The new Army Combat Fitness Test (CFT) is an annual requirement for designated combat MOSs, including infantry, armor, special forces, explosive ordnance disposal, artillery and combat engineers. You must complete the following circuit in 30 minutes or less. The purpose is to create a job-related testing activity that builds upon the new Army Fitness Test (AFT). Both the AFT and the CFT are tested once each year for these groups. The non-combat-arms MOSs (military occupational specialties) will take the AFT twice a year.
The new Army CFT consists of the following events:
- Start with a 1-mile run.
- 30 dead-stop pushups. These are pushups in which the chest must briefly rest on the ground between repetitions.
- 100-meter sprint. Do it as fast as you can.
- 16 sandbag lifts. This involves lifting 40-pound sandbags (16 in total) onto a 65-inch platform.
- 50-meter water can carry. Participants carry two five-gallon water cans weighing 40 pounds each.
- 50-meter movement drill. It’s a 25-meter high crawl followed by a 25-meter 3- to 5-second rush.
- End with another 1-mile run.
Here are ways to introduce these elements into your workouts to be better prepared for this test in the future. Make sure you end all workouts with a 1-mile run to help simulate the final event of this new test.
Warmups
Depending on the workout events you are doing (upper, lower, cardio), you can start incorporating these into your warmup. Here is an upper, lower and cardio warmup to help build familiarity with these testing events:
Upper-Body Warmup
Include pushups, fast runs and crawls in this type of warmup, best done on a field.
Jog 1 mile then repeat the following circuit 5 times:
- Hand-release pushups, 10
- High crawl, 25 meters
- Fast run, 100 meters
Then start your upper-body lift, calisthenics (more pushups), final 1-mile run, and cardio cooldown.
Lower Body Warmup
Jog 1 mile, then follow with a 1-10 leg pyramid warmup with squats, holding kettlebells or sandbags, with a carry of 50 meters with two 40-pound weights/water cans between each set:
- 1 safety bar (SB) squat/overhead press, then carry two 40-pound kettlebells (KBs) 25-50 meters
- 2 SB squats with overhead press; carry two 40-pound KBs 25-50m
- 3 SB squats/overhead press; carry two 40-pound KBs 25-50m
- 4 SB squats/overhead press; carry two 40-pound KBs 25-50m
- 5 SB squats/overhead press; carry two 40-pound KBs 25-50m. If you feel warmed up, you can stop here. If you want to continue, keep going up to Level 10.
This warmup can help you build the muscle stamina needed for the 16-sandbag lift as well as the technique to make it more efficient for you. After this “warmup,” continue with your other leg exercises (squats, deadlift, thrusters, etc.) and a variety of lifts, calisthenics and cooldown cardio. End the workout with a 1-mile run.
Read More: How to Run Faster on Timed Runs
Cardio Warmup/Workout
Depending on the type of cardio workout you are doing, you can add in the 1-mile timed events that start and end the Army CFT. Adding some intervals of 100-meter sprints / 100-meter jogs for several sets in the middle of your cardio session is a logical preparatory activity to help with this test as well.
Cooldowns
After any workout you do, getting used to a 1-mile run before you do a cooldown will help you with the final event stamina needed. By practicing this regularly, you will discover the pacing and fueling strategies you need to perform at your best.
Preparing for new fitness tests requires incorporating these jog-specific events into your regular training. By consistently adding these exercises into your workouts, whether through specialized warmups, cooldowns or practicing the test as is, you will develop the fitness components to excel on test day. Check out the Military.com Fitness Section for more ideas, information, and updates on recent changes in military fitness training.
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