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ACFT For Dummies

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020949612

ISBN 978-1-119-70428-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-70429-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-70431-7 (ebk)

1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 4
4. Chapter 5
5. Chapter 6
6. Chapter 7
7. Chapter 8
8. Chapter 10
9. Chapter 12
10. Chapter 15
11. Chapter 16
12. Chapter 18
13. Chapter 19
14. Chapter 21
15. Chapter 23

1. Chapter 2
2. Chapter 3
3. Chapter 4
4. Chapter 5
5. Chapter 7
6. Chapter 8
7. Chapter 9
8. Chapter 10
9. Chapter 11
10. Chapter 15
11. Chapter 16
12. Chapter 17
13. Chapter 18
14. Chapter 19
15. Chapter 20
16. Chapter 23
17. Chapter 24

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is a hot topic in military circles right now, and if youre reading this book, you probably want to do your best on this make-or-break assessment. Sure, physical fitness is the cornerstone of combat readiness, but the Armys kept the same old physical training regimen for more than four decades. If it aint broke, why fix it?

The problem is that the old test the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT was broken. It wasnt a good gauge of a soldiers overall fitness. How much can you really measure with push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run? Not much.

Enter the ACFT, the Armys new and improved assessment that looks at a soldiers functional fitness level. The days of calling three events a test are over, and so are the days of gender- and age-specific scoring. Now, the Army has a completely neutral test that every soldier must pass. Performance is divided into three Physical Demand Categories based on military occupational specialty, or MOS: Moderate, Significant, and Heavy.

You have to pass the ACFT. If you dont, you may need to start looking for a new job and thats the last thing you want to do, whether youre working toward retirement or youre just ready to complete your first contract.

ACFT For Dummies is the resource you need to improve your physical fitness, train for the ACFT, and make good choices between 1130 and 1300. I explain each test event in detail, discuss the tests rules, show you exercises you can use to improve your performance on each event, and explain how to deal with injuries. I even give you guidance on maintaining a healthy diet.

This book also contains the answers to all your burning ACFT questions, such as

• What exercises should I do to prepare for each event?
• Is PRT really going to help me perform well on the ACFT?
• How healthy are popular workouts, and will they help me pass the ACFT?
• How important is recovery?
• What happens if Im on a profile?
• Are there special exercises females should focus on? What about seasoned soldiers?
• Are special diets worth the time and energy they require?
• How can clean eating help me pass the test?

A final note about the ACFT: Its scoring is considered gender-neutral. As of this writing, the Army officially recognizes two genders male and female so when it says the test is gender-neutral, its indicating that the scoring doesnt discriminate between biological males and biological females.

When I moved this book from my head to paper, I made a few assumptions about you. (Yes, I know what happens when you assume.) Mostly, Ive taken a few things for granted about who you are and why you picked up this book:

• Youre either in the U.S. Army or youre about to join.
• You understand the Armys basic physical fitness regimen, but youre not necessarily familiar with gym jargon or many exercises outside what you do for PT every morning.
• You want to do your best on the ACFT, or youre struggling with certain events that you cant pass as of right now.
• You want to continue your career in the Army without being involuntarily separated.
• Youre ready, willing, and able to do what it takes to improve your physical fitness level.

Throughout this book, you find icons that help you use the material in this book. Heres a rundown of what they mean: