June 2013 - Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency

OPS Fit 

OUTCAN Personnel Staying Fit 

Volume 2 • Issue 2 • June 2013 

Welcome to OPS Fit (OUTCAN Personnel Staying Fit), the 

In this issue: 

Member Profile................. 2 

quarterly OUTCAN Physical Fitness Program newsletter. This 

newsletter contains information related to healthy living and 

physical fitness training for OUTCAN personnel and their families. 

Let’s Get Fit - Components 

of fitness............................ 4 

A race up New York’s 

most iconic skyscraper!.... 7 

South of 49 – 15 Feb........... 8 

Featured Exercise............. 9 

If you have any questions, input, or material you would like 

included in this section please contact Todd Cirka, 

VCDS OUTCAN Physical Fitness Coordinator at 

Todd.Cirka@forces.gc.ca or at (613) 945-7335. 

OUTCAN Monthly Health 

and Fitness Initiatives........ 9 

OUTCAN Personnel 

on the Run....................... 12 

Calendar of Events ......... 13 

OUTCAN FORCE 

Program Implementation 

Report............................. 14 

CANFORGEN.................. 17 

OPS Fit Newsletter • Volume 2 • Issue 2 • JUNE 2013 1

OUTCAN Member Profile – Cpl Logan Hart MPSS Beijing, China 

An OUTCAN posting to a completely foreign 

culture seemed the perfect time for a change 

of lifestyle and that is exactly what Cpl Logan 

Hart did soon after being posted to MPSS Beijing, 

China. 

Shortly after receiving his posting message, 

Cpl Hart was advised by a friend “don’t go 

over and get fatter”. At 260 pounds, Cpl Hart 

wanted to do something to get back into 

shape again and after seeing pictures of himself 

from a friend’s wedding he was determined to 

abandon the sedentary lifestyle and start making 

a healthy change. He always wanted to be 

active but lacked the motivation to put in the 

effort including not participating in unit pt times. 

Soon after arriving in China a fellow CF member 

suggested he register for the CF Award of Aerobic 

Excellence. This PSP program is a great way of 

encouraging personnel to complete a wide 

variety of aerobic activities while collecting points 

towards seals which are added to a scroll with 

the member’s name, rank, and service number. 

Registering for this program was the first step 

towards changing his life. Combined with proper 

diet and resistance training, Cpl Hart lost an 

amazing 60 lbs in his first 6 months. 

He bought a new pair of running shoes, started 

running, and lifting weights. He also found that 

produce being so affordable in Beijing, eating 

healthy wasn’t all that difficult. He changed from 

his typical Big Mac diet to a whole food, lean 

meat menu. He cut out processed foods and 

replaced them with such things as chicken, fish, 

rice, whole wheat pasta, and beans. 


Logan was running a minimum of 5 km/day and 

mostly did supersets (performing one set for one 

muscle group and then immediately moving to 

the next muscle group) for his resistance training. 

He soon realized that after the initial weight loss 

he had lost some muscle mass as well as the 

fat. After doing some research he changed his 

program to include periodization. Periodization 

includes putting a focus on a particular training 

goal for blocks of usually 4-8 weeks. Typically, an 

individual will perform high volume, low intensity 

(high sets and reps, light weight) workouts for 

4-8 weeks and then progress up to low volume, 

high intensity (short sets and reps, heavy weight) 

workouts. It is a good idea to include a recovery 

week every 5-6 weeks to avoid overtraining and 

injury. 

He also changed his aerobic training to 

incorporate interval training with longer distance 

runs and bike rides. Interval training includes 

either short distance (200-400m repeats) or long 

distance (800-1000m repeats). They can also be 

done using time criteria (30-45 secs or 2-3 mins). 

This contributed to an increase in muscle mass 

and further increased his aerobic capacity. He 

is now at a healthy 195-200 lbs and after having 

run the 10km Great Wall Run last year, Cpl Hart is 

ready to run the full marathon this May. 

As a result of the increase in intensity of his 

workouts, Logan found that he required nutritional 

supplementation to provide adequate recovery. 

He supplements with protein and creatine 

with good results finding the convenience and 

practicality of supplements leads to the ability to 

increase his effort during workouts. He is cautious 

however, due to counterfeit products which are 

common in Beijing. 

