Apft

[Airbourne Infantry]

Lately I've been trying to improve my PT scores to do well on the APFT when I will eventually have to pass it. What are the areas tested in the APFT? Is it the 2-mile run, sit ups, and push ups or is it more than that? Also, is any portion of the APFT timed other than the 2-mile run? Thanks.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

Yes, the three parts to the APFT are the Pushups (How many you can do in 2 minutes) the sit-ups (again, 2 minutes) and the 2 mile run.

My dad gave me the APFT before he was re-assigned. I passed the Pushups and Situps, but I failed the two mile...

[Drill for life]

I have a 300 on the APFT.
Push-ups:85
Sit-ups:95
2 mile-run:15:45

[armysc_25b]

I have a 300 on the APFT.
Push-ups:85
Sit-ups:95
2 mile-run:15:45

Umm... hate to burst your bubble, but per FM 21-20, a 15:45 run time is 9 seconds faster than the minimum time to pass in the 17-21 age group for males. In order to get 100 points on the run, you would need to complete it in 13 minutes or faster.

[mtnsldr]

Other standards are added for specific schools or units. These events include, but are not limited to:

Pullups: Usually 6 reps.

5 Mile Run: 40 minutes or less.

12 Mile Road March: 3 hours or less.

[Airbourne Infantry]

The only problem I'd have would be the mile run. The last time I did PT I had 74 situps in two minutes and 29 push-ups in one minute. Always room for improvement but I want to focus on my run time for now. Apparently for the APFT, you have to score at least a 50 in each area to graduate BCT and a 60 to pass the test annually.

17-21

To score a 50:
35 Push-ups
47 Sit-ups
16:36 2-mile run

To score a 60:
42 Push-ups
53 Sit-ups
15:54 2-mile run

Source: http://usmilitary.about.com/od/army/a/afpt.htm

[armysc_25b]

... and a 60 to pass the test annually.

Correct on all, except for this piece. We are required to pass the APFT twice per year. Typically, I've taken my record APFT's once every 6 months. That doesn't mean, however, you can't be given a record at any time, or asked to take the APFT for record or diagnostic purposes at any time.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

To score a 60:
42 Push-ups
53 Sit-ups
15:54 2-mile run

Sit-ups, check.
Push-ups -- Gotta work a little.
15:54 2-mile run - Gotta work. A lot.

My scores when I took the APFT:

Sit-ups - 65
Push-ups - 30 (After a while, I started doing wide arm and I never recovered)
2-mile run: 17:something.

[Airbourne Infantry]

Yeah, I haven't even done the two mile yet. I've just been running one miles everyday to try to get my time down. But for some reason, a mile on the tracks here is like four and a half laps so it's kinda hard to tell when to start/stop. On monday though, I'm going to start following a training schedule from this Army Pockey Physical Training Guide.

[Drill for life]

I can help you with push-ups. If you have weights put your hands on the weights and just do push-ups. Your chest should hurt.Being able to bench press 200 p0unds(that is my limit) doesn't make you able to do more push-ups it helps but not alot. Wok on Cardio, in basic the DIs use your own weight against you to get you in great shape.

[cscsmp]

Here's how I significantly improved my PT marks. On pushups, nothing can improve pushups like doing pushups. I set a mark in my head (300 at first) and did that many pushups a day. I would just knock out 25 whenever I got a free moment until I got to my limit. Situps work exactly the same as pushups. The best two ways I've found to improve 2 mile time are to run 4+ miles regularly instead of just 2 and to ruck around 6 miles at least once a week. This will strengthen your legs and heart and teach you to breathe properly.

[mtnsldr]

Work on spelling Drill for Life.

To run two miles quickly, you can't run 1 miles and try and get faster.

Run 3 miles or more. At the very least, run two miles.

[Buffa1oso1di3r]

I can help you with push-ups. If you have weights put your hands on the weights and just do push-ups. Your chest should hurt.Beign able to bench press 20 punds(that is my limit) doesn't make you able to do more push-ups it helps but not alot. Wok on Cardio, in basic the DIs use your own weight against you to get you in great shape.

