Well, well, well, it looks like the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is rolling ahead as planned on October 1 2020. I’m sorry, correction, the ACFT 2.0 is rolling ahead on Oct. 1. And guess what? You don’t even need to pass it! That’s right, sit back down on the couch, kick your feet up and start another season of The Office on Netflix.
Has the Army turned into youth sports where “Everyone Gets a Trophy”?
Ok, all kidding aside, soldiers will still have to take the test in 2020, allegedly, but they don’t have to pass the test. I imagined you’d have to pass the ACFT in 2021, but I just read over on Military.com that “individual scores will not count against soldiers until 2022.” This is a relief for soldiers who haven’t even got off the couch yet and started training for it. And wait until they hear they don’t even have to pass it in 2020, let alone 2021. Quarantine parties will be thrown, social distancing will be violated and beer pong will be played.
A fear for most was the potential impact a failure could have on their career if they couldn’t get 1 Leg Tuck. Don’t stress, the Army will not be taking action against anyone who fails the ACFT 2.0. So careers cannot be negatively impacted due to an ACFT failure…yet. But they haven’t put a timeline on when you have to pass it by, if you can fail it multiple times, and so on. More details are sure to follow from the Army on this matter.
But the one thing we know is Rest in Peace APFT. Well sort of. They say it’s gone for good, but it is and it isn’t. The only soldiers that will be required to take the APFT are the ones without a current passing score. But it’s still going to be used at advanced schools and selections. Don’t stop doing sit-ups yet if you’re trying to advance your career, head off to Ranger school, RASP, SFAS, PSYOPS etc.
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston stated, “As for everyone else [with a current passing APFT score] — they should start training for the ACFT.”
Start? You’re joking right? They should’ve started over 6+ months ago. Which is the reason for “The ACFT 2.0”. They won’t say it but I will. But hey, if you’re someone that needs help, I got you. My ACFT Train-Up Plan is now only $75. If you’re looking for an ACFT specific train-up program to follow, to get coaching, feedback, questions answered, exercise modifications as needed and to train virally with others I got you. Plus I have been training soldiers for over a decade and have way more than a weekend cert. Get started today.
They are claiming that the ACFT 2.0 has evolved. Well it still is the same 6 events but the updated version comes with a Monopoly “Get Out of Jail Free Card”. That’s right, if a soldier is unable to complete a Leg Tuck they get to substitute in a 2-minute Front Plank. Now don’t get too excited, the plank is ONLY being used as a transitional exercise.
I do have some questions that 100% will go unanswered… What does the plank have to do with a Leg Tuck? Why was the plank chosen? If someone passes the 2-Minute plank does that count as passing the ACFT? Or is it known that they passed with a Plank and there will be an * next to their grade? Will they have to pass the Leg Tuck immediately when the “transitional period” is over? What is the length of this said “transitional period”? Is it really 18 months from October 2020? That can’t be serious. Is that serious?
My gripe with the plank is overweight people can do a plank, out of shape people can do a plank. You know what they can’t do, a 60 second dead hang from a pull-up bar. Or a 30 second chin over the bar hold. If you are going to pick a transitional exercise pick something that has the components of the test. I’ll get into it a little later on, but there has to be a better exercise than a plank. And this is coming from someone who loves planks and programs them for all his athletes and soldiers.
Using a Plank as a transition for the Leg Tuck is like using Sit-Ups as a transition for Pull-Ups.
The thought behind it was that it’ll take people 3-6 months to be ready to do a leg tuck. If there are healthy people in the Army that it’ll take 6 months to be able to do 1 leg tuck they might need to find a better training program. And please for the love of the training gods, do pull-ups and chin-ups. And do tons of them. I hate hearing people say you don’t have to be able to do pull-ups to be able to do a leg tuck. I have yet to meet someone who can do a leg tuck that can’t do at least 1 pull-up or 1 chin-up. But wait it gets better.
Maj. Gen. Lonnie G. Hibbard said, “Plank exercises can be conducted almost anywhere, and do not require equipment to train for.”
What about the rest of the test? No seriously. What about the rest of the test? Deadlift = equipment, Sprint-Drag-Carry = equipment, Standing Power Throw = equipment…am I missing something? So the plank was chosen because there wasn’t equipment involved? I’m so confused. 3 of the other tests you need equipment to train for, and a lot of it.
The other five events are still moving forward as normal and the plank is only being used on an “interim” basis during the transition period. The more I read the more I am confused on what is factual and what is And like I already said, they did not set a specific date for when the “transition” period will be over. If I had to venture a guess I will go with the transition period ending 6+ months after all states have opened back up gyms. I wrote the majority of this blog before I saw the other article where Maj. Gen. Hibbard was quoted as saying…
“The temporary changes to the ACFT are intended to give soldiers about 18 months to take the test and train on their weaknesses, so they can be ready for their scores to begin counting for record in March 2022,” Hibbard also said.
So I guess start getting in some more planks. If that is in fact the case I am shocked. Who knows maybe it’ll change again, but no matter do some pull-ups please!
Need Help? Just ask…Seriously.
I hope this can help some of you out there. If you have questions let me know geoff@gpshumanperformance.com
Geoffrey Steinbacher is a former Strength & Conditioning Coach within the THOR3 (Tactical Human Optimization Rapid Rehabilitation & Reconditioning) Program at Ft. Bragg. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, as well as a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) from the National Athletic Trainers Association. He is also an Advanced Sports Performance Coach (USAW-L2) and Head Club Coach with USA-Weightlifting, and a Catalyst Athletics Certified Weightlifting Coach (CACWC-L1). Furthermore, Geoff has a BS in Athletic Training from SUNY Cortland and an MS in Exercise Science from Syracuse University.