Some of the challenges which he encounters 

while trying to lead a healthy lifestyle include the 

air pollution, the free delivery for fast foods, and 

the lure of “falling off the wagon” due to the 

exciting vacation destinations. He finds he can 

only run outside a couple of times each month 

and must really stay motivated to run on the 

treadmill. He makes sure he does some sort of 

workout while on leave including beach workouts 

while on leave in Thailand. 

When asked what advice he would give to those 

looking to make a similar change in lifestyle, Cpl 

Hart recommends that individuals should find 

something to motivate them so they are able 

to “dig deep to get the drive to change”. He 

also suggests that in order to get over training 

plateaus individuals should train with a partner, 

use supplements, and use a variety of training 

methods and programs. He said consistency is the 

key and “you get what you give”. Giving 100% 

every time you train will lead to astonishing results. 

Cpl Hart’s goals are to “never go back to how I 

was before” by always staying active and moving 

forward every day. He is registered for the Great 

Wall Marathon in May and his leadership has 

motivated 4 other CF and DFAIT staff to take part 

in the run this year. He is the unit sports rep, leads 

a bootcamp class twice a week and has been 

instrumental in upgrading the embassy gym. 

Cpl Hart is a great example of how one small 

step can lead to a remarkable accomplishment. 

His success has been motivation for his fellow 

co-workers and he continues to strive towards 

excellence in physical fitness and health. 

For more information on the CF Award for 

Aerobic Excellence go to www.cfpsa.com 

and to register for the program contact the 

VCDS OUTCAN Physical Fitness Coordinator at 

ToddCirka@forces.gc.ca 


PSP Fitness, Sports and Recreation 

LETS GET FIT 

By Mr. Guy Boudrias, Fitness, Sports, and Recreation Director, CFSU(E) 

C OMPONENTS OF FITNESS 

When talking about fitness we must first properly define it. The 

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines physical fitness 

as a multidimensional concept of a set of attributes that people 

possess or achieve that relates to the ability to perform physical 

fitness and is comprised of skills, health and physiologic related 

components. 

Cardio-vascular endurance 

Flexibility 

Muscular Strength 

Body composition 

Agility 

Speed 

Muscular endurance 

Stamina 

Therefore, skill-related components of physical fitness include agility, 

balance, coordination, speed, power and reaction time, while healthrelated 

physical fitness is associated with the ability to perform daily 

activities with vigour, and reducing the risk of diseases associated 

with inactivity. 

Now let’s explore the main components of physical fitness and training 

methods associated with them. 

Body composition 

Basic body composition can be expressed as the relative percentage 

of body mass that is fatty tissue and fat-free tissue (or lean body 

mass). Measurements of height, weight, waist circumference and skin 

folds are used to estimate body composition and health risks. 

BMI = Weight (kg) / Height (m) 2 

Underweight Under 18.5 

Normal 18.5 to 24.9 

Overweight 25.0 to 29.9 

Obesity, class 

I 30.0 to 34.9 

II 35.0 to 39.9 

III Over 40 

Waist circumference (cm) 

Risk Category Female Male 

Very low 120 

Body fat value considered satisfactory for health 

Male 10 to 22 % 

Female 20 to 32 % 


Cardiorespiratory fitness (aerobic endurance) 

Aerobic endurance is related to the ability to perform moderate to high 

intensity exercise for prolonged periods. Studies have showed that 

improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness are directly associated with 

a reduction in death from all causes and an increase in many health 

benefits. 

Many maximal and sub-maximal exercise tests estimate VO 2max , like 

the 20 meter shuttle run, the step test and the Rockport One Mile 

Walking Test. Want to try this one mile walking test Follow the 

directions on the Canadian Society for Exercises Physiology (CSEP) 

web site for testing protocols: 

http://www.csep.ca/cmfiles/certifications/cpaflainsert/10_rockport_one_mile_walking_test.pdf 

Research suggests that results below the 20th percentile are often 

indicative of a sedentary lifestyle and increases the risk of premature 

death from all causes. 

Rockport One Mile 

Walking Test 

ACSM’s Guideline for Exercise Testing and Precription, seventh edition, 2006. 

