ACFT Army Combat Fitness Test For Dummies

Angie Papple Johnston joined the United States Army in 2006, preparing to tackle chemical weapons as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist. She is also a certified group fitness trainer.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 2Beyond the Book 3Where to Go from Here 3Part 1: Getting to Know the ACFT 5Chapter 1: Army Physical Fitness: The Cornerstone of Combat Readiness 7Saying Goodbye to the Old APFT 8Sculpting a Fit and Lethal Force 8Picking Up Performance Basics 10Range of motion and flexibility 11Balance 11Agility 12Explosive power 12Muscular strength and endurance 12Aerobic exercise for cardiovascular endurance 13Anaerobic exercise for short-term muscle strength 14PRT: Love it or Hate it, It’s Here to Stay 14Understanding How the ACFT Fits into Your Army Role 15Making the grade 15Training on your own time — and helping your team 16The Army Performance Triad 16Chapter 2: Getting an Overview of the ACFT 17Reading Up on the Army’s Resources and Requirements for the ACFT 18Checking out Army regs and training resources 18Surveying site and equipment requirements 18Getting used to gender- and age-neutral scoring requirements 19Diagnostic ACFTs versus record ACFTs: Pinning down test frequency 19Breaking Down the Six Events and Their Scoring 20The Preparation Drill 223 Repetition Maximum Deadlift 23Standing Power Throw 25Hand Release Push-Up – Arm Extension 28Sprint-Drag-Carry 30Leg Tuck 33Two-Mile Run 36The Recovery Drill 37Biking, Rowing, or Swimming Your Way through the Alternate Events 37Bike 38Row 38Swim 39Chapter 3: Understanding How the Army Administers the ACFT 41Counting Down the Minutes 42Doing Your Homework before the Test 43Having the Right Tools for the Job: Required Equipment 43Looking at Helpful Test-Day Details 46Equipment on the lanes 47Soldier testing order 47Card-carrying ACFT-takers: Scorecards 47Stylin’ and profilin’: What you can’t use during the ACFT 48Making the Grade to Score the ACFT 48Level I ACFT graders 48Level II ACFT graders 49Level III ACFT grader-instructors 49Chapter 4: Breaking Down ACFT Instructions and Scoring 51Following the Rules: The Official ACFT Instructions 52Lifting with your legs: 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift instructions 52Trying MDL tips and techniques 53Watching for trouble spots on the MDL 53Exercising explosive power: Standing Power Throw instructions 55Surveying SPT tips and techniques 55Watching for trouble spots on the SPT 56Letting it go: Hand Release Push-up – Arm Extension instructions 56Harping on HRP tips and techniques 57Watching for trouble spots on the HRP 59Showing your combat moves: Sprint-Drag-Carry instructions 59Sorting out SDC tips and techniques 60Watching for trouble spots on the SDC 61Considering core strength: Leg Tuck instructions 62Looking for LTK tips and techniques 63Watching for trouble spots on the LTK 64Welcoming an old friend: Two-Mile Run instructions 65Marking 2MR tips and techniques 65Watching for trouble spots on the 2MR 66Addressing the ACFT’s Scoring Scale 66Perusing Physical Demand Categories 66Weighing your score on the scale 74Tallying up your score on the new ACFT scorecard 75Accounting for the ACFT MOD 77Sailing through the 5,000-Meter Row 77Braking for the 15,000-Meter Bike 77Soaking up the 1,000-Meter Swim 78Taking Another Shot: Army Policy on ACFT Failures 78Part 2: Training for the ACFT on Your Own Time 81Chapter 5: Putting the (Mandatory) “Fun” in Functional Fitness 83Mastering the Science of Movement Training 83Distinguishing muscle training from movement training 84Playing with planar movement 85Sectioning off the 4Q model 86Finding Functional Fitness Basics 88Core strength 91Leg strength 91Back strength 94Chest strength 95Bicep, tricep, forearm, and shoulder strength 95Chapter 6: Stacking Up the Army’s Physical Fitness Components 99Tracing the Origins of PRT and the ACFT 100Counting on the Army’s Ten Fitness Components 101Muscular strength 101Muscular endurance 102Power 102Speed 102Agility 103Aerobic endurance 103Balance 103Flexibility 104Coordination 104Reaction time 104Getting Heart Smart for Aerobic Exercise 105Calculating your resting heart rate 105Finding your target heart rate for aerobic exercise 