How I Went from Barely Passing to Scoring 540+

Look, I’m going to be honest with you. The first time I took the ACFT, I absolutely bombed it. Not because I was out of shape—I could run a decent two-miler and knock out push-ups all day. But the Army Combat Fitness Test? That’s a completely different beast.

After failing my first attempt (yeah, not my proudest moment), I spent six months figuring out what actually works. Now I consistently score above 540, and I’ve helped dozens of soldiers in my unit improve their scores by 50-100 points.

This isn’t some copy-paste fitness guide. These are the real strategies that worked for me and my buddies when generic workout plans failed us.

Why Most ACFT Training Plans Suck

Here’s what nobody tells you: the ACFT isn’t just six random exercises thrown together. It’s designed to wreck you systematically.

When I first started training, I made the classic mistake—I’d practice each event separately. Deadlifts on Monday, throws on Tuesday, runs on Friday. Sounds logical, right? Wrong.

The ACFT doesn’t care if you’re fresh. It tests how you perform when you’re already gassed. That Sprint-Drag-Carry after the hand-release push-ups? Brutal. The two-mile run when your legs are already destroyed? Even worse.

The soldiers who dominate the ACFT train the way they test—tired, under pressure, and all in one session.

The Deadlift: It’s Not About Being Strong (Mostly)

I used to think the Max Deadlift was just about raw strength. Then I watched a guy who could pull 500 pounds in the gym barely hit 280 on test day. Why? His form fell apart under pressure.

Here’s what actually helped me add 60 pounds to my test-day deadlift:

The grip issue everyone ignores: Your grip will fail before your legs do. I started doing farmer’s carries twice a week—just grab heavy dumbbells or kettlebells and walk for 40 seconds. My deadlift went up 30 pounds in a month without touching a barbell.

The setup matters more than you think: I spent two weeks just practicing my setup—foot position, hip height, grip width. Boring? Absolutely. Effective? You bet. Those two seconds before you pull determine everything.

Train heavy, but not always: One mistake I made early on was maxing out every session. Now I do one heavy day (3 sets of 3 reps at 85-90%), one medium day (4 sets of 5 at 75%), and one speed day (6 sets of 2 at 65% but explosive). My numbers went up and my back stopped hurting.

Real talk: If you’re pulling under 200 pounds, your issue isn’t programming—it’s basic strength. Do goblet squats, Romanian deadlifts, and step-ups three times a week. Get strong first, then get technical.

Standing Power Throw: The Event Everyone Underestimates

I genuinely didn’t train for the SPT before my first ACFT. I figured, “How hard can throwing a ball be?”

Turns out, pretty hard when you’ve never done it before. I threw it six meters. Six. I’ve seen high schoolers throw farther.

The problem wasn’t strength—it was technique and explosiveness. Here’s what fixed it:

Hip extension is everything: The throw isn’t about your arms. It’s about loading your hips like a spring and exploding upward. I started doing kettlebell swings every single training session—3 sets of 15 reps with a heavy bell. My throw improved by 2 meters in three weeks.

Practice the actual movement: Sounds obvious, but most gyms don’t have 10-pound med balls lying around. I bought a cheap one online and practiced twice a week in an empty field. Just getting comfortable with the throwing motion added a meter to my distance.

Box jumps for explosion: Once a week, I’d do 5 sets of 3 box jumps, jumping as high as possible. This trained the same explosive hip drive needed for the throw. Plus, it made me feel athletic, which is always a bonus.

Hand-Release Push-Ups: Welcome to Hell

If there’s one event that exposes fitness frauds, it’s this one. You can’t cheat these. You can’t use momentum. Every single rep requires you to lift your hands off the ground.

I went from struggling to hit 40 reps to easily knocking out 60+. Here’s how:

Volume, volume, volume: I did push-ups every single day. Not max effort sets—just quality reps throughout the day. Before breakfast, 20 push-ups. Before lunch, 20 more. Before dinner, another 20. By the end of the week, I’d done 400+ push-ups without a single “workout.”

The hand-release pattern matters: When I first started, I was slapping my hands on the ground and immediately pushing back up. Inefficient. Now I lift my hands about two inches, pause for a split second (this ensures the rep counts), then drive up explosively. It’s smoother and saves energy.

Train your shoulders, not just your chest: My push-up endurance skyrocketed when I started doing overhead presses and lateral raises twice a week. Strong shoulders = easier push-ups.

One trick that helped me mentally: break the test into chunks. I aim for 20 reps, rest in the up position for three seconds, then hit another 15. Then 10. Then 8. Then grind out the rest. It’s easier than thinking “I need 60 reps.”

Sprint-Drag-Carry: The Soul Crusher

This is where the ACFT gets mean. You’re already tired from push-ups, and now you’re doing five high-intensity exercises back-to-back with zero rest.

My first SDC time was 2:45. Pathetic. Now I’m consistently under 2:00. The difference?

Transitions are everything: I lost 15 seconds on my first test just because I fumbled the kettlebells and stumbled during the sled drag. Now I practice the entire sequence once a week exactly as it appears on test day. Muscle memory is real.

Grip strength (again): Those kettlebells feel light at first, but by the second carry, your forearms are screaming. Farmer’s carries and dead hangs from a pull-up bar saved me here.

Sled drags suck, but they’re trainable: If you don’t have access to a sled, do heavy suitcase carries or drag a weight plate tied to a rope. The specific movement pattern matters less than building that pulling strength and anaerobic capacity.