Muscular Strength and Endurance 

Muscular fitness is characterized by strength; the ability of the muscle 

to exert force and endurance; the muscle’s ability to perform many 

repetitions. Some examples of standard muscle fitness testing are 

bench press, push-ups and partial curl-ups. 


Flexibility 

Flexibility is the ability to move a joint through its complete range of 

motion. It is a very important component in the ability to carry out the 

activities of daily living. Poor lower back and hip flexibility may contribute 

to development of muscular low back pain. 

Smart Training = Using FITT Formula 

By better understanding the components of fitness, we are able to give 

purpose to our training regime. Follow the FITT formula in the chart 

below and maximize your training potential. 

F - Frequency I - Intensity T - Time T - Type 

Cardiorespiratory 

fitness 

4 to 7 times per 

week 

65 to 85 % of 

maximum heart 

rate 

Minimum of 30 

minutes 

Continuous 

exercise 

-Treadmill 

-Elliptical 

-Swimming 

Muscular 

Strength and 

Endurance 

3 to 4 times per 

week 

2 to 4 sets 

8 to 12 repetitions 

30 seconds rests 

between 

repetitions 

90 seconds rest 

between sets 

Resistance training 

Flexibility 

Daily 

During warm-up 

and cool down 

Hold for 10 to 30 

seconds 

Whole body 

10 to 20 minutes Static and dynamic 

stretching 

Sources: 

ACSM’s Guideline for Exercise Testing and Prescription, seventh edition, 2006 

www.csep.ca 

www.acsm.org 

Stay tune for next month’s issue of “Lets Get Fit” 

as we explore fitness walking. 

We also want to hear from you ! 

Send us your health and fitness related questions 

• Questions received will be answered in the next issue of “Let’s Get Fit”. 

• Send your questions to: guy.boudrias@forces.gc.ca. 


A race up New York’s most 

iconic skyscraper! 

By Lieutenant-Colonel J.C.M. Arcand, CD 

Deputy Military Adviser to the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations in New York City. 

Organized by the New York Road Runners 

(NYRR), the Empire State Building Run-Up 

(ESBRU) is an annual race to benefit the 

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation 

(MMRF). Open to all under certain 

conditions the test is held annually on the 

first Tuesday of February. The steep race 

consists in climbing up the stairs of the 

building from the main lobby to the 86th 

floor observation deck, which represents 

more than 1,576 steps! On February 6th 

2013, on its 36th year of existence and 

while awaiting the start of this quarter-mile 

high race, I had no idea what to expect! 

The record time for this event is 9 minutes 

and 33 seconds, achieved by Australian 

professional cyclist Paul Crake in 2003. I 

was not aiming for anything near that 

pace but I was just hoping to firstly hit the 

top and survive and then finishing the 

run within 30 minutes. It is surrounded 

by more than 700 of fellow runners/ 

climbers from 26 states and 25 

different countries, age spans over 

several generations – the youngest 

in the pack being 20 while the 

oldest were close to 80 year 

old, that my adrenaline raised 

as my starting time was fast 

approaching. 

It is on interval of five seconds that runners were 

launched into the race by first sprinting the 15 

meters of flat ground before being engulfed in 

the fire escape stairwells. The stairwells were 

initially a little bit crowded but after a while 

everything cleared up as everyone was finding 

its pace. My strategy was pretty simple; two 

steps at the time, maximum uses of handrails 

and push as much as possible from the start 

and managing the pain whenever it arises. 

Another aspect to consider was how and 

where to pass “walkers” or slower competitors. 

The rule is that you have to pass on the exterior 

but considering the space available to past 

present its shares of difficulties. I would say 

that my strategy worked until about the 60th 

floor as my mouth was dry and my throat 

on fire. By floor 75, I was almost in a state of 

hyperventilation and my lungs were about to 

explode and only wanted to take the next 

elevator to the roof top. Then, it was the last 

push to the finish line and that is where the 

mental aspect of your game has to gear up 

and step up to the next level. After 16 minutes 

and 49 seconds, I finally reached the finish 

line. As I looked down from the pinnacle after 

I ascent one of Manhattan’s tallest building, I 

was rewarded with a dazzling view of the city 

by night. I had never seen the city light shine 

so intensely. Was it the crystal clear night or my 

oxygen deprived brain Don’t know but the 


After more than 1576 steps 

LCol Martin Arcand, PMNY, 

enjoys the view from the 86 th 

floor observation deck of the 

Empire State Building. 

city shined like a window from Tiffany’s! I might have 

called it breathtaking – if I had any breath to spare! 

