Army Basic Training PT Exercises and How to Get Ready for the Army Fitness Test

According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), basic training, or boot camp, is the first step for anyone who wants to be a soldier in the U.S. Army. It’s a 10-week program with three phases covering everything from weapons training to combat skills, with plenty of Army PT workouts thrown in.

The DOD explains that in the first phase of basic training camp, you need to pass a physical test. According to an article published in the U.S. Army Medical Journal, the Army first introduced the physical test in 1858. It has undergone several modifications since then.

According to the DOD, the current version of the test is known as the Army Fitness Test (AFT). It consists of:

• Strength Deadlift The deadlift involves three increasingly heavy reps of 120 to 420 pounds (lb). It simulates picking up a box of ammo, a wounded soldier, heavy equipment, or supplies.
• Hand-Release Push-Ups You will do as many as you can in two minutes. Some specific roles have a minimum number of reps you need to complete.
• Sprint/Drag/Carry You’ll run five times up and down a 25-meter lane. You will sprint, drag a sled with 90 lb attached, and carry two 40-lb kettlebells. This can replicate pulling a soldier away from harm, rapidly taking cover, or carrying ammo to a fighting position.
• Plank You’ll maintain a plank for as long as possible.
• Two-Mile Run You’ll complete a timed run to build and test endurance.

Apart from the fitness test, the basic training camp also involves a demanding regimen of Army PT exercises.

The U.S. Army provides a 12-week training schedule you can follow to prepare for the physical requirements of basic training. The training schedule is designed to improve your cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, and physical endurance.

According to the Army, all workout sessions in the training schedule have three parts:

• Warm-up
• Main activity
• Cooldown

The warm-up typically lasts 15 minutes, the main activity lasts 15 to 30 minutes, and the cooldown lasts around 10 minutes. The workouts include core exercises, conditioning drills, running sessions, and stretching drills.

Per the Army’s training schedule, below is an example of an endurance workout you would do in your first week of preparing for basic training camp. You can check out the Army training schedule here for pictures and descriptions of the exercises below.

Warm-Up Set 1: Conditioning Drill

• Bend and Reach 5 repetitions, slow
• Rear Lunge 5 repetitions, slow
• High Jumper 5 repetitions, moderate cadence
• Rower 5 repetitions, slow
• Squat Bender 5 repetitions, slow
• Windmill 5 repetitions, slow
• Forward Lunge 5 repetitions, slow
• Prone Row 5 repetitions, slow
• Bent-Leg Body Twist 5 repetitions, slow
• Push-Up 5 repetitions, moderate

Warm-Up Set 2: Military Movement Drill

• Verticals 1 repetition
• Laterals 1 repetition
• Shuttle Sprint 1 repetition

Main Activity: Speed Running (30:60s)

To be repeated six times.

• Run 30 seconds
• Walk 60 seconds

Cooldown Part 1: Walking

• Walk until your heart rate comes down to fewer than 100 beats per minute.

Cooldown Part 2: Stretch Drill

• Overhead Arm Pull 1 repetition on each side, hold for 20 seconds per rep
• Rear Lunge 1 repetition on each side, hold for 20 seconds per rep
• Extend and Flex 1 repetition on each side, hold for 20 seconds per rep
• Thigh Stretch 1 repetition on each side, hold for 20 seconds per rep
• Single-Leg Over 1 repetition on each side, hold for 20 seconds per rep

The Army offers more general advice on getting your mind and body ready for the rigors of military PT on MilitaryOneSource.com. Tips include using gym and swimming facilities to improve endurance, pretesting yourself and working to improve your scores, and training with a friend to keep motivation up.

Having a plan and cutting down on ultra-processed, fatty food can help you fuel your body to stay on point with your training and hit your test targets.