Shattering the Pull-Up Myth

Abstract

The Marine Corps is a fighting organization whose purpose is combat readiness, and an essential aspect of combat readiness is physical conditioning. According to the Marine Corps' manual for physical fitness, physical conditioning should include strength training, which is defined as "the ability of the muscular system to move the body through resistance... and the ability of Marines to effectively handle their own body weight." However, despite the requirement for strength training for all Marines, upper body development for female Marines is largely ignored. The Marine Corps' Physical Fitness Test (PFT) requires female Marines to perform a flexed arm hang, which does not demonstrate the ability to move the body through resistance. Women Marines should be required to perform pull-ups on the PFT to more accurately evaluate upper body strength, properly condition them for the possibility of combat, and eliminate differing requirements that can negatively impact unit cohesion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 2005
Accession Number
ADA505547

Entities

People

  • M. J. Posey

Organizations

  • Marine Corps University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Basic Training
  • Body Composition
  • Body Weight
  • Combat Readiness
  • Flight Crews
  • Fragmentation
  • Marine Corps
  • Military Science
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Physical Fitness
  • Prisoners Of War
  • Recruits
  • Resistance
  • Standards
  • Training
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
  • Mental Health of Military Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Risk Factors, Prevalence, Symptoms, and Treatment.