Bruce Jones, a retired Army colonel and medical doctor with the U.S. "Aerobic capacity is the most important measure of a Soldier's fitness," says Dr. Aerobic capacity is linked to performance of more military tasks than any other aspect of fitness. Studies have demonstrated that the 2-mile run is an excellent way to test Soldiers' cardiorespiratory endurance, also known as aerobic fitness. Not all aspects of the APFT are bad, however. Leaders and Soldiers alike have long expressed concerns that the APFT doesn't adequately measure Soldiers' abilities to perform common required tasks important during deployment. WHY AND HOW WERE NEW ACFT TESTS SELECTED? While the Army is sending out ACFT trainers to every unit to help train Soldiers, everyone should be aware of potential new problems and how to avoid them. Observations by Army experts suggest certain injuries that may be anticipated (see Table 1). While ACFT is intended to improve Soldiers' physical performance while reducing injuries long term, as with any new physical activity it comes with new injury risks. This supports a more holistic, balanced approach to Army physical readiness. The ACFT and associated training requires Soldiers to use several parts of the body not previously addressed by the APFT. While some aspects of standards, training, and administration are being finalized, procedures and techniques are documented in Field Manual (FM) 7-22, Army Physical Readiness Training (PRT), 2012. Soldiers will also conduct the APFT as the official test of record during a one-year transition until October 1, 2020. The ACFT will be conducted by all Soldiers Army-wide starting October 1, 2019. Some studies are still underway, but transition to the ACFT is imminent: "It's much more rigorous, but a better test," agreed several members of the units testing the ACFT. The ACFT is designed to better assess Soldiers' abilities to perform common tasks that reflect combat readiness. The ACFT is an almost hour-long series of the six tests described in Table 1: the dead lift, the standing power throw, the hand-release push up, the sprint-drag-and-carry, the leg tuck hold, and the 2-mile run. ![]() Used since 1980, the APFT includes the 2-mile run, push-up test, and sit-up test. Over the past year, a selected set of Army units have been piloting the new six-test Army Combat Fitness Test as the first phase of replacing the three-test Army Physical Fitness Test. Leg tucks are the fifth event in the ACFT as it is a test of endurance that requires Soldiers to. ![]() Army Advanced Individual Training student performs leg tucks during an Army Combat Fitness Test at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., June 28, 2019.
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