Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Strength Characteristics Compared to Division I College Athletes, an Evaluation of Army Physical Fitness Training
Loading...
Authors
Leiting, Keith
Reed, Jacob P.
Issue Date
2024-11-08
Type
Article, Published
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Common tasks of military operations include lifting from the ground, pulling, pushing, jumping and lunging which have been identified as strength-dependent movements. The Army employs their training process based on the notion “train as you fight.” This maxim implies Army training should be developing strength through movements that include lifting from the ground, pulling, pushing, and jumping. A comparison of Division I athletes and male cadets provides information about the development of physical characteristics as a response to Army ROTC physical fitness training. Results suggest male ROTC cadets are weaker and do not jump as high as baseball and men’s soccer athletes. The male cadets have similar strength measures and jump a similar height as men’s golf, men’s tennis, and women’s volleyball athletes. The differences seen between male ROTC cadets and Division I athletes suggests there are different strength and power requirements between sport athletes and cadets, although, high levels of strength and power have been suggested to improve both soldier and athlete’s performance. The data also shows females can obtain similar strength and power characteristics as male cadets, suggesting females may be able to handle combat positions with their male counterparts.