Can you pass the new army fitness test?

“Strong Army” is more than just a label – for soldiers, it’s a duty request.

The US military requires all active tasked soldiers to prove their physical ability by passing a strict fitness test. There have been numerous versions of the test over the years, and the army recently announced that a new version has been approved.

On June 1, 2025, the military branch will extract its new Army Fitness Test (AFT) as a replacement for the current Army Fighting Fitness Test (ACFT).

The new test, based on “18 months of data analysis and feedback from thousands of repetitions of evidence”, will present updated note standards that emphasize “willingness and combat effectiveness”, according to a press release of the army.

The soldiers will have until January 1, 2026, to meet the new back requirements without facing “adverse acts”.

AFT results are recorded during the basic training for soldiers and initial training for officers, army states on its website.

Active duty soldiers are required to complete the test twice a year, while soldiers in the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard must record results once a year.

“AFT is created to improve soldiers’ readiness and provide physical standards [and] Prepare soldiers for the demands of modern war, ”said SGT. May Christopher Mullinax, senior registered leader, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Army Headquarters, in omission.

“He emphasizes full adaptation to specific events training and is performance -based.”

Note requirements are most sought after for the new test, with soldiers in combat roles held to the highest standards.

“War standards are neutral sex for the 21 direct combat roles, a change created to ensure justice and operational readiness,” the release said.

5 ingredients of proof

AFT consists of the following five events, as described on the Army website.

1. Maximum Deadlift with three repetitions

In this challenge, the soldier should remove the maximum possible weight three times using a hex 60 pound ribbon and tiles.

This action evaluates strength, balance and muscular flexibility.

“Deadlifts require a person to recruit glute and hamstring force in order to remove a barbell from the ground to waist,” said Miles Hill, a certified personal trainer and boxing instructor in New York City. “Techniquesheet the most effective techniques to choose large weight from the ground.”

Moving can also be dangerous for civilians if they use an indecent form, warned Dr. Hooman Melamed, an orthopedic spinal surgeon and sports medical expert from Beverly Hills.

“If your behavior or shape is switched off, the risk for your low back and the hips is high-can be a career ending for some,” he told Fox News Digital.

2. The rest of the hands of the hands

The soldier should fill as many hands as possible to release in two minutes, using the right technique.

“Handproof breaks require a person to fall all the way to the ground, lift hands in the air for a second, and then push himself back to the high board,” said Hill, who is also a second -degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Melamyd noted that while the push -ups are excellent for building upper body strength, if the person is not already strong, the sudden strength can damage the shoulders.

Hand release tests muscle stability and flexibility.

3. Sprint-Drag-Carry

With Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC), the soldier is tasked with finishing five 50-meter ships (Sprint, Drag, lateral, Carry, Sprint) as soon as possible, using two 40-pound bins and a 90 pound coaster.

“Sprint-Drag-Carry is probably the toughest sequence here, as it requires explosive strength, muscle durability and cardiovascular durability,” Hill said.

Melamyd calls SDC a “brutal test of speed and explosive power”.

“If you are not conditioned, to rip a hamstring or pull something can happen in the middle,” he said.

4

The soldier should hold a proper plank position for as long as possible, testing durability and muscle balance.

“A plank is a final test of essential strength and durability, as it requires a person to carry the weight of his body as long as they can,” Hill said. “It may be challenging, but it is the demand for the time that determines the challenge.”

Melamyd noted that while this movement seems simple, keeping a proper board for time is extremely challenging. “He exposes the weaknesses in the back, essential and shoulder band.”

5. Two miles running

The soldier must complete a two-mile run on a flat outdoor course in a test of aerobic durability.

“Two -mile runs are relatively easy for any capable person; however, time limitations are those that make it challenging,” Hill said.

The footing event of energy casting, which was part of the previous version of the test, is no longer included as a request.

“We eliminated the power throwing because it was not effectively promoting fitness and readiness, as we would like,” Mullinax said.

“Moreover, it posed an elevated risk of excessive damage and encouraged the soldiers to focus on the technique than to demonstrate true power.”

How difficult is it?

The durability of a training or fitness test is about an individual’s overall ability, according to Dr. Jason Perry, MD, Primary Sports Sports Medicine with Orthopedic Health Care Baptist in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

“Overall, AFT is challenging, but not impossible for the average person with a fundamental fitness foundation,” told Perry Perry, who is not linked to the military, for the Fox News Digital.

“Designed is created to prove full body strength, muscular durability, speed, dexterity and cardiovascular sustainability-all the essential elements for combat readiness, but also important for functional ability for civilians.”

Compared to a typical gym exercise, AFT is more demanding because it combines different physical fields into one test, he said.

“Compared to elite athletic training, it’s moderate – but not easy,” Perry added.

For civilians who regularly strengthen, run or do functional workouts (such as crossfit or hiit), this test is fine, he said.

For a civilian exercising three to four times a week, AFT is “really accessible” with concentrated training for an eight to 12 week.

“About 30 to 50% of healthy adults, active recreation are likely to spend it with a few moderate training,” he predicted. “Sitting adults or those with chronic conditions would have a more difficult time and are likely to need a concentrated air conditioning plan eight to 12 weeks (or perhaps longer).

Melamyd was not that optimistic, estimating that less than 5% of civilians could pass.

“These are not training with the weekend warrior-it is the military level air conditioning,” he told Fox News Digital. “You have to work at this level of intensity training.”

The expert also noted that there is a mental component of the test, but only that the mindset is not enough.

“If you try this unprepared, you can seriously hurt,” he warned. “It’S’S’S possible – but only with smart, progressive training. You have to work up to gradually.”

“And this test is about strategy and recovery to do with the raw strength.”