| Chapter
14 - Army Physical Fitness Test
All soldiers in the Active Army,
Army National Guard, and Army Reserve must take the Army Physical Fitness Test
(APFT) regardless of their age. The APFT is a three-event physical performance
test used to assess muscular endurance and cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness. It
is a simple way to measure a soldier’s ability to effectively move his body by
using his major muscle groups and CR system. Performance on the APFT is strongly
linked to the soldier’s fitness level and his ability to do fitness-related tasks.
An APFT with alternate test events is given to soldiers with permanent profiles
and with temporary profiles greater than three months’ duration.
While the
APFT testing is an important tool in determining the physical readiness of individual
soldiers and units, it should not be the sole basis for the unit’s physical fitness
training. Commanders at every level must ensure that fitness training is designed
to develop physical abilities in a balanced way, not just to help soldiers do
well on the APFT.
Commanders should use their unit’s APFT results to evaluate
its physical fitness level. APFT results may indicate a need to modify the fitness
programs to attain higher fitness levels. However, mission-essential tasks, not
the APFT, should drive physical training.
Additional physical performance tests
and standards which serve as prerequisites for Airborne/Ranger/Special Forces/SCUBA
qualification are provided in DA Pam 351-4.
Methods of Evaluation
Commanders
are responsible for ensuring that their soldiers are physically fit (AR 350- 15).
There are several ways they can assess fitness including the following
•
Testing. This is an efficient way to evaluate both the individual’s and the unit’s
physical performance levels.
• Inspection. This evaluates training procedures
and indicates the soundness of the unit’s physical fitness program.
• Observation.
This is an ongoing way to review training but is not as reliable as testing as
an indicator of the unit’s level of fitness.
• Medical examination. This
detects individual disabilities, health-related problems, and physical problems. Over-Forty
Cardiovascular Screening Program
The Army’s over-40 cardiovascular screening
program (CVSP) does the following:
• Identifies soldiers with a risk of
coronary heart disease.
• Provides guidelines for safe, regular CR exercise.
•Gives
advice and help in controlling heart-disease risk factors.
• Uses treadmill
testing only for high risk soldiers who need it.
All soldiers, both active
and reserve component, must take the APFT for record regardless of age unless
prohibited by a medical profile. For soldiers who reached age 40 on or after 1
January 1989, there is no requirement for clearance in the cardiovascular screening
program before taking a record APFT. Soldiers who reached age 40 before 1 January
1989 must be cleared through the cardiovascular screening program before taking
a record APFT. Prior to their CVSP evaluation, however, they may still take part
in physical training to include diagnostic APFTs unless profiled or contraindications
to exercise
exist. All soldiers must undergo periodic physical examinations
in accordance with AR 40-501 and NGR 40- 501. These include screening for cardiovascular
risk factors. Overview
As stated, APFT events assess muscular endurance and CR fitness. The lowest passing
APFT standards reflect the minimum acceptable fitness level for all soldiers,
regardless of MOS or component. When applied to a command, APFT results show a
unit’s overall level of physical fitness. However, they are not all-inclusive,
overall measures of physical-combat readiness. To assess this, other physical
capabilities must be measured. The APFT does, however, give a commander a sound
measurement of the general fitness level of his unit.
Service schools, agencies,
and units may set performance goals which are above the minimum APFT standards
in accordance with their missions (AR 350- 15). Individual soldiers are also encouraged
to set for themselves a series of successively higher APFT performance goals.
They should always strive to improve themselves physically and never be content
with meeting minimum standards. Competition on the APFT among soldiers or units
can also be used to motivate them to improve their fitness levels.
Testing
is not a substitute for a regular, balanced exercise program. Diagnostic testing
is important in monitoring training progress but, when done too often, may decrease
motivation and waste training time.
The test period is defined as the period
of time which elapses from starting to finishing the three events. It must not
take more than two hours. Soldiers must do all three events in the same test period. Test
Administration
The APFT must be administered properly and to standard
in order to accurately evaluate a soldier’s physical fitness and to be fair to
all soldiers. (Test results are used for personnel actions.)
