New CF Physical Fitness Webiste-DFit.ca

[navymich]

we just need people who can hack a level 6 on a beep test or who can walk for 13kms. Not exactly 'elite fitness' now is it?

With the new fitness standards and testing that are slated to start in the near future, it will be more then just a walk or run.  It involves weights and lifting and if people have never done that kind of thing before, they need somewhere to start.  While there are numerous sites out there, the DFIT site should be basing the programs on what will be required for the new testing instead of generalized workouts.

 

[Jarnhamar]

How is it not? It is a requirement of service to meet a certain standard of fitness, persons who do not meet that standard should face consequences. Anyone want to come on here and tell me the standards are too hard to meet?

I have spent enough time overseas getting held up on patrol/ops by people who are not fit enough to be outside the wire having to have IV's etc because they were going down. Funnily enough these same people usually had XL+ clothing requirements if you catch my drift.

I agree, the website is a nice idea, but you can get all the info you need from the internet as it is, there's not exactly a lack of fitness websites out there. And it's not like the CF is producing olympic athletes who need personalised fitness programming, we just need people who can hack a level 6 on a beep test or who can walk for 13kms. Not exactly 'elite fitness' now is it?

IVs aren't just for weak people bro!  A lovely nurse in California gave me one after a bottle of JD- she even had a hook in her wall above her couch for the very occasion. Great US Canada relations

I agree with puckchaser that you can't throw someone in a gym and expect results.  Perfect example is me. First time using the standing hack squat machine I actually managed to use it upside down..

I agree with you about it being a lack of effort on the members part though. We're not Olympic athletes but we should approach our job as if we were. Some people just don't give a shit.

Problem is our system isn't really set up to accommodate combating that mentality. There aren't many checks and balances to stop people from hopping on the MIR train when they want to take the easy way out of getting in shape.  PT schedules are hit and miss.

I'm glad the PT standard or test or whatever is changing. There's more to fitness than someone dragging their ass 13KM with 30 pounds on their back, I'm glad it sounds like this new test has some stuff to do with weights and upper body.

 

[THINKBIG]

Be aware of CF try to look every avenue to safe money at this time so if you look the CF right now versus fitness it is so so... I think they find a other way to kick few people over here,... Here we have provide all the tools and you fail your PT test so bye bye my friend... 

 

[PuckChaser]

How is it not? It is a requirement of service to meet a certain standard of fitness, persons who do not meet that standard should face consequences.

Sure, we're always going to have those people that can't make the standard. By all means C&P them. But we have to think as an institution, how do we enable them to get fitter? You put in your stats and it dumps you a fitness program, along with how to do all the exercises. You want these people to get fit but if they haven't been in a gym before is pretty imposing. 10 years in the CF and I've never been taken around a weight room or shown a fitness program other than Monday run, tuesday circuit, wednesday run, thursday ruck and friday sports. That's not a PT program, that's lip service. You're right, we don't need elite athletes, but we demand a high level of fitness. So here comes this program offering tools to help people break free of the "exempt expres" level and really start to excel and better themselves. How this is a bad thing I don't know.

Sure, we may have some people with a fitness problem in the CF, but I don't know how you can be against something that's enabling people who want to change to start that change. If they don't want to change than here's the door. I'd rather dump a little bit of cash into a website than pay for all the obesity related diseases/injuries or the wasted cost of a 15 year soldier who's on C&P because they let themselves go and no one gave them a hand other than "shape up or ship out".

 

[Towards_the_gap]

Sure, we're always going to have those people that can't make the standard. By all means C&P them. But we have to think as an institution, how do we enable them to get fitter? You put in your stats and it dumps you a fitness program, along with how to do all the exercises. You want these people to get fit but if they haven't been in a gym before is pretty imposing. 10 years in the CF and I've never been taken around a weight room or shown a fitness program other than Monday run, tuesday circuit, wednesday run, thursday ruck and friday sports. That's not a PT program, that's lip service. You're right, we don't need elite athletes, but we demand a high level of fitness. So here comes this program offering tools to help people break free of the "exempt expres" level and really start to excel and better themselves. How this is a bad thing I don't know.

Sure, we may have some people with a fitness problem in the CF, but I don't know how you can be against something that's enabling people who want to change to start that change. If they don't want to change than here's the door. I'd rather dump a little bit of cash into a website than pay for all the obesity related diseases/injuries or the wasted cost of a 15 year soldier who's on C&P because they let themselves go and no one gave them a hand other than "shape up or ship out".

Fair enough, I see your point, but have to say this (and it's not a personal attack on you): The fact that you yourself, in 10 years of service, have never been shown around a gym or had explained to you how to program a fitness regime for a particular person, is indicative of a massive, institutional failure on the part of the CF. A website can sure help, but I think there is a bigger problem out there.

OZ - In your example, the IV is a badge of manliness. An IV mid-patrol, in the middle of a grapefield, while a bunch of haggard, skinny, pissed off infantry and sappers glare at you is a sign that you should keep off the spunkmeyers for a bit and start running round the hesco.

 

[bridges]

Sure, we're always going to have those people that can't make the standard. By all means C&P them. But we have to think as an institution, how do we enable them to get fitter? You put in your stats and it dumps you a fitness program, along with how to do all the exercises. You want these people to get fit but if they haven't been in a gym before is pretty imposing. 10 years in the CF and I've never been taken around a weight room or shown a fitness program other than Monday run, tuesday circuit, wednesday run, thursday ruck and friday sports. That's not a PT program, that's lip service. You're right, we don't need elite athletes, but we demand a high level of fitness. So here comes this program offering tools to help people break free of the "exempt expres" level and really start to excel and better themselves. How this is a bad thing I don't know.

