Army Physical Fitness Test (Outdated)
***This test has been superseded by the Army Combat Fitness Test and is therefore obsolete. ***
Click the link to see more. I kept it around in case you were curious or want an extra workout!
The Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT, is something you will have to pass every 6 months for as long as you are in the military. The test consists of 3 parts: Push-ups, Sit-ups, and a 2-mile run (in this order). Failure to pass this test will have serious consequences on your career in the Army. Not to fear; here, I offer you some do's and don'ts on how to prepare and take this test.
When do I take this test?
As mentioned in the introduction, you will take this test every 6 months as long as you are on active duty. Your first APFT will occur within your first few days of arriving at BOLC. Aside from this, you may or may not take it during your medical school Army rotations. After you start full active duty in residency, prepare to take an APFT every 6 months for the duration of your stay in the military active duty family.
What if I fail?
This was an oddly common occurrence at the first APFT in BOLC. I knew about the APFT well over a year in advance and started preparing for it about 3 months out - apparently, a lot of my comrades missed the memo. If you fail any part of the first APFT, you will be in the special population physical readiness training (PRT) group for the rest of BOLC. If you pass the APFT, you have PRT every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5am. If you fail the APFT, you get to exercise before the sun rises EVERY weekday.
You will also be in the special population training if you failed the height/weight test at the start of BOLC. The full height/weight standards are a bit too complicated for this site, but you can read more about them in AR 600-9, here.
The ramifications of a failure vary greatly depending on your status. If you are at BOLC prior to graduating medical/dental/vet school (i.e. after 1st, 2nd or 3rd year), your failure doesn't mean much. It is technically diagnostic and does not affect your ability to graduate from the program - it is simply frowned upon. If you are set to go to residency (active duty) or your first active duty station following BOLC, you MUST pass the APFT before graduation. You will have 3 chances to do so: on arrival to BOLC, the day before training switches from class-based to field training, and the morning of graduation.
If you do not pass the APFT prior to starting active duty, you may be withheld from initiating your service, which may result in charge back of all tuition and benefits, with interest, of course.
If you fail an APFT after you have begun active duty, there are a number of ramifications that will occur. One key issue is that you will be barred from promotion boards until you pass the test. Another is that your pay bonuses will be withheld if you fail the test. Pay bonuses, for a doctor, make up most of your pay. Also, after several failures, you may be discharged from the military (there are a number of factors here, such as your commanding officer, level of effort, history, etc).
Never forget that you are just as much an officer in the Army as you are a doctor/dentist/veterinarian; officers are expected to score highly on APFTs to serve as examples for those under their command.
This is far more complex than I describe here, so for full details, check out AR 600-8-2, specifically, chapter 3.
What if I am injured?
As mentioned in the previous section, if you are not going to active duty immediately following BOLC, its not really a big deal. If you ARE off to active duty, I know there are alternative tests that may be taken in lieu of the big 3. You would need to speak to your commander or AMEDD office for more specifics.
How can I improve my score?
The best thing you can do is train in advance for a few months before coming to BOLC. The APFT consists of 3 simple exercises and they do not take much training to become proficient in! If you spend 5 minutes a day doing push-ups, 5 minutes a day doing sit-ups and run 2 miles every other day for the three months leading up to BOLC, I guarantee your score will be infinitely better than if you did no preparation at all. If you do more prep than this, you'll be even better off!
You can try a few techniques I used to sneak practice in throughout my day:
I did a routine where first thing in the morning, I would roll out of bed and do as many push-ups as I could, and I would do the same thing in the evening before I got ready for bed.
I would do another technique where I would get up from my desk every 45 minutes or so and do as many sit-ups as I could. It helped break up the monotony of studying, and I saw a steady increase in my sit-up score over time! Also, you don't need someone to hold your feet to get practice - sliding your feet under your couch, dresser or anything else that will support your weight will help you to complete full sit-ups.
If you are unable to do push-ups, start out in the push-up position, but then lower your knees to the ground. Using your knees as a fulcrum, do push-ups normally. Eventually, you will have enough strength to do proper push-ups.
If you are unable to do sit-ups at first, start out with leg-lifts: lie flat on the ground with your hands facing the floor under your butt. Keeping your legs straight, raise them to about 80 degrees and them lower them to about 5 degrees off the ground - don't let them touch the floor! Do as many as you can do for at least 3 sets. This will strengthen your hip flexors and lower abdominals, helping you build up to full sit-ups.
I am sure if the people in the special population PRT group (who have to wake up at 4 every day) knew what lie ahead of them, here, they would have put a little more time into their pre-BOLC training.
How many push-ups/sit-ups do I need to do and how fast do I need to run?
Ok we are finally to the meat of the discussion: what do I need to do and how fast do I need to do it? The Army has a very clear set of instructions and score sheet available - I have included it down below. As you can see, your required score varies based on your age and sex. You need a minimum of 60 points in each category to pass the APFT.
If you want to be lazy, there is a website that will calculate your score for you.
You will have 2 minutes for the push-up event, followed by at least a 10 minute break, then 2 minutes for the sit-up event, followed by at least a 10 minute break, and then the run.
Because not everyone takes the APFT on the same day, it is possible to have a friend who is not taking the test that day run with you as a pacer. This practice is totally acceptable.
It is interesting to note that the order of this test matters! If you attempt to perform this test in any other order, you will NOT perform as well. It is all about the abs. If you do sit-ups before push-ups, your abs will be fatigued and unable to keep your torso straight during the push-up. Doing abs prior to running may actually help your breathing. If you run before either of the other tests, you will be out of breath and fatigued and will perform at a lower level.