Sprint conditioning: Once a week, I do 10 rounds of 50-meter sprints with 30 seconds rest. It’s miserable, but it directly translates to SDC performance.

Here’s the truth: you can’t fake this event. You either have the conditioning or you don’t.

Plank: Longer Than You Think

Two minutes doesn’t sound long until you’re actually holding a plank. My core would start shaking at 90 seconds, and I’d collapse at 2:10.

Now I can hold it for four minutes if needed (though thankfully the test caps lower). What changed?

Time under tension: I stopped doing crunches and sit-ups entirely. Instead, three times a week, I’d do 4 sets of planks—holding each for 80% of my max time. If I could hold two minutes, I’d do 4 sets of 1:40. This built real endurance.

Breathing: Sounds dumb, but I was holding my breath during planks. Now I breathe slowly and deeply—in through the nose for 3 seconds, out through the mouth for 3 seconds. It’s almost meditative, and it helps me relax into the hold.

Body position: I used to let my hips sag or pike up. Now I keep a straight line from head to heels, squeeze my glutes hard, and brace my core like someone’s about to punch me in the stomach. Proper form makes it easier, not harder.

The Two-Mile Run: Running While Destroyed

This is the mental game. Your legs are toast from the SDC. Your core is fried from the plank. And now you need to run two miles at pace.

My first ACFT run time was 18:30. Now I’m under 15:00. Here’s the brutal truth:

You need to practice running tired: Once a week, I do a workout where I max out push-ups and planks, then immediately run two miles. It sucks. But test day feels easier because I’ve trained in that exact fatigued state.

Long runs matter: Every week, I do one easy 4-5 mile run. It builds aerobic base, which helps you recover between ACFT events.

Interval training: One day a week, I run 6×800 meters at goal pace with 2 minutes rest. This teaches your body what 14:00 or 15:00 pace actually feels like.

Pacing strategy: I negative split the run now. I start at a controlled pace (don’t blow up in the first half-mile), then gradually speed up. My last 400 meters is a full sprint. This strategy alone dropped 30 seconds off my time.

My Actual Weekly Training Schedule

People always ask me what I actually do week to week. Here’s the real plan I follow:

Monday – Lower Body Power

• Deadlifts: 5×3 at 85%
• Box jumps: 5×5
• Kettlebell swings: 4×15
• Farmer’s carries: 3×40 seconds

Tuesday – Upper Body + Conditioning

• Hand-release push-ups: 5 sets to near failure
• Overhead press: 4×8
• Pull-ups: 4×8
• Sprint intervals: 8x100m

Wednesday – ACFT Simulation (Light)

• Practice all six events at 70% effort
• Focus on transitions and form
• Not a max effort day—just skill work

Thursday – Endurance + Core

• Easy 4-mile run
• Plank holds: 4×90 seconds
• Side planks: 3×45 seconds each side
• Dead bugs: 3×20

Friday – Sprint-Drag-Carry Focus

• Full SDC practice x2
• Sled drags: 4 rounds
• Kettlebell carries: 4 rounds
• 10x50m sprints

Saturday – Long Run

• 5-6 mile easy pace run
• Recovery stretching

Sunday – Rest or Active Recovery

• Light stretching, walking, or yoga
• Sleep and eat

This isn’t written in stone. Some weeks I’m too beat up and skip a session. Life happens. But this framework works.

Recovery: The Part You’re Probably Ignoring

I used to think recovery was for weak soldiers. Then I got a stress fracture in my shin and couldn’t train for six weeks. Learned that lesson the hard way.

Sleep is non-negotiable: I aim for 8 hours. When I sleep 6 or less, my performance drops noticeably. Your body rebuilds during sleep—skip it and you’re just breaking yourself down.

Eat enough protein: I shoot for 0.8-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Usually means 180g per day for me. Chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt, protein shakes. Nothing fancy.

Hydration actually matters: Sounds basic, but I drink a gallon of water daily. When I slack on this, my SDC time suffers and I cramp during the run.

Stretching and mobility: Ten minutes after every workout. Hip flexor stretches, hamstring stretches, shoulder mobility work. Boring but necessary.

Rest days are training days: They’re part of the plan, not a sign of weakness. Your muscles grow during rest, not during workouts.

Common Mistakes I See All the Time

Mistake 1: Only training individual events You need to practice the whole test in sequence. Doing deadlifts fresh is nothing like deadlifts after warming up and doing practice throws.

Mistake 2: Running too much, lifting too little Runners who ignore strength work always struggle with the first four events. Balance matters.

Mistake 3: Max effort every session Training at 90-100% all the time just beats you up. Most sessions should be at 70-80% intensity.

Mistake 4: No practice tests You should do a full ACFT simulation every 3-4 weeks. It reveals weaknesses and builds mental toughness.

Mistake 5: Copying someone else’s plan blindly What works for a 22-year-old infantryman might not work for a 35-year-old supply specialist. Adjust based on your own recovery and weaknesses.

Final Thoughts from the Trenches

Look, the ACFT isn’t impossible. But it does require intelligent training, consistency, and honesty about your weaknesses.

When I failed my first test, I was embarrassed. But that failure forced me to actually figure out what works instead of just guessing.

Six months of focused training later, I scored 540+. A year after that, I helped 15 soldiers in my unit improve their scores by an average of 80 points.

The ACFT rewards preparation. Train the events, train them tired, train them consistently. Your score will reflect your effort.

Now stop reading and go do some deadlifts.

Stay strong.