The New Army Fitness Test (AFT)
- Trio Fitness Training
- 8 hours ago
- 4 min read
If you haven't seen the news, the Army is once again changing their fitness test. This time, however, the change is much smaller than the change was between the APFT and the ACFT. Let's look at the Army Fitness Test.
A few changes were made. Only one actual change was made from the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) and that is that the Army Fitness Test (AFT) does NOT include the Standing Power Throw. This was the exercise where soldiers would throw a ball behind them, over there head as far as they could.
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The other change is that women in combat jobs will be required to meet the male standards for the AFT.
This is what the AFT looks like:
Trap Bar Deadlift x 3 reps for max weight up to 340lbs
Hand Release Pushups
Sprint, Drag, Carry
Plank
2 Mile Run
Standing Power Throw:
I personally believe that the removal of the Standing Power Throw was a good decision. The goal for the ACFT, as it was being designed, was to create a fitness test that shows that a soldier is fit and ready for combat. While it is possible, it is very unlikely that there will be a combat scenario where you have to throw something with a lot of power over your head and far behind you. It's a test of power, but it isn't practical. It was wise for them to remove it.
Trap Bar Deadlift:
Being able to lift heavy weight is very practical for a soldier. You might be lifting heavy boxes or lifting cans or boxes off a pallet, or helping lift a body on a litter. There are many scenarios in the military, not just combat arms, in which lifting heavy items is required. This is a good test.
Hand Release Pushups:
While this could also be traditional pushups, Hand Release Pushups are a fine test of upper body strength endurance. They also somewhat replicate a person getting up from the prone position which is not uncommon for soldiers. Upper body strength is obviously essential for lifting items, holding a weapon or other gear, and so on. It's a good test overall.
Sprint, Drag, Carry:
The ability to move quickly in short bursts while carrying weight and pulling weight is also important. While I still think the Lateral Shuffle portion of the event is a bit silly, as it's a movement pattern that would be shocking to see in any real-world scenario, I LOVE this test otherwise. It's great at simulating pulling weight, carrying weights, and changing direction within a short distance. All things that would be very common in a combat scenario. Great test.
Plank:
While I don't like the plank as a core test, having some kind of test for core strength matters because you'll rarely find a fit, strong person who doesn't have a strong core. A strong core is essential for overall fitness; especially for load bearing. I wish it was a different test like the original knee tucks, or maybe even Hanging Knee Raises, or something similar, but it's okay. A core test is a good thing, but a different one would be better.
2 Mile Run:
A lot of people argue that you'll never run 2 miles in a modern combat situation. They're probably correct. However, that's not the point of this test. This test exists to show your overall cardiovascular conditioning. Can you move for an extended period of time and cover a reasonable distance? If you were in a combat scenario, it could last hours, and you could be moving around the whole time. If you don't have a solid cardiovascular base, you will suffer physically. In general though, even if an engagement were short, you'll still perform better for longer if you have a good cardio base. I am 100% for a timed 2 mile test. It's short enough that troops can train for it and do well without having to do lots and lots of running, but it's long enough to be a good test for their cardiovascular fitness. Keep the run.
There it is! If you want help training for the AFT, we'd love to help. We currently have an ACFT program to help soldiers improve their ACFT score, but we'll be adjusting it to match the AFT moving forward. With one less event to train for, you have more time to focus on improving your fitness in practical ways! Reach out to find out about training.
Train hard, train smart, and let us know if you have any questions:
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