Training for the ACFT requires a mix of strength, power, and endurance work spread across at least eight weeks. The test has six events that challenge very different energy systems, so a single-focus program won’t cut it. The Army’s own Holistic Health and Fitness program recommends five training days per week: two lifting days, two conditioning/running days, and one power circuit day that mimics the sprint-drag-carry event.
The Six Events and What They Test
The ACFT scores each of the five main events on a 0 to 100 point scale, adjusted by age and gender. The sixth event is pass/fail. Here’s what you’re training for:
- 3-Repetition Maximum Deadlift (MDL): Max-effort trap bar deadlift for three reps. Tests lower body and back strength.
- Standing Power Throw (SPT): Overhead backward throw of a 10-pound medicine ball for distance. Tests explosive total-body power.
- Hand-Release Push-Up (HRP): Timed push-ups where you lift your hands off the ground at the bottom of each rep. Tests upper body muscular endurance.
- Sprint-Drag-Carry (SDC): A shuttle event combining sprints, sled drags, lateral shuffles, and kettlebell carries over 25-meter lanes. Tests anaerobic capacity and grip strength.
- Plank (PLK): Timed hold in a forearm plank position. A max score requires holding for 1:10 to 1:30 depending on age.
- 2-Mile Run (2MR): Straight endurance run. For soldiers aged 22 to 26, a max score requires finishing under 19:45 (male) or 22:45 (female).
How to Structure Your Training Week
The Army’s ACFT Prep Guide lays out a clean five-day split that covers all six events without overtraining any one area. The framework looks like this:
- Day 1: Conditioning (run-focused)
- Day 2: Lift (deadlift, pressing, and core work)
- Day 3: Conditioning (run-focused)
- Day 4: Lift (upper body endurance and posterior chain)
- Day 5: Power circuit (sprint, drag, carry simulation)
Plan for an eight-week cycle. Weeks 1 through 3 build volume progressively. Week 4 is a deload, where you cut weight and reps by 30 to 40 percent to let your body recover and adapt. Weeks 5 through 7 push intensity higher, and week 8 is another deload leading into test day, ideally in week 9. If you feel great at week 4, you can repeat week 3 instead, but take the week 8 deload seriously since you’ll likely test the following week.
Training the Deadlift
The deadlift is the most straightforward event to train for, but it carries the highest injury risk. Lower back disc herniation and knee injuries are the primary concerns with heavy deadlift training. Start with lighter weight and focus on form before chasing numbers. Research on both professional and amateur lifters consistently links extremely heavy deadlift loads to back and knee injuries, so building up gradually over the full eight weeks is essential.
Train the trap bar deadlift twice per week on your lifting days. One session should be heavier (working up to sets of 3 at 85 to 90 percent of your max), while the second session uses moderate weight for sets of 5 to 8 reps to build the supporting muscles. Always warm up with lighter sets before loading heavy. A dedicated deadlift warm-up, even just two to three progressively heavier sets, meaningfully reduces injury risk. Accessory lifts like Romanian deadlifts, goblet squats, and barbell rows strengthen the same chain without the spinal loading of a max-effort pull.
Building Explosive Power for the Standing Power Throw
The standing power throw is the most technique-dependent event on the test. You stand with your back to the throwing lane, squat down with a 10-pound medicine ball between your legs, and explode upward and backward to launch the ball as far as possible. The power comes from your legs, not your arms.
Think of your body like a loaded spring. Grasp the ball as far around its outer sides as you can, sink into a deep squat, and drive upward through your ankles, knees, and hips simultaneously. Release the ball when your hands pass the back of your head, aiming for roughly a 45-degree launch angle. Your body should be fully extended at the moment of release.
Train this by doing the actual throw as often as you have access to a medicine ball and open space. That repetition builds the timing of the release, which is the hardest part to dial in. On top of that, box jumps, broad jumps, and squat jumps all develop the same explosive hip extension. Kettlebell swings are another excellent builder because they train the exact hip hinge and explosive drive pattern you need.
Hand-Release Push-Ups and the Plank
These two events reward high-volume endurance training. For push-ups, the hand-release version is harder than a standard push-up because you lose the stretch reflex at the bottom. You have to generate force from a dead stop every rep. Train these specifically, not just regular push-ups. Three to four sets to near failure, two to three times per week, will build the endurance you need. Vary your grip width occasionally to avoid overloading your shoulders and elbows, which are common overuse injury sites in ACFT training.