Even if I had run marathons, triathlons or done some 

obstacle runs such as Spartan Races and Tough 

Mudder before, nothing was more intense than 

climbing these stairs in a dark, cramped, oxygen 

limiting conditions. How do you train and prepare 

for this kind of challenge I read some tips on line, I 

skipped the elevator to my apartment a few times 

and I let myself believe that running flat in one 

direction for a long time would translate to a possible 

vertical sprint! Why would you want to suffer like this 

Other than the fact that it is for a great cause, I own 

now the bragging rights to have done this race, which 

is very hard to get into and I can now checked this 

item on my New York City bucket list. 

South of 49 – 15 Feb 

Rain or shine, AFNORTH / 601 st 

AOC and Canadian Detachment 

Tyndall were going to face off 

for the first (maybe annual) ball 

hockey match no matter what. 

Well, it was definitely closer to 

rain than shine, but we played 

anyway. With the Canadians 

all suited up in their red away 

jerseys and the Americans in their 

whites (anybody notice how this 

is backwards) the scene was 

set. After a bit of a warm up 

and a classic late entrance by 

the US goalie Dano “Stand Up” 

McCarthy, the ball was dropped 

(into a large puddle, but who 

noticed) and the game was 

under way with rocking music in 

the background. 

Mid way through the first, the 

Canadians opened the scoring 

with a beautiful tape to tape play. 

“Stand Up” tried to get across the 

crease in time to get a toe on it, 

but the red light was on and the 

tanning had begun. By the end 

of the first it was 3-0 Canada. 

The First Shirt must have had an 

emotional speech during the first 

intermission, because after the 

puck dropped in the second and 

Canada scored 8 seconds later 

(precipitating comments about 

the Superbowl!), Team USA came 

back with 2 goals in under 1 

minute. With pride on the line, the 

Canadian Detachment Tyndall’s 

faces matched their red jerseys. 

Even with 2 men in the penalty 

box due to some outrageous call 

by the referee, Canada played 

stellar defence and kept it at 4-2. 

Back at full strength, Canada dug 

deep into their roots and came 

out on top with a 6-2 victory. 

Both teams battled hard, faced 

not only fierce competition, 

but tough court conditions and 

pouring rain. There were a 

few MVP prizes awarded – but 

everyone came away a winner. 

There was definitely interest to 

play again, but not so much in the 

pouring rain. With that in mind, 

Cdn Det Tyndall would like to offer 

up to the First Shirt and his team 

a chance at redemption (but on 

a sunny day!). So stand by for 

game number two in a possible 

best of seven series. Maybe, just 

maybe there will be a miracle 

on….the tennis court. 


Featured Exercise 

THRUSTERS: 

o 

o 

o 

o 

o 

Standing with feet shoulder with apart, hold the bar across the front of the shoulders and collar 

bone with an overhand grip and lift the upper arms until they are parallel with the floor, head 

slightly up, with chest up and out 

Keeping knees aligned over the feet and heels on the floor and chest up and out, lower your 

body by flexing the knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor 

Return to the starting position by pushing your heels into the floor, extending the hips and knees 

while maintain the integrity of the upper body (chest up and out, head slightly up) until you are in 

standing position 

Continue the exercise by pressing the bar up and over your head until the arms are fully extended, 

body is completely straight and the bar is slightly behind the head 

Lower the bar back to the starting position, across the front of the shoulders and collar bone and 

repeat 

OUTCAN Monthly Health and 

Fitness Initiatives 

June: 

FORCE Training Program 

Register at www.DFit.ca then contact your local CF EXPRES Coordinator or the VCDS OUTCAN 

Physical Fitness Coordinator to receive the program. 


July/Aug: 

Pull up challenge 

Follow this program to improve your pull ups. If you can’t currently do 5 pull ups use a theraband or other elastic 

band to assist you until you’re able to do 5 by yourself. 


Excercise Technique 

Pull up: 

Begin standing under the bar, gripping the bar 

overhead with your palms facing away from 

you and your hands a little wider than shoulder 

width apart. Inhale as you begin the lift. 

