You're right. You're both right. I just used to post to this forum frequently and figured I'd engage a conversation. This one seemed debatable so I jumped in.
As far as getting qualified goes... my division hasn't gotten a new guy in about a year and a half. We're about 50% E-6 CRW (SW), 40% E-5 CRW (SW) and about 10% E-5 CRW just about done with warfare quals.
We have some fancy new equipment that requires a TON of maintenance and frequent troubleshooting (can you imagine a RL division hanging tagouts several times a week for their own equipment?). We're super short-handed (but 100% manned because of the amount of E-6's) but at least we don't have to worry about quals.
sounds RIDICULOUSLY like the IKE, except we were 15% E-6 CRW, 20% E-5 CRW, and rest was E-5/4 nub. Very crappy time
And you kinda bring my point to a head. We had to FORCE time to go work out. There was no arranged time to go to the gym or do some group PT. I know topsiders have plenty of time off, and we are the minority, so perhaps our views dont jive so well with the rest of the navy

.... well shoot, we know thats the case.
Drayer -> yes, no shirt saturdays will always be in my heart

. Having a six pack, and ripped serratus is always nice to have haha. I know you worked out, Im just pullin your leg, and giving a different point. A lot of people just cant get into it, or have no motivation. Your motivation in the gym was not the same as mine. I enjoyed it, most people dont. I can do about 30 pullups, does that make me a better operator? definitely and utterly not, and I get your point, we all do. It just really boils down to the navy standards of having an "in shape navy", and people not fitting into those.
lets give another counterpoint... standards in the navy are a joke. if a nuke cheats on a test... BAM. end of the world, serious career damaging event. topsider cheats on a test... slaps on the wrist. topsider falls asleep on watch, it stops at the chief. nuke falls asleep on watch, bam, career damaging event. Now, the prestige of operating a nuclear plant plays into that. We NEED to be held to higher standards then the "average joe", so perhaps lowering our prt standards (they do that with EOD's, SWIC, and SEALs....) would make some sense? top side joe is on 8 section duty, and has one 4 hour watch on his duty day. Not quite the same as our 3 section duty, full work day, mon-fri gig.