Canadians compared to Americans...

[Hopkins]

I've been talking to a friend who's in the American Artillery...He was at OSUT...which is much more advanced than Basic but is still the introduction into the Military...

And now that he's been in for a while in the artillery each day they go to work...they have PT...every day...This is what he says he does everyday at PT and gets rated on "we would do 30 regular army pushups, then 30 situps, then some shoulder taps, then 40 wide arm pushups, some obliques, some more pushups"  And i know Canadians are not like this in the regular infantry or in any field besides the much higher up...They grade you everyday...Why are Canadian standrards much lower...I'm sure our status would be more well known and not so bashed down sayin we don't do shit...

Just a thought.

 

[MikeM]

You have no experience, or so your profile says, so what gives you the right to make an assumption that the PT standards in the CF are poor?

 

[jmackenzie_15]

sounds like some embellishing on your friends part.I know a handful of american troops, all infantry.Even their PT wasnt like that.

 

[Da_man]

thats about what we got on my basic... plus a long ass run, fireman carry, jumping jacks and the chair position for a few minutes




anyway lets not make a "i do more pt than you" contest

 

[jmackenzie_15]

you guys are making it out to be alot worse than it is =p

 

[pbi]

My impression here in Afghanistan is that the US Army takes PT standards much more seriously than we do. Here at Bagram (which is mostly HQ and support types) I see very few of the obviously unfit and badly overweight types who seem to litter our bases. The general impression one gets of US troops (at least externally) is of a young, sharp and keen lot, to a great extent because of their physical appearance. While the actual US Army PT standard is considerably below the one described in the original post,  it is at least consistently enforced. Our Army PT standards are quite well thought out and realistic (once we bring them all on line, not just the ruck march...), the questions are IMHO: to make everybody do them, and then to take corrective/remedial action for those who cannot pass.

However, I would be very careful not to suggest that a) our troops are not able to do well; or b) that the US military thinks poorly of us. In my opinion neither one is true.

Cheers

 

[Highland Lad]

Cheers on that!

In my experiences, we are lacking in consistency as regards PT and fitness standards - I can point to several examples (great guys, each and every one - but ...) who remind me of that famous scene in "Tunes of Glory" - 'Och aye, but that's Jock's platoon, Sir...'

I can also recall hearing the dread in the voices of friends who found out they were being posted to "Pain Battalion, PPCLI". Apparently, at that time the weather on the West Coast was very conducive to much running...

As CF troops have proven time and again (and as battle has proven even more often): It's not how pretty you look, but how well you perform. All the same, it's nice to look good, too.

 

[pbi]

Highland Lad: The people I'm talking about are not the ones who are a bit heavier but are obviously fit and could drag a toboggan up the side of a mountain. I'm talking about some of other ones kicking about who could not possibly be fit in any militarily useful sense but do nothing about their condition, and look like half-deflated relish-coloured weather balloons wandering about. (You and I can think of a couple pretty close to home, right.....?). Cheers

 

[Hopkins]

Lol k thats' what I thought...Just knew this guy was full of shit...

Sry about makin it seem that americans were better than canadians

 

[elminister]

I just finished my BMQ and SQ this summer and I would say the PT that was given was no work in the park and compared to the American Army movies it was hell. But I must admit that since I've been home there hasn't been much workout and if you don't work you will lose it.

 

[Sh0rtbUs]

I agree with eliminister. IOn our BMQ, I went in with the idea of being worked to the ground, whereas came out rubbing my rear wondering how I possibly managed to make it through that last day...

PT was absolutely rediculous....and im happy it was. The goal was to push us to our limits..and then some. it depends on course staff, I was just lucky enough to get a staff that took no guff and every one of them was in surprisingly good shape. The weaker of the lot as far as PT standards went was still able to run us into the ground without barely breaking a sweat..I'd swear the others ran marathons as a full time career! 

But, i think your buddy is exaggerating a wee bit.  :

As for the unfit folk, I've seen a few of the guys appear out of shape (and proves so when it comes to running) but like said above, hauling a sled or rucking it...they come out on top.

 

[MikeM]

We had a bigger guy in our platoon this summer, he didn't back down, it goes to show anyone can finish the runs and do the PT if they have the desire to finish and not give up.

 

[Gayson]

Also not everyone is built the same.  Their are people who can barely do push-ups and barely run.  Then you are amazed to findout they can ruck over 40km.

 

[ReserveRecce]

Also not everyone is built the same. Their are people who can barely do push-ups and barely run. Then you are amazed to findout they can ruck over 40km.

I found that out this summer, I knew going into Basic that I couldn't run worth **** but proved that I was  the strongest guy on course, I even humped two rucks when one guy hurt his back. I just hope that I prove that just because some guys are a little heavier doesn't mean that they can't do the work. Sorry for the bragging, but I never had anything to be proud of until last summer and I'm just making up for 19 lost years .