What can I do to pass tape one more time before shipping ?

2020-06-13T18:42:02-04:00

I’m going to try and be brief! I signed back in November at 280 and I’m 6’5 but for some reason they keep telling me I’m 6’4 , but my bmi was 22% and I was good to go !! Fast forward to now , a month before shipping. I’ve been running ! Running ! And running ! To the point where I lost the weight in my neck, I have a very large neck or once had a very large neck about at 18.5inches now it’s around 17 inches . That was the last time I was in my recruiters office which was last week to get a update. now my waist is now a 42 putting my bmi at 25% since now my neck is at 17 inches. I’ve dreaded running at first but now I actually like because it helps me lose weight but now the thing that kept me on top of weight gain is now becoming dangerous due to the loss in weight in my neck. Is there Any thing I can do to just target my waist??? I’m tryning to get that at least to a 39 or a 40 the minimum would be a 40 ! Please any tips would help I’m less than a month out and I just really want to be a soldier.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2020 6:53 PM

2020-06-13T18:53:53-04:00

Unfortunately it is impossible to “spot reduce” body fat. You have to put yourself into a caloric deficit. When you do this, your body will burn fat from all over in predetermined intervals based on your genetics.

While steady state cardio is hard to beat, HIIT is a better bet for fat loss imo. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training. Essentially, you engage in short, intense bursts of exercise for a set period and then rest for a short period. There are a variety of free HIIT workouts available on YouTube.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jun 13 at 2020 7:05 PM

2020-06-13T19:05:56-04:00

Get used to being short changed on height. I started out 6'4" and had I stayed until 30 years I would have been a leprechaun. Get used to people with bad attitudes strangling you with the tape and and generally screwing with you.

You need to work your neck. Best exercise is really heavy upright rows, low reps, low sets to increase the size of your neck which working to,lose weight around your middle. Some swear by a neck press machine, personally lost size on my neck and strained my neck in a bad way, so I don't recommend it.

I recommend also integrating more weight training. You burn more fat if you have more muscle mass. I'd recommend a book called Body For Life by Bill Phillips.

Hate to tell you man, you'll be fighting for your life the whole time. I did it for 4 years as a cadet and 22years on AD. It got easier once I hit the bracket in my late 20s but this will be a slog until you hit it. The nay Sayers will talk smack only because they are SRMFs that have never been taped. If you want to scare the crap out of a skinny guy simply tape them the way you get taped and they can see how close they are to being chaptered on a day that ends in "y".

Reference AR 600-9 Army Body Composition Program.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2020 8:29 PM

2020-06-13T20:29:45-04:00

Ah yes a pain I know well my friend. I’ve been anywhere from 69.5-71 inches depending on who does my height. I’ve had a neck anywhere from 17 (yeah right) to 19 inches depending on who taped it.

True measurements? 18 inch neck and 39 inch waist.

As another person said get used to getting screwed by people who love to be jerks on a tape test.

I would do shrugs. Low reps, heavier weight. Also as another person said rows are good as well as lat pull downs (good for the ACFT leg tuck too).

What are you doing for core workouts right now? I found by doing a lot more planks especially side planks and more core work outs actually will shave a couple of inches off your waist line.

Good luck. I feel your pain!

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 13 at 2020 8:54 PM

2020-06-13T20:54:06-04:00

One thing I forgot to add was to do stomach vacuums. This exercise trains the transverse abdominis muscle that is your internal “weight belt”. If you do them consistently you can take a few inches of your waist is few weeks. There are videos in YouTube explaining how to do it but basically you have to blow all of the air out of your lungs then suck your belly in a far as you can. Once you do that, hold for at least 30 seconds then release. Repeat this 3-4 times daily. If you do it properly, you will feel a tightness around your belly button region. Think of it as trying to get your belly button to touch your spine.

