Test Your Strength and Endurance With These 3 Exercises From the Army Combat Fitness Test – Men’s Journal

I can write in the general voice and tone of Roxane Gay while keeping the content original.

Are you willing to find out what you can handle when the clock is ticking and the weights are heavy?

Why this test matters for you

You probably think of the Army Combat Fitness Test as something for soldiers alone, but the truth is more practical: it’s a compact measure of raw, transferable physical qualities — strength, power, and work-capacity — that affect everyday life. When you train toward these specific movements and time demands, you don’t just get better at a test; you get better at carrying heavy loads, sprinting to catch a bus, recovering after a long day, and trusting your body when it needs to perform.

What the ACFT measures and why you should care

The modern ACFT is intended to predict battlefield readiness, which sounds dramatic, but break it down and you’ll see it measures things that matter to anyone who wants to be physically resilient. It evaluates posterior chain strength and grip, short-burst anaerobic capacity and change-of-direction, and aerobic endurance — all of which combine to form practical fitness.

Why these three exercises were chosen

I’m focusing on three exercises that capture the essence of the ACFT’s demands while being approachable for training outside the military: the hex-bar deadlift (strength), sprint-drag-carry (power and anaerobic capacity), and the 2-mile run (aerobic endurance). Each of these reveals something different about your body, and together they’re a powerful diagnostic tool for where you are and what you need.

How to use this article

You’ll get clear instructions, tips for common mistakes, sample training plans, and a weekly schedule that brings these exercises into your routine without turning your life into a boot camp. If you read it all and actually apply it, you’ll be stronger, faster, and more enduring in a few months — but none of that happens without consistent, honest work.

A note on mindset

Training for a test is less about proving anything to anyone and more about seeing what you’re capable of and then responsibly expanding that limit. You’ll encounter discomfort; plan to meet it with curiosity rather than contempt.

Exercise 1: The Hex-Bar Deadlift — the honest test of pulling strength

The hex-bar (trap bar) deadlift is the ACFT’s chosen lift because it reduces technical complexity while still rewarding raw posterior chain strength and power. If you want to move heavy things off the ground without contorting your spine into a question mark, this is the movement to master.

What it measures

This lift measures your ability to generate force through your hips, hamstrings, glutes, and midline. It’s predictive of how well you can pick up and move heavy loads, which translates to daily functionality and many sports tasks.

How to perform the hex-bar deadlift correctly

• Approach the bar so it’s centered over your feet. Your feet should be approximately hip-width apart.
• Hinge at the hips, push your knees out slightly, and grab the handles. Keep a neutral spine and a packed shoulder position.
• Drive through your heels and extend your hips and knees simultaneously. Think of pushing the floor away rather than pulling the bar up.
• Lock out by squeezing your glutes, then reverse the movement under control, maintaining a neutral spine until the bar returns to the ground.

If you do this with attention, you’ll feel it in the posterior chain; if you don’t, your lower back will light up like a neon sign. You want tension and control, not a lightning-fast hip toss.

Common mistakes and their corrections

• Rounding the lower back: slow down, set the back before you lift, and lighten the load if necessary. Your back should be neutral and braced, not curved.
• Letting the knees collapse inward: cue your knees to track over the toes, and consider banded warm-ups to wake the glutes.
• Pulling too fast with the arms: treat the arms as hooks — they don’t pull; the legs and hips do the work.

When you correct these issues, you’ll get stronger safer and more consistently.

How to train the deadlift for the ACFT

You don’t need to be a powerlifter. The goal is strength under moderate volume and specificity. Below is a simple 6-week program that scales intensity.

Add accessory work: Romanian deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and glute bridges. You’ll also want to program grip work — farmer carries or static holds — since the ACFT measures your ability to hold and control weight.

Exercise 2: The Sprint-Drag-Carry — the chaotic, beautiful test of conditioning

If the deadlift is stoic, the sprint-drag-carry (SDC) is explosive and unforgiving. It includes sprints, a sled drag, lateral shuttles, and carries; it tests your ability to transition between high-power efforts while maintaining form. This event mimics real-world demands: changing direction quickly, absorbing work, and continuing despite rising discomfort.

What it measures

The SDC examines anaerobic capacity, short-burst power, and your ability to perform high-intensity work repeatedly with brief transitions. It’s a better indicator of tactical fitness than a simple sprint because it asks your body to do multiple tasks in sequence.

How the SDC is performed in the test

The SDC is performed on a lane with designated markers (typically 25 meters). You’ll sprint there and back, drag a sled or dummy there and back, perform lateral shuffles, carry two kettlebells or buckets, and sprint to finish. Each segment is maximal effort; the clock doesn’t forgive sloppy technique.