Individual soldiers
are not authorized to administer the APFT to themselves for the purpose of satisfying
a unit's’s diagnostic or record APFT requirement. REQUIRED
EQUIPMENT
The OIC or NCOIC at the test site must have a copy of FM 21-20
on hand. The supervisor of each event must have the event instructions and standards.
Scorers should have a clipboard and an ink pen to record the results on the soldiers’
scorecards.
Two stopwatches are needed. They must be able to measure time in
both minutes and seconds.
Runners must wear numbers or some other form of identification
for the 2-mile run. The numbers may be stenciled or pinned onto pullover vests
or sleeveless, mesh pullovers or attached to the runners themselves.
Soldiers
should wear clothing that is appropriate for PT such as shorts, Tshirts, socks,
and running shoes (not
tennis shoes). They should not wear basketball shoes
or other types of court shoes. BDUs may be worn but may be a hindrance on some
events.
Anything that gives a soldier an unfair advantage is not permitted
during the APFT. Wearing devices such as weight belts or elastic bandages may
or may not provide an advantage. However, for standardization, such additional
equipment is not authorized unless prescribed by medical personnel. The only exception
is gloves. They may be worn in cold weather when approved by the local commander.
Each
soldier needs a DA Form 705, Army Physical Fitness Test Scorecard. The soldier
fills in his name, social security number, grade, age, and sex. (See Figure 14-
1.) The unit will complete the height and weight data.
Scorers record the raw
score for each event and initial the results. If a soldier fails an event or finds
it difficult to perform, the scorer should write down the reasons and other pertinent
information in the comment block. After the entire APFT has been completed, the
event scorer will convert raw scores to point scores using the scoring standards
on the back of the scorecards. (See Figure 14- 1.)
SUPERVISION
The APFT must be properly supervised to ensure that its objectives are met. Proper
supervision ensures uniformity in the following:
• Scoring the test.
•
Training of supervisors and scorers.
• Preparing the test and controlling
performance factors.
The goal of the APFT is to get an accurate evaluation
of the soldiers’ fitness levels. Preparations for administering an accurate APFT
include the following:
• Selecting and training supervisors and scorers.
•
Briefing and orienting administrators and participants.
• Securing a location
for the events.
Commanders must strictly control those factors which influence
test performance. They must ensure that events, scoring, clothing, and equipment
are uniform. Commanders should plan testing which permits each soldier to perform
to his maximal level. They should also ensure the following:
• Soldiers
are not tested when fatigued or ill.
• Soldiers do not have tiring duties
just before taking the APFT.
• Weather and environmental conditions do
not inhibit performance.
• Safety is the first consideration. Duties
of Test Personnel
Testers must be totally familiar with the instructions
for each event and trained to administer the tests. Correctly supervising testees
and laying out the test area are essential duties. The group administering the
test must include the following:
• OIC or NCOIC.
• Event supervisor,
scorers, and a demonstrator for each event.
• Support personnel (safety,
control, and medical, as appropriate). There should be no less than one scorer
for each 15 soldiers tested. Twelve to 15 scorers are required when a company-sized
unit is tested. OIC
OR NCOIC
The OIC or NCOIC does the following:
• Administers the
APFT.
• Procures all necessary equipment and supplies.
• Arranges
and lays out the test area.
• Trains the event supervisors, scorers, and
demonstrators. (Training video tape No. 21-191 should be used for training those
who administer the APFT.)
• Ensures the test is properly administered and
the events are explained, demonstrated, and scored according to the test standards
in this chapter.
• Reports the results after the test. EVENT
SUPERVISORS
Event supervisors do the following:
• Administer the
test events.
• Ensure that necessary equipment is on hand.
• Read
the test instructions, and have the events demonstrated.
• Supervise the
scoring of events, and ensure that they are done correctly.
• Rule on questions
and scoring discrepancies for their event. SCORERS
Scorers do the following:
• Supervise the performance of testees.
