Sailors who ace annual fitness test are now exempt from Navy body fat limits

The Navy will allow sailors who score high on their annual fitness test but might be carrying a few extra pounds to forgo extra physical training requirements as the services change their understanding of what being “fit” actually looks like.

“The goal of the Navy’s physical readiness program is to maintain a minimum prescribed level of fitness necessary for worldwide deployment and to maintain a sailor’s long-term health and wellness,” William Speaks, spokesperson for the Chief of Naval Personnel said in an email. “Body composition is just one aspect of that.”

The Navy’s Body Composition Assessment, or BCA, estimates a sailor’s body fat percentage based on height and weight. The BCA makes up half of a sailor’s annual Physical Readiness Test or PRT, along with a more traditional physical fitness test of pushups, forearm planks, and running or an alternative cardio test.

Previously, sailors who didn’t meet the body fat standards portion were considered to have failed the entire PRT and were put on the Fitness Enhancement Program, which equates to extra, mandatory fitness and nutrition classes. 

Speaks said the policy change means that sailors who score an “excellent” or higher on the physical fitness portion of the PRT can “validate” their BCA “even if it is not within standards.” 

The physical test results have five categories: outstanding, excellent, good, satisfactory, and probationary. In order to pass the test, sailors have to get “probationary” or higher in all three events.

An “excellent” score, which would bypass the body composition requirement, is awarded for scoring in the top 25% – but less than those who score “outstanding” as the top 10% performers, according to Navy policy. 

For men 19 or younger, the cut-off for “excellent” scores are 76 push-ups in two minutes, an elbow-plank hold of 2:43, and a 1.5-mile run in 9:45. For women, “excellent” cut-offs are 42 push-ups, a 2:33 plank and a 12:30 run (the cut-offs drop slightly in each subsequent age group).

The new policy would apply to a relatively small group of high performers. Approximately 9,500 active duty and Reserve sailors did not meet the BCA standards in 2023. Of those, roughly 300, or just over 3%, scored an “excellent” or higher on the physical readiness portion of the test, according to the Navy.

“Sailors who do not meet the BCA standard are still able to maintain operational readiness,” according to the Nov. 24 naval administrative message by Vice Adm. Richard Cheeseman, Jr., chief of Naval personnel.

The update comes amid a series of changes to physical fitness assessments across the services and discussions about evolving fitness standards as the force becomes more diverse and seemingly overweight. In the Army, differing fitness requirements for men and women have become the subject of controversy, even reaching the halls of Congress. 

In June, the Navy changed a career-ending policy for sailors who failed two consecutive fitness tests, instead allowing for more commander discretion over the sailor’s reenlistment or career advancement. The Navy used to conduct sailor fitness assessments twice a year but moved to one cycle each year after disruptions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

And advances in technology and fitness have led many to question the “tape test” as a reliable measure of body fat.

A report by the Congressional Research Service found that “some experts deem the tape-testing technique to be less accurate than other techniques” like new machines that use air pressure to calculate body fat. The “Bod Pod,” a closed, egg-shaped chamber measures pressure changes to determine muscle and body fat volume within 30 seconds. The pod system is in use at several Army and Air Force installations but cost and access barriers have limited widespread implementation, according to CRS.

Body Composition

Body Composition Assessments are conducted by Navy medical or Morale, Welfare and Recreation personnel and must take place within 45 days of a sailor’s PRT, according to Navy policy.

The BCA is calculated using a sailors’ height and weight. If a sailor falls outside of the weight limit for their height, they must get one, and possibly two, “tape tests.”

First is an abdominal circumference measurement which has a 39-inch standard for men and 35.5-inch standard for women. 

If the sailor still does not fall within that standard, they calculate body composition of muscle versus fat using a measuring tape. For men, measurements of the neck and abdomen are taken and for women, measurements include their neck, natural waist and hips.

BCA limits are based on  age. Men 17-21 years old are limited to 22% body fat while sailors over 40 are limited to 26%. For women, body fat ranges from 33% for the youngest sailors to 36% for the oldest.

While the in-shape sailors who ‘validate’ out of the BCA results will not be enrolled in the enhancement program, they will still have to complete one nutritional education option:

-An individual visit or class with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist at a military treatment facility or local wellness center.

-The six-week ShipShape Program module with two online sessions and six in-person group sessions focused on mindset, nutrition, and physical activity lessons.

-A nutrition self-study course on the Navy Physical Fitness Assessment app.

-A two-day Mission Nutrition Course at a Navy fitness center.

-Use the virtual meal builder plan and have it reviewed with a Command Fitness Leader.

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