Technique tips for each segment

• Sprint: stay tall, pump the arms, accelerate smoothly into top-end speed. Don’t leap out of the blocks and burn oxygen unnecessarily.
• Drag: keep hips low and back neutral; use leg drive and brace your core. Imagine you’re stubbornly moving a heavy thing because it simply will not be left behind.
• Lateral shuffle: keep a low center of gravity and drive your feet; don’t cross them. Eyes forward, not down.
• Carry: use a strong grip, keep shoulders packed, and breathe. If your grip or core fails, the time will reflect it.

You must practice the transitions; the ability to switch from sprint to pull and back to sprint fast is the skill you’re training.

Common mistakes and corrections

• Over-sprinting the first segment and dying mentally: pace the first five meters, then accelerate. Reserve a fraction of your anaerobic system so you can complete the sled and carry.
• Letting the hips rise during the drag: maintain a hinge at the hips and use the thighs and glutes.
• Poor breathing between segments: learn to take two deep diaphragmatic breaths during the brief walk or reposition moments.

How to train the SDC

Train SDC by practicing short high-intensity intervals, sled work, change-of-direction drills, and grip/forearm conditioning. Don’t do full-out SDC every day; the recovery demand is real.

Sample 6-week progression for SDC-specific training:

Accessory work: sled pushes and pulls, prowler, lateral shuffle ladders, heavy carries, unilateral leg strength, and core bracing. Conditioning is not just about lungs; it’s about appropriate muscle recruitment.

Exercise 3: The 2‑Mile Run — steady pressure, honest feedback

The 2-mile run is the aerobic bracket of the ACFT and one of the most transparent measures of your cardiovascular and pacing sense. It rewards consistent, patient effort and punishes ego-fueled surges and ignoring basic training principles.

What it measures

This run tells you how well your body can transport oxygen to working muscles and clear metabolic byproducts over a sustained effort. It also reveals your pacing discipline, efficiency, and how well your legs recover between hard efforts.

How to approach the 2-mile run

Run at a pace you can sustain for the entire distance without blowing up. That means you’ll likely start slightly slower than you feel capable of and then maintain or slightly negative-split. You want a consistent, controlled effort with an eye on finishing strong rather than starting fast.

Common mistakes and corrections

• Starting too fast because adrenaline lies to you: use the first quarter-mile to find rhythm and then settle.
• Ignoring short-term fatigue signals: run controlled; if you find yourself gasping at mile one, you misallocated energy.
• Poor shoe choice or terrain ignorance: run on a surface you’ve trained on, and choose footwear that supports your cadence and stride.

How to train for the run

Training blends steady-state mileage, tempo runs, interval work, and recovery runs. Below is a 6-week plan that balances aerobic base-building with specific pace work.

Include strength work for runners: single-leg deadlifts, lunges, core bracing. Consistency matters more than heroics.

Combining the three into a weekly training plan

You can train all three without burning out, but you must be deliberate. A weekly plan should distribute intensity, include mobility work, and reserve one full rest day. Here’s a practical schedule that keeps life in mind.

You’ll notice intensity is staggered; you don’t do deadlift heavy the same day as a maximal SDC or a hard interval run. That’s intentional. Your nervous system and connective tissues need time.

How to manipulate volume and intensity

If you’re short on time, combine modalities into shorter sessions: a 30-minute morning run and a 20-minute strength session in the evening. If you’re older or recovering, reduce frequency and emphasize recovery days. The point is steady progression, not sudden, reckless jumps.

Warm-up and cool-down: the boring truth that matters

If you skip a proper warm-up you’re making the test harder for yourself and increasing injury risk. A five- to ten-minute dynamic warm-up primes pathways: hip hinges, glute activation, banded lateral walks, high knees, and dynamic hamstring work.

After hard efforts, do a purposeful cool-down: 5–10 minutes easy aerobic movement, mobility work, and targeted stretching. Your body repairs between sessions based on what you feed it and how you manage recovery.

Sample dynamic warm-up (6–8 minutes)

• 90-degree hip swings: 10 each side
• Leg swings front-to-back and side-to-side: 10 each
• Banded monster walks: 10 steps each direction
• Glute bridges x 10
• Bodyweight squats x 10
• Light sprint build or 200m easy jog

Do this before your harder sessions to increase temperature, mobility, and neuromuscular readiness.

Nutrition basics to support strength and endurance

Food is not just fuel; it is the material of your recovery. Aim for a balance of protein, carbs, and fats: protein to rebuild muscle (0.6–1.0 g per lb of bodyweight depending on intensity), carbs to fuel higher-intensity sessions, and fats for hormonal balance and long-term energy. Hydrate consistently; don’t use the day of testing to experiment.

Pre-test fueling

Eat a meal 2–3 hours before testing that is moderate in carbs, has some protein, and is low in fiber if you’re nervous. Something like oatmeal with banana and a scoop of protein or a turkey sandwich on white bread can work. On the morning of, have a small snack 30–60 minutes before if you tolerate it: a banana, toast, or an energy bar.

Post-workout recovery

Within 45 minutes of the session, consume a mix of carbs and protein — about a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio is a reasonable target for heavy sessions. Rehydration is equally important. Sleep is your most potent recovery tool; if you consistently shortchange it, progress will stall.