106Fitting FITT Principles into Your Workout 108Frequency 108Intensity 108Type 110Time 110Powering Your Way through Life with Anaerobic Exercise 110Chapter 7: Examining P3, PRT, H2F, and the ACFT 113Cornering the Army’s Performance Triad 113Sleep 114Activity 114Nutrition 115Reading Up on PRT Documentation 115Matching PRT Drills and ACFT Events 116Maximizing PRT for the 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift 118The sumo squat 118Alternate staggered squat jump 119Forward lunge 120Stepping up PRT for the Standing Power Throw 122Power jump 122Overhead push-press 123Tuck jump 125Practicing PRT for the Hand Release Push-Up – Arm Extension 126Supine chest press 1278-count T push-up 128Incline bench 130Surveying PRT for the Sprint-Drag-Carry 132Straight-leg deadlift 132Bent over row 133300-meter shuttle run 135Looking at PRT for the Leg Tuck 135Bent-leg raise 136Leg tuck and twist 137Alternating grip pull-up 139Tackling PRT for the Two-Mile Run 141Sprint intervals (30:60s and 60:120s) 141Release run 141Hill repeats 142Taking a Closer Look at PRT and Its Drills 143Preparation Drill 1444 for the Core 145Conditioning Drills 1, 2, and 3 145Climbing Drills 1 and 2 147The Guerilla Drill 147The Hip Stability Drill 147The Push-Up and Sit-Up Drill 147The Shoulder Stability Drill 147Running, Endurance and Mobility Activities: Military Movement Drills 1 and 2 148The Strength Training Circuit 148Recovery Drill 149Using PRT to Train for the ACFT 150Chapter 8: Training to Standard on the ACFT 151Getting the Basics Down Before You Exercise 152Back and Legs: Maxing the 3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift Score 154Sumo squats 155Staggered squats 156Lunges 157Conventional deadlifts 157Bent over rows 160Grip work 162Explosive Power: Training for the Standing Power Throw 162Power jumps 162Overhead push presses 163Tuck jumps 166Romanian deadlifts 167Kettlebell swings 168Medicine ball power jumps 169Standing front shoulder raises with bands 170Practice Makes Perfect: Doing More Hand Release Arm-Extension Push-Ups 171Supine chest presses 171Incline bench presses 172Chest flys 174Renegade row push-ups 175Medicine Ball push-ups 177Training for the Sprint-Drag-Carry to Boost Your Battlefield Skills 178Shuttle runs 178Straight-leg deadlifts 179Zercher carries 180Planks 181Glute-hamstring raises 182Grip, Hips, Shoulders, and Elbows: Training for the Leg Tuck 184Bent-leg raises 184The leg tuck and twist 184Mixed-grip pull-ups 186Rope climbs 187Isometric hangs 189Side pillar holds 190The contralateral dead bug 190Is, Ys, and Ts 192Kettlebell pull-throughs 193Internal, external, and elevated shoulder rotations 194When My Granny Was 91: How to Improve Your Two-Mile Run Time 197Sprint interval training 198Hill repeats 198Walking lunge 199Barbell squats 200Calf raises 202Glute bridges 203Chapter 9: Stretching for Recovery and Peak Performance 205Bouncing Back Stronger through Recovery 206Getting back on your feet after training with active recovery 206Discovering delayed-onset muscle soreness 207Building in recovery days and taking care of injuries 208Avoiding overtraining syndrome 209Stretching Out Your Workout Recovery 209Attending to Army Stretches 211Overhead arm pull 211Rear lunge 212Extend and flex 213Thigh stretch 213Single-leg over 215Loosening up Your Legs and Hips 216Standing hamstring stretch 216Piriformis stretch 217Frog stretch 217Butterfly stretch 219Lunging hip flexor stretch 220Lying quad stretch 221Calf stretch 221Examining Essential Arm Stretches 222Triceps stretch 222Standing bicep stretch 224Seated bicep stretch 224Wrist extension and flexion 225Forearm flexor stretch 226Beefing up Your Neck, Shoulder, and Back Stretches 227Seated shoulder squeeze 227Upper back stretch 228Knee to chest stretch 229Seated back rotation 230Side-lying thoracic rotation 231Upper trap stretch 232Cross-body shoulder stretch 233Priming the Pecs: Chest Stretches 234Lying chest stretch 234Elbow-to-elbow grip 235Bent-arm wall stretch 236Stretching out Your Six-Pack 237Sphinx 237Child’s pose against a wall 238Doing Dynamic Stretches for Multiple Muscles 239Lunge with spinal twist 23990/90s 240Side bends 241Extended child’s pose with sphinx stretch 242Standing figure 4 244Quadruped rotation 245Dynamic