I hope to God that you meant 200 bro... Cause 20 pounds bench press is 25 pounds less than the bar itself...

To the Captain and the ROTC Cadet:

I'll take your advice.

[-BuLL-]

Another way to improve on push-ups (could also work on sit-ups I suppose) is what we call muscle failure. 2 mins of push-ups followed by 1 min rest. Then 1 min push-ups followed by 30 secs rest. Next, 30 sec push-ups followed by 15 sec rest. You could then repeat til your arms cant move(if they can't already) or another 30 secs of push-ups. You should push yourself to the max during each period. You can also change the times if you think others work better for you.
Shoot for failure.lol

[armysc_25b]

Nothing works for improving your PT scores like actually doing PT, and doing it consistently. On 1 October, I came off a permanent profile (wasn't so permanent, spent 15 months on it though) which put me back to running for my PT test. Over those 15 months, I ran very little if any, and instead most of my cardio came from walking and occasionally hitting the bike. I took a diagnostic PT test a couple weeks ago, and my run time was 19+ minutes, mainly due to my loss of my running ability from not doing it for so long, but it was also because I didn't hit the track as much as I should have. Now that I'm back to working a conventional schedule and not attending company PT (the shift work my shop does is weird), I'll be hitting the gym and doing a lot more working out on my own.

My plan is simple. Run a little bit on the treadmill to get a feel for a pace, to help rebuild my speed and endurance. Also I'll be running the 2 mile track and 1/4 mile track to get a feel for running outdoors on the surfaces we run on. I'll be doing this at different hours of the day, since weather can affect your performance. I have until 1 January to get my run time to passing (which by then will be 16:36), which I can accomplish so long as I stay focused and not let everything else I have going on right now distract me to the point of failure.

As far as push ups and sit ups go, again just doing them is best, but at the same time incorporating other exercises and weights into your exercise routine is good also so you can work on other muscle groups. When I hit the gym for muscular workouts, I try to group my activities to certain areas that either work together or are opposite of what I worked the previous day to give my muscles the appropriate recovery time. So one day I'll hit the gym and work on my chest, back, and shoulders. The next, legs and arms. Between machine exercises, free weights, and just doing certain exercises, I get a good mix in of everything and typically don't work myself to muscle failure (I've always had more endurance than anything else).

Of course, with exercise, you need to have a good diet. I'm back to my ideals of eating fast food as little as possible, and trying to eat healthy. I'll be moving out of the barracks this month to a house that's close to post, so I'll be able to make the right foods with less influence of fast food (my drive from work to the house only passes one store, and that's the gas station at the gate). I'll also have no excuse to not go to the gym since I'll still be living so close to the installation. When I was doing this stuff from March to May, I had a lot of people tell me I'd started to look healthier than a few months before that and I actually lost 10 pounds and was feeling pretty good at that point, and I plan on repeating that performance here and now.

[300PFT]

Lately I've been trying to improve my PT scores to do well on the APFT when I will eventually have to pass it. What are the areas tested in the APFT? Is it the 2-mile run, sit ups, and push ups or is it more than that? Also, is any portion of the APFT timed other than the 2-mile run? Thanks.

If you want a convenient way to track your APFT progress on the different events you can do so here:

http://apft.pftcalculator.com

[FeelinFroggy]

Incorporating swimming into your workout greatly increases cardio and muscle endurance/strength. Alternate laps with sidestroke and breastroke.

[Drill for life]

I hope to God that you meant 200 bro... Cause 20 pounds bench press is 25 pounds less than the bar itself...

To the Captain and the ROTC Cadet:

I'll take your advice.

Yes it was 200, I was on my phone when I posted that post. I am trying to go up to 250 by christmas. I hope I can.

[Drill for life]

Incorporating swimming into your workout greatly increases cardio and muscle endurance/strength. Alternate laps with sidestroke and breastroke.

That is weird, my recruier is taking me to a indoor swimming pool this friday to test my swimming capability. He told me that I may be able to ace a APFT and can bench press 200, but can I swim against a current? I don't think I'll do to go on friday.