Initiate the upward movement by squeezing 

your shoulder blades back and bending your 

elbows to lift your body off the ground. Keep 

your chest up and head straight. Exhale as you 

pull. 

Stop the movement when your chin has passed 

over the bar. 

Slowly return to the start position under control 

stopping when your arms are extended. Do not 

allow your feet to touch the ground. 

Chin up: 

The movement is the same as the pull up 

except that your hands grip the bar with your 

palms facing you and your hands are no wider 

than shoulder width apart. 

Narrow-grip pull up: 

The movement is the same as the regular 

pull up except the hands are spaced 

approximately a fist distance apart. 


The winner for the March/April OUTCAN Monthly Fitness 

and Health Initiative – the Support Unit Cardio Challenge 

goes to CFSU(Colorado Springs) 

The various detachments supported by 

CFSU(CS) ran, walked, biked, swam, strode, 

rowed, and hiked their way to an impressive 

4133.2 miles. This greatly surpassed the goal 

of 1,484 miles from Colorado Springs to 

Washington, DC. 

= 62 miles swam, 476 miles run, and 1461 

miles biked). Honourable mention goes to 

Maj Pruden from Tyndall AFB who tallied a very 

respectable 340 miles and to Maj Moore from 

Ft Meade who logged 328.7 miles including a 

26.2 mile marathon. 

The Tyndall AFB detachment was responsible 

for over half of these miles thanks in large part 

to a Grand Canyon Adventure Training trip. 

The winner for the draw prize goes to Capt 

Anis from Tyndall AFB Capt Annis has won a 

CF National Sports insulated thermos. 

CDLS(W) reported a total of 2618.7 miles. 

Well done. 

Congratulations to all those who contributed 

to their units total. 

The individual with the highest total miles 

logged over the 60 day period is LCol Tony 

O’Keeffe from Peterson AFB who racked up 

an outstanding 1213.7 miles (actual miles 

Look for May’s OUTCAN Fitness and Health 

Initiative – the Pedometer Challenge results in 

the September edition of OPS Fit. 

OUTCAN Personnel 

on the Run 

Sgt Lisa Briand, PMNY, at the 

summit of Mt Washington, 

New Hampshire. 


Calendar of events – June-Aug 2013 

USA 

Tinker AFB 

• FORCE Evaluation – 14 June – OPI MCpl Ryan 

Dietzel/Sgt Steeve Beaulieu 

• PT Instruction Clinic – 14 June – OPI MCpl Ryan 

Dietzel/ 

Peterson AFB 

• Pikes Peak Climb – 29 Aug (TBC) – OPI TBD 

• Unit pt – Tuesdays and Thursday – OPI Cpl Donald 

Hillier 

Tyndall AFB 

• Tough Mudder – 18/19 May – OPI Capt Nolan 

• FORCE Evaluation – 29 May – OPI Maj John 

Waugh 

• Parasailing – 1 June – OPI Maj John Waugh 

• Beach Football – Mid-June – OPI John Waugh 

• Unit pt – Tuesdays – OPI – Maj Waugh 

CDLS(W) 