shoulder stretch from child’s pose 246Cat/cow 247Chapter 10: Focusing on the ACFT for Females 249Factoring Female Physiology into Common ACFT Challenges 250Cycling your way through workouts 251Introducing the female athlete triad 252Balancing Pregnancy and Physical Training 253Profiling pregnant soldiers 253Perusing the P3T program 255Your (Kid’s) Mom Wears Combat Boots: Working Out Postpartum 256Chapter 11: Surveying ACFT Training for Seasoned Soldiers 259Safety First: Taking Workout Precautions 260Kicking around Exercises for Knee Issues 260Straight leg raises 261Hamstring curls with dumbbells 262Wall squats 262Step-ups 263Side leg raises 264Avoiding Certain Exercises for Back Issues 265Chapter 12: Dealing with Injuries 269An Ounce of Prevention: Avoiding Injury with P3 269Sleep and injury prevention 270Actively preventing injury 271Fueling up for injury prevention 272Covering Common Injuries across the Army 273Rub Some Dirt on It? Knowing When to Go to Sick Call 275When RICE Isn’t a Carb: Treating Injuries at Home 276Rest as a home remedy 277Putting an injury on ice 277Keeping your injury under (compression) wraps 277Elevating an injured extremity 278Part 3: Structure, Form, and Functional Fitness 279Chapter 13: Wising Up to Workout Wisdom 281Following Eight Habits of Highly Successful Exercisers 282Make health a lifestyle 282Have fun with it 282Look at what you’re doing as training, not exercising 282Get back on track as soon as you can 283Ask for help when you need it 283Keep it simple 283Don’t use weight loss as an indicator of your workout’s effectiveness 283Mix endurance and strength training 284Optimizing Your Breathing for Your Activity 284Breathing while running 285Breathing during strength training 285Breathing to relax 285Resting between Workouts 286Chapter 14: Understanding Your Body’s Muscular Structure 287Putting Your Skeletal Muscles on the Map 288Getting to know your skeletal muscles 288Adding up antagonistic pairs 289Zeroing in on the Cardiovascular System 290Chapter 15: Strength Training to Get Army Strong 293Bulking up Your Weight-Training Vocab 293Following Safety Principles 296Testing Your Strength 298Checking out upper-body strength with push-ups 298Crunching the numbers on abdominal strength 299Muscling your way through a leg strength test 300Switching It up with Periodization 301Appreciating the Real Worth of Free Weights and Weight Machines 302Looking at Group Strength Training 303Chapter 16: Pumping Some Heart-Smart Aerobic Exercise 305Understanding the Cardiovascular System’s Role in Exercise 305Starting with resting heart rate 307Linking heart efficiency and exercise 308Identifying why the Army measures cardiorespiratory fitness 308Finding Your VO2 Max 309Astrand Treadmill Test 3092.4-km Cooper Run Test 312Multistage Beep Test 312Queuing up the Cardio 312Hitting your target and max heart rates 313Going beyond minimum cardio recommendations 314Chapter 17: Trying Functional Fitness Concepts for Your Core 315Introducing Your Core Muscles 315Strengthening Your Core with Beginner Core Exercises 318Hip lifts 318Crunches 320Bicycle kicks 321The Superman 322Pulling Your Own Weight During Core Training 323V-ups 323Scissor kicks 324Side planks 325Trying Out the Army (Core) Ball — No ASUs Necessary 326Ab rolls 326Stability ball knee raises 327Stability ball hip thrusts 328Perusing Core Exercises for Pregnancy Profiles 329Cat/cow 330Modified side plank 330Side lunges 331Pregnancy core stretch 332Stretching and Toning Your Core with Pilates and Yoga 333Pilates 333Yoga 334Chapter 18: Personalizing Your Workout Routine 335Building Your Own Workout Routine 335Identifying your personal goals and resources 336Weight a minute: Figuring out your reps and intensity 337Supersetting 338Making time to stretch 338Marking training days on your calendar 338Scheduling recovery days into your routine 339Charting your progress 340Sneaking in Daytime Workouts You Can Do Anywhere 340Chair dips 341Calf raises 342Single-leg squats 343Bicep presses 344Seated hip thrusts 344Part 4: Nutrition and the “Whole Soldier” Concept 347Chapter 19: Surveying Army Standards for Height and Weight 349Taking Stock of Army Height and Weight Requirements 350Going into the Army Body Composition Program 353Distinguishing