How to MAX the ACFT // Army Combat Fitness Test

[@queen4life689]

"This test exploits your weakness!" Facts 💯💯💯💯

[@ricbareng]

Singing the Alphabet & backwards in your head, Our Father's, Hail Mary, etc, just to avoid thinking of the pain had me going 7.5 mins in the plank. Got me the CSM coin, edging out everyone else, last one was an Officer & about 15 mins of enduring through a splitting aneurysm type of a headache from all the pressure, but all worth it-Enlisteds for the WIN!

[@LikaMalia]

I did the exact same thing! I was reciting lady Gaga ‘just dance’ in my head during the 2 mile cause that’s what I’d be listening to on the treadmill! I got a 14 min run and widened my paces so little less energy spent 😊

[@pauldarling330]

One tip for the run. As soon as you are done planking, go for a light jog and warm up. Don't just stand there. Maybe a few 50 to 100M runs at pace. You need to work out the lactic from your previous events.

[@JamesBryanDrake]

Great Tip !!!

[@queen4life689]

🤗 okay

[@jennifer9528]

Yes, this, exactly!! A gentle warm-up is key before the run!!

[@Dawitness11]

I totally agree! Great excellent tip!

[@luiscadena5068]

This guy is a real deal savage. I went through SFAS with him this past January and he absolutely crushed it. Can’t believe I found his KZbin channel lol

[@JamesBryanDrake]

Thanks Luis. Takes one to know one :)

[@vanwool94]

Are they doing the ACFT at SFAS now, or still the old APFT + pull-ups?

[@Optimus1234Prime]

​@@vanwool94I would also like to know this.

[@Hokadoka123]

@@vanwool94 HR pushups Pull-ups 2 mile Run 6mile Ruck

[@messagedeleted4307]

This guy is special forces? You've got to be kidding me. We are going to our next real war...

[@edwinherrera4638]

BROTHER!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! I've got an ACFT about two hours from now and since I can't sleep I might as well see what right look like. Also when I heard you say you quote scripture, I was like that's my bro/guy! God bless you brother, hopefully see you someday in a gym here or in heaven. 🤙☝💪

[@chrysiarose]

This year marked 30 years since I left the Army. Things have changed so much! I still think about the Army now and then, and how much I wish I could go back in time.

[@slipkidd3689]

Waaaaaaay....back in the day 1983, a small group of us would do the old push-ups sit-ups 2 mile run as a warm-up before a workout. Max out our fitness test every time. Always practice your event and you will score high when it is time to get it. This new testing.....awesome, wish we had that back then. These tips here should help everyone. AIRBORNE!!

[@rayshaunparis1176]

Dang so everyday? How do your body feel now?

[@justinlast2lastharder749]

Bro...I maxed out my 2-2-2 before even hitting MEPs. I got recruited at a MMA event I competed in. Got me a Ranger School invite before I even got to MEPs

[@31Blessings]

Your tip to shift weight during the plank is spot on. I max it with little effort, and I do not plank in my daily workouts.

[@davidsimmons4435]

Me neither. I never plank a day in my life on my own. My signature tech for the plank is mostly patience.

[@Jaime-di1qk]

I am retired now…wish we had these videos when I was in. One thing I learned from the medics, drink some Pedyalite the night before. That really helped me push thru the APFT. Learned that trick on my 11th year. Best hydration ever. Good luck to all you young troops.

[@Jefe-x]

I’m planning on joining, any tips you have?

[@alexmark8917]

@@Jefe-x don’t

[@Jefe-x]

@@alexmark8917 why Not? What’s ur reasoning

[@alexmark8917]

@@Jefe-x how old are you? Do you have anything else you can do? If you want an honest answer let’s start here

[@Jefe-x]

@@alexmark8917 I’m 18 don’t have any further plans that I’m interested in doing for a career path

[@patrickr445]

Watched this video the night before and got a 578 lol. The tips definitely helped a lot

[@NateAmado]

As a 10 year fitness coach/natural movement expert, this man knows what he’s talking about. I’m 31 and joining the Army Reserves Friday. Ship out Nov 12. Great advice and breakdown of the ACFT. Will be training these tests specifically until then. 🇺🇸

[@yishaihalpin]

I’m 31 and a Police Officer and I’m really considering joining the Texas National Guard and continuing to be a cop as well.

