The bike event requires a stationary bike with an adjustable seat and handlebars so it can accommodate soldiers of different heights. The bike has to be equipped with an odometer and a stationary cycle ergometer.
You get a short warm-up period and time to adjust the seat and handlebars. Then, on the command of “Get set,” grab your handlebars and get ready for the “Go” command. Your time starts on the “Go” command, and your test timer calls out the time remaining every 30 seconds during the last two minutes of allowable time and every second during the last ten seconds. You must cover 12,000 meters within 25 minutes. You must continue cycling until you reach the 12,000-meter distance, regardless of the time.
Row
If you’re participating in the row event, your unit has to provide you with a stationary rowing machine. It must have mechanically adjustable resistance, and the seat, handles, and foot straps have to be adjustable, too. The rowing machine must be equipped with an odometer, and it has to be calibrated before the test.
You get a short warm-up period and some time to adjust the machine to your body size and adjust resistance. On the command of “Get set,” position yourself comfortably. The clock begins when your grader says “Go.” Like the bike event, your grader calls out the remaining time every 30 seconds during the last two minutes of the test and every second during the last ten seconds. You have 25 minutes to complete 5,000 meters. You must continue rowing until you reach 5,000 meters, regardless of the time.
Swim
The swim event has to take place in a pool with a 25-meter lane and a minimum depth of 1 meter. This one requires a lot of personnel: You need an event supervisor, one scorer for every three soldiers, a timer and a backup timer, and support personnel who are there to ensure safety. The event supervisor can’t be a scorer, either.
You get some time to acclimate to the pool’s temperature and warm up, but when you hear the command “Get set,” you have to position yourself in the pool holding the wall, with your body in contact with the wall — that’s the start position for this event. On the command of “Go,” you can start swimming. You can use any stroke you want (including a combination of strokes). At the end of each 25-meter lap, you have to touch the pool’s wall as you turn around.
You have 25 minutes to swim 1,000 meters, which in a 25-meter lane is 40 laps. Your scorer is supposed to watch you and count your laps, but counting them yourself doesn’t hurt. During the event, you can walk on the bottom of the pool to recuperate if you need to.
You don’t have to wear your Army Physical Fitness Uniform during this alternate event. You can wear civilian swimming attire (read: your favorite trunks or bathing suit), swimming goggles, and a swim cap if you want to. Just make sure you’re sporting something that would be appropriate for you to wear in front of your sergeant major.
Chapter 3
Understanding How the Army Administers the ACFT
IN THIS CHAPTER
You used to be able to show up to a PT test knowing that all you had to do was a handful of push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run — and that you’d probably pass. The ACFT isn’t like that, though. Instead, it’s a challenging, six-event test that pushes your body to its limits to evaluate every possible aspect of physical fitness the Army cares about. The Army wants to know about your muscular strength and endurance, your cardiovascular fitness, your ability to perform anaerobic exercises with short bursts of power, and your balance and flexibility.
The Army has testing down to a science. So much so, in fact, that it even requires to-the-minute precision during the test. It also requires soldiers to do a little homework before the test (in addition to physical training), and it requires its graders to complete special training.
Counting Down the Minutes
Like everything else in the Army, the ACFT is heavily regulated. FM 7-22, Holistic Health and Fitness and ATC 7-22.02, Holistic Health and Fitness Drills and Exercises, have plenty of exercise prescriptions for soldiers, and the Center for Army Lessons Learned consistently pushes out new material related to the test.
Some parts of those regulations are dedicated to timing the test. The Army requires its units to complete an entire ACFT — regardless of the number of soldier taking the test — within 120 minutes. Those two hours include the warm-up drill, the practice time for the 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift, and all the other events.
The time standard applies across the board, too, even for soldiers taking a modified ACFT. In order to pass, everyone has to finish his or her Two-Mile Run (2MR) before the time expires; the Army’s 120-minute clock starts with the Preparation Drill and ends at the 21-minute mark during the 2MR or 25-minute mark for the completion of ACFT MOD events. (Not coincidentally, 21 minutes is the longest any soldier has to complete the run. If you cross the finish line after 21 minutes have elapsed, you don’t get the 60 required points to pass for the moderate physical demand category.)
The Army’s work-rest cycle during the test should work out like what you see in Figure 3-1. The only programmed rest period is after the Leg Tuck (LTK) and before the 2MR. The mandated 10-minute rest period begins as soon as the last soldier finishes the Leg Tuck. The other rest periods are approximate and may vary based on the number of soldiers in each lane. The only exception: When only one or two soldiers are being tested, 5-minute rest periods between the first four events are mandatory.
© John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FIGURE 3-1: The ACFT work-rest cycle.
Doing Your Homework before the Test
During the week before you take the ACFT, you’re supposed to review each test event and the standards you have to meet based on your physical demand category. In fact, just before you take the test, the OIC or NCOIC will read aloud the following statement:
You are about to take the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT, a test that will measure your upper- and lower-body muscular endurance, muscular strength, aerobic endurance, and explosive power. The results of this test will give you and your commanders an indication of your state of physical readiness and will act as a guide in determining your physical training needs. After selecting the lane with your preferred
