In this day and age of $200 gym memberships and $3,000 elliptical trainers, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that basic physical fitness doesn’t need to be expensive. The U.S. Army still does things the old-fashioned way: basic fitness exercises combined with a timed evaluation every six months. All soldiers must meet these standards to be considered physically fit for duty.

Do you want to know how fit you really are? Forget the digital readouts of your NordicTrack and see how you stack up against the Army’s Physical Fitness Test (PFT) standards. It only takes around 45 minutes to take the complete test and you won’t need any special equipment.

The Army PFT consists of three tried-and-true components: push-ups, sit-ups and a timed two-mile run. Each exercise is scored on a 100 point scale using age and gender-based tables, yielding a maximum total score of 300 points. Let’s take a look at each of the three Army PFT components and how you can determine your own score.

Push-ups

The first event in the Army PFT is a timed series of push-ups, designed to test the strength of your chest, shoulders and triceps. You must accomplish as many push-ups as possible within a two minute time period. Don’t be tempted to take short-cuts during this event; quality counts! The elements of a proper Army push-up are:

• Begin in a front-leaning rest with your feet no further than one foot apart and your hands at a comfortable distance. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulder to your ankles.
• Bend your arms and lower your body as a single unit until your upper arms are parallel to the ground
• Return to the starting position by raising your body until your arms are fully extended.
• Your body must remain rigid and generally straight during the entire time period.

The image below illustrates a proper Army push-up.

Once you’ve completed the two minutes, check your score on the push-up scoring table.

Sit-ups

After finishing your push-ups, take a 10-minute break and then it’s time to begin a timed two-minute series of sit-ups. This exercise is designed to test the strength of your abdominal and hip-flexor muscles. To complete a proper sit-up, you must:

• Begin lying on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your feet may be up to one foot apart and a friend should hold your ankles with his or her hands.
• Interlock your fingers behind your head with the back of your hands touching the ground.
• Raise your upper body forward to (or beyond) the vertical position.
• Lower your body until the bottom of your shoulder blades touch the ground.

The illustration below shows the proper Army sit-up.

Once you’ve completed the exercise, you can look up your score using the sit-up scoring table.

Two-mile Run

You may take another 10-minute break after completing your sit-ups. Then it’s time to hit the trail for a timed two-mile run. This one’s pretty simple: run (or walk, if necessary) as fast as you can for two miles! You may complete the exercise on a track or on another measured course.
After completing your run, compare your time to the two-mile run scoring table to determine how you rank.

Tallying the Results

To compute your final score, simply add up the three components to determine your total Army PFT score. To pass, you must a total of 180 points, with a minimum score of 60 points in each event. Soldiers who score at least 90 points in each event receive the Physical Fitness Badge, which may be worn on the physical fitness uniform.

One Last Thing

In addition to the Army PFT, soldiers must meet height and weight standards. To accommodate soldiers with unusual muscle mass, you may also meet the alternative Body Mass Index (BMI) standards.

How did you perform? Are you fit to serve in the U.S. Army? Comment on this post and let us know!

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