Maxing out the Army physical fitness test is an achievement few soldiers can claim. That’s because they don’t train for it properly… but with a little planning and the right training, you can max out your PT test and lay claim to the title of “PT Stud” for your unit.

Army physical fitness training

Reasons Why People Fail to Max Out the Army Physical Fitness Test

But first, let’s talk about why most soldiers won’t max out their Army physical fitness test:

  1. They don’t train specifically for the test – In other words, they do a bunch of exercises that don’t do a damn bit of good in getting your body prepped for the test.
  2. They don’t train often enough – I spoke with one girl who was headed to basic. I asked her what she was doing to prepare for it… her answer was that she did PT with her Guard Unit – once a month! That just won’t cut it, folks. You have to train enough to force your body to make changes that are consistent with the goals of the PT test.
  3. They don’t eat right – You need to quit eating Dong-Dongs and start eating more lean proteins, vegetables, and fresh fruits if you want to lose that spare tire or caboose, because all that extra weight is just slowing you down. Plus, you need to eat more lean protein to build the muscle that will allow you to move your body easily. Put down the cupcake now, private, and give me 20!
  4. They don’t get enough rest – You have to give your body time to recuperate and get stronger. See #5 below.
  5. They over-train – Training the same muscle groups every single day to full muscle failure is a sure-fire way to fall short of your goal. Even though your drill instructors might actually make you do this during basic, you don’t normally want to do this… it can actually hurt your chances of maxing the test.

So, now that we know what NOT to do, here’s how you should train to max your PT test:

  • Train only those exercises that make you BETTER at what you’ll do on the test. That means you’ll limit your workouts to exercises that make you better at doing push-ups, sit-ups, and the 2-mile run.
  • You will only train 3x a week, in order to allow your body time to recover.
  • You will train your muscles to failure (on the push-ups and sit-ups), but ONLY once a week, and ONLY at the end of the week.
  • Will will run for a longer distance than required on the test, while trying to keep the same speed throughout each run. And, you will run right after you do your strength training, in order to simulate the test.
  • You will rest four days a week, and eat a healthy diet all week long.
  • You will also stretch and do flexibility training on your rest days, to avoid injury.

The Army Physical Fitness Workout

Here’s a sample workout:

Push-ups - In sets of 25, resting no more than 45 seconds between sets, decreasing your rest time between sets by 5 seconds each week.

  • Push-ups with hands shoulder width
  • Push-ups with hands wider than shoulder width
  • Push ups with hand touching
  • Push-ups with feet elevated on a chair or bench
  • Push-ups with hands elevated on a chair or bench
  • Push-ups on knees to failure

Ab exercises - In sets of 25, resting no more than 45 seconds between sets, decreasing your rest time between sets by 5 seconds each week.

  • Sit-ups with feet anchored under the edge of a couch or bed
  • Sit-ups with feet NOT anchored
  • Sit-ups with a twist at the top (when you are fully vertical)
  • Hanging knee raises (hanging from a chin-up bar or monkey bars)
  • Hanging leg raises
  • Inverted sit-ups on a decline bench

Run –

Calculate the target speed you need to run at on each mile to max your run. Then start off the first week running the first 1/4 mile at that speed, and then finish you run at your usual pace. Extend the distance you run at your target pace by 1/4 mile each week.

If you aren’t already a runner (for example, you are trying to prepare for Army basic training), you’ll need to do the following until you can comfortably run three miles: Use the rule of tens to get up to running three miles three days a week: Start by running only 1/2 mile, and increase your running distance by no more than 10% every week. BUT… walk the rest of the distance after your run at a brisk pace until you’ve completed three miles.

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Following the above program will allow you to build up to maxing your Army physical fitness test gradually over time. As always, consult your physician before starting any exercise program.

I’d wish you luck, but luck ain’t got nuthin’ to do with it… just put in your time every week, eat properly, and get plenty of rest and you’ll meet your goal of maxing that PT test.

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About the author: Mike Massie, BAAS, NESTA CPT, is a certified personal trainer and boot camp instructor from Austin, Texas.

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