After a decade-plus of changes to the military fitness tests, the biggest change in our Department of Defense fitness testing has been the removal of situps and crunches, replaced by the plank pose. Everything else roughly stayed the same for the Navy, Air Force and even the Department of Homeland Security branch of service, the Coast Guard. The creation of a new branch, the Space Force, largely paralleled the Air Force with fitness testing development and changes.
With all the changes in military fitness tests, along with corresponding pass/fail standards, over the past few decades, most military members must master pushups, the plank pose and running. While substitutions exist for running (swim, row, bike), members must complete this basic fitness test every six months. However, the Army and USMC have advanced their fitness tests, creating the Army Fitness Test (AFT) and the USMC Combat Fitness Test (CFT). These go beyond the calisthenics and cardio focus of the other branches of service, but given the physically more demanding missions, the changes were needed.
The Basic Military Test Prep Workout
This workout focuses on the core components of most military fitness tests that most members in the military need to master: run, plank and pushups. The routine combines goal-pace running intervals with time-based plank and pushup sets to simulate the demands of general Department of Defense fitness assessments.
Perform this workout two to three times a week for best results. It consists of:
Warmup
- Jog or bike, 5-10 min.
- Dynamic Stretches: Leg swings, arm circles, high knees, 5 min.
Pushup and Plank Circuit
Since the test requires running after doing pushups and plank pose, always start the workout with pushups and plank.
Repeat 3 times:
- Pushups: Max reps in 1 min.
- Plank: Hold for 1 min.
- Active rest: Walking or jogging, 2 min.
Goal-Pace Run Intervals
While the focus of this section of the workout is learning your goal pace for running your timed run distance, adding an active rest of testing events, pushups and plank pose can help you better prepare for the test.
Repeat 6-8 times:
- Run 400 meters (1/4 mile) at your goal 1.5- or 2-mile pace.
- Rest 1 minute between intervals (walk or slow jog).
- Add 1 minute of plank pose, doing 5 pushups every 30 seconds.
When this gets easy, decrease the sets, but increase the distance:
Repeat 3-4 times:
- Run 800 meters (1/2 mile) at your goal 1.5- or 2-mile pace.
- Rest 2 min. between intervals (walk or slow jog).
- Add 2 min. of plank pose, doing 10 pushups every minute on the minute (EMOM).
If running this much is too much, replace any run with a high-intensity bike, rower, or elliptical if you need non-impact options. For every mile you miss of running in this workout, replace it with 10 minutes of biking, for instance.
Cool Down
- Slow jog or walk, 5 min.
- Static stretching: Hamstrings, quads, shoulders, core
Track your run times and pushup/plank performance each week to monitor progress. Adjust interval pace or plank duration as your fitness improves. Always consult with a health care professional before beginning any new fitness program.
While most of the military will take this type of fitness test, you may opt for special programs within each of the branches that will require different fitness testing events that will include lifting weights, using sandbags, pullups, pushups, situps, swimming and longer-distance running and rucking. Check out the Military.com Fitness Section to see more training ideas for any fitness test, basic training, and special ops selections.
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