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The Army Just Changed Body Composition Standards. Here's What It Means.

Army Directive 2026-13 dropped on the seventh. Drew and Alex break it down — what changed, what was lost, who's affected, and why some very fit people are about to have a very bad time.

What we get into:

Waist-to-height ratio is now the only authorized standard. Height-weight screening tables are gone. Secondary methods like DEXA, BodPod, and InBody are gone. The AFT fitness exemption is gone. If your waist divided by your height is 0.55 or above, you are out of compliance. Everyone. No exceptions.

Why the research actually supports waist-to-height ratio — as a population-level screening tool, not an individual-level diagnostic. The same literature that backs it up also says it should trigger further assessment, not be the final word.

The fitness exemption was one of the most progressive things the Army had ever done on body composition. If you performed above a certain threshold, your body composition didn't matter. That's gone now.

Commander's discretion replaces the old progression model. No more monthly measurements, no more defined progression requirements. Whether you're making progress and how long you stay enrolled is entirely up to your chain of command.

Who's getting tripped up: postpartum women, shorter stockier men with wide torsos, and apparently some serious competitive athletes in very military-relevant sports.

Alex's hot take: this feels like malicious compliance by the Army. They spent years and serious money on the Army Comprehensive Body Composition Study. This directive undoes a lot of that work with a two-page memo.

No separations will be completed for 180 days while the Army conducts an assessment. Drew and Alex are collecting stories — if this new standard is catching fit soldiers, they want to hear from you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Secretary Hegseth memo — Military Fitness Standards, September 30 2025 → https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/2025/09/30/9c939542/military-fitness-standards-osd010715-25-fod-final.pdf

Under Secretary memo — Additional Guidance on Military Fitness Standards, December 18 2025 → https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/12/2003855613/-1/-1/1/ADDITIONAL-GUIDANCE-ON-MILITARY-FITNESS-STANDARDS.PDF

Army Directive 2026-13 — Army Body Composition Program → https://home.army.mil/carson/8117/8345/8209/ARMY_DIR_2026-13_ABCP.pdf

Army DVIDS video — Army Updates Body Composition Program → https://www.dvidshub.net/video/1013878/army-updates-body-composition-program-abcp

Long and Strong / Workhorse — the Mops and Moes training program on TrainHeroic → https://marketplace.trainheroic.com/workout-plan/team/leg-tuck-nation