In October of 2019, the U.S. Army began implementation of their new Combat Fitness Test, and by October of this year, it will become the Army’s fitness test of record. This new test places a larger emphasis on the types of physical challenges a soldier may face in combat, and will have minimum requirements based on your military occupational specialty. The entire fitness test must be completed within 50 minutes, which adds to the difficulty due to the limited amount of time soldiers will have to recover between events.
Event 1: Strength Deadlift
Soldiers will be expected to execute 3 repetitions during the deadlift event, with the weight increasing between each repetition. This exercise is intended to replicate a number of activities a soldier might encounter during combat operations, like carrying ammo cans, moving equipment, or evacuating a wounded soldier. Depending on the soldier, deadlift weights can range from 120 to 420 pounds.
Event 2: Standing Power Throw
The second event in the new Army fitness test is the Standing Power Throw. To complete this event, each soldier will need to throw a 10-pound ball backward as far as he or she can. This test is meant to measure a soldier’s explosive power, balance, and flexibility.
Event 3: Hand Release Pushups
The third event in the new Army fitness test is called “hand release pushups,” and they’re a variation on the classic pushup test. Instead of doing traditional pushups, each soldier will need to lift their hands and arms up off of the ground in between each executed pushup. Each soldier will be given two minutes to execute as many hand release pushups as possible, and some occupational specialties will require a minimum number of hand release push ups in order to pass.
Event 4: Sprint/Drag/Carry
The Sprint/Drag/Carry event will once again test a soldier’s ability to carry heavy loads in combat situations. This time, soldiers run up and down a 25-meter lane a total of 5 times, with different weighted challenges on each lap, including a 90-pound sled soldiers will need to drag and two 40-pound kettlebell weights soldiers will need to carry. This test is meant to assess a soldier’s ability to quickly move out of harm’s way while carrying equipment or other injured soldiers.
Event 5: The Leg Tuck
The fifth event in the new Army Fitness Test is the Leg Tuck. This event is a measure of a soldier’s core strength, and is graded by counting the maximum number of repetitions each soldier can execute. The starting position for the leg tuck is hanging from the pull up bar with an alternating grip. Soldier’s will then pull themselves up with their arms while bringing their knees up to their elbows.
Event 6: 2-Mile Run
The 2-mile run is exactly what it sounds like: soldiers will be timed as they run two miles. This part of the test is meant to assess a soldier’s cardiovascular strength and endurance.
Feature image courtesy of Senior Airman Tristan Biese, U.S. Air Force
