Can I join the Army with a BMI of 29 and being prior service?

Cpl Gary Leftwich — Tue, 01 May 2018 15:21:00 -0400

Nothing im doing is working to lower my bmi. Any recommendations to help? I'm dieting, working out more and nothing seems to be helping

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 1 at 2018 4:14 PM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 May 2018 16:14:12 -0400

Cardio, more than any other type of workout, will help you to lose weight and consequently lower your BMI. If the majority of time working out is spent on building muscle instead of losing fat, its hard to see any definitive results in the form of weight loss.

Response by SPC Jovani Daviu made May 1 at 2018 6:11 PM

SPC Jovani Daviu — Tue, 01 May 2018 18:11:49 -0400

You may want to seriously consider intermittent fasting. I am currently processing for active enlisted and I lost 40 pounds in 4 months.

Response by SGT Eric Davis made May 1 at 2018 6:22 PM

SGT Eric Davis — Tue, 01 May 2018 18:22:14 -0400

Do some form or cardio everyday that don’t mean running everyday!!!

Also if you lifting weight then stop going heavy and do lots of reps and low weight.

Also do calisthenics 3-5 Days a week!

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 1 at 2018 10:41 PM

Sgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 May 2018 22:41:08 -0400

Cpl Gary Leftwich Drink water only, reduce your calories and do cardio. What are you eating on your diet? Did you have weight issues as a Marine?

Response by SGT Jamarl Jones made May 2 at 2018 4:53 PM

SGT Jamarl Jones — Wed, 02 May 2018 16:53:56 -0400

Wait a minute. You say your "BMI" is 29, but that doesn't necessarily preclude you from joining. What matters is that you can "pass tape". The BMI was not really designed to assess the physical condition of a person, rather to give an idea of the amount of mass a person contains. It's practically useless for determining physical condition because it does not differentiate between fat and muscle mass.

For example, my last PT test, I scored a 280. I was 5'9" and weighed 197. Since I was over the screening weight, I had to "get taped". My neck was 16.5" and my waist was 34", which according to the Army, puts me at around 19% bodyfat, which meets the standard. Now, according to the BMI (an equation that uses only your height and weight) I would have been borderline obese.

If you want to know if you can get in, tell us your height, age and your waist circumference (measured with a tape, parallel to your bellybutton, not your pants size) and your neck circumference (measured with a tape below the Adam's apple).