NS IPPT SYSTEM ENHANCED FOR GREATER FLEXIBILITY, SUSTAINED FITNESS
PHOTO // Chua Soon Lye
Starting 1 Apr 2011, Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) will enjoy greater flexibility in planning their fitness training regime and be able to sustain their fitness levels better. Minister of State for Defence Associate Professor Koo Tsai Kee announced two key changes to the National Service (NS) Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) system that will help them achieve this, on 11 Oct at the Maju Camp.
"First, to provide sustainable and progressive fitness improvement, the current IPPT Preparatory Training or IPT, will be enhanced from a voluntary five-week programme, to a voluntary nine-month programme with customised Personal Performance Targets (PPTs) over the same number of training sessions," said Assoc Prof Koo.
"Second, the one-year window for NS IPPT, which opens annually on the individual's birthday, will also be re-calibrated to nine months for IPPT and three months for remedial training, or RT."
The changes are the result of a review initiated by the Ministry of Defence early this year and are based on feedback garnered from NSmen and fitness training science.
Said Head National Service Affairs Department Colonel Nelson Yau: "With these changes, the SAF is partnering NSmen to help them train progressively and sustain their fitness at desired levels."
With the enhanced IPT programme, NSmen will have more flexibility in balancing the demands of work responsibilities, family commitments and their 10 sessions of training. Coupled with the PPTs, the new programme not only provides intermediate targets to ensure progressive training and help track performance, but is also customised to suit the different fitness levels of NSmen.
"When you first come in, you will be assessed on your fitness level through an IPPT and from there, we will identify your weak areas. We will then come up with a progress slope that's specifically customised to your abilities, as well as to challenge you sufficiently," explained Mr Tan Shern Meng, an exercise scientist for the Army Fitness Centre who helped to develop the new programme.
"Identifying this slope helps to identify the progress of your training," he added.
To help NSmen improve their fitness to desired levels within each year, those who do not meet the required PPTs will have an additional eight sessions of fitness training during the last three months of their window to help them to meet the requirements.
Corporal (NS) Chan Chi Thio, who has attended a trial of the enhanced IPT, felt that the new programme was "a more effective way for the fitness specialists to concentrate on weaker areas and provide targeted coaching".
The shorter nine-month NS IPPT window will also help NSmen to better sustain their fitness by enabling them to take their IPPT and RT within the same one-year window.
On top of the more consistent training cycle, NSmen will have greater flexibility in booking RT sessions as they now have a three-month window as opposed to the previous two-month window.
Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (NS) Zee Yoong Kang, Commanding Officer of 700th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment, explained that this new one-year window would make for more sustained and consistent fitness levels by reminding people that fitness maintenance is not a last minute thing.
"People have to accept that fitness is not something that you can achieve in one to two months, and it's definitely not something that can be achieved at the last minute. You've got to train consistently and this new regime will help people achieve that," said LTC (NS) Zee.
Private (PTE) (NS) Tan Keng Liang, who also took part in the trial of the new IPT, agreed. "We've got to come with the mindset that you can't depend on the IPT training alone, we got to workout ourselves also. For me, I try to swim at least once a week as part of my training regime."
Previously able to do only one chin-up, PTE Tan has since improved to achieving five chin-ups after going for the IPT.
The enhanced IPT programme will also include coaching sessions for NSmen with regard to exercise methods and health and fitness. Some of the topics to be covered include health and nutrition, exercise principles, preventing and managing sports injuries.
