The Army's Physical Fitness Test has evolved over the years, going through several versions. Earlier this year, they introduced their new Combat Field Test (CFT) specifically for soldiers assigned to combat roles.
These are soldiers whose job has them in the line of fire, whether it's all-out war or skirmishes that pop up. These brave men and women must be prepared to act, and their physical fitness must be in peak shape.
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What Is The New Combat Field Test (CFT)?
The New Combat Field Test (CFT) is the U.S. Army's newest combat-specific fitness assessment. Unlike the Army Fitness Test (AFT), which all soldiers complete, the CFT is only required for soldiers serving in 24 designated combat Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs).
The test was designed to better reflect the physical demands of modern combat. Rather than measuring general fitness alone, it evaluates whether soldiers can perform physically demanding tasks such as:
- Sprinting
- Lifting equipment
- Carrying and dragging heavy loads
- Continue performing sufficiently under fatigue.
The CFT is intended to ensure combat soldiers possess the strength, power, endurance, and work capacity needed to safely perform their duties in operational environments.
What Events Does The Combat Field Test (CFT) Consist Of?
The CFT is a continuous seven-event (six exercises) circuit that must be completed in 30 minutes or less. Unlike previous Army fitness tests, the CFT is age and sex indiscriminate, and there is no point system.
All Soldiers perform the same test, and it's either pass or fail.
One other difference is that the assessment is performed while wearing the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) and combat boots.
Combat Fitness Test (CFT) Events:
- 1-Mile Run
- 30 Dead-Stop Push-Ups (resting on the ground between reps)
- 100-Meter Sprint
- 16 Sandbag Lifts (40-pound sandbags onto a 65-inch platform)
- 50-Meter Water Can Carry (two 40-pound water cans)
- Movement Drill (25-meter high crawl followed by a 25-meter 3-5 second rush)
- 1-Mile Run (final event)
Why Did the Army Create the CFT?
The Army developed the Combat Field Test because traditional fitness tests do not fully evaluate the physical tasks required during combat.
Modern soldiers may need to sprint under fire, carry injured teammates, move heavy equipment, crawl under obstacles, repeatedly lift ammunition or supplies, and continue operating while fatigued.
The CFT was designed to better replicate these demands while providing commanders with a simple pass/fail assessment of combat readiness.
What Fitness Does the CFT Test?
The CFT exercises consist of exercises that train an array of fitness components:
1-Mile Run - The mile run tests endurance. However, soldiers must run 1 mile at the beginning of the test and one mile to finish.
- The first mile pre-exhausts them for the middle section of the test.
- The second mile at the end tests a soldier's ability to maintain endurance after physical exhaustion.
30 Dead-Stop Push-Ups - Dead-stop push-ups obviously test upper body strength. However, the "dead-stop" variation is significantly more challenging.
100-Meter Sprint- Most people see "sprint," and they think that's pretty easy. However, this is after a mile run and push-ups.
16 Sandbag Lifts (40-pound sandbags onto a 65-inch platform). Sandbag picks are a mix of the deadlift and clean, requiring strength and power. 40 lbs isn't terribly heavy, but 16 reps to a 65-inch platform.
50-Meter Water Can Carry (two 40-pound water cans) - Farmer carries are one of the most functional forms of training, as it directly replicates real-world events. The water creates an extra challenge as it moves back and forth.
Movement Drill- Agility and Tactical movement under fatigue is much harder than you think. Yet it's important for soldiers to still be able to perform precise movements while fatigued, and perhaps the hardest skill to develop.
Collectively, this section consists of:
- 25-meter high crawl – Crawl forward quickly while keeping your body low to the ground.
- 25-meter 3-5 second rush – Repeatedly:
- Start in the prone position.
- Explode to your feet.
- Sprint forward for approximately 3-5 seconds.
- Drop back to the ground under control.
- Repeat until you reach the 25-meter finish.
How to Train for the Combat Field Test
Preparing for the CFT requires more than just running or lifting. It requires you to optimize performance across multiple variables, but the overarching fitness variables are a mix of anaerobic and aerobic conditioning.
When training to compete in a multi-stage event, the best strategy is three-fold:
1. Train to improve in each event independently. This means optimize your performance in that event in isolation, i.e., run a faster mile, do more push-ups, etc.
2. Train to improve in each event independently in the context of the test. This means to train for the event, but consider the rest of the test. For example, the sprint is the third event after you run a mile.
Merely running sprints won't cut it. In addition, run sprints after your lower body workout or pair it with cycling.
For push-ups, knock out 30 after bench press or your upper body strength days.
3. Use strategies that put the events together. Begin to put events together for "mini-tests" and replicate the actual test. This becomes more important the closer you get to your test.
This can be done in numerous ways:
- Train the first 3 or 4 together or the last 3 or 4.
- Train the non-running events together and the running events together
- Cut the volume in half of all events
If you have long enough time to prepare, you would want to train this using basic periodization principles. Let's pretend you have 6 months to prepare; your plan might look like this.
