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Weight Control

WEIGHT CONTROL

Overweight Soldiers need not perform PRT with a special group. Instead, they should participate in unit PRT and continue to train with their units; however, they may require supplemental PRT, plus education on diet and exercise (Chapter 6 and AR 600-9). The supplemental PRT session focus for overweight Soldiers who perform unit PRT is on low-impact activities and resistance training to achieve caloric expenditure, build lean muscle mass, and promote optimal fat loss.

Aim for 20 to 60 minutes of exercise by either walking or splitting the session between machines (15 minutes each on the bike, stepper, and rower). Leaders synchronize additional resistance training activities with strength and mobility sessions conducted during unit PRT. These additional training sessions should focus on total body strength development.

Overweight Soldiers not performing unit PRT should follow the activities on the unit schedule and supplement with further aerobic exercise. Resistance training for overweight Soldiers should be initially limited to normal PRT activities such as CDs and CLs. Resistance exercise can stimulate muscle growth and aid fat loss.

The more lean mass is present, the more calories are needed to sustain it. Weight loss may not occur if lean mass is added through resistance training. In this case, Soldiers will have a lower body fat percentage, but not a lower weight. Because AR 600-9 specifies that satisfactory progress for this program is measured in pounds, not body fat, reassessment of the Soldier’s progress should include both weigh-ins and circumference measurements.

George N.
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