[@NateAmado]

@@yishaihalpin Awesome, man! If you’re considering, I’d say go for it!! I lived in the Dallas, TX area for 6 years, traveled all over for work and play. I’m glad I finally joined, and can’t wait to ship out. Less than 2 months to go now. 🫡🇺🇸

[@mitchellhansen870]

I ship nov 12th too lmao

[@NateAmado]

@@mitchellhansen870 Ayyyy, where to? Lol

[@yryama]

Had my legs like rubber just this morning, sprint drag carry is not for the uninitiated.

[@dt1productions918]

No joke… lol 😂🤙

[@sksimmons1336]

At 41, I must say I’m impressed by your performance.

[@HappyWifeLife7]

I especially like the tip about reciting Scripture in your mind! Way to go brother! From a sister in Canada

[@sarahboehlke744]

This is mad helpful, I ship out to basic at Sill in a month and I'm so glad I found actual comprehensive tips for this. Thank you sir!

[@ylballa]

Solid breakdown with good tips! Thanks James

[@MarkAero13]

Sir, thanks for posting that ACFT card, that is by far the best scores I have ever seen! I’ve watched this video several times for motivation and training, thanks so much!

[@slipkidd3689]

If you practice these events 2-3 times a week you'll be close to maxing out as well. Practice your events.

[@Preezy9042]

Great tips to push me over the edge. Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[@TheRogersLee]

Thank you so much of the incredible details you demonstrated. My ACFT is coming up on soon on March 4th and can imagine all the mistakes I could've made if I didn't watch your video. Please keep making more and can't wait to take my fitness test!!!

[@rogerslee4851]

Hey, I just took my fitness test and scored 553 Points and won $7,000 Dollars. I am glad that I was able to use your tips and tricks to win first place and I appreciate your strategies because they definitely helped!!!!

[@roper2534]

How did you do

[@JamesBryanDrake]

Great job 👏

[@goat1176]

You just helped me pass and improve my score on the ACFT. Thank you.

[@JamesBryanDrake]

AWESOME!

[@mattg1094]

let me guess... it was the fruit on the head that kept you low during your run? :D

[@Deep.ramgarhia]

What's ur score

[@timwilkerson239]

Thanks for the video! I’m going into the army after an enlistment in the Marine Corps and this really helped me learn the fitness test. The sprint, drag, carry reminds me of the CFT a bit and I hope to crush it!

[@Hunter_Nebid]

I made the same move... Be ready for a big culture shock 😎

[@brattrw54]

@@Hunter_Nebid Same I was 10+ years in the Corps. Joined the Army Reserves. HUGE culture shock.

[@Travazoid]

How has it been so far ? I’m looking at enlisting into army after 4 year in USMC. Been out for 8 years so it’ll be a shock all over again.

[@brattrw54]

@@Travazoid It's not bad. I am retiring this year. I would say almost nothing about the military is the same. Things have changed a lot. I imagine you are in for quite the shock beyond just moving from the Corps to the Army.

[@josephwilson1333]

The fitness test is cake compared to the Marine PFT/CFT

[@codecaine]

I am glad the Army add Strength training into the PT test.

[@midnighttutor]

Best discussion I have seen on tactical analysis and techniques for this test. Also the most fit man of the cloth I have seen in a while....

[@Frame_Is]

THANK YOU!!!! Joining the Natonal Guard soon and needed this

[@rolandorodriguez7449]

Hey, man, I wish you would have "fully demonstrated" the 2-mile. I'm still unclear with that event. LOL. But seriously, thank you for sharing the tips. Especially pointing out the importance of hydrating before the event...younger Soldiers think they're indestructible. I did pretty good in my last ACFT. These tips will help me improve next time in the fall. Take care!

[@mikeg9b]

I like your positivity.

