Train for|5 training days a week by default

RFT(E) training plan for ground close combat roles.

Infantry, RAC and other ground close combat roles sit the same three events at a higher standard.

What the test is

Ground close combat roles (infantry, Royal Armoured Corps and similar) sit the same three RFT(E) events as standard entry, at a higher standard. The mid-thigh pull and the throw targets go up and the 2 km run has to be completed in a much faster time.

The figures below are the published standards at the time of writing. Confirm them with your recruiter before you plan, and treat them as the floor: the roles that test to this standard keep testing to it throughout training.

The standards

Published figures at the time of writing. Confirm the current standard with the recruiting office before you set a target; you can edit every target on the goal screen.

TargetTest
76kgMid-thigh pull
3.1mMedicine ball throw
9:30min:sec2 km run

How the plan is built for it

  1. 1The 9:30 standard is 1:54 per 400 m. The plan starts from your current time trial and progresses interval pace toward that split, with 800 m repeats at goal pace as the key session.
  2. 2Two strength days a week built around the deadlift and loaded carries, so the 76 kg pull is comfortable rather than a maximal effort.
  3. 3An easy run and a longer steady run each week keep the aerobic base growing underneath the speed work.
  4. 4Every fourth week the volume drops by about a third. Adaptation happens in the easy week, not the hard one.
  5. 5Every morning the plan reads your HRV, sleep and resting heart rate from your watch and proposes one change when you are not recovered: scale the loads, swap with an easier day, or rest. You accept it or keep the plan.

Questions

What is the ground close combat 2 km time?

At the time of writing the published standard is 9 minutes 30 seconds, which is 4:45 per kilometre. Confirm the current figure with your recruiter.

Is 9:30 for 2 km realistic from a 11:00 base?

For most people it takes more than eight weeks. A twelve to sixteen week plan with a proper easy-running base first is the usual route.

Can I train the mid-thigh pull without the test rig?

Yes. The heavy deadlift variants and isometric pulls against rack pins transfer well. The plan programmes them.