• EXPRES/FORCE testing – 18 June – OPI Cpl Kevin 

Arsenault 

• EXPRES Testing – 16-17 July – OPI Cpl Kevin Arsenault 

• FORCE Evaluation – 18 July – OPI Cpl Kevin Arsenault 

Ft Meade 

• EXPRES testing – 28 May – OPI MS Trevor Hasper 

• FORCE Evaluation – 29-30 May – OPI MS Trevor 

Hasper 

EADS, Rome, NY 

• FORCE Practice – 10 June – OPI Capt J.P Gaudreault 

• EXPRES testing – 11 June – OPI Capt J.P Gaudreault 

• Boilermaker 5km/15km race – 14 July - OPI Capt 

J.P Gaudreault 

• Can-Am Golf – 23 Aug (TBC) – OPI MCpl Atkinson 

MHP Det Stratford, CT 

• Sports Day – 24 May – OPI Capt John Nickerson 

Elmendorf AFB 

• EXPRES testing – 14 May – OPI Capt Francois 

Pilote 

• FORCE Evaluation – 15-16 May – OPI Capt Francois 

Pilote 

NOPF Widbey Island 

• EXPRES testing – 24-25 June – OPI LS Samantha 

Noble 

• FORCE Evaluation – 26 June – OPI LS Samantha 

Noble 

Schofield Army Barracks 

• Unit pt – 2-3 days/week – OPI MCpl James Gault 

McChord AFB 

• Can-Am Golf- TBD - OPI Capt Kevin Long 

Scott AFB 

• EXPRES/FORCE Evaluation – 4 June – OPI Maj Guy 

Langevin 

_________________________________________________ 

Europe 

SHAPE, Mons, Belgium 

• EXPRES/FORCE Evaluation – 14-15 May – OPI Mr 

Guy Boudrias 

Naples, Italy 


Guy Boudrias 

Ramstein, Germany 


Guy Boudrias 

United Kingdom 

• EXPRES/FORCE Evaluation – 4-6 June – OPI Mr 

Guy Boudrias 

CFSU(E) 

• European Golf Tournament – 31 May – OPI Mr 

Guy Boudrias 

• CFSU(E) Golf Tournament – 14 June – OPI Mr Guy 

Boudrias 

• Walk, Run or Bike Day – 27 June – OPI Mr Guy 

Boudrias 

• CFSU(E) Great Spin Challenge – August (TBD) – 

OPI Mr Guy Boudrias 

• CFSU(E) Beach Volleyball Tournament – Sept 

(TBD) – OPI Mr Guy Boudrias 


OUTCAN FORCE Program 

Implementation Report 

The new CAF fitness evaluation, FORCE (Fitness 

for the Occupational Requirements of CAF 

Employment), has been in full swing at all CAF 

bases/wings/ships since the 1 April, 2013 date of 

implementation. 

Select OUTCAN testing sites in the USA have 

received their testing kit comprised of 7 sand 

bags, 6 carabiners, pull strap, and ties. The rest 

of the locations should be receiving their kits by 

the end of June. The kits may be used for FORCE 

training including familiarization sessions and pt 

classes. All testing sites will be ready to implement 

the evaluation throughout the year providing 

OUTCAN personnel the opportunity to fully 

experience all test components. 

Since all personnel must attempt the FORCE 

Evaluation prior to 1 April, 2014 it is important that 

the local CAF EXPRES Coordinators communicate 

effectively with those in their regional areas of 

responsibility regarding FORCE familiarization 

sessions and FORCE Evaluation dates. All 

evaluation dates can be found online at the 

VCDS Health and Fitness website http://www. 

vcds.forces.gc.ca/sites/healthandfitness . 

The OUTCAN FORCE Implementation strategy will 

be similar to that for those in Canada. Regularly 

scheduled EXPRES testing will also include at 

least one day of FORCE evaluation. The main 

difference for OUTCAN relates to the order of 

testing. CAF members in Canada will attempt the 

FORCE Evaluation throughout the year. Should 

they not meet the minimal standard they would 

default to the EXPRES Evaluation. This approach 


poses a problem to OUTCAN testing outside 

Canada due to the limited number of scheduled 

evaluation sessions at the select testing sites. 

If a member fails to meet the FORCE minimal 

standard they may not have the opportunity 

to attempt the EXPRES test prior to their fitness 

result expiring. Therefore, during most USA testing 

Day 1 will consist of EXPRES testing for those who 

require a fitness test. Day 2 will consist of FORCE 

familiarization/evaluation. Should the process be 

reversed, the member again risks not having a 

valid fitness test result should they injure themself 

on the FORCE or are too fatigued to attempt the 

EXPRES on Day 2. For locations where multiple 

testing sessions are held throughout the year, the 

FORCE Evaluation may be conducted first. 

In addition to FORCE Evaluations, the 

implementation strategy also includes a FORCE 

briefing by PSP staff. This briefing provides some 

background information regarding the FORCE 

Program as well as details concerning the actual 

evaluation components. 

The final component to the OUTCAN FORCE 

Implementation strategy involves a practical 

session to instruct proper lifting technique and to 

provide training exercises specific to the FORCE 

Evaluation. 

The main impact this evaluation will have on 

the OUTCAN community include lack of gym 

facility access, increased number of annual 

fitness evaluations, and FORCE-specific training 

programs. 