[@rsggbambino2710]

Thanks man this is helpful as it can get I'm joining back after a 5 year break i just honestly wasnt ready for the military at 17 and this seems like it can be pretty rough so ik what I need to prepare for. Stay dangerous.

[@frankyplague]

Same brother, I'm going back after 9 myself. Good luck man you're gonna smoke the ACFT.

[@rsggbambino2710]

@@frankyplague hope to cross paths brother👍🏽

[@Jezyra]

Wow these were some awesome tips! I’m going to Fort Jackson next month for BT. The sdc is the most difficult part for me.

[@Christ99]

Ayyyy! Me too XD

[@coreybirdsong8055]

Very informative thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge!

[@mackenziekaskie5358]

This was very helpful! I’ve been looking for the best little variations within limits.

[@SnickC13]

Thank you very much.

[@BlueHillCountry]

Great job SGT, great video. I really tried, but acft is no joke, kicked my butt, as an older NCO. Glad I passed my last record APFT, before retirement.

[@oigonochir2653]

You are awesome!

[@Autumn-cc6tb]

Thank you James i will need this when i join the Army i want to be a Sniper or K9 handler and be in the Special Forces

[@SWZ32TT]

"Firework" by katy perry is the perfect song/length of song to max your plank to. Also twist a bit to engage obliques. Solid video with good tips.

[@IndayBing1988]

Thank you so much for this tip 🙏

[@chaplainstudent5689]

Nice job especially the scripture reference!

[@Mishcaferraz]

thanks, im gonna use this for my badminton training

[@1damonecole]

I certainly appreciate the tips. But I am 46 years old and currently serving in the Army National Guard. I am having a little trouble building strength in addition to building speed. Before the ACFT, I had no trouble obtaining a 14:00 2 mile run and maxing out the pushups and sit-ups. However, with the changes to the new physical fitness test, I now have to incorporate weightlifting into my training regimen. I don't know if its my age or I'm just not a lifter. Nevertheless,, my last deadlift was 315lb. I'd just like to to be able to MDL 340, SDC 1:35 and still run a 14:00 or better. Any advice would be appreciated.

[@kodykernan6917]

Athlean x and renaissance periodization are great KZbin sources for lifting

[@LikaMalia]

I’m headed back in and this is EXACTLY what I need to know! I’m subbing immediately

[@historyfellow3684]

Thanks, Chaplain. This has been helpful.

[@shadgainz2513]

Lovely video

[@gun3rzx847]

I'm shipping out on the 26th and am worried I'll fail this test. I suck at running and planks. I've been working out like crazy before I leave 😂

[@castlewood1371]

Thank you sir, God bless

[@akeem9391]

I ets before this went to effect. I was about a 85-90% avg on pt when I served. My best was 315. I was relatively active in work and every day life so I didn't have to train as hard as some of my battles but that shit right here just too much. Those guys are likely active but if you're in the guard you better workout to be fit enough to pass that.

[@kateshrake3444]

Great tips thank you!!

[@usethharley-ij9jr]

Love and blessings

[@DevinAbdullah]

Great video and tips!

[@doughboy334]

super duper helpful! thank you

[@wheelz7360]

You are a beast sir !!🫡

[@ServantJas]

Well done, and thank you :)

[@ryandavis4580]

This helped me out a lot. I improved in every event

[@WhiskeyMikeSix]

Great video! Thank you for sharing.

[@paigeburton8995]

So they don’t care if we drop and flop on the pushups. I just re-enlisted so Ive yet to take the new acft 😅. Thanks for all the great advice 😊

[@calibrien6522]

amazing content

[@aptc77]

These are great tips! Earned a subscriber!

[@AirSupp0rtMusic]

My shoulder always get to tired during the hand release pushups. It's the arms out to the side that gets me. Lol

[@GloryJonatic]

Thanks for this! I'm gonna practice this! Then give me advice for the 2 mile run

[@edsonpereira3896]

can also spread your legs during the plank, great tips overall

[@tylerlawlerDEVGRU]

Never got to do the new PT test. We always used to say that anything under a 280 is unacceptable. Extended scale every now and then 300+

[@MrJMB122]

Sir, I am out of shape grunt reclassing as 56M. Thank you so much for these tips.