The plank seems simple, but holding it under test-day fatigue (after you’ve already done the deadlift, throw, push-ups, and sprint-drag-carry) is a different animal. A max score for most age groups over 37 requires a 1:10 hold. Train planks for longer than your target time. If you need 1:30 on test day, practice holding for 2:00 or more. Add instability by placing your elbows on a slightly elevated surface or alternating arm lifts during your hold to make the standard plank feel easier.
Conquering the Sprint-Drag-Carry
The SDC is where many soldiers lose points because it demands anaerobic power, grip strength, and the ability to recover between efforts. The event cycles through five 50-meter shuttles: sprint, sled drag, lateral shuffle, kettlebell carry, and a final sprint. For a max score across most age brackets, you need to finish in around 3:20 to 3:40.
Dedicate one full training day per week to simulating this event. If you don’t have a sled, drag a heavy duffel bag or a tire on a rope. For the carry portion, pick up two heavy kettlebells or dumbbells (40 pounds each is a good starting point) and walk 50 meters. The lateral shuffle doesn’t require equipment, just space and effort. Run through the full sequence with minimal rest to train the metabolic demand, then rest fully (use a 1:5 work-to-rest ratio for speed work, or 1:1 for building overall capacity) and repeat.
Farmer’s carries, sled pulls, and heavy kettlebell swings transfer directly to this event. Grip strength is often the limiting factor, so dead hangs from a pull-up bar and heavy holds with dumbbells are worth adding to your lifting days.
Training the 2-Mile Run
The 2-mile run is the final event, which means you’ll be running on tired legs. A solid eight-week running plan uses four to five running sessions per week with three distinct workout types: intervals, tempo runs, and long runs.
Intervals build speed and your body’s ability to process oxygen. A typical session is 4 to 6 repeats of 400 meters at your goal 2-mile pace, with 90 seconds of jogging between each. Tempo runs improve the pace you can sustain without burning out. Run 12 to 20 minutes at around 85 percent effort, a pace that feels “comfortably hard.” Long runs build your aerobic base at an easy conversational pace, starting at 35 minutes in week 1 and building to 45 or 50 minutes by mid-cycle.
A realistic weekly mileage progression starts at 10 to 12 miles in week 1, builds to 12 to 14 by week 2, and peaks around 16 to 18 before tapering. Hill repeats (5 sets of 45-second hard efforts up a hill) are valuable early in the cycle for building leg strength without the joint impact of flat sprinting. Fartlek runs, where you alternate 90 seconds hard with 90 seconds easy for 20 minutes, bridge the gap between interval work and race-pace effort.
In your final week before the test, cut volume dramatically. A short sharpening session two days before the test, something like 4 repeats of 200 meters at a fast but controlled pace, keeps your legs responsive without creating fatigue.
Preventing the Most Common Injuries
The most frequent injuries in ACFT training are overuse injuries to the lower body: knees, shins, ankles, and lower back. Upper body injuries to the shoulders, elbows, and spine are also a concern, particularly from the deadlift and push-up events. Rotator cuff tears are a common shoulder injury that often develops gradually from repetitive overhead and pressing work before finally giving way during a single effort.
A proper warm-up before every session is non-negotiable. Ten minutes of light cardio followed by dynamic stretches (leg swings, arm circles, hip openers, and bodyweight squats) prepares your joints and muscles for load. Before heavy deadlifts specifically, perform two to three warm-up sets at progressively heavier weight before touching your working sets.
Cross-training helps prevent the repetitive stress that causes overuse injuries. Swap one running day per week for cycling or swimming if you’re feeling shin or knee pain. On lifting days, keep at least one session per week at moderate weight and higher reps. Using lighter deadlift loads for higher volume has been shown to strengthen the back and knees while reducing injury risk compared to always training near your max.
Training With Limited Equipment
You don’t need a full gym to train effectively for the ACFT. A trap bar (or standard barbell with plates), a 10-pound medicine ball, two kettlebells or heavy dumbbells, and a sled or drag rope cover every event. If you’re training at home, a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a pull-up bar handle most of the strength work. Resistance bands can substitute for sled drags by anchoring them and sprinting against the tension. A loaded backpack works for farmer’s carry practice in a pinch.
The two things worth investing in specifically for the ACFT are a 10-pound medicine ball (so you can practice the actual throw technique) and a trap bar if your gym doesn’t have one. The trap bar deadlift is a different movement pattern than a conventional barbell deadlift, and specificity matters when you’re training for a max-effort test.