The countdown to the Army-wide adoption of the ACFT as the official test of physical fitness has begun, but your unit’s ACFT equipment still isn’t here…or maybe there isn’t enough to go around. Whatever the case, you have to start training for the ACFT or risk getting left behind. So what do you do? Well, you can hope for the best and continue doing pushup/situp drills or you can get creative. Below, I’ve listed a few ideas for how to workout, without. Some ideas involve nothing more than the ground or a pullup bar, and some involve a little arts and crafts. But hey, that beats waiting in line at the gym for those kettlebells, right?
Max Deadlift (MDL)
Deadlifts are the bane of my lifting existence. Done correctly, they can be an incredibly rewarding part of your physical training regimen as they work both your upper and lower body muscle groups. However, the deadlift demands more of your body than any other singular lift and it can be a hazard to the uninitiated as form and a proper trainup is paramount to success. I hear a lot that you have to have gym equipment to train for this, that training for the deadlift cannot be done without a full gym. If you want to lift 340? Sure, but let’s focus on the basics first. If you’re just trying to make sure your soldiers pass? All you need is a rucksack or a sandbag.
Combat arms units, among others, generally conduct one ruck march a week. On your ruck days, you should work in some squats at predetermined intervals. The number of sets and reps should vary upon your ruck weight, but when properly packed the ruck can help simulate a straight bar squat. If available, work in some litter carries to improve grip strength, form, and explosive power. After all, the same muscle groups used in a deadlift are used when conducting litter carries.
Here’s an example for a basic 4-mile ruck:
- 45-55 lbs dry
- 20 squats with ruck every quarter mile
- Rotate litter carries between teams at every quarter mile
But what if you hate rucking? (Gasp!)
Then I suggest finding your nearest motorpool and locating a tow bar. The tow bar’s handles replicate those of a hex bar quite nicely and it has a decent but not too demanding weight. Hook that bad boy up to a vehicle and get to lifting. Try not to put a hole in the concrete while you’re at it.
Standing Power Throw (SPT)
Now, if you can get to a gym but can’t get some medicine balls, I recommend hip thrusts with heavy kettlebells. But since not every unit has access to enough equipment to satisfy demand yet, let’s look at some alternatives.
You could find other objects that weigh about the same and use them to practice form. I’ve done this myself, but some commanders object to you just chucking random objects during PT hours, so check your local listings.
If you can’t throw them or don’t have anything worth throwing, you can grab some sandbags and conduct modified KB swings with sandbags. No sandbags? Durable trash bags filled with sand will have the same effect, even if you risk ending up on WTF! Moments.
Hand-Release Push-Ups (HRP)
Just do the pushups, right? Sure. But after years of abuse, some of our muscle groups are bound to be damaged or just plain weak and reducing the strain caused by HR pushups can improve your physical longevity.
Conducting shoulder press sets with a ruck or any heavy weight item you can find in the motor pool will do the trick. Ammo can lifts (filled with whatever you can find) work well, as do vehicle shackles (low weight, high rep). Focus on form and make sure you keep your elbows tucked in.
Alternatively, you can do a fast push-pull workout jumping between pullups and HR pushups with little to no rest. This will keep just enough pressure off your shoulders while pushing you through muscle failure. As this workout can be done in just a few minutes, I recommend combining it with slow cardio for active rest and ab circuits.
Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC)
My favorite event and also the most physically draining. The sprint part is easy to train for, just do some 30/60s or beep tests. If you have access to some medics, grab a few sleds and heavy objects and get to pulling. If not, grab a buddy and start pulling them across a field like Ivan just called in a Buratino strike on your position. That’s what this is supposed to simulate anyhow.
For the lateral movement, get some agility cones and run between them at short intervals. No cones? Find a rock or something. Finally, the kettlebell carries can be easily replicated with sandbags or any heavy metal object from the motorpool. Ammo cans are a personal favorite of mine because they’re less awkward and less messy than sandbags.
Leg Tucks (LTK)
As someone who is tall and has the core stability of a 1980s-era Soviet nuclear reactor, leg tucks are my least favorite exercise, so forcing myself to do them is always a struggle. Obviously, you have to get the form down, and that means finding pullup bars and doing the exercise. But if you’re like me and want to make yourself less miserable, I recommend grip strength exercises. Try out some sandbag farmers’ carries, pullups, and rope climbs.
If you want to have some fun or can’t climb a rope, work in a tug-of-war contest in between the farmers’ carries. As for working your core, stability is the key to mastering the technique. If your core is stable, then you’ll be able to move your body in one fluid motion from start to completion of each rep.
Two simple exercises to support core stability are variations on the standard plank position. Toe tap planks require you to alternate moving each leg away from the body and back to start while holding the plank position, as if you were feeling for a new route on a rock climbing wall. Another simple exercise is the side plank with torso rotation. From the side plank position, with both feet on the ground, reach your top hand to the sky and then back down under your ribs as you rotate to the alternate side. Perform 3-5 sets of 10 for each of these exercises to supplement and improve your leg tuck workouts.
2 Mile Run (2MR)
Honestly you don’t need anything special here. The most important thing to remember is that you will be a lot more tired for the 2MR on this test than on an APFT. Therefore, I highly recommend interval training and distance runs on tired legs. For example, before conducting a 4 mile run at 50-75% speed, perform 2-3 sets of lunges at a 50m distance, with a set of burpees in between sets. Once complete, allow yourself minimal (no more than 5 minutes) recovery time before starting your distance run. The goal here is to get your body used to pushing itself through a variety of physical stresses within the same period with minimal rest, replicating the ACFT.
In addition, you can work in interval workouts like a sprint pyramid with an active rest period of a light jog. For example, conduct 4x 100m sprints at full speed with a 50m light jog in between sprints. Then continue up the ladder with the same structure, 3x 200m, 2x 300m, and 1x 400m and back down with the jog distance measuring half of the sprint distance.
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In summary, I know the changeover to ACFT after decades of the APFT is hard. I know the logistics are tough and some units are preparing better than others. But if you don’t want to get left behind, then you have to step-up and workout, with or without the necessary equipment. Your first priority should be helping your soldiers pass their MOS-specific fitness goals. And now with this article, there’s no excuse to not train for the ACFT, whether you’re deployed or in garrison, active, reserve, or guard.
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