# Common body type in SOF units? Lean or Football player like?



## Coyote (Sep 22, 2011)

When I read the Black Hawk Down novel, it talked about how the majority of the D-boys were built like Football players (like MSG Paule Howe for instance). Before reading the novel, I had the impression that SOF guys were more on the lean side rather than big and bulky like football players. Also in photos I've seen of JTF-2 guys, they don't look lean at all and are just big and burly. Is the football player build most common in the CT focused SOF units and the lean build is most common in the UW/DA/SR focused SOF units :confused:? 

Sorry if the question seemed kinda dumb, I'm a noob to this stuff... so don't roast


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## LimaOscarSierraTango (Sep 22, 2011)

I am going to tip toe in here and run like hell after my comment...

Why does it matter? Last I saw, it wasn't a person's body type that got them selected or through any type of training. I'm just sayin'.

Now I am going to watch and see what happens to this thread from a distance.


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## Coyote (Sep 22, 2011)

LimaOscarSierraTango said:


> I am going to tip toe in here and run like hell after my comment...
> 
> Why does it matter? Last I saw, it wasn't a person's body type that got them selected or through any type of training. I'm just sayin'.
> 
> Now I am going to watch and see what happens to this thread from a distance.


 
I was just curious because I'd imagine it to be much harder passing BUD/S and related SOF selection with a big and burly body type as apposed to being on the more lean side. I also know it's more mental than physical what gets you through training, but surely the type of body also contributes to it.


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## TLDR20 (Sep 22, 2011)

Most guys get big after they are in those units. The training to get there isn't conducive to being huge. However there are big guys. SF guys tend to get prison jacked on teams, not in the course.


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## goon175 (Sep 22, 2011)

The excessive gym time on the frequent deployments will generally lend itself well to getting bulkier. Endurance is the name of the game whether you are big or not though.


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## Headshot (Sep 22, 2011)

Didn't see a whole lot of bulky Rangers back in my day.  If you did, they were usually on the side of the road puking.  No time for the gym when they can run you an extra 3 miles this morning.  We went to the gym sometimes, but most personal time if you had any was spent doing 12 ounce curls in some dive bar or day room.


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## pardus (Sep 22, 2011)

Ive been surprised numerous times when Ive seen some SOF guys. Ive seen guys in far better looking "shape" in regular/pouge units. Which goes to show that appearance/body shape/type is meaningless.

My non SOF .02c


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## Muppet (Sep 22, 2011)

This has the opportunity to go really geigh here but I will not start it. :)

F.M.


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## AWP (Sep 22, 2011)

I tend to think that "smaller" guys wouldn't have any longevity with all of the weight carried and things done while carrying said weight. The SF guys in my old BN, one or two were rail-thin types, but most averaged about 5'-9" or 5'-10" and probably 180-190. I can't recall a single Team Sergeant built like a marathon runner.

Maybe things are different or my memory is flawed, but I just don't recall seeing any "low mass" types around.


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## Headshot (Sep 22, 2011)

When you are constantly lacking a high BFI count, it tends to make one look lean even though they might be sporting as much true muscle as someone who is 15 lbs heavier, and heavier looking.  Every muscle counted and was use to carrying weight that counted.


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## pardus (Sep 22, 2011)

Freefalling said:


> I tend to think that "smaller" guys wouldn't have any longevity with all of the weight carried and things done while carrying said weight. The SF guys in my old BN, one or two were rail-thin types, but most averaged about 5'-9" or 5'-10" and probably 180-190. I can't recall a single Team Sergeant built like a marathon runner.
> 
> Maybe things are different or my memory is flawed, but I just don't recall seeing any "low mass" types around.



Yet strangely enough there are plenty of marathon types in the SAS. I think the role and training associated with that role have a huge part to play.


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## TLDR20 (Sep 22, 2011)

Freefalling said:


> I tend to think that "smaller" guys wouldn't have any longevity with all of the weight carried and things done while carrying said weight. The SF guys in my old BN, one or two were rail-thin types, but most averaged about 5'-9" or 5'-10" and probably 180-190. I can't recall a single Team Sergeant built like a marathon runner.
> 
> Maybe things are different or my memory is flawed, but I just don't recall seeing any "low mass" types around.



I would say in my company the average guy was 5'9-6'2 and 180 to 225. No one was under 180. And maybe one guy was under 5'8. In my team the smallest guy was my senior, and he was the smallest in the company. On my team we had a guy that was 6'5 and 240ish. Not a runner. I have seen some tiny Rangers(BN types) but most guys in group are not small.


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## Coyote (Sep 22, 2011)

LimaOscarSierraTango said:


> I am going to tip toe in here and run like hell after my comment...
> 
> Now I am going to watch and see what happens to this thread from a distance.



Enjoying the view 'from a distance'?