Response by GySgt Gary Cordeiro made Jun 13 at 2020 9:41 PM

2020-06-13T21:41:42-04:00

Work the abs and back don’t just focus on the abs

Response by Cpl Benjamin Long made Jun 13 at 2020 9:42 PM

2020-06-13T21:42:28-04:00

there are a variety of of exercises to target waist... leg lifts.... crunches, Iron staff techniques... take a 30 lb six foot iron rod and put on you shoulders like you are doing squats but transit between hard bow stance and square horse stance.... Speed bag and reflex bag combinations focusing on hip rotation mechanism to generate power, Chinese swing exercises, front snap thrust kick drills, do the punching combos with gallon jugs full of water.... et cet

Response by PV2 David Minnicks made Jun 13 at 2020 11:52 PM

2020-06-13T23:52:11-04:00

Sorry, I can honestly say I would not even waste my time if you are always going to be on the razors edge of the standards. The losses that you experience in delayed or never achieving advancement as well as the pay that accompanies these then never being able to have awards processed or awarded while you are not within standards is harmful both mentally and physically. Not to mention the time and effort expended that you put forth always trying to find some way to somehow make standards is just something you don’t want to experience.

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jun 14 at 2020 5:05 AM

2020-06-14T05:05:26-04:00

Crunches, front, oblique, core, core, and more core. Overhead press, and neck presses.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Jun 14 at 2020 8:54 AM

2020-06-14T08:54:30-04:00

I agree with all these suggestions. However, as someone who was taped for his entire career in the Army I recommend concentrating on your neck specifically do whatever exercises you have available. I personally like shrugs and neck harness exercises which served me well in helping others. In fact they are still part of my routine to this day. In regard to waist set a time when you will stop eating and rely on portion control.

Response by LTC David Brown made Jun 14 at 2020 10:39 AM

2020-06-14T10:39:48-04:00

What is your weight now? One of the problems with exercise is you can increase muscle that is denser than fat. I would recommend a good nutrition/ trainer. I would also recommend that look at this as a life time change.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2020 12:46 PM

2020-06-14T12:46:15-04:00

Work on your neck size. Get that increased. About 2 days before getting taped, take a good amount (without overdoing it) of colon cleansing drink to drop that particular weight out of the colon. The night before you tape, smear Prep H all over your abdomen, to include love handles, then wrap that entire area with saran wrap (several wrap arounds), then sleep.

Response by LT Brad McInnis made Jun 14 at 2020 1:56 PM

2020-06-14T13:56:38-04:00

Potato diet. Lost 20 lbs in 10 days as a civilian, not while in service.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 14 at 2020 3:23 PM

2020-06-14T15:23:18-04:00

Buy a sauna suit!

Response by SGT Allen Treviranus made Jun 15 at 2020 2:42 PM

2020-06-15T14:42:20-04:00

Ah, welcome to the ridiculous height and weight tape standards. It is way too easy to lose weight and go backwards on the tape allowances. If you have a ship date, and are making progress, then you are going to ship out. They will get you where you need to be in basic training.

I was never weighed taped before shipping out to basic training FYI, just at the initial physical.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 15 at 2020 8:53 PM

2020-06-15T20:53:08-04:00

You cannot target fat loss. Period. You have a frame that will never allow you to be under screening weight and be remotely healthy, so as many others have said, work in your overall fitness so you crush that physical fitness test so there is no doubt. Work on that neck circumference to, in effect, game the system. You seem like your heart and will are in all the right places so I wish you the best and I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Response by SP5 Howard Moore made Jun 19 at 2020 9:35 AM

2020-06-19T09:35:10-04:00

tape isn't always the best way to determine BMI when I was would go to the weight room after PT. I was often considered general guidelines but it was accepted that I would probably have to lose muscle mass to make it their were about 5 guys in the company with the same issue one was an LT that played football for GA another was a marathoner

Response by PO1 Robert Black made Aug 16 at 2020 4:51 PM

2020-08-16T16:51:31-04:00

No news is good news I'm assuming. I imagine right about now you are basking in the glory that is active duty having had the always looked forward to Sunday morning breakfast with time to actually eat it, Church then a lesiurely afternoon discussing life philosophy with the smells of shoe polish and starch wafting through the air.

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Aug 23 at 2020 3:13 PM

2020-08-23T15:13:13-04:00

I think it used to be a ratio between neck and gut. Push your head down and that makes your neck bigger and suck in your gut. That used to work for folks that were close.