Recovery strategies you should use

Active recovery, sleep, foam rolling, and occasional soft tissue work will keep you training longer and harder. Don’t confuse soreness with progress; a sore muscle is not necessarily a stronger muscle. You can push a little into discomfort, but if something feels sharp or neurologic, stop and assess.

Sleep and stress

A night of 7–9 hours is your baseline. If life compresses that window, reduce intensity and increase recovery modalities. Chronic stress elevates cortisol and undermines both training and recovery.

Mental preparation and test-day strategy

You’ll be tested by numbers and by your ability to manage the small panics that arise when you feel fatigue closing in. Use visualization to practice the sequences: see yourself breathing through the drag, powering through the deadlift, and pacing the 2-mile. Break the event into pieces mentally so the whole doesn’t become overwhelming.

Pacing the events

• Deadlift: set up, breathe, and perform the attempt as you’ve practiced. Don’t urk the weight — be methodical.
• SDC: aim for consistent maximal efforts without full-gas early surges. The event punishes wasted anaerobic fuel.
• 2-mile: plan a negative or even split. Your last half-mile should be where you make your move.

Confidence doesn’t come from the absence of nerves; it comes from preparation. The more you practice under simulated stress, the quieter the nerves will be.

Tracking progress and setting realistic goals

Record weights, times, and perceived exertion. Data is your friend. You will see incremental improvements if you train consistently: a few pounds on the deadlift, a few seconds lower on the SDC, a better split on the run. Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals, and review them regularly.

Example benchmarks and timelines

If you’re new to structured training, expect meaningful gains in 8–12 weeks. Strength responds relatively quickly to consistent loading; anaerobic conditioning takes a few weeks to adapt. If you’ve been training already, your improvements will be smaller but more refined, like tightening a watch.

Safety and when to see a professional

If you experience sharp joint pain, tingling or numbness, sudden range-of-motion loss, or symptoms that don’t respond to basic measures, seek medical evaluation. If you’re new to heavy lifting or you have pre-existing conditions, consult a physiotherapist or qualified coach before increasing loads. Coaching pays off when it keeps you healthy and efficient.

Sample 8‑week program (combined)

Below is an integrated 8-week sample to improve all three domains while fitting into a typical life schedule. It alternates harder and easier weeks and includes deloading.

You’ll notice progressive overload, cross-modal training, and planned recovery. Everything is intentional and practical.

Frequently asked questions

Q: How often should you test yourself?
A: Every 6–8 weeks is reasonable. Frequent maximal testing is fatiguing and counterproductive. Use tests to measure progress and adjust the plan.

Q: What if you can’t access a hex bar or sled?
A: Substitute with heavy barbell deadlifts, kettlebell deadlifts, farmers carries, or sandbag drags. The movement quality and loading principle matter more than the exact implement.

Q: Can this program help you lose weight?
A: Yes, if you pair the training with a sustained caloric deficit and prioritize protein plus recovery. The training will preserve muscle while the deficit targets fat.

Q: How do you manage soreness without losing training quality?
A: Use active recovery, reduce volume, and prioritize sleep and nutrition. Soreness is not a direct performance measure.

Tools and simple equipment that make the biggest difference

You don’t need expensive toys. A hex bar or good-quality trap bar is useful. A sled (or prowler) and kettlebells cover most SDC needs. A stopwatch or GPS watch for accurate pacing matters. Bands and a foam roller help with mobility and warm-ups.

Final practical checklist before your test

• Sleep well for two nights before the test.
• Hydrate consistently in the 24 hours prior.
• Eat a familiar pre-test meal 2–3 hours beforehand.
• Warm up methodically and practice test-specific transitions.
• Pace the run and manage intensity in the SDC.
• Use a checklist for gear: shoes, socks, water, belt, tape.

Closing thought

You are doing this with a purpose: to know where you are, to be stronger and more enduring, and to carry both literal and figurative loads better. The ACFT is blunt and honest; it will tell you what you need to hear. When you respond to that information with consistent training, realistic recovery, and a soft but relentless curiosity about your limits, you’ll change not just how you perform in a test but how you feel in your life. That is worth the work.

Source: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMizAFBVV95cUxNblI5aHp3OHlyXzF2OWZGZEpIQmxtOENlRVkzYkFTMVFiRHVjVjhKZHFmbng4N0s4Tm1oS1NzVzhUZHRSQXZVN3I3bWJhRWVUdWVaUnZxVXFuMEIyUVdjX3NrdlBDWW1pOTdoUHhrWDFpRW5PWTVWQ0lzdlZ4NGdVckpMTXpMWENYTGVLZ3VXRi04VzNnMFFhdzlwSUJERE5FT3VLTXVzZWhsNkVaUjVLak1EUEdHR0ZOQXVIbjhWYVlaam9FanhvakQ5SUc?oc=5