The evaluation will pose some challenges to 

OUTCAN testing sites. Most host nation fitness 

facilities do not want the test to be administered 

inside their facility. The potential for damage to 

hardwood gym floor surfaces during the sand 

bag drag, sand bag lift, and intermittent shuttles 

forces the test to be conducted in whole or in 

part on either an outdoor track or a tennis court. 

Given the possibility of adverse weather, these 

are less than ideal conditions. 

The first OUTCAN FORCE Evaluation took place 

at the NATO Staff College at Norfolk, VA on 19 

April. The sand bag lift, drag, and intermittent 

shuttles were conducted on an outdoor tennis 

court while the 20m rushes were done in the gym. 

In order to ensure standardization, the friction 

co-efficient for the drag on the rough tennis 

court surface must be the same as a gym, drill 

hall or other “approved” surface. Bags and/or 

weight plates are added or taken off according 

to the floor surface to maintain test integrity. All 

11 participants were successful at the evaluation 

and most liked the format compared to the 

EXPRES Evaluation noting it was closer to the 

physical demands one would be expected to 

perform while on a mission. 

With the elimination of the Incentive Exemption 

Standard, an additional ~ 500 annual fitness 

evaluations will need to be conducted in Europe, 

USA and Canada for OUTCAN personnel. 

However, until VCDS Gp Order 5023-3 and 

CANFORGEN 168/10 are revised, personnel 

located outside the USA and Europe will continue 

to follow these directives including the location 

excusal for those posted to designated remote 

locations. 


Physical training for the FORCE Evaluation 

is different than preparing for the EXPRES 

Evaluation. FORCE requires more strength, 

speed, and mobility than the EXPRES test and 

training for it will require a different approach. 

The www.DFit.ca website meets these demands 

and it is the best tool for personnel to prepare for 

the new evaluation. The June OUTCAN Monthly 

Fitness and Health Initiative consists of a training 

program generated from the website. Personnel 

need to register for the site in order to access 

the program. 

The implementation process has not been 

without its problems. However, as this first year 

is considered a training objective the kinks will 

be worked out before FORCE becomes the 

sole fitness evaluation for all OUTCAN personnel 

beginning 1 April, 2014. 

I strongly encourage everyone to participate 

in as many FORCE familiarization sessions and 

evaluations as possible this fiscal year. Taking 

part in these sessions will best prepare the 

member for the FORCE Evaluation, providing 

them with information regarding individual 

weaknesses which will require training and 

knowledge regarding the intricacies of the test 

components. 

Any questions may be directed to the VCDS 

OUTCAN Physical Fitness Coordinator at Todd. 

Cirka@Forces.gc.ca or (613) 945-7335 

Two members of the NATO Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia 

performing components of the FORCE Evaluation. 