[@JamesBryanDrake]

Best of luck!

[@billyray6913]

That's a nice gym.

[@oLdsolDier7]

Appreciated

[@jbkhan1135]

I've been out of the Army for 20 years now and maybe it's just me, but this physical fitness test seems so complicated. I kind of miss the days where it was just pushups, situps, 2 mile run.

[@dad3562]

It’s really easy, like really really easy. Even with my torn ACL. I wish they kept the leg tuck but, you know. Gotta be fair…. So now they do planks. I’ve got two more years to retire and the service has changed a lot, a lot, I’m ready to hang my boots but I know I’ll miss it.

[@alexanderwhittemore1491]

Yup. It’s certainly a lot of rules to remember at first. But even so it’s a superior test than the old one, for many reasons.

[@rockingrogershomestead]

When i am in the plank position, within 30s, i am ready to puke up acid reflux. The only time i dont is if i lower my hips so my back is not parallel to the ground. I wish we still did the leg tuck as an alternative.

[@Morozzz85]

Отличный подготовленный урок,спасибо!

[@asdfasdf-rb3oq]

helpful video bro

[@G.Harley.Davidson]

In the National Guard just give your readiness NCO some fire football 50 yard line tickets if your in the good ole boys club.

[@FissileThomist]

Bro, I knew a guy that trains and races triathlons all the time and he told me that his lungs never burned more than after a sprint drag carry circuit

[@TheSneakerShoppingChannel]

Very informative

[@Ashmole3]

omg the hexbar grip is so helpful. I can deadlift 400+ on a straightbar but I have such a hard time holding the damn hexbar.

[@phoenixneary26]

I have my feet touch during the laterals on the sprint drag carry and i have never been disqualified. I do more of a skipping movement and use my legs to swing to where i land without crossing them. My time in the event is 1.15s

[@rayflores9854]

Quote as scripture. I love it!

[@jamesc7824]

Wouldnt recommend offsetting hands for the deadlift. If shifts the bar in weird ways and pinches at the waist. I ruptured a disc doing this (during the warm up sets no less) at BCAP and required surgery.

[@keithkokoszka2016]

Great tips! However, the command has the last say and is very subjective. I took two ACFT diagnostic tests before leaving the Army National Guard in 2022. The first was in October 2021, and the second was in April 2022. The proctor for the test, who attended an ACFT administration course, stated that for the MDL, both hands must be centered on the bar and emphasized that hands cannot be offset. HRP, the instruction given was hands must be in contact with the ground in and out, with no adjusting of the hands under the shoulders. SDC instruction given is that both feet, with emphasis on both feet, must cross the line at the 25-meter turn-around point before touching the ground with the opposite hand of the lead leg; he emphasized there is no swinging of the arms during the Laterals; the Laterals are performed exactly as MMD 1, elbows bent 90 degrees and palms facing out. Any swinging of the arms is one warning; the second time, SM is informed will terminate and start the SDC over from the beginning. He further instructed during the PLANK, there is no movement; any movement, even the slightest, is immediate termination of the event.

[@rockingrogershomestead]

I failed the SDC my first drill back after 2 years of being out.

[@nyking9876]

Thanks

[@ryanadamtexas]

God bless you brother for mentioning scripture

[@wayne00k]

Great video and message! As an old, cold war era Army MP, I'm just recovering from a few physical ailments that have sidelined me for the past few years. I want to use the Army CFT as my benchmark for fitness recovery... can you suggest some alternative exercises to help condition a body to pass this test? I'm not looking to max the score - but at my age I'd be thrilled to pass it :) Blessings

[@JamesBryanDrake]

@@wayne00k try using the elliptical or running in water for lower impact. Do planks in the sauna, makes doing them outside the sauna seem easy. Use a Tabata timer to simulate the sdc. Do higher reps with lower weight on hexbar.

[@wayne00k]

@@JamesBryanDrake thanks for the coaching - I don't have access to a sauna but I do have access to this seasonal heat dome! again - thanks for the inspiration - of the troops!

