US Army PT test

stocka

Hi Guys (and Gals)

I'm kinda new here, but one thing I do get to do is PT. (physical training)
It helps that I'm required to work out every morning, and now, every afternoon. But what I wanted to share was some Ideas on exercise. What I'm talking about is Army PT and our APFT. The Army Physical Fitness Test is what we use to measure our strength and endurance. This is done at least twice a year, so we are always training for it.
The test is simple.. 2 min. as many push-ups as you can do, 2 min. as many sit-ups as you can do, then a 2 mile run or a 2.5 mile walk (depending on your body and how bad your knees and feet are!)
There are rules though. The push-ups are graded by some one who checks for correct form, and the sit-ups are done with someone holding your feet and a grader. You get 10 min. between each event to rest and stretch. The run / walk is done on your own, with no physical help from anyone.
There are more, intricate rules for us guys in green, but YOU could train yourselves to do this and see how fit you are!
This could also be used as a tool to measure how your workouts are going.
I have access to the grading sheets, and I will try and get them available for anyone who would like to take a look at them.
Scoring is based on age; sex; number of reps. correctly completed.
I challenge anyone to try it, you will be sore the next couple of days if done correctly. But, it helps, and you feel good afterwards. Scoring is a good way to track your progress and see how you are improving and what you should focus on doing more.
Any Takers?? This isn't a contest, but I can post my scores and we can compare!

belldandy1

I would love to try this. I am taking Krav Maga classes, and we always have to do pushups in that class. Right now I can only do about 5 real pushups then I have to go to the girl ones. I am pretty good with sit ups. I know I can't run for 2 miles, hell I can run for two minutes, but I am training for a 5k in September, so I will be improving. I think I could start doing this test once a month to track my physical fitness progress. Where are the PT test forms?

BTW: do girl push-ups count at all?

bjberry

I remember those tests! I was good at all three (in 1979).
Due to physical problems, walking is the only one I can still do well, but I do love to walk.
Enjoy the Army, take care of yourself and your Army brothers and sisters. Thank you for your service to this country.
Hugs, from an old grandmother (Nana) / military retiree. :drinker:

stocka

While "girl" push-ups do not count, they are useful in building strength to be able to get off your knees and do "regular" ones. I frequently find myself having to go to my knees just to maintain correct form.
I have a link to a website that is dedicated to the APFT and training for it. The scoring scales are not exactly easy to read, but you get used to them. find your gender, then your number of reps. you did, and finally move over to your age group and find out your % score. The best you can get is a 300. I'm around the 285 range, cause sit-ups are still not that easy for me!
Good luck to you and I hope this helps you track your progress.

http://www.army-fitness.com/index.php

Oh, and don't let the BFI calculators get you down. If you don't look like GI Joe or Army Barbie, Uncle Sam thinks you're fat...

dtraylor

When I left Ft. Sill, at 22 in1987, I was tops in my class for fitness. 92 Pushup, 98 Situps, and could run 2 miles in 10 minutes! I was skinny and awesome, lol. Although pictures of me made me look just skinny. Now 23 years later, I weigh 40 pounds more (some of it muscle, lol), and have taken up bootcamp and other forms of exercise to keep myself in some sort of shape, but the bootcamp tends to hurt my shoulder so I've given that a break until it heals and I'm back to jogging. I think 35 pushups are my max, and maybe a little less in situps, and my run has degraded to 2 miles in 20 minutes if I push it, lol. I sure as heck can't sit there and do pullups all day any more either, I think 4 may be my max, lol, if I really strain. So how does 35p, 30s, and 20 min look for a 45year old man? Would I pass? )

afyfe

If you want AF standards, they can be found here. We only do 1.5 mile run though.

http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/affitnessprogram/

Kmill217

If you want AF standards, they can be found here. We only do 1.5 mile run though.

wait, what? AF has standards?

I'm biased agains the military PT test. I think they make it to easy. We have many a lazy body here in the Army. And I'll be the first to say that our APFT tests are in no way a measure of one's progress. I would personally associate any progress to that of ones goals. I for one can move a heck of a lot more weight than that skinny dude who can push him self up off the ground 92 times, take his skinny waist and do 100 situps and move his self down a track at 10 minutes a mile. . . what they typically cannot do that i can...is carry an 80lb ruck sack over a 12 mile road march...........

that is a true assessment of an Army standard....so again- I disagree with the post. It doens't measure any sort of fitness level one may have obtained.

STATS:

72 in
203
16% BF
12 mile ruck march hr. 45lb ruck
bench: 275
squat: 600
push-up: 63
sit-up: 76
2 mile run: 13:50


seeing my point yet??
I'm in great shape, yet in no way does my 276+/- PT score associate my fitness level to that of which our APFT considers fit.


BTW: I love AF, i was just havin fun! I'm thankful for your chili's restaurant down in OSAN :P

stocka

While you are quite right about the "general population" this APFT is, in fact, a good way to keep tabs on how you are progressing through your work outs and fitness routines. Everyone has different goals, and while I am still scoring in the 285 range, I am still "over weight" by Army standards. So, yes, I'm fit, but still fat. And not everyone needs to be able to ruck 12 miles with 80 lbs on their back.
Criticize the 2.5 mile walk and then try it. The AF has a different test, we are just biased because we are Army. The Marines do pull ups. As I said, everyone has different goals and levels of fitness. This test is just a good tool to measure your overall level of fitness and track your progress as you progress through your workout routines.