understand why they don't just practice doing pull-ups? Everyone can do them with enough practice and training.[/QUOTE] It says in the article that many are doing just that

[QUOTE=Thaard;43325495]I don't understand why they don't just practice doing pull-ups? Everyone can do them with enough practice and training.[/QUOTE] Thats probably what they're going to do, since they're delaying the test and not doing away with it. [quote]"At first, a lot of women weren't able to do it," Jacob says. "They were able to do one, some were able to do two, but what happened was by having that standard and enforcing that standard, it made my Marines, it made the troops go to the gym and train to that standard." Within six months, all of the women in his company were doing eight to 12 pullups, he says.[/quote] This is why both sexes need to be held to the same exact equal standards for the same roles. No BS, no politics; can't pass the trials then you can't serve as an infantry. [editline]27th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=lintz;43325510]if this was at the start of signup i could understand maybe, but at the END of boot camp?? isn't boot camp supposed to prepare you for an army environment?[/QUOTE] it's because female recruits haven't been held to the same standard as male recruits, so their progress was stunted during training. Currently, for them to pass all they need to do is hold their chin up over a pull-up bar for 15 seconds.

Aren't these those extra tough pullups? They should be able to do them if the men are too and they're undergoing the same training

3 pullups? as in 3 normal pull ups? am I missing something here, because that's an extremely easy thing to do.

[QUOTE=Bruhmis;43325559]3 pullups? as in 3 normal pull ups? am I missing something here, because that's an extremely easy thing to do.[/QUOTE] Pull-ups are actually quite difficult to do. 3 pullups sounds easy, but unless you prepare yourself you probably won't be able to, hence why it's the standard. Mind you, there's really no excuse that people who are wanting to join the marines can't do it.

It's not easy if you're heavily built. Or just a general fatass.

[QUOTE=Xystus234;43325588]It's not easy if you're heavily built. Or just a general fatass.[/QUOTE] It's definitely easier if you're built and train for it. I've seen guys at the gym do dozens of pullups in a row. Fuck, on a good day I can only do a few.

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;43325567]Pull-ups are actually quite difficult to do. 3 pullups sounds easy, but unless you prepare yourself you probably won't be able to, hence why it's the standard. Mind you, there's really no excuse that people who are wanting to join the marines can't do it.[/QUOTE] they're strenuous obviously, but doing 3 of them isn't so hard that most women would have no choice but to give up their entire career with the armed forces just because of that. I can do more than 3 pull ups, my arms hurt for the rest of the day but I can do it. if I'm in better shape than a marine then something is seriously wrong here.

[QUOTE=Bruhmis;43325559]3 pullups? as in 3 normal pull ups? am I missing something here, because that's an extremely easy thing to do.[/QUOTE] Not sure what you mean by "normal," but they do overhand pullups in the military.

three? oh boy how what i remember a few years ago when i started doing pull ups, i could only do 1 and i would be dead, nowdays i can do 25 and i still thought i was just getting started. remember guys, three pull ups, no push ups, they are quite difficult, we are talking a complete one, like going to the highest possible and then dropping all of your body, and lifting it up, no jumping, three times.

Its like highschool all over again

[QUOTE=sloppy_joes;43325600]It's definitely easier if you're built and train for it. I've seen guys at the gym do dozens of pullups in a row. Fuck, on a good day I can only do a few.[/QUOTE] I've found as I got heavier, pullups got harder. The reason is, I've put on muscle mass and therefore weight, but in areas that aren't just my lats to my triceps. My legs have probably at minimum doubled in mass since I started, but I don't use my legs in a pullup because as far as I am aware that is not correct form. So what started as something I could pretty easily do at 100lbs suddenly got a lot harder as I went up to 225 and above. I can still do more pullups than I could do when I started, but there was a period of time where I actually ended up being able to do less.

[QUOTE=ilikecorn;43325663]You can train to do 3 pull ups in like.. 2-3 weeks. I know many of the female marines I work with usually do 6-7, with the best doing 20 (she's a fucking beast, can out PT most of the male marines).[/QUOTE] How do you train to do 3 if you cant do one? My "friend" would like to know.

[QUOTE=Riutet;43325711]I've found as I got heavier, pullups got harder. The reason is, I've put on muscle mass and therefore weight, but in areas that aren't just my lats and triceps. My legs have probably at minimum doubled in mass since I started, but I don't use my legs in a pullup because as far as I am aware that is not correct form. So what started as something I could pretty easily do at 100lbs suddenly got a lot harder as I went up to 225 and above. I can still do more pullups than I could do when I started, but there was a period of time where I actually ended up being able to do less.[/QUOTE] I feel ya, I met all the Army standards except in pull ups.

[QUOTE=Buck.;43325724]How do you train to do 3 if you cant do one? My "friend" would like to know.[/QUOTE] You can do decline pullups. Basically you grab onto the bar and hold yourself at the top, then you try to hold on as long as you can while slowly lowering yourself down. The slower you do it the more you get out of it. Good for building yourself up to being able to do one. I hear if you have a bench, you can lay on it, grab the bar while it's racked and do sort of semi-body weight pullups that way too. Never tried that though.

Overhand pullups are tougher than underhand pullups, requires more forearm strength and it's harder on your tendons. Still though, failure is a sign that there obviously needs to be more rigorous practice. That's what fitness standards are for

Somewhat relevant motivational imgage [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/cwI2Z.jpg[/IMG] Disclaimer: This guy is a US Navy SWCC (or something), a FAR cry from a Marine recruit.

[QUOTE] "ensure all female Marines are given the best opportunity to succeed."[/QUOTE] It should be acceptable for their to be less female marines. The standards are high so that they don't die and they shouldn't decrease so that more women can pass.

While overhand pullups are tougher, three is not a lot really. Unless you were already dead tired before doing them. [quote] only 1 percent of male recruits failed the test[/quote] I can imagine there's a ton of male recruits so 1% failure rate really says that 3 isn't all that much. [editline]27th December 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Rangergxi;43325804]It should be acceptable for their to be less female marines. The standards are high so that they don't die and they shouldn't decrease so that more women can pass.[/QUOTE] The real problem is that if they decrease the requirements, the underqualified marines will be endangering others.

[QUOTE=itisjuly;43325807]The real problem is that if they decrease the requirements, the underqualified marines will be endangering others.[/QUOTE] Bad Reading x 1 [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Why reply?" - MaxOfS2D))[/highlight]

Males and females should get exactly the same training if a female can't do what a male does, that's too bad. The standard goes lower just to accommodate for weaker or slower people it's just going to lead to dead marines (I'm talking not about the undertrained, but the well trained dying because of 1 weak person), or even worse, more dead civilians, and that's unacceptable. If you can't keep up with your fellow soldiers in training then it's clearly not for you. You have to be as physically fit as possible and as 'in the game' as can be. If you can't do the task, then you don't deserve to be a marine. Weaker individuals should sign up for something way less hardcore. Absolutely no excuse to let them in.

[QUOTE=Apache249;43325794]Somewhat relevant motivational imgage [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/cwI2Z.jpg[/IMG] Disclaimer: This guy is a US Navy SWCC (or something), a FAR cry from a Marine recruit.[/QUOTE] He's gonna tire himself out doing that.

[QUOTE=Apache249;43325832]Bad Reading x 1[/QUOTE] What? I was saying why it's a bad idea to accept weaker marines.

[QUOTE=J!NX;43325842] Weaker individuals should sign up for something way less hardcore. Absolutely no excuse to let them in.[/QUOTE] This reminds me of a tumblr blog that was disgusted with fat discrimination in the military.