Can you pass the new Army Fitness Test?

“Army Strong” is more than a tag: for soldiers, it is a requirement for duty.

The United States Army requires all active service soldiers to demonstrate their physical ability by passing a rigorous fitness test. There have been multiple versions of the test over the years and the army has recently announced that a new version has been adopted.

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

The new test, based on “18 months of data analysis and comments of thousands of test iterations”, will introduce updated score standards that emphasize the “preparation and effectiveness of combat”, according to a press release from the army.

The soldiers will have until January 1, 2026 to fulfill the new AFT requirements without facing “adverse actions”.

Stern scores are recorded during basic soldiers and initial training for officers, army states on their website.

Active service soldiers must complete the test twice a year, while army reserve soldiers and army National Guard must register scores once a year.

“The stern is designed to improve soldiers’ preparation and secure physical standards [and] Prepare the soldiers for the demands of the modern war, “said the SGT. Maj Christopher Mullinax, lead leader, head of the Operations Operations, headquarters, in the statement.

“It emphasizes the holistic form of the specific training of events and is based on performance.”

The score requirements are more demanding for the new test, with the acting soldiers of combat with the highest standards.

“Combat standards are sex neutral for 21 direct combat roles, a change designed to ensure equity and operational preparation,” says the launch.

5 Test components

The stern consists of the following five events, as described on the army website.

1. Three-Repetition Deadlift Maximum

In this challenge, the soldier must raise the maximum possible weight three times using a hexagonal bar of 60 pounds and plates.

This movement evaluates muscle strength, balance and flexibility.

“Term deadlines require a person to recruit the glutes force and an hamstrings in order to lift a floor bar to the height of his waist,” said Miles Hill, a certified personal coach and boxing instructor in Rumble, in New York City. “It is the most effective technique for collecting heavy weights outside the ground.”

The Deadlift can also be dangerous for civilians if they use inappropriate form, he warned Dr. Hooman Melaman, an orthopedic spine surgeon, and a Beverly Hills sports medicine expert.

“If your posture or shape is deactivated, the risk for the low back and the hips is high, it can be an injury that finishes the race for some,” he told Fox News Digital.

2.

The soldier must complete the maximum number of hand releasing push-upa in two minutes, using the appropriate technique.

“Hand -release impulses require a person to fall to the ground, raise his hands in the air for a second, and then rise again on the high plate,” said Hill, who is also a second -degree black belt in Taekwondo.

Melamed said that while hand release impulses are excellent to build the strength of the upper body, if the person is not already strong, the sudden force can damage the shoulders.

Hand -liberation push tests muscle resistance and flexibility.

3. Sprint-Drag-Carry

With the Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC), the soldier is commissioned to complete five 50-meter shuttlers (Sprint, Drag, Side, Transport, Sprint) as quickly as possible, using two 40-pound kettlebells and a 90-pound sled.

“Sprint-Drag-Carry is probably the hardest sequence here, as it requires explosive force, muscle resistance and cardiovascular resistance,” Hill said.

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

“If you are not conditioned, tearing down an hamstrings or pulling something at half a point can happen,” he said.

4. Plank

The soldier must maintain a proper iron position for as long as possible, testing resistance and muscle balance.

“A plate is a definitive proof of the strength and resistance of the nucleus, as it requires a person to maintain body weight for as long as he can,” said Hill. “It can be a challenge, but it is the time requirement that determines the challenge.”

Melamed said that although this movement seems simple, to maintain a proper plate over time is extremely difficult. “It exposes weaknesses on the back, the nucleus and the waist of the shoulder.”

5. Two -mile Run

The soldier must complete a timed route on an outside course in an aerobic resistance test.

“Two -mile rolls are relatively easy for any human; but time restrictions are those that make it difficult,” said Hill.

The permanent power launch event, which was part of the previous version of the test, is no longer included as a requirement.

“We have eliminated the launch of permanent power because it did not effectively promote the physical form and preparation as well as we would like,” said Mullinax.

“In addition, he presented a high risk of excessive injuries and encouraged soldiers to focus on technique instead of demonstrating true power.”

How difficult is it?

The hardness of a training or fitness test is related to the general form of an individual, according to Dr. Jason Perry, MD, primary care medicine physician with orthopedic health care baptist at Deerfield Beach, Florida.

“In general, the stern is difficult, but it is not impossible for the average person with a basic fitness base,” said Perry, who is not affiliated with the army, told Fox News Digital.

“It is designed to test the strength of the whole body, muscle endurance, speed, agility and cardiovascular resistance, all the essential elements for the preparation of combat, but also relevant for the functional form for civilians.”

Compared to a typical gym training, the stern is more demanding because it combines different physical domains in a test, he said.

“In comparison with elite athletic training, it is moderate, but it is not easy,” added Perry.

For civilians who regularly train, work or perform functional training (such as Crossfit or Hiit), this test is well available, he said.

For a civilian who exercises three to four times a week, the stern is “realistic realizable” with a training focused for a period of eight to 12 weeks.

“About 30 to 50% of healthy adults and recreational assets could have a moderate training,” he predicted. “Sedentary adults or those with chronic conditions would have a harder time and would probably need a focused condition plan of eight to 12 weeks (or possibly longer).”

Melamed was not so optimistic, estimating that less than 5% of civilians could pass the stern.

“They are not weekend warrior training; this is a military conditioning,” Fox News Digital told Fox. “You have to work up to this level of intensity training.”

The expert also said that there is a mental component in the test, but said that the mentality alone is not enough.

“If you try this not prepared, you could be seriously injured,” he warned. “It is feasible, but only with a smart and progressive training. You have to work -gradually.”

“And this test deals with both strategy and recovery and brute force.”