Sure, we may have some people with a fitness problem in the CF, but I don't know how you can be against something that's enabling people who want to change to start that change. If they don't want to change than here's the door. I'd rather dump a little bit of cash into a website than pay for all the obesity related diseases/injuries or the wasted cost of a 15 year soldier who's on C&P because they let themselves go and no one gave them a hand other than "shape up or ship out".

:ditto:  :goodpost:

Agreed.  This is not about motivating people or threatening them - it's about giving competent, standardized instruction tailored for the CF's needs.  The wealth of info out there on the internet does not fit that description.  Some of it might, but how would anyone know which unless they are already well versed in fitness protocols?

It seems like this could be a good tool, & a positive change.  Let's give it a chance.

 

[MikeL]

dfit.ca is now up and running,  I was just able to make an account.

 

[Jarnhamar]

dfit.ca is now up and running,  I was just able to make an account.

Is it worth checking out?

 

[Wookilar]

Seems ok, I like the videos. Took me all of 2 minutes to set up a profile and about 1 minute to get a workout designed. Pretty simplistic, looks army smart.

I see they are still missing some videos of some exercises I have never heard of before, hopefully that will get sorted out fairly quickly (anyone have any idea what a "W Drill" is?)

I think this will be an excellent resource, especially for the young troops given the responsibility to run unit PT.

 

[jside86]

Unable to create an account the site is telling me they cannot find me in the database...
I was only in the army for the last 5 years must be too new to be in all the Gov. database...

Seriously anyone else with this issue?

I dont like the fact that they is no link on the site for tech support or to contact the webmaster to create an account or reset a password!

why a private company like Logistic allow you to create an account almost blindfolded but web site created by the Gov are always issue?

ok Bitching for the day is done now...

 

[aesop081]

Just registered. No issues.

 

[The_Falcon]

I looked around, its far from personalized, you enter a few broad categories (your time frame, what kind of equipment you have, and how often you want to workout), and it spits out a program.  The irony of this site, is it perpetuates some of the problems people (including PSP) have had with CrossFit.  IE generalized workout routine, learning movements via video and not hands on coaching, and the whole self motivation thing.  It even has "metcon" style workouts (ie in 20 mins perform as many round of these movements....), which makes one go hmmmm....didn't a CANFORGEN just come out from PSP saying how dangerous that style of training is :

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Just tried to register and got:

Your membership could not be found based on the provided information. 

 

[dapaterson]

I suspect the problems mya be related to using either a short form of your name (Bill vs William) or may be people who use other than their first name (Jean Phillipe Guyame Henri goes by Henri).

Try using your first name as it appears on your MPRR.

 

[Pat in Halifax]

Thought of all that - even the franco version! to no avail.
I will get it figured out.

Pat

 

[Allycat12]

The registration process requires CF personnel to register with last name, first name and last 4 of SN which cross checks with the PSP DataMart database. Some information within DataMart is missing which has made it difficult for some of you to register, mostly Class A. With such a large data base we expected some of these issues. SOLUTION: On Monday we provided B/W PSP fitness coordinators with the admin rights to create client accounts. Those who don’t have access to B/W PSP can send their account requests to +Dfit-Cphysd@CMP PSP@Ottawa-Hull (DWAN) or dfit-cphysd@forces.gc.ca and we’ll create an account manually for you.

Re the Training Programs generated by DFIT.ca: ECPs, such as CrossFit®, P90x®, and Insanity®, have increased in popularity over the past few years. These programs are characterized by frequent, repetitious, high intensity exercises with very short rest periods between sets/cycles and little recovery time between workouts.  The PSP Directorate of fitness has reviewed these ECPs and has incorporated some of the recognized benefits into their physical fitness programs while also incorperating some of the often mising injury prevention principles (periodization, rest, active recovery, etc) ...hence some of the similarities.

 

[Teeps74]

Allycat12, if you are involved in the dfit.ca project, I have gotten onto the site, and I have to say... Well done.

I am not a fitness expert by any stretch so an expert opinion you will not get... But for a middle-aged man fighting the battle of the bulge, it looks like a very informative and useful site for my needs.

One thing I would like to see, is perhaps an "app" so that I can upload my Garmin Forerunner data to dfit for my journal tracking. (Mind you, I have not gone over the entire site, it would seem they thought of damned near everything else...).

 

[Allycat12]

Appreciate the feedback Teeps74, We are currently working on the App and finalizing the nutritional meal planner (you can see how it will work if you select meal plans on the dfit.ca host page). Both the App and meal planner should be out by the summer of 2013 but if all goes well it could be sooner. Having said that, the site still works on mobile devices (with the exception Blackberry) but the functionality is somewhat limited

 

[Teeps74]

Appreciate the feedback Teeps74, We are currently working on the App and finalizing the nutritional meal planner (you can see how it will work if you select meal plans on the dfit.ca host page). Both the App and meal planner should be out by the summer of 2013 but if all goes well it could be sooner. Having said that, the site still works on mobile devices (with the exception Blackberry) but the functionality is somewhat limited

My peers know me for some, well, unorthadox thinking... Has any thought been given to approaching someone like runkeeper.com to just do a port over? May be cheaper then building an app from scratch. The site, runkeeper.com plugs into Facebook flawlessly (in my uneducated opinion). Anyhoo, that's the last of the "good idea fairy" type stuff from me... I will skulk away before someone tasks me with something!

 

[Maxadia]

I can't sign up, but as I am a newer reservist, I kind of expected that might delay things.

I did however email the address posted earlier in this thread, and had a super quick response back.  Nice to know that they're working actively to help people get on the site. (No, I'm not in yet, but at least they are working on it for us.)