[Ciao]

I wasn't quite sure where to post this,
so I suppose it goes here.

Next year I'll be joining the Ohio National Guard.
And I looked at the qualifications and it
says the minimum weight for a person my
height and age is 110 lbs- my goal weight.

Later on I also want to be a policewoman.

So between these two things, I'm sure they're
going to want me to gain some weight. Which
leads me to these questions:

Is my weight loss pointless? Should I get
to my goal weight now and then worry
about gaining more later on? Will I just gain
muscle weight once I start training?

I just don't know. I'm willing to gain weight
if the National Guard wants me to. But I'm
almost certain they won't want me being
a petite 5'4'', 110 lbs girl.

[sacha]

My own opinion as someone who works in policing,

Yes, 5'4 and 110 is going to be too small. It's not possible to be 5'4, 110, and have a sufficient muscle mass for the job requirements (I'm speaking of policing only, I don't know anything about national guard).

I was 5'5 and 109 when I first started my training for the police academy and my trainer was the hiring sergeant as I already worked there. He told me point blank - you have to gain 15lbs at LEAST. And he was right. Here's the problem - you will get attacked, you will get punched at, you will get smacked around at a bar. You are still *small* as a woman but you will need to have some weight to hold you.

BUT...

5'4 and 120ish with a good muscle base looks fantastic. I would suggest focusing on gaining muscle and lowering body fat to a reasonable percentage rather than just 5'4 and skinny (because 110 will be 'skinny' to any recruiting officer).

Good luck!! I went through the same dilemma in 2007 so I really do sympathize. BTW, I went on a solid weightlifting program and in 2 years, I looked far better/slimmer/athletic at 5'5 & 123 than I did at 109.

[shcirerf]

Have you considered making 120 your goal? Then work on getting in great shape!

I don't know where you're planning on joining the police at, but my son is a Nebraska State Patrolman and their training academy is brutal and lasts 8 months. And they workout like banshees every day! I'd rather weigh the 120 and be in great shape than weigh 110 and have them forcing you to eat and not be able to keep up with the workouts.

They had a guy in this years camp that was underweight and the TAC (training, assessment and correction) officers were feeding him all the time, in class, dropping off food to his room in the evening, etc. And it wasn't always good food. Just calorie laden. And they stood over him until he ate it all.

[Ciao]

Thanks ladies! I was thinking of just making
120 - 130 my goal weight.

[matt_H]

With added muscle mass your body fat percentage will be very low and you will actually be healthier at 120 or 130 . You'll also be able to kick butt

[shcirerf]

I like that "kick butt" thing!

[Glory87]

I find your posts really hard to read, all centered and green like that

[Pint Sized Terror]

I'm 5'2 1/4" and my weight goal is between 115-120. Realistically, it'll be closer to 120-130. Even when I was in high school, actively in cheer leading and dance, AND walking to and from school and practices every day (about 2 miles one way) I was in the low 120's.

I'm focusing on body fat percentage and fitness goals rather than an actual "weight" goal at this point. I have certain fitness goals that I know I'm not going to be able to accomplish without working on them, and that means I WILL lose weight and get healthy while accomplishing them. When I get to those goals, then I will concentrate more on how I look, if I want to.

[Ciao]

Originally Posted by Glory87

I find your posts really hard to read, all centered and green like that

I was going to make the color red
but then it'd really be hard to read.

For me, a bolded text is a lot easier
to read than regular text. After a while
regular text hurts my eyes and I have
to highlight what I'm reading so I don't
lose track. Thanks for letting me know!

Maybe this would be better?

[Glory87]

It's not so much the color that's too hard to read. It's the centering that is so off-putting. In a thread, it looks like a signature (my eyes tend to skip over signatures). So, when I get to your post, I skip over it, not realizing it's a real post, then I have to go back to read it - with my eyes in the center, then my eyes have to go back to the left for the next post.

[krampus]

It's never pointless! You're working hard at controlling your body and sculpting it and getting in shape. That's a valuable experience and a sort of education that quite frankly most people in the Western world desperately need to grasp.

Have you started training yet to build muscle and strength? Might as well get started.

[Ciao]

Originally Posted by krampus

It's never pointless! You're working hard at controlling your body and sculpting it and getting in shape. That's a valuable experience and a sort of education that quite frankly most people in the Western world desperately need to grasp.

Have you started training yet to build muscle and strength? Might as well get started.

I don't have the time to do it over
the winter. My mother had a baby
over the summer so my main focus
is to help take care of her first.

Over the summer, though, would be the
perfect time for me.

[sacha]

Do you mean you don't have time to weight train over the winter because your mom had a baby??

Here's the thing with weight training and physical training for police physical exams... as I said, I've done them all before. It takes most women, *especially* smaller women who have not weight trained before, a good solid two years to pass these exams to the satisfaction of hiring boards (because just meeting the minimum is not good enough). That's my experience, having worked in law enforcement for 6 years.

You have to get at it now... not the summer (if that's what you mean). It takes women *years* to build quality muscle, especially small girls. Time to hit the gym. I had a baby a few months ago myself and go 4x a week.

I don't mean to be too harsh about this, but it's not just about meeting "X" qualifications. On that job, you will be punched at, kicked, thrown to the ground. You cannot afford to not be in the best physical condition of your life. I have friends who've had broken noses, broken fingers, and even one with a bullet in his leg. If you are serious about that profession, you need to start now.

**OK I read your blog and you are only 16, right? Well, then you do certainly have some time ahead of you. But I still recommend you start your training now. 16 is a PRIME age for muscle growth, it's one of the best places to start at. Start now, and you will be kicking *** by the time you are ready to apply. Good luck

[NiteOwlMommy]

I agree with sacha start training now and you will have an upper hand. I went to the army at 20yrs old I'm 5'5" and at the time was 150 but by the time I got to the requirement it was at 135. During your application process they will make sure that you are at their weight requirements and once in training you will mostly get weighed and measured when they do the PT tests. It was basically running, push ups, and sit ups. Everyday! I stayed at around 130 but I was gaining muscle so I looked pretty good if i do say so myself LOL. But I do encourage you to do strength training, your body will thank you for it!

[katy trail]

i'm having a hard time understanding how you don't have time? weight training is the most time effecient w/o there is. you could do a full body w/o 2 or 3 times a week, working big muscle groups. might only take 20-30 min. each. or make it a circuit alternating cardio with the weights. hiit is also extremely time effecient and famous for helping lose body fat without metabolizing muscle. i think you don't have time, NOT to weight train lol!