[@agrxdrowflow958]

Pretty good for 41. The trick is keeping fit into your 60s.

[@beverywhereyouare]

One HUGE tip for the test: join the Air Force.

[@aaronlaughlin2389]

Really gotta try out that drag method, I’ve been stuck at 2 minutes

[@길성범-g8u]

I miss fort jackson gym

[@rsggbambino2710]

Which gym is this I was on the aviation side my gym was closest to the flight line

[@MartinOrkuma]

Sir!!! That's my Chaplain!

[@ghosttube6525]

Happen to know the weight of the sled & kettle bells? Distance of the drag/ run? Thank you!

[@JamesBryanDrake]

40lb kettle bells & 90lbs on the sled for 25m one way

[@jennifer9528]

Keep in mind that's two kettlebells at 40 pounds, each, for a total of 80 pounds; and it's 50 yards (25 yards down, and 25 yards back) for each event in the SDC (there are five of them!) for a grand total of 250 yards.

[@thisguy-yv5so]

Did they switch the leg tuck for planks? I took the acft 3 times in my career and scored in the 500s everytime. 2 out of the 3 I puked after the sprint drag carry lol that event is a real gut check, no pun intended.

[@___playbeatguitar___7903]

ACFT beast

[@t_arnoldmotivation5767]

Did anyone catch this is a Chaplain? 56 series lead the way! 🙌🏻

[@jennifer9528]

Any suggestions on the SDC for short (5'2") females who weigh 105lbs? This is tough enough for grown men who weigh 180, but it's a completely different animal for people dragging close to their own body weight.

[@JamesBryanDrake]

@@jennifer9528 try sled work at your gym. Pushing and pulling a sled at any weight will increase your efficiency!

[@SaifAli-hi2jv]

Ok but I am so pissed that our sled drag carry is just rubber plates on a string over rocky ground

[@issiahbernaiche6897]

I am 26 years and deciding to join the army. Am meeting a recruiter tomorrow and most likely will sign up on DEP. I am 6 ft at 140 lbs. I’m not in shape, both endurance, and strength. Any recommendations to practice for this? I do not have access to a gym.

[@VictorRodriguez-if3uf]

28. I get 600’s constantly but your scores are still impressive to me 😂

[@ssgtrom9739]

11:44 … you crazy! Lol. I’m never getting that

[@Grand_History]

how can you max it if they change it every 3 months. the pushups went from extending all the way to just lifting your hands then switched it back

[@Slime9ineDu2ce]

I just started pushups yesterday.. it was agonizing then the next day i did like 10+ wtf lol

[@doom4067]

Hands have to be no more than a fist width apart in the plank and fingers cannot interlock. There is nothing saying that your hands cannot touch.

[@ericamuniz1757]

The fingers on the left hand may not be interlocked, interlaced, , or touching with the fingers on the right hand, hands no more than a boot width apart.

[@RedDevil47]

You prepare for ACFT all you want, that sprint drag still gets you every time it sucks. I see dudes puck every time

[@kylejanof5165]

Are they doing the ACFT at SFAS now, or still the old APFT + pull-ups?

[@TIG2MAN0]

Great video, how do I increase my pushups?

[@JamesBryanDrake]

Try using bands to increase resistance gradually. Ex. if you can do 20 push-ups try doing 15 with a 15lb band across your back. Add one rep a week and at the end of 5 weeks you should be able to do 20 push-ups with a 15lb band. Remove that band and now you'll should be able to get 30 pushups without it!

[@amberbutler4486]

I am getting ready to go to basic training I test in a week how do I control my breathing I was a smoker

[@jackeronie6490]

haha you might be fucked depending on how long you've been free, just make sure you aren't restricting your breathing remember your body needs oxygen that's why you breathe faster

[@codysmith66]

Not sure if you've left or not, but controlled breathing comes down to practice, and a breathing pattern. Everyone has their own breathing pattern. Like for running, I like to do a 4 count breathing pattern in sync with my steps. 4 breaths in, 4 breaths out, to make sure I have oxygen flow. As i get fatigued I'll drop to 3 breaths, and then 2. I try to stay no lower than 2.