•
Enforce the test standards in this chapter.
• Count the number of correctly
performed repetitions aloud.
• Record the correct, raw score on each soldier’s
scorecard, and initial the scorecard block.
• Perform other duties assigned
by the OIC or NCOIC.
Scorers must be thoroughly trained to maintain uniform
scoring standards. They do not participate in the test. SUPPORT
PERSONNEL
Safety and control people should be at the test site, depending
on local policy and conditions. Medical personnel may also be there. However,
they do not have to be on site to have the APFT conducted. At a minimum, the OIC
or NCOIC should have a plan, known to all test personnel, for getting medical
help if needed. Test
Site
The test site should be fairly flat and free of debris. It should
have the following:
• An area for stretching and warming up.
• A
soft, flat, dry area for performing push-ups and sit-ups.
• A flat, 2-mile
running course with a solid surface and no more than a three-percent grade. (Commanders
must use good judgment; no one is expected to survey terrain.)
• No significant
hazards, (for example, traffic, slippery road surfaces, heavy pollution).
When
necessary or expedient, a quarter-mile running track can “be used. It can be marked
with a series of stakes along the inside edge. When the track is laid out, a horizontal
midline 279 feet, 9 3/4 inches long must be marked in the center of a clear area.
A 120-foot circle is marked at both ends of this line. The track is formed when
the outermost points of the two circles are connected with tangent lines. (See
Figure 14-2.)
A 400-meter track may be used in place of the standard quarter-mile
(440-yard) track for the 2-mile run, However, one lap run on a 400-meter track
is 92 inches shorter than one lap on a 440-yard track. Eight laps on a 400-meter
track is 736 inches shorter than eight laps (2 miles) on a 440-yard track. Therefore,
soldiers who run the 2-mile event on a 400-meter track must run eight laps plus
an additional 61 feet, 4 inches.
 Test
Procedures
On test day, soldiers are assembled in a common area and briefed
by the test OIC or NCOIC about the purpose and organization of the test. The OIC
or
NCOIC then explains the scorecard, scoring standards, and sequence of events.
The
instructions printed here in large type must be read to the soldiers:
“YOU
ARE ABOUT TO TAKE THE ARMY PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST, A TEST THAT WILL MEASURE YOUR
MUSCULAR ENDURANCE AND CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS. THE RESULTS OF THIS TEST WILL
GIVE YOU AND YOUR COMMANDERS AN INDICATION OF YOUR STATE OF FITNESS AND WILL ACT
AS A GUIDE IN DETERMINING YOUR PHYSICAL TRAINING NEEDS. LISTEN CLOSELY TO THE
TEST INSTRUCTIONS, AND DO THE BEST YOU CAN ON EACH OF THE EVENTS.”
If scorecards
have not already been issued, they are handed out at this time. The OIC or NCOIC
then says the following: “IN THE APPROPRIATE SPACES, PRINT IN INK THE PERSONAL
INFORMATION REQUIRED ON THE SCORECARD.” (If scorecards have been issued to the
soldiers and filled out before they arrive at the test site, this remark is omitted.)
The
OIC or NCOIC pauses briefly to give the soldiers time to check the information.
He then says the following: “YOU ARE TO CARRY THIS CARD WITH YOU TO EACH EVENT.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN, HAND THE CARD TO THE SCORER. AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE EVENT, THE
SCORER WILL RECORD YOUR RAW
SCORE, INITIAL THE CARD, AND RETURN IT TO YOU.”
(At this point, the scoring tables are explained so everyone understands how raw
scores are converted to point scores.) Next, the OIC or NCOIC says the following
“EACH OF YOU WILL BE ASSIGNED TO A GROUP. STAY WITH YOUR TEST GROUP FOR THE ENTIRE
TEST, WHAT ARE YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEST AT THIS POINT?”
Groups are organized
as required and given final instructions including what to do after the final
event. The test is then given. RETAKING
OF EVENTS
Soldiers who start an event incorrectly must be stopped by the
scorer before they complete 10 repetitions and told what their errors are. They
are then sent to the end of the line to await their turn to retake the event.
