On Oct. 1, the Army’s new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) launched for active-duty soldiers. It will launch in April for members of the Reserves and National Guard.
The ACFT replaced the Army Physical Fitness Test.
One change implemented allows for those who score at least 540 out of 600 on the ACFT will not need to undergo the “tape test,” which tracks body dimensions.
Those who perform lower than 540 will still need to be measured. The Army had performed a study on 2,690 soldiers in July to identify other ways to measure body weight and size, but other weight scanner options ended up classifying more soldiers as being overweight than a standard tape test.
The height and weight tables to determine who is overweight are not changing because “the science shows that they are correct,” Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said at an Army conference in Washington, D.C., as reported by Military.com.
The scores on the test vary based on gender and age and may also vary by occupational specialty with those in more physically demanding jobs being required to score higher.
The six tests, which must be completed in less than 50 minutes, are:
- Strength deadlift. Perform a three-repetition deadlift. Weight is increased with each repetition.
- Standing power throw. Tossing a 10-pound ball backward.
- Hand-release pushups: Do as many hand-release pushups as possible in two minutes.
- Sprint/drag/carry. Run up and down a 25-meter lane, dragging a 90-pound sled and then carrying two 40-pound kettlebell weights. Do this five times.
- Plank. Maintain a proper plank position for as long as possible.
- Two-mile run.