How to Pass Your Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Health and Safety How to Pass Your Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 31, 2020 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Heather Black, CPT Reviewed by Heather Black, CPT Heather Black, CPT is a NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Heather Black Fitness & Nutrition where she offers remote and in-person training and nutrition coaching. Learn about our Review Board Print Getty Images / Pekic Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What Is the APFT Before You Begin Training Preparing for APFT Training to Pass the APFT After more than twenty years, the Army has modified its fitness evaluation. The new Army Physical Fitness and Combat Readiness Tests include updated whole body exercises as well as an obstacle course to challenge stability and stamina. The older versions of the tests are described below. What Is the APFT Each branch of the US Military has a specific set of criteria used to assess the fitness of its candidates. The Army Physical Fitness Test helped determine the health status and physical fitness of prospective candidates as well as current soldiers. The standard Army fitness test consisted of: A two-mile runMaximum sit-ups in 2 minutesMaximum push-ups in 2 minutes Each event is scored separately. A minimum score of 60 points on each event is required to pass (50 points per event is needed to graduate Army Basic Training). You can calculate your score using this APFT score calculator tool. Before You Begin Training The most important thing to recognize before you start training for the APFT is that the test is simply one measurement tool used to assess overall fitness. If you excel in these three disciplines (upper body strength and endurance, core strength and endurance and cardiovascular speed and endurance) it's likely that you have excellent overall fitness and are well-prepared for the rigors of combat. If, however, your fitness goal is simply to pass the APFT, you are missing the point of the testing. Yes, you can train specifically to do well on the test, and this will generally mean you have good overall fitness, but it's important to have a solid base of total health as well. Total health includes: Cardiovascular endurance Muscle strength and endurance Injury prevention Proper rest and recovery Proper nutrition Good flexibility Ideal body composition Preparing for the APFT Preparing for this fitness test can be simple or difficult, depending upon your current fitness level. If you are in excellent shape, simply focusing on the specific test exercises for a month or two should be sufficient to score well on the APFT. If you are not currently fit or fit in only one discipline (swimming, cycling or weight lifting) or you have a good deal of extra body fat to lose, you will need to start training long before you take the Army fitness test. You'll want to improve your overall baseline fitness first, and then narrow in on the specific areas that will be measured during testing. Build a Base of Cardiovascular Fitness It's important to exercise consistently and include a variety of exercises in your program. You need to have strength, endurance, speed, and power. But building a solid fitness base using long, slow, steady exercise sessions is the starting point if you are just beginning a fitness program. Add cross-training workouts to provide variety and improve your overall fitness as you build endurance. Begin a Basic Strength Training Routine If you haven't done much weight training in the past, you'll need to start with lighter weights, more reps, and build up gradually over time. A simplified strength training routine may be all you need for the first two months until you develop more overall strength. Training to Pass the APFT After you have a solid and wide-reaching base of fitness, the next step to acing your APFT is to build specific fitness in the areas tested. Adding push-ups, sit-ups, and other core strength and endurance training to your workout is essential. Pass the Push-Up Test To pass the push-up test, you need to master the push-up technique and then practice, practice, practice. You can add a variety of push-up styles into your routine, such as decline push-ups, diamond push-ups, plyometric push-ups, etc. Near the end of your push-up workout, finish with easier push-ups on your knees and continue until you can't do any more. Pass the Sit-Up Test In order to pass your sit-up test, you need excellent abdominal and hip flexor strength and endurance. Doing lots of sit-ups is your goal, but to get there, you may want to add a variety of ab and core exercises into your sit-up training routine. This will help you to develop good overall core strength and endurance. Practice sit-ups following the APFT protocol, as well as planks, knee raise, and oblique exercises. Simple Ways to Do More Sit-Ups Pass the Run Test If you are new to running, start with this program for new runners program to get your body accustomed to the activity. Once you are able to jog for 30 minutes, you are ready to build more speed and power. Do this workout at a 400 meter (m) track twice a week, with at least three days between workouts. Warm-up by jogging for two laps (800m) Run 1 lap (400m) at your goal pace Jog 2 laps (800m) Run 1 lap at goal pace Jog 2 laps for a total of 8 laps (two miles) Over time (every two weeks) increase the goal-pace laps and decrease the jogging laps until you can maintain your goal pace for the entire two miles. To improve your two-mile run time, you can also incorporate sprint work, interval training, or ladders. A Word From Verywell As you are preparing for your APFT, the last thing you need is an injury. The first step to preventing training injuries is to pay attention to your body and any aches and pains that come on quickly or slowly. By following these tips and suggestions, you'll be better prepared to pass your next APFT, safely and without injury. 2 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Knapik JJ, East WB. History of United States Army physical fitness and physical readiness training. US Army Med Dep J. 2014;5-19. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ. VO2max trainability and high intensity interval training in humans: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(9):e73182. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073182 By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles Simple Tests to Measure Your Fitness Level at Home How to Do Push-Ups: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Run Your Fastest Mile 6 Track Workouts to Improve Your Speed and Finishing Kick Simple Methods for Improving Muscular Endurance Simple Ways to Do More Sit-Ups How to Run Faster Best Personal Trainer Certification Programs of 2022 What Are the Five Components of Fitness? Try This Test to Measure Upper Body Strength 19 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home for a Quick Workout How a Fitness Test Is Used to Design an Exercise Program Find Your Fitness Level With a 1-Mile Walk Test Want to Run a Mile? This 4-Week Program Will Get You on Track How to Do More Push-Ups How to Increase Stamina: 16 Ways to Power Up a Workout When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All