If you intend to joint the U.S. Army, you need to be fit. Very fit. And you should start to prepare for the physical fitness demands of boot camp well before you begin basic training. Fortunately, there are some excellent workout programs and suggestions that will prepare you for the Basic Training Army Physical Fitness Test. Good performances on the APFT will reflect positively on your record, which is especially important if you desire a career in the military.
APFT
To graduate from boot camp, you must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test. The three-part test consists of push-ups, sit-ups and a 2-mile run. Passing the APFT allows you to advance to Advance Infantry Training. After you pass the APFT to graduate from boot camp, you must continue to take and pass the test at least twice per year to be eligible for promotion.
Push-Ups & Sit-Ups
Military.com, the site of former Navy SEAL Stew Smith, offers comprehensive workout programs to prepare you for each part of the APFT. To improve your push-up total, Smith recommends a Push-Up/Crunch Super Set, which will prepare you for the sit-up portion of the APFT as well as for the push-up phase. It consists of five to seven alternating sets of 10 push-ups followed by 10 crunches. Smith also recommends a timed workout that includes multiple sets of one minute of push-ups, followed by one minute of sit-ups, followed by 30 seconds of both, followed by 15 seconds of both. By following this routine before basic training starts, you should be in shape to score high on the push-up and sit-up stages of the APFT.
2-Mile Run
To prepare for the 2-mile run, Smith suggests interval training. Establish a reasonable goal for your APFT 2-mile time and then begin running intervals at a pace that will help you meet that goal. Interval training is extremely challenging. You must run a 1/2 mile at a pace that matches your goal, walk or jog 1/4 mile, then repeat the sequence three or four times. Then you must run 1/4 mile at the pace that matches your goal, walk or jog 1/8 of a mile and repeat four to six times. Finally, you run 1/8 mile, walk or job 100 yards and repeat the sequence four to six times. Smith recommends doing interval training twice per week, alternating with 3- to 5-mile runs twice per week.
Tips
The Army Study Guide stresses the need to prepare early for basic training by "thinking and acting like a solider." You should start getting up and working out early in the morning, because you will undergo physical training at boot camp before breakfast. Start getting up at 4:30 am and working out. Change your eating habits -- no snacks are allowed at basic training. Quit smoking if you use nicotine -- tobacco is not allowed either. Expect to sleep for only five to seven hours during basic training, so train your body to go to bed at 9 p.m., Keep in mind that this time will be adjusted for the time zone where you will be sent for basic training.
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