ACFT training program: how to train for each of the six events

The Army Combat Fitness Test asks for six things in about an hour: maximal strength, power, upper-body endurance, anaerobic capacity, core endurance and aerobic fitness. No single training style covers all of them. A soldier who only lifts fails the run; a soldier who only runs fails the deadlift. The program has to do both, and it has to fit around a duty day.

This article describes each event as published at the time of writing and how to train it. The Army revises the test and its scoring; the Army announced a successor, the Army Fitness Test, in 2025 that removes the standing power throw, so confirm which test and which scoring table your unit administers before you plan.

The six events

Event	What it measures	Published minimum (60 points)
3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift	Lower body and grip strength	Set by the scoring table for your age and sex bracket
Standing Power Throw	Explosive power	Set by the scoring table
Hand-Release Push-Up	Upper body endurance	Set by the scoring table
Sprint-Drag-Carry	Anaerobic capacity, strength endurance	Set by the scoring table
Plank	Core endurance	Set by the scoring table
2-Mile Run	Aerobic endurance	Set by the scoring table

Each event scores 0 to 100. The published pass standard is 60 points in every event. The 60-point minimums are brackets by age and sex; the figures for the youngest male bracket at the time of writing are a 140 lb deadlift, a 6.0 m throw, 10 hand-release push-ups, a sprint-drag-carry under about 2:30, a 1:30 plank and a 22:00 two-mile run. Score tables are published by the Army; use the current one for your bracket.

Most soldiers should aim well above 60. A total that holds up across every event is a better goal than a maximum on your strongest one.

Event by event

3 Repetition Maximum Deadlift

Train the hex bar deadlift the way the test runs it: a three-rep set, with a controlled lowering. Once a week, work up to a heavy set of 3, then do 2 to 3 back-off sets of 5 at about 80 percent. On a second day, Romanian deadlifts or trap bar deadlifts for 3 sets of 8. Grip holds the deadlift back for many soldiers; add farmer's carries at the end of each strength day.

Standing Power Throw

A 10 lb ball thrown backward over your head. It is a hip-extension movement, like a kettlebell swing finished with the arms. Practice the throw itself once a week for 6 to 10 attempts with full rest. Build the power with kettlebell swings (3 sets of 10), jump squats (3 sets of 5) and medicine ball throws. The throw rewards technique quickly, so film your attempts.

Hand-Release Push-Up

The chest touches the ground, the hands lift and extend to the side, then return. The reset breaks momentum, so it is harder than a standard push-up. Train it as volume across the week: three sessions of 5 to 8 sets at about 60 percent of your two-minute max, plus one timed two-minute test every second week. Bench press and overhead press on strength days support the top of the movement.

Sprint-Drag-Carry

Five 50 m shuttles: sprint, drag a 90 lb sled, lateral shuffle, carry two 40 lb kettlebells, sprint. It is about two minutes of hard anaerobic work. Train it in pieces once a week: sled drags for 4 to 6 x 50 m, kettlebell carries for 4 x 50 m, lateral shuffles for technique, then once every two or three weeks run the full event for time. Short hill sprints on another day build the sprinting.

Plank

Hold a forearm plank with a straight line from head to heel. Two sessions a week: one of 3 to 4 holds at 60 to 70 percent of your current max, and one hard hold to near failure. Add loaded carries and anti-rotation work (Pallof press, suitcase carries). Breathe. Most failed planks are a breathing problem.

2-Mile Run

The event most soldiers neglect and most totals are lost on. Three runs a week: one easy 30 to 40 minutes at a pace you can talk at, one interval session (for example 6 x 800 m at goal pace with a 2 minute jog), and one steady 40 to 50 minutes. Goal pace for a 16:00 two-mile is 8:00 per mile; for 18:00 it is 9:00 per mile. Run the intervals at that pace, not faster.

A sample week

• Monday: strength A. Deadlift to a heavy 3, back-off sets, bench press, farmer's carries, plank holds.
• Tuesday: run, intervals, 6 x 800 m at goal pace.
• Wednesday: power and SDC pieces. Throws, kettlebell swings, sled drags, kettlebell carries, hand-release push-up volume.
• Thursday: run, easy 35 minutes. Plank hard hold.
• Friday: strength B. Romanian deadlift, overhead press, jump squats, hand-release push-up volume, carries.
• Saturday: run, steady 45 minutes.
• Sunday: rest.

Every fourth week, drop the sets and the run volume by about a third and let the body catch up.

Test week

Taper for five to seven days: keep the movements, cut the volume in half, nothing heavy in the last three days. On the day, warm up properly for the deadlift, take the throw attempts seriously, and pace the run from the first lap. Most soldiers who underperform on the two-mile started too fast after five hard events.

How Loadout Solo builds the ACFT plan

Loadout Solo writes the program above from your test date, your current scores and your run history from Garmin, Strava or intervals.icu. Each event has its own progression, the runs are paced from your actual data, and the morning readiness check from HRV and sleep scales or moves the session when you are not recovered. Record your test scores and the plan tracks each event against the standard.

FAQ

How long does it take to prepare for the ACFT?

Twelve weeks of structured training is enough for most soldiers to improve every event. If one event is far behind, give it a dedicated block first.

What is a passing ACFT score?

At the time of writing the published pass standard is 60 points in each of the six events, 360 total. Scoring tables are set by age and sex bracket. Confirm the current tables and whether your unit has moved to the Army Fitness Test.

How often should I run for the two-mile?

Three times a week: one easy, one interval session at goal pace, one steady run. The easy run should be genuinely easy.

Should I train the sprint-drag-carry as a full event every week?

No. Train the pieces weekly and run the full event for time every two to three weeks. The full event is fatiguing and does not need frequent repetition.