ACFT For Dummies. Angela Papple Johnston
strength
Anaerobic exercise is high-intensity, high-power movement that requires your body to expend a lot of energy in a short period of time. Things like weightlifting, jumping rope, sprinting, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) are examples of anaerobic exercise; if you take these movements to the battlefield, you’re looking at carrying a battle buddy to safety, running ammo cans between one truck and another, or throwing equipment over a wall so you can get cover from enemy fire. This kind of exercise pushes your body to demand more energy than you’d need for aerobic exercise, like running, and it relies on energy sources stored in your muscles.
The Sprint-Drag-Carry is a prime example of how the Army tests your anaerobic fitness. Check out Chapter 8 for a wide range of exercises that can boost your anaerobic power.
PRT: Love it or Hate it, It’s Here to Stay
The Army’s Physical Readiness Training, or PRT, was designed to prepare soldiers for the ACFT. Many PRT drills have migrated into ATP 7-22.02, Holistic Health and Fitness Drills and Exercises. These drills, now called H2F (a complete revision of PRT), are all about functional fitness, which uses drills, exercises, and activities that are specific to performing certain tasks. Army Field Manual 7-22 and Chapter 7 of this book both contain all the info you need on H2F, but save it for 0630; to max out your ACFT, you probably need to go above and beyond the Army’s maintenance PT plan.
H2F covers preparation drills, core exercises, conditioning drills, and a whole host of movement training exercises that can help you perform well on the ACFT. But the best way to make sure you’re ready for all six events is to hit the gym for some serious training after work or on the weekends — and if you’re a little nervous about passing a certain event (I’m looking at you, LTK), that’s where you need to focus.
ARMY WELLNESS CENTERS: FREE (AND SMART) TO USE
If you live near or on an Army installation that has a Wellness Center, you’re in luck. These often underutilized facilities are designed to help soldiers, family members, retirees, and DA civilians zero in on the best possible health plans. They’re run by U.S. Army Medical Command, overseen by the Army Public Health Center, and staffed with health educators who can perform all kinds of evaluations to help you reach your fitness goals. From Bod Pods that measure your body fat content, VO2 max testing, and basal metabolic rate evaluation to individualized meal plans and smoking cessation programs, Army Wellness Centers are located at nearly every base in the United States and many overseas. The pros at these centers can help with stress management, good sleep habits, weight management, and workout plans, too. You don’t even need a referral — all you need to do is call and set up an appointment.
Understanding How the ACFT Fits into Your Army Role
You have to pass the ACFT. If you don’t, your career is in jeopardy. That’s not doomsday talk; if you fail, you pick up a flag, and a flag suspends favorable personnel actions, like promotions, awards, schools, and others. Even worse, Army Regulation 600-8-2 says that if you’re flagged for ACFT failure, your permanent change of station is at your commander’s discretion (and that’s really bad news if you’re excited about a PCS because you’re on orders to Schofield Barracks or Stuttgart). Finally, the Army can administratively separate you from service for ACFT failure.
If you have a physical training profile from your medical provider, you get a shot at alternate events on a modified ACFT (I cover those in Chapter 2). However, you still have to pass the 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift, the Sprint-Drag-Carry, and your alternate aerobic event. If you don’t, you’re facing the same consequences as soldiers who fail the regular ACFT.
Making the grade
Every job falls into one of three physical demand categories. For example, the infantry has the highest minimum standards. Other MOSs, like Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist have the lowest minimum standards. Some jobs, like Parachute Riggers and Water Treatment Specialists, are somewhere in the middle. See Chapter 4 to find out how the test is scored, as well as what physical demand category your MOS falls into.
Training on your own time — and helping your team
To improve your ACFT score, you have to put in the work. That means hitting the gym after COB and on weekends, or doing small-but-mighty exercises while you’re at work or in the field. But there’s an upside (other than passing the test, that is): Creating a PT plan for yourself and your team, squad, or platoon that results in a 100 percent pass rate makes a great counseling or evaluation report bullet. (I promise I won’t tell anyone that you lifted some ideas from this book.) Check out Chapter 26 for tips on maxing out your score, and head over to Appendix A for a blank workout calendar you can use to set yourself — and your team — up for success.
The Army Performance Triad
The Army’s Performance Triad, or P3 for short, includes sleep, activity, and nutrition. Your daily routine in these three areas can either increase or decrease your physical and mental performance, which ties into your unit’s performance. P3 is important to the ACFT, too, in these ways:
Sleep: The Army recognizes that adequate sleep is critical to mission success, even if it’s tough to implement. Getting enough rest while you’re training for the ACFT and immediately prior to taking it is incredibly important — it determines how well you build strength and endurance, how quickly you recover, and even how you perform on short notice.
Activity: The ACFT measures your physical fitness level and how well you’re likely to perform on the battlefield, and training for it is critical. Physical activity improves your mood, makes you live longer, and helps keep your mind clear so you can make good choices.
Nutrition: The Army isn’t testing whether you’re vitamin D-fortified on the ACFT, but putting the right fuel in your body can help you perform your best. The right foods can increase your energy and endurance, shorten the recovery time you need between activities, improve your focus and concentration, and help you look and feel better, too.
Chapter 2
Getting an Overview of the ACFT
IN THIS CHAPTER