To serve in the United States Army, you must possess a variety of traits, one of which is physical fitness. Many duties performed by the Army are physically rigorous. For this reason, everyone must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) in basic training before moving on to more specialized training programs. While the test itself is straightforward and has only three components, it is important to train before attempting the APFT, as it is possible to fail.
Situps
The first part of the APFT requires participates to complete a minimum number of situps in two minutes. The number of situps required to pass is based on age. Men and women ages 17 to 21 are expected to complete 53 situps in two minutes, and those 22 to 26 should be able to do 50 in the same amount of time. However, this is the minimum amount, and all are encouraged to surpass the minimum by as much as possible.
Pushups
The second part of the APFT tests how many pushups participants can do in a two-minute time period. The minimum number of pushups needed to pass is based on the participant's gender as well as age. Women ages 17 to 21 must complete 19 pushups in two minutes, while men in this age range must complete 42. In the 22 to 26 age range, women should be able to do 17 pushups and men should be able to complete 40.
Running
The final component of the APFT is a two-mile run. The time parameters for passing this portion are again based on the individual's age and gender. Men 17 to 21 must run two miles in less than 15 minutes, 54 seconds, and women in 18 minutes, 54 seconds. In the 22 to 26 range, men must complete the run in 16 minutes, 36 seconds, and women must finish in 19 minutes, 36 seconds.
Preparing for the APFT
Stew Smith, a former Navy SEAL and military fitness trainer, feels all recruits should prepare for the APFT by training well in advance of the test. He suggests recruits try to push themselves during their workouts by performing "supersets" of situps and pushups. Smith's "superset" routine involves 10 each of regular pushups, regular situps, wide pushups, reverse crunches, close or tricep pushups and double crunches: this should be done five times in a row. However, always take into account your current level of physical fitness before beginning a new routine.
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