A
soldier who has problems such as muscle cramps while performing an event may rest
if he does not assume an illegal position in the process. If he continues, he
receives credit for all correctly done repetitions within the two-minute period.
If he does not continue, he gets credit for the number of correct repetitions
he has performed up to that time. If he has not done 10 correct repetitions, he
is sent to the end of the line to retake that event. He may not retake the event
if he has exceeded 10 repetitions. Soldiers who are unable to perform 10 correct
repetitions because of low fitness levels may not retake an event. TEST
FAILURES
Soldiers who stop to rest in an authorized rest position continue
to receive credit for correct repetitions performed after their rest. Soldiers
who rest in an unauthorized rest position will have their performance in that
event immediately terminated. The records of soldiers who fail a record APFT for
the first time and those who fail to take the APFT within the required period
(AR 350-15, paragraph 11) must be flagged IAW AR 600-8-2 (Reference B). RETESTING
Soldiers who fail any or all of the events must retake the entire APFT. In case
of test failure, commanders may allow soldiers to retake the test as soon as the
soldiers and commanders feel they are ready. Soldiers without a medical profile
will be retested not-later-than three months following the initial APFT failure
in accordance with AR 350-15, paragraph 11. Test
Sequence
The test sequence is the push-up, sit-up, and 2-mile run (or
alternate, aerobic event). The order of events cannot be changed. There are no
exceptions to this sequence.
Soldiers should be allowed no less than 10 minutes,
but ideally no more than 20 minutes, to recover between each event. The OIC or
NCOIC determines the time to be allotted between events, as it will depend on
the total number of soldiers who are participating in the APFT. If many soldiers
are to be tested, staggered starting times should be planned to allow the proper
intervals between events. Under no circumstances is the APFT valid if a soldier
cannot begin and end all three events in two hours or less.
The following paragraphs
describe the equipment, facilities, personnel, instructions, administration, timing
techniques, and scorers’ duties for the pushup, sit-up, and 2-mile-run events. PUSH-UPS
Push-ups measure the endurance of the chest, shoulder, and triceps muscles. (See
Figure 14-3.) Equipment
One stopwatch is needed along with one clipboard and pen for each scorer. The
event supervisor must have the following the instructions in this chapter on how
to conduct the event and one copy of the push-up scoring standards (DA Form 705). Facilities
There must be at least one test station for every 15 soldiers to be tested. Each
station is 6 feet wide and 15 feet deep. Personnel
One event supervisor must beat the test site and one scorer at each station. The
event supervisor may not be the event scorer. Instructions
The event supervisor must read the following: “THE PUSH-UP EVENT MEASURES THE
ENDURANCE OF THE CHEST, SHOULDER, AND TRICEPS MUSCLES. ON THE COMMAND ‘GET SET,’
ASSUME THE FRONT-LEANING REST POSITION BY PLACING YOUR HANDS WHERE THEY ARE COMFORTABLE
FOR YOU. YOUR FEET MAY BE TOGETHER OR UP TO 12 INCHES APART. WHEN VIEWED FROM
THE SIDE, YOUR BODY SHOULD FORM A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE FROM YOUR SHOULDERS
TO YOUR ANKLES. ON THE COMMAND ‘GO,’ BEGIN THE PUSH-UP BY BENDING YOUR ELBOWS
AND LOWERING YOUR ENTIRE BODY AS A SINGLE UNIT UNTIL YOUR UPPER ARMS ARE AT LEAST
PARALLEL TO THE GROUND. THEN, RETURN TO THE STARTING POSITION BY RAISING YOUR
ENTIRE BODY UNTIL YOUR ARMS ARE FULLY EXTENDED. YOUR BODY MUST REMAIN RIGID IN
A GENERALLY STRAIGHT LINE AND MOVE AS A
UNIT WHILE PERFORMING EACH REPETITION.