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## pardus (Sep 22, 2011)

Coyote said:


> Enjoying the view 'from a distance'?



What?


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## LimaOscarSierraTango (Sep 22, 2011)

Coyote said:


> Enjoying the view 'from a distance'?



This thread came across as an "airsofter" thread to me. I was going to kick back in a recliner with a bag of popcorn and see where this thread went. It did not go in the direction I was afraid it was going to. These guys and gals are really helpful and laid back. I am used to more "critical" responses.

That, and as a non-SOF person, I want to tread lightly in areas where it may be a gray issue for me to post in. I feel as though this is one of those threads.


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## Coyote (Sep 22, 2011)

pardus said:


> What?



Read LimaOscarSierraTango's post

"I am going to tip toe in here and run like hell after my comment...

 Why does it matter? Last I saw, it wasn't a person's body type that got them selected or through any type of training. I'm just sayin'.

 Now I am going to *watch* and see what happens to this thread* from a distance*."

Then I responded with what you said 'What?' to.


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## Coyote (Sep 22, 2011)

LimaOscarSierraTango said:


> This thread came across as an "airsofter" thread to me. I was going to kick back in a recliner with a bag of popcorn and see where this thread went. It did not go in the direction I was afraid it was going to. These guys and gals are really helpful and laid back. I am used to more "critical" responses.
> 
> That, and as a non-SOF person, I want to tread lightly in areas where it may be a gray issue for me to post in. I feel as though this is one of those threads.



Oh I see, yeah I'm not an airsofter guy, just curious that's all 

Edit: Though I do see where you are coming from though.


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## AWP (Sep 22, 2011)

Interesting. Sigh...I hate being wrong even if it did help to answer the OP.


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## pardus (Sep 22, 2011)

Coyote said:


> Read LimaOscarSierraTango's post
> 
> "I am going to tip toe in here and run like hell after my comment...
> 
> ...



Roger, got it ;)


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## Ranger Psych (Sep 22, 2011)

Some people are big, some people are small. I ranged from 195-235 depending on how much time I spent in the gym.  Generally speaking, some of the steakheads had trouble running but most of those guys were steakfat anyway.  Most of the guys that steaked out hated running and it just compounded when they'd get in a squad with a steakhead squad leader that hated running too.  I personally was 235 benching 290 and leg pressing 750 but still ran a sub 12:30 2 mile on demand.


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## F.CASTLE (Sep 22, 2011)

I can tell you two of the higher ranked CSO's from 1st MSOB in Sangin were FREAKISHLY big... but they also had a few boys with them that were on par with their Afghan allies size. Anyone from 1st MSOB could probably figure out  who I'm talking about as far as the larger sized CSOs go. Those boys were hard to miss.


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## pardus (Sep 22, 2011)

Whats a CSO?


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## Headshot (Sep 22, 2011)

When I got to Batt, one of my first questions was "when do I start bulking up?", I got laughed at and told I came to the wrong place for that.  I'm 6' 1" and weighed 180 in Battalion and never had a problem carrying my weight as it was all muscle, sinew, and bone, with a slight amount of gray matter for good measure.  I now weigh 200# and am comfortable with that as I'm still agile.  The most I ever got up to (and it wasn't fat weight) was 225 and I hated it for my lifestyle.  I ate like a pig although it was all healthy foods, and hit the gym religiously.  I still ran a bit, but biked more.  As someone said earlier, it really depends on the needs of the job.  My old SQL started eating everything in site while he was training for SFAS and bulked up, but it was muscle weight as he was not one to lay around in the weight room for all his fitness needs.  He could run your ass off and beat up students from School of the Julio's with parts of phone booths.  Being a Sniper, I could slither through the woods a lot better than the chunkies who would hit every sapling and vine with their pudginess, and get busted on a stalk most always.


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## F.CASTLE (Sep 22, 2011)

Critical Skills Operator, MarSOC's MOS


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## goon175 (Sep 22, 2011)

I don't think it's whether you look like a football player or a marathon runner, it's whether you can pull your weight and keep up. What I personally observed in Batt. was that most guys would lose alot of weight during the training cycle, and then bulk up on deployments. Guys would deploy with half an ISU of supplements, not to mention there are pallets of METRX already overseas when you get there. Then you get back home and back to ruck PT, running everyday, range weeks, etc. and you start to lean back out.


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## digrar (Sep 23, 2011)

Takes all sizes, the bloke on the left is a midget and nuggety, the bloke on the right (disregard the muppet on the far right) is a touch over 2 meters tall 6'6"/6'7" and about 2 pick handles across the shoulders. They're both the same in the muscle that counts, the one in between their ears. Like goon was saying, the first pics of Ben Roberts Smith VC. MG, he looked like his shirt and jacket were two sizes too big for him after coming back from a recent deployment, he'd just lost a fair bit of weight while away.