CANFORGEN 038/13 CDS 015/13 041728Z MAR 13 

LAUNCH OF NEW CAF FITNESS EVALUATION 

UNCLASSIFIED 

1. I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE LAUNCH 

OF THE FORCE PROGRAM, THE NEW 

CANADIAN ARMED FORCES (CAF) FITNESS 

PROGRAM. APPROVED BY ARMED FORCES 

COUNCIL ON 5 DEC 2012, THE FORCE 

PROGRAM WILL BE PHASED IN THROUGHOUT 

FY 2013/2014 AND WILL OFFICIALLY REPLACE 

THE CF EXPRES PROGRAM IN FY 2014/2015 

2. THE FORCE PROGRAM HAS TWO KEY 

COMPONENTS: THE NEW FITNESS TEST, CALLED 

THE FORCE EVALUATION, AND THE FORCE 

EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION, THE OPERATIONAL 

FITNESS TRAINING SYSTEM AVAILABLE AT 

WWW.DFIT.CA 

3. THE FORCE EVALUATION INVOLVES FOUR 

TEST COMPONENTS, EACH OF WHICH IS 

DIRECTLY LINKED TO PHYSICAL CHALLENGES 

THAT CAF PERSONNEL MAY ENCOUNTER ON 

ROUTINE, DOMESTIC OR EXPEDITIONARY 

OPERATIONS. THIS TEST WILL BE ADMINISTERED 

ANNUALLY AND WILL REQUIRE CAF MEMBERS 

TO ACHIEVE ONE COMMON STANDARD 

THAT IS FIRMLY ROOTED IN THE MINIMUM 

OPERATIONAL STANDARDS THAT THEY ARE 

EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN 

4. THE FORCE PROGRAM HAS BEEN DEVELOPED 

AND SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED FOR 

THE CAF BY THE DIRECTOR GENERAL 

PERSONNEL FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES/ 

PERSONNEL SUPPORT PROGRAMS (PSP). THE 

DIRECTORATE OF FITNESS STAFF PERFORMED 

A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF OVER 

400 PHYSICAL TASKS FACED BY PERSONNEL 

OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND NARROWED 

THESE DOWN TO SIX COMMON MILITARY 

TASKS. THESE TASKS FORM THE NEW FITNESS 

COMPONENT OF THE MINIMUM OPERATIONAL 

STANDARDS RELATED TO UNIVERSALITY OF 

SERVICE. THE FORCE EVALUATION IS A QUICK, 

EASY AND ACCURATE PREDICTOR OF THE 

ABILITY OF CAF MEMBERS TO COMPLETE THE 

SIX COMMON MILITARY TASKS 

5. STARTING 1 APR 2013, PSP FITNESS STAFF 

AND LOCAL CHAINS OF COMMAND 

WILL SCHEDULE FORCE EVALUATION 

FAMILIARIZATION SESSIONS TO INTRODUCE 

THE TEST TO LOCAL CAF PERSONNEL. 

THROUGHOUT FY 2013/2014, CAF PERSONNEL 

WILL BE REQUIRED TO ATTEMPT THE NEW 

FORCE EVALUATION AS THEIR FITNESS TEST ON 

A TRIAL BASIS. IF THEY MEET THE STANDARD, 

IT WILL COUNT AS THEIR FITNESS EVALUATION 

FOR THE NEXT 365-DAY PERIOD. IF NOT, THEY 

WILL BE REQUIRED TO HAVE A CURRENT CF 

EXPRES EVALUATION. CF EXPRES RESULTS 

OBTAINED IN FY 2013/2014 WILL BE VALID FOR 

365 DAYS ONLY. NO EXEMPT STATUS WILL BE 

AWARDED. AS OF 1 APR 2014, THE FORCE 

EVALUATION WILL BECOME THE ONLY VALID 

CAF FITNESS TEST 

6. EVERY CAF MEMBER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO 

MAINTAIN PERSONAL FITNESS AND A ROLE TO 

PLAY IN DEVELOPING A CAF-WIDE CULTURE 

OF FITNESS. I EXPECT CAF LEADERS TO MAKE 

HEALTH AND FITNESS A PRIORITY WITHIN THEIR 

COMMANDS AND TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. 

I AM PROUD THAT THE CAF PROVIDES 

ITS PERSONNEL WITH TIME FOR PHYSICAL 

TRAINING, ACCESS TO FIRST-RATE FITNESS 

FACILITIES AND EXPERT GUIDANCE FROM 

FITNESS PROFESSIONALS, AND NOW, ACCESS 

TO TAILORED, ONLINE OPERATIONAL FITNESS 

TRAINING THROUGH WWW.DFIT.CA. I EXPECT 

ALL CAF PERSONNEL TO USE THESE TOOLS 

IN ORDER TO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR 

THE NEW FORCE EVALUATION, AND MORE 

IMPORTANTLY, FOR THE DEMANDS OF SERVICE 

7. ON 4 MAR 2013, THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL 

DEFENCE AND I WILL OFFICIALLY INTRODUCE 

THE FORCE PROGRAM AND WILL BE GOING 

THROUGH THE FORCE EVALUATION. FOR 

COMPLETE PROGRAM INFORMATION, VISIT 

WWW.CFPSA.COM/FORCEPROGRAM AND 

CONSULT YOUR LOCAL PSP FITNESS STAFF. 

COMMANDING OFFICERS, IN COOPERATION 

WITH LOCAL PSP FITNESS STAFF, ARE HIGHLY 

ENCOURAGED TO COORDINATE TOWN 

HALL STYLE BRIEFINGS FOR THEIR PERSONNEL 

TO ENSURE A THOROUGH AND ACCURATE 

UNDERSTANDING OF THE FORCE PROGRAM

June 2013 - Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency

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