AT THE END OF EACH REPETITION, THE SCORER WILL STATE THE NUMBER OF REPETITIONS
YOU HAVE COMPLETED CORRECTLY. IF YOU FAIL TO KEEP YOUR BODY GENERALLY STRAIGHT,
TO LOWER YOUR WHOLE BODY UNTIL YOUR UPPER ARMS ARE AT LEAST PARALLEL TO THE GROUND,
OR TO EXTEND YOUR ARMS COMPLETELY, THAT REPETITION WILL NOT COUNT, AND THE SCORER
WILL REPEAT THE NUMBER OF THE LAST CORRECTLY PERFORMED REPETITION. IF YOU FAIL
TO PERFORM THE FIRST TEN PUSH-UPS CORRECTLY, THE SCORER WILL TELL YOU TO GO TO
YOUR KNEES AND WILL EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT YOUR MISTAKES ARE. YOU WILL THEN BE SENT
TO THE END OF THE LINE TO BE RETESTED. AFTER THE FIRST 10 PUSH-UPS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED
AND COUNTED, HOWEVER, NO RESTARTS ARE ALLOWED. THE TEST WILL CONTINUE, AND ANY
INCORRECTLY PERFORMED PUSH-UPS WILL NOT BE COUNTED. AN ALTERED, FRONT-LEANING
REST POSITION IS THE ONLY AUTHORIZED REST POSITION. THAT IS, YOU MAY SAG IN THE
MIDDLE OR FLEX YOUR BACK. WHEN FLEXING YOUR BACK, YOU MAY BEND YOUR KNEES, BUT
NOT TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT YOU ARE SUPPORTING MOST OF YOUR BODY WEIGHT WITH YOUR
LEGS. IF THIS OCCURS, YOUR PERFORMANCE WILL BE TERMINATED. YOU MUST RETURN TO,
AND PAUSE IN, THE CORRECT STARTING POSITION BEFORE CONTINUING. IF YOU REST ON
THE GROUND
OR RAISE EITHER HAND OR FOOT FROM THE GROUND, YOUR PERFORMANCE WILL
BE TERMINATED. YOU MAY REPOSITION YOUR HANDS AND/OR FEET
DURING THE EVENT AS
LONG AS THEY REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH THE GROUND AT ALL TIMES. CORRECT PERFORMANCE
IS IMPORTANT. YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES IN WHICH TO DO AS MANY PUSH-UPS AS YOU
CAN. WATCH THIS DEMONSTRATION.” (The exercise is then demonstrated. See Figure
14-4 for a list of points that need to be made during the demonstration.) “WHAT
ARE YOUR QUESTIONS?”
 Administration
After reading the instructions, the supervisor answers questions. Then he moves
the groups to their testing stations. The event supervisor cannot be ready to
begin. Successive groups do the event until all soldiers have completed it. Timing
Techniques
The event supervisor is the timer. He calls out the time remaining
every 30 seconds and every second for the last 10 seconds of the two minutes.
He ends the event after two minutes by the command “Halt!” Scorers'
Duties
Scorers must allow for differences in the body shape and structure
of each soldier. The scorer uses each soldier’s starting position as a guide throughout
the event to evaluate each repetition. The scorer should talk to the soldier before
the event begins and have him do a few repetitions as a warm-up and reference
to ensure he is doing the exercise correctly.
The scorer may either sit or
kneel about three feet from the testee’s shoulder at a 45-degree angle in front
of it. The scorer’s head should be about even with the testee’s shoulder when
the latter is in the front-leaning rest position. Each scorer determines for himself
if he will sit or kneel when scoring. He may not lie down or stand while scoring.
He counts out loud the number of correct repetitions completed and repeats the
number of the last correct push-up if an incorrect one is done. Scorers tell the
testees what they do wrong as it occurs during the event. A critique of the performance
is done following the
test.
When the soldier completes the event, the scorer
records the number of correctly performed repetitions, initials the scorecard,
and returns it to the soldier. Continue
to Sit-Ups |
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