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## SpitfireV (Sep 23, 2011)

At my old work we had two guys were ex SF that I know of and one ex Brit Para. One of the ex SF blokes is huge, he's a big big guy. The other (the top boss) is a short arse and skinny as hell. Actually I used to make fun of how small he looked in photos until I realised we're the same height when we finally met LOL.

The Para was quite a small guy but tough as hell, you could just tell.


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## Mac_NZ (Sep 23, 2011)

SpitfireV said:


> The Para was quite a small guy but tough as hell, you could just tell.



That was because he had drunk another man's piss!  Or he was in 3 Para mortar pl...


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## Boon (Sep 23, 2011)

Despite what CBack's mom says, size doesn't matter in the SOF world.  People of all shapes and sizes make it through their respective selections.


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## Chopstick (Sep 23, 2011)

Doesnt Rusty fit on a charm bracelet? :confused:


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## dknob (Sep 23, 2011)

The guys who have been doing it for a while have the ruggedized physique of a top notch crossfitter or rugby player as opposed to a MensFitness cover fag model


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## goon175 (Sep 23, 2011)

Hey Boon, as I recall you held up pretty well against some pretty big guys on TV recently....


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## RackMaster (Sep 23, 2011)

I've seen lots of different "body types", it varies on job and free time to spend with the weights.  I've even seen some pretty small guys do the same and in some cases more than the bigger guys.  The only thing that matters is what's inside your melon.


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## SkrewzLoose (Sep 23, 2011)

Of the guys who were from my class and are in CQT now, the shortest guy is 5'5"/160lbs.  The tallest is around 6'6"/210lbs.  Both guys and all the ones in between are quick in the water and on the sand.  But, as was mentioned earlier, they have what it takes in that 6" space between the ears.


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## LibraryLady (Sep 23, 2011)

Chopstick said:


> Doesnt Rusty fit on a charm bracelet? :confused:



Nah... That's the Troll.

LL


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## Coyote (Sep 23, 2011)

Thanks for the information everyone, means a lot to a noob like me.


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## pardus (Sep 23, 2011)

LibraryLady said:


> Nah... That's the Troll.
> 
> LL



Troll + Charm does not compute.


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## RustyShackleford (Sep 23, 2011)

Chopstick said:


> Doesnt Rusty fit on a charm bracelet? :confused:



Pretty damn close to it.  At 5'8" and 165 lbs., I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I was when I was in 2/75.  However, I was one of those skinny guys who could carry an assload of weight and make it look easy...


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## pardus (Sep 23, 2011)

RustyShackleford said:


> Pretty damn close to it. At 5'8" and 165 lbs., I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I was when I was in 2/75. However, I was one of those skinny guys who could carry an assload of weight and make it look easy...



Doesn't make sense if you look at the numbers but it works, and that's all that matters.

I didn't give a shit about the size or strength of someone, I looked at their performance under a heavy ruck a few days into the bush, that's where things got real.
To be honest, all the muscle heads were bloody useless, all pussies who ended up crying about "injuries" when the skinny dudes kept patrolling along. Seen it may times.


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## TLDR20 (Sep 23, 2011)

pardus said:


> Doesn't make sense if you look at the numbers but it works, and that's all that matters.
> 
> I didn't give a shit about the size or strength of someone, I looked at their performance under a heavy ruck a few days into the bush, that's where things got real.
> To be honest, all the muscle heads were bloody useless, all pussies who ended up crying about "injuries" when the skinny dudes kept patrolling along. Seen it may times.



When I joined the army I was 6 ft 165. When I finished SFAS I was prolly 175. Gaines weight in Basic. After my time in SF I am now 205. Not fat either.


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## RustyShackleford (Sep 23, 2011)

pardus said:


> Doesn't make sense if you look at the numbers but it works, and that's all that matters.



I know it doesn't, and that is probably why they made me an ammo bearer when I first got to 2/75.  It didn't take long for them to realize that I was like a pack mule.


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## SkrewzLoose (Sep 23, 2011)

I have a good friend on his way to BUD/S right now.  About 18-24 months ago he weighed a little over 300lbs.  He's now down around 220 and around 6' tall.  It's not a chiseled/muscular 220lbs either and he'll be the first to admit it.  He's also the first to point out that he loves being the fat guy because no one likes losing to the fat guy.
If you want to take the time to look up the numbers to test out of Pre BUD/S, you can.  He passed them all.  I'm 6'4" and 200lbs and I wouldn't be able to duplicate any of his numbers except for the pull ups and sit ups.  Just food for thought.


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## pardus (Sep 23, 2011)

cback0220 said:


> When I joined the army I was 6 ft 165. When I finished SFAS I was prolly 175. Gaines weight in Basic. After my time in SF I am now 205. Not fat either.



Yup, sounds typical to my experience.


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