-
3 Months - Train the events independently
- Improve overall endurance, strength, and performance
- During the last month, you could train each event separately on the same day twice a week
- 2 Months - Begin pairing events together
-
1 Month - Run modified versions of the test
- Run the tests with 50% volume
- Run the test with half-mile runs and 100% of the other events
- Ideally, you can run the full test 2 weeks before. It can be done at a slightly lower intensity.
Be sure to give yourself at least 1 full week of recovery and active recovery.
How To Train Each Event
1-Mile Run
- Goal: Improve running endurance
- Train With: Intervals, long slow runs, brick training (pair with cycling or other cardio), weighted runs.
Training Strategies
The 1-mile run is pretty straightforward; you need to improve your running ability. As you need to run two miles in addition to the other events, you should ultimately train to run at least 5k (3.1 miles).
30 Dead-Stop Push-Ups
- Goal: Improve upper body pushing strength and endurance
- Train With: Mix of bodyweight push-ups, weighted push-ups, bench press
Training Strategies
You need to improve your upper body strength; this includes total absolute strength as well as strength endurance. Various training strategies can include:
- Increasing bench press max
- Using EMOMs with push-ups
- Performing push-ups after bench press
100-Meter Sprint
- Goal: Improve speed
- Train With: Intervals, Resisted sprints, After long runs
Training Strategies
Sprinting is pretty straightforward. A big benefit is that it's very easy to pair sprints with many of the other events. While this doesn't replace endurance, improving sprint performance with other events will definitely have a positive effect.
- Sprint intervals
- Resisted sprints (EMOMs work well here)
- Pair with other events, i.e., Sprint 50m + 10 push-ups X 5
16 Sandbag Lifts
- Goal: Improve full-body conditioning
- Train With: Deadlifts, sandbag dumps, kettlebell
Training Strategies
You should have direct sandbag experience before you test, as they present a unique variable. Using sandbag dumps is a good alternative if you don't have a platform to train with. Some training examples include:
- Sandbag dumps
- EMOMs
- Pairing sandbag dumps with kettlebell swings and sprints
- Improving deadlift performance
50-Meter Water Can Carry
- Goal: Improve anaerobic conditioning and farmer carry performance
- Train With: Farmer carries, medleys
Training Strategies
Training is pretty straightforward, as you need to improve your farmer carry performance. This can consist of training independently as well as with other exercises.
- Train independently using heavier weights and farther distances
- EMOMs
- Pairing with sprints is an easy, obvious combination
Movement Drill
- Goal: Improve agility and movement while fatigued
- Train With: Bear crawls, Burpee-to-sprint drills, Shuttle runs, Ground-to-sprint transitions (prone → sprint), Ground to rush
Training Strategies
Training the movement drill consists of bear crawls and "rushes". You can train this directly or use it with other exercises such as sprints, burpees, and intervals.
Overall Training For The Army Field Combat Test
A balanced program should include:
- Heavy strength training
- Loaded carries
- Sandbag lifting
- Sprint intervals
- Crawling drills
- Push-up endurance
- Zone 2 aerobic training
- Long intervals and circuit conditioning
The goal is to improve both strength and conditioning while becoming comfortable performing multiple tasks under fatigue.
FAQ: How To Train For The Army Combat Field Test?
1. What is the Army Combat Field Test (CFT)?
The Combat Field Test (CFT) is the U.S. Army's new combat-specific fitness test for soldiers in designated combat Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs). Introduced in 2026, it consists of seven consecutive events (six exercises) that must be completed in 30 minutes or less. The test is pass/fail and is designed to measure combat readiness rather than general fitness.
2. What events are included in the Army Combat Field Test?
The Army Combat Field Test includes two 1-mile runs, dead-stop push-ups, a 100-meter sprint, sandbag lifts, a water can carry, and a tactical movement drill. All events are performed consecutively while wearing the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) and combat boots. The combination tests strength, power, endurance, agility, and work capacity under fatigue.
3. How do you train for the Army Combat Field Test?
The best way to train for the Army Combat Field Test is to improve each event individually before combining them into full test simulations. Build your strength, endurance, and conditioning with progressive training, then practice performing events while fatigued to replicate test conditions. As your test date approaches, regularly complete partial or full CFT simulations.
4. Is the Army Combat Field Test harder than the Army Fitness Test (AFT)?
Yes, the Combat Field Test is generally more demanding than the Army Fitness Test because it better replicates the physical demands of combat. Unlike the AFT, the CFT requires continuous effort with minimal rest while wearing combat gear. Soldiers must maintain performance despite accumulating fatigue throughout the test.
5. What fitness components does the Army Combat Field Test measure?
The Army Combat Field Test measures strength, power, muscular endurance, aerobic endurance, anaerobic conditioning, agility, and work capacity. Each event challenges a different aspect of physical performance, while the continuous format tests your ability to recover and continue working under fatigue. This combination reflects the physical demands soldiers may encounter during combat operations.
Final Thoughts
The Combat Field Test represents a shift away from measuring general fitness toward measuring combat performance. By combining running, lifting, carrying, sprinting, and tactical movement into one continuous assessment, the Army hopes to ensure combat soldiers are physically prepared for the demands they may face in real-world operations.
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