Did the military help you get into shape, or did the military stop your fitness goals?

When I was issued my uniforms, I wondered why they were too big for me. I weighed 145. After Fort Dix and Polk, it never dawned on me that I was growing into those clothes. On home on leave before Nam, everyone was commenting on how good I looked. Now weighed 165. All muscle.

It depends on what your life style is prior to Basic. If it is a sedentary life style, Basic will get you in shape, or at least to able to pass the APFT. If you are a gym rat and do a lot of cardio, it might drop your fitness level because I can almost guarantee that you won't be going to the gym until you get in to AIT and then you still might not be allowed to go.

I was in pretty decent shape when I got to OSUT. My very first APFT I was in the 230 range. Throughout the next 13 weeks I added about 15 pounds of muscle and got up to a 287 (100, 87, 100... Situps were always my weakness).

I’ll let the facts speak for themselves,I joined the Army in 1965 ,weighing 128 lbs,heavy smoker,pretty good drinker,totally out of shape at nineteen ,I cannot speak of current fitness standards obviously,but the Military did definitely in my case transform an out of shape young man into a physically fit member of the US Army

I lost around 20 pounds in basic. Almost a little too much lol

The military turned me from a weightlifter into a runner.
Now I do neither.

Enlisted while a Senior in High School and started prepping for Basic right away. Went into Basic at about 6-foot 145 lbs and left Primary Tech School (AIT) at about the same. Left Air Base Ground Defense School at a lean 140 lbs, even after eating everything in sight every day. A Ranger Tabbed Air Force Cadre made sure we were never idle, and we never used the Cattle Cars (only boots on the ground) to get from point A to B. I left active duty at 160 lbs as I always self motivated on cardio and strength training in some shape or form because I didn't want to be "that guy" on the "fat boy" program. I found that gym time was also a mental recoup time for me. Many moons later with a few lazy years in the mix I am now around 180 lbs with about a 31-inch waist and still use the gym as mental recuperation 5-days a week.
Air Force Fitness Standards were never as difficult as they should have been, and from a recent article I read are about to be even worse than ever. The Air Force is concerned about personnel stressing over the test and making allowances for that.

When I went to basic the first time I was 17 and weighed 170 @ 6'4 ( a bean pole in all respects) when I left BCT I was still 170, just a little more muscle tone. When I went to AIT I clocked in at 190lbs and left at 200 lbs. ( I did only the Barr minimum effort in pt.

I am now 29 and getting ready to go back to basic @ 250lbs. I am Fat according to the army but I can pass tape no problem, so we will see how much I lose at BCT round 2.

From my point of view it's a no brainer question. I went from being a wimpy kid in high school, afraid of his own shadow, who was frequently bullied by others, to being a fully qualified Special Forces soldier a year and a half later. Oh ya, the military got me in shape alright, and that's an understatement. I gained weight in the military, but would have done so anyway as I grew three inches taller in two years. I was a late bloomer.