The Navy will not require some sailors to undergo the Fitness Enhancement Program if they do not pass the Navy’s Body Composition Assessment portion of the Physical Fitness Assessment.
Starting next year, sailors who do not meet the BCA standards but do score an Excellent-Low or above on the Physical Readiness Test — completing the pushup, forearm plank and cardio portions of the test — will be exempt from undergoing the Fitness Enhancement Program, according to a new naval administrative message.
“The purpose of this exemption is to recognize that some sailors who do not meet the BCA standard are still able to maintain operational readiness,” the NAVADMIN said.
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Those exempt must complete a nutritional educational program, such as the Navy’s official weight management program, known as ShipShape, or the Nutrition Self-Study Course found on the Official Navy PFA app.
Other approved nutrition programs include the Mission Nutrition Course, offered at Navy fitness centers, and the Navy Operational Fitness and Fueling System, which provides individualized meal plans.
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The command fitness leader, or CFL, is in charge of overseeing a sailor’s enrollment status in these nutrition programs in the Physical Readiness Information Management System.
“Upon selecting a nutrition education option, sailors must inform their CFL of which option they choose and provide proof of completion or progression within 30 days of nutrition enrollment,” the NAVADMIN said. “The completed education option is only valid for one PFA cycle.”
Historically, those who have failed a portion of the PFA have been required to undergo the Fitness Enhancement Program, which also requires sailors to undergo nutrition education as well as additional fitness sessions.
Denise Austin is a true legend in the fitness world. The best-selling author, fitness instructor, and creator of Fit Over 50 Magazine strives to lift women up and help them achieve their workout goals. Her daughter, Katie Austin, has followed in her mom’s footsteps as a certified fitness trainer and the founder of her own workout app, the Katie Austin App.
At 68, Denise Austin looks spectacular and continues to deliver the best workout content and inspiration to our feeds. In February, she shared an Instagram video of herself in a lime green leotard demonstrating one particular exercise that’s “great for your MENO-BELLY, legs, and booty.”
Denise Austin Says This Squat Variation Can Help You Achieve a “Cinched Waist”
Austin explained what she loves about the squat with knee drive and twist, dubbing it an excellent choice for your glutes, legs, and menopause belly.
She captioned the post, “Stand up and do this squat and twist move with me for at least one minute….it will help strengthen the abs and obliques while also engaging the lower body…making it perfect to target the belly fat that increases with menopause!! Say hello cinched waist and goodbye to muffin top!! It’s all worth a try!! Remember..workouts don’t have to take hours in a gym, little movements like this that you can do anytime, anywhere WILL add up!!”
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The Standing Side Crunch Is One of Austin’s “Favorite Standing Ab Moves”
Another ab workout Austin favors for building core strength is the standing side crunch. She demonstrated on Instagram how to do them and captioned the post, “One of my all time FAVORITE standing ab moves!! This one strengthens the core muscles and targets the obliques that help shape your waistline!!”
RELATED: The One Exercise That Makes Sydney Sweeney’s Abs ‘Rock Solid’
She Trains With Weights, Too
Austin also uses weights in her workouts. She shared an Instagram clip of herself performing deadlifts with rows, which fires up the whole body.
The fitness icon captioned her post, “This is one of my favorite moves to tone up your upper body and your lower body all in one…it’s DOUBLE the workout in HALF the time!! I am using 7.5 lb weights..Do this for one minute and then switch legs.. The dead lift is targeting our booty and hamstrings and the a double arm row will strengthen our upper back muscles and improve our posture!!!!”
She added, “Plus, tighten your core the whole time to strengthen your abs!!! It’s easy to add this into any routine or even if you have just a few minutes to spare…you’ll feel so good you strengthen your muscles and toned body today!!”
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She Demonstrates No-Equipment Workouts for the Core and Thighs
Austin is all about workouts without equipment. In this Instagram video, she’s seen doing squats, plank, mountain climbers, and reach downs.
She captioned the post, “Tone up Tuesday!!! 3 exercises you can do without any equipment!! Work your booty & legs, your entire core, and inner & outer thighs with these moves. Just one minute each and you will feel the burn. I love exercises like this that you can do anywhere!!!”
Few things are more frustrating than injuring yourself during a workout — a time that is intended to be a benefit for your physical and mental health. But, sadly, it happens. And some exercises lead to injury more than others.
When it comes to safety concerns, personal trainers have workout moves they avoid or don’t do with clients for this exact reason — along with the fact that some movements are ineffective.
Below, fitness professionals share the exercise they don’t do in their workouts, along with some alternatives to try instead:
American Kettlebell Swing
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Smith Machine Squat
Enes Evren / Getty Images
Barbell Glute Bridge
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“I definitely believe that the barbell glute bridge is an overhyped exercise when it comes down to glute hypertrophy,” aka muscle building in the glutes, said Andrew Gonzalez, a trainer at Chelsea Piers in Brooklyn.
“While staying in the realm of hip hinging, I believe barbell Romanian deadlifts and Good Mornings … using the safety squat bar are better alternatives for glute hypertrophy because they provide a better stretch-to-shorten stimulus,” Gonzalez said.
Beyond this, he said the Bulgarian split squat with a little bit of front-foot elevation is his go-to movement for glute work. “These exercises provide a better environment to give fuller ranges of motion on the eccentric part of the movement rather than the concentric, which is known to be a better driver for hypertrophy all around,” he said.
When it comes to staying on top of your health, there’s a wealth of technology out there that can give you a boost. The best fitness trackers can help you keep on top of your step count and exercise, while the best smart scales can help you monitor metrics like body composition.
But can you use AI to stay fit and healthy, lose weight, or build muscle? As an experienced health and fitness writer with over a decade using fitness tech like the Apple Watch, I’ve been putting ChatGPT to use as part of my health and fitness regime.