BMI from Body Fat Measurements 354Chapter 20: Becoming a Lean, Green, Fighting Machine: Principles of Nutrition 357Dishing on Hunger and Appetite 358Distinguishing hunger from appetite 358Hobnobbing with hunger hormones 359Eating Pre- and Post-Workout 360Fueling up before working out 360Getting the right foods after your workout 362Making ACFT-Smart Dietary Changes 363Promoting fitness by avoiding diets 363Incorporating healthier eating habits (without dieting) 363Chapter 21: Identifying the Building Blocks of Nutrition 365Choosing the Right Food Groups 365Setting the table with MyPlate 366Keeping less healthy options in check 366Taking Vitamins for a Spin 367Getting vitamins the old-fashioned way 368Gauging DRIs and ULs for vitamins 369Considering special conditions for vitamins 371Minerals: Mining for Your Body’s Essentials 371Eating your major minerals 372Moderating minerals: DRIs and ULs 374Recognizing who needs more minerals 374Chewing on Carbs 374Breaking down simple and complex carbs and dietary fiber 375Putting your carbs to work for you 375Addressing Amino Acids and Antioxidants 376Chapter 22: Drink Water: It’s More Than a Basic Training Chant 379Understanding How Your Body Uses Water 379Water is a Necessity, Not a Crutch: Avoiding Dehydration 380Recognizing the warning signs of dehydration 381Looking at the effects of dehydration 382Eyeing Electrolytes 383Chapter 23: Making Sure Everything You Take In Counts 385Understanding Metabolic Equivalents 386Examining How Dietary Changes Can and Can’t Help You Drop Weight 387Safely slashing calories to lose weight 389Ignoring the crowd following popular diets 390Getting the Skinny on Cholesterol and Unhealthy Fats 391Cholesterol 391Are you a good fat or a bad fat? 392Taking a Drive through Fast Food 393Nutritional composition of fast foods 393Eating smart while dining out 395Considering Coffee, Energy Drinks, and Alcohol 396The best part of waking up (and the rest of the day): Savoring coffee’s benefits 396Loading up on caffeine through energy drinks 397Thinking before you drink: Alcohol’s effects on your system 397Cracking Down on Supplements 399Protein pow(d)er: Scrutinizing protein supplements 399Shunning pre-workout supplements 400Chapter 24: Eating Right 403Dishing up Basic Dietary Guidelines for Soldiers 404Helping Yourself to Healthy Eating Patterns 405Putting the brakes on sodium, saturated and trans fats, and added sugars 406Playing with portion control 407Treat yo’ self: Giving yourself a pass to indulge sometimes 408Part 5: The Part of Tens 409Chapter 25: Ten Surefire Ways to Fail the ACFT 411Choosing Not to Work Out 411Failing to Know How to Do Each Event 412Falling off the Fitness Wagon before the Test 412Practicing for the Wrong Events 412Drinking Alcohol the Night before the Test 413Forgetting to Hydrate 413Forgetting to Fuel Up 413Missing the Mark on Height and Weight 414Taking Pre-Workout or Other Potentially Unsafe Supplements Before the Test 414Committing Safety Violations or Faults 414Chapter 26: Ten Tips for Maxing Out Your Score on the ACFT 415Putting in Extra Effort and Committing to Getting a 600 415Training As You Test 416Doing Cardio and Strength Training Leading Up to the Test 416Getting Hard-Core with Your Core 416Practicing at Least One Event Every Day 417Tracking Your Progress 417Using High-Quality Fuel 417Hydrating before and during the ACFT 417Getting Enough Sleep before the Test 418Using All the Info You Have to Your Advantage 418Chapter 27: Ten Ways to Change up Your Exercise Routine 419Using (Or Ditching) the Buddy System 419Mixing up Your Personal Speed 420Getting Creative with Exercises 420Playing Mood Music 420Going Backward Once in a While 420Switching Locations 421Dialing up the Intensity 421Trying Group Fitness 421Downloading an App 421Playing Games 422Chapter 28: Ten Ways to Cut Calories without Starving 423Don’t Drink Your Calories 423Fill Your Water Reserves Before You Eat 424Switch to Lowfat Versions of Your Favorite Foods 424Don’t Buy Junk Food 424Cook at Home 424Lighten up on the Condiments 425Set the Table with Smaller Plates 425Try Low-Cal Appetizers at Home 425Never Eat out of the Container 425Don’t Force Yourself to Clean Your Plate 426Appendix: Fill-In-The-Blanks Workout Calendar 427Index 429