Will I gain weight in OSUT?

SPC Kole Cordier — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:11:13 -0400

I am 5'10" and about 150 lbs. I am pretty skinny but in decent athletic shape. I have been power-lifting the last 2 years and I started at only 130. I am worried I will lose everything I have worked for and some people say you lose weight no matter how skinny you are at basic and others say I will gain weight because of the increased physical demands. Maybe drill sergeants will let me eat twice? lol I don't know but I digress. What do you guys think?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2019 10:21 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:21:21 -0400

I started OSUT at 154lbs. I finished at 165lbs. You're not going to lose weight, but if you're powerlifting you're not going to keep that strength. You'll develop differently, and in a way that pertains to the job, but your lifting numbers will go down. The diet change combined with the macro intake you're getting will help you put on a few lbs. It's the guys with more fat mass that lose the weight.

Response by CPT Lawrence Cable made May 8 at 2019 10:33 AM

CPT Lawrence Cable — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:33:13 -0400

Your size, you will probably gain weight. If you aren't on the weight program, you will get plenty to eat, but your activity level will probably be higher than any time in your life up to that point. But you will gain lean muscle in your core and legs and probable lose some in the arms and chest.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 8 at 2019 10:41 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:41:33 -0400

Focus on your fitness and do not focus on gaining weight. In the Army, you can put yourself in hot water if you get too heavy (flagged for failing body composition standards, etc.) despite being "fit" and able to pass the APFT. I've seen friends go through hell because they were too heavy and I do not wish that stress on anybody.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made May 8 at 2019 10:54 AM

SGM Bill Frazer — Wed, 08 May 2019 10:54:24 -0400

Damn which is more important to you getting thru OSUT or looking buff?

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made May 8 at 2019 11:21 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Wed, 08 May 2019 11:21:31 -0400

The fact that you are in good shape will help you blaze thru training. Don’t worry about your weight since from day one you’ll find muscle groups you don’t know they even exist. You’ll get the right amount of food and more workout than desired.

Response by SSG Brian G. made May 8 at 2019 11:41 PM

SSG Brian G. — Wed, 08 May 2019 23:41:23 -0400

Ok, first off whether you lose or gain weight will be determined by your body type, your physique and your metabolism. Most who go through basic lose weight in areas (fat & water stored) and gain weight (in muscle.) Do not worry about losing weight. It is nothing and easy enough to gain it back after OSUT. No, the Drills will not give one rats care about your body building. You will eat three squares a day and that is all, no extras, no exceptions. The meals are calorie designed to give you what you need to survive basic and AIT and nothing more.

Response by PFC Jim Wheeler made May 9 at 2019 1:39 AM

PFC Jim Wheeler — Thu, 09 May 2019 01:39:14 -0400

I went to OSUT back in 2011, and I was much like you: 5'10", ~145lbs, and very lean. I had played football as a DB, and was a sprinter and pole vaulter who spent a ton of time in the weight room.

And I got fat at Infantry School.

My Drills put me on double rations because I couldn't afford to lose weight without ending up being underweight by Army height/weight standards. I gained something close to 30lbs in those 14 weeks, and it wasn't muscle.

I'm not saying that will necessarily happen to you, but it did happen to me. My activity level throughout high school was very high, with football practice, morning workouts, track workouts, and my work pouring concrete while in the DEP.

OSUT was more stressful than those, but it wasn't physically more challenging for me.

Lots of guys lose weight there, and some, like me, gain a lot of weight there. The best I can say is that, if you see negative body changes and have the energy in your limited downtime, you can do extra PT in the barracks. Some of the guys in my platoon did, including me, but we didn't start doing that until the last few weeks. Mostly just extra pushups, dips using the bunks, various core exercises, and pullups on the bathroom crossbars.

So, yeah. To answer your question in the clearest sense, you might gain weight at OSUT, and it might not all be good.

Fortunately for me, I was able to lean out some at ABN school when I could start hitting the gym again on my own and had more control over my diet.

Response by SMSgt Bob Wilson made Jan 11 at 2021 12:24 AM

SMSgt Bob Wilson — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 00:24:38 -0500