The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) rewards well-rounded fitness. You need strength, power, speed, grip, and the ability to keep moving when you’re tired. That can feel like a lot if you’ve been training “one thing” at a time, like just running or just lifting.

This article lays out an ACFT training plan you can follow as a general reader. It’s clear, practical, and built around what the test actually asks you to do. You’ll get a simple 8-week structure, weekly schedules, exercise options, and ways to scale it to your level.

What the ACFT measures (and why your plan must match it)

The ACFT includes six events. Each one pushes a different quality, so a solid plan trains all of them without burning you out.

• 3 Rep Max Deadlift (strength and bracing)
• Standing Power Throw (explosive power and timing)
• Hand-Release Push-Up (upper-body endurance and trunk control)
• Sprint-Drag-Carry (speed, change of direction, grip, and grit)
• Plank (trunk strength and breathing control)
• 2-Mile Run (aerobic fitness and pacing)

If you want the official standards and scoring, start with the Army’s ACFT page and scoring tables at the U.S. Army ACFT site.

The big ideas behind an ACFT training plan that works

Train the test, but don’t “test” every week

Practice matters, especially for the standing power throw and sprint-drag-carry. But weekly full test runs beat you up and stall progress. Instead, train the pieces most days, and do a controlled “mini test” every 2-3 weeks.

Strength drives almost everything

A stronger deadlift usually improves the sprint-drag-carry, helps your push-ups feel easier, and makes your running form hold up when you’re tired. You don’t need fancy programming. You need consistent work on big patterns: hinge, squat, push, pull, carry.

For safe lifting basics and exercise standards, NSCA education resources are a solid reference point.

Most people run too hard, too often

The 2-mile run matters, but smashing intervals every time you run makes your legs feel heavy and your lifts suffer. A good ACFT training plan uses a mix of:

• Easy runs to build aerobic base
• One faster session per week (intervals or tempo)
• Some short sprints for the sprint-drag-carry

Recovery is part of the plan

Sleep, food, and simple rest days make training stick. If you want practical guidelines for weekly activity and intensity, CDC physical activity guidance offers clear targets you can build around.

Before you start: your baseline and your constraints

Answer these in plain terms:

• How many days per week can you train, really? (3, 4, 5, or 6)
• Do you have a barbell and plates, or are you using dumbbells and a kettlebell?
• Any pain issues? Back, shoulder, knee, shin splints?
• Which event is your weak link?

If you’re coming back from injury, or you have sharp pain with running or lifting, talk to a qualified pro. For general injury and rehab info, ChoosePT (American Physical Therapy Association) is a practical place to start.

An 8-week ACFT training plan (4 days/week)

This is the sweet spot for most people: enough work to improve, enough recovery to stay healthy. Each session should take 60-75 minutes.

How hard should it feel?

• Strength sets: stop with 1-2 good reps left in the tank most of the time.
• Run days: easy means you can talk in short sentences. Hard means you can’t.
• Sprint work: fast, crisp reps. Rest enough to keep quality.

Weekly schedule overview

• Day 1: Deadlift strength + throws + core
• Day 2: Push-up volume + intervals + carries
• Day 3: Squat or lunge strength + sprint-drag-carry practice
• Day 4: Easy run + full-body assistance + plank work

Week-by-week structure (simple progression)

Weeks 1-2: Build the base

Focus on clean form and steady volume. You should finish sessions feeling like you could do more.

• Deadlift: 5 sets of 3 reps (moderate), add a small amount of weight each session
• Power throw practice: 6-10 total throws, focus on consistent technique
• Hand-release push-ups: 4-6 sets, stop 1-2 reps before you grind
• Intervals: 6 x 400m at a hard but repeatable pace, 2 minutes rest
• Easy run: 25-40 minutes easy
• Sprint-drag-carry: learn the flow with light loads before you chase times
• Plank: 3-4 sets, build total time

Weeks 3-4: Add intensity

Now you push strength and speed a bit more. Keep your easy run truly easy.

• Deadlift: 6 sets of 2 reps (heavier than weeks 1-2)
• Power throw practice: 8-12 throws, include a few “go for it” throws
• Push-ups: one max-rep set, then 4 back-off sets at about half that number
• Intervals: 8 x 300m (faster than 400 pace), 90-120 seconds rest
• Sprint-drag-carry: 3-5 quality reps at 80-90% effort, full rest
• Easy run: 30-45 minutes
• Plank: 4 sets, try to beat last week’s best by 10-20 seconds total

Weeks 5-6: Train like you test

This is where the plan gets specific. You practice transitions, pacing, and fatigue.

• Deadlift: work up to 3 heavy doubles, then 2 back-off sets of 3 reps
• Power throw: 10-14 throws, rest enough to stay explosive
• Push-ups: density work (set a timer for 10 minutes, do small sets often)
• Run workout: tempo run 15-20 minutes at a “comfortably hard” pace
• Sprint-drag-carry: 4-6 reps, aiming for consistent times
• Easy run: 35-50 minutes
• Plank: one longer hold, then 2-3 shorter holds

Weeks 7-8: Sharpen and taper

Don’t try to get fit in the last week. You get fit earlier. Now you show it.

• Week 7: one mini test (deadlift heavy triple, throws, push-up practice, 1-2 sprint-drag-carry reps, then a controlled 2-mile)
• Week 8: cut volume by about 40-50%, keep a little intensity, sleep more

Detailed daily sessions (plug-and-play)

Day 1: Deadlift + power throw + trunk

• Warm-up: 5-8 minutes easy cardio, then hip hinges, glute bridges, and light jumps
• Deadlift (trap bar or straight bar): 5-6 work sets based on the week
• Standing power throw practice: 6-14 throws
• Accessory hinge: Romanian deadlift or kettlebell swing, 3 sets of 8-12
• Core: dead bug or hollow hold, 3 sets

Day 2: Push-ups + intervals + carries

• Hand-release push-up practice: total 40-120 reps, broken into clean sets
• Pulling balance: rows or pull-ups, 4 sets
• Intervals: 300-400m repeats, or hill repeats if you don’t have a track
• Carry work: farmer carries, 6-10 short walks

If you want run workout ideas and pacing logic written for normal people, Runner’s World training guidance is a useful library.

Day 3: Lower-body strength + sprint-drag-carry skill

• Squat pattern: front squat, goblet squat, or split squat, 4-6 sets
• Single-leg work: step-ups or lunges, 3 sets of 8-12 per leg
• Sprint-drag-carry practice: 3-6 reps with full rest
• Grip finisher (optional): towel hangs or plate pinches, 3 rounds

Want coaching cues for carries, sled work, and strongman-style conditioning that transfers well to the sprint-drag-carry? BarBend’s strength training articles often cover these well.

Day 4: Easy run + full-body assistance + plank

• Easy run: 25-50 minutes
• Upper push: dumbbell bench or overhead press, 3-4 sets
• Posterior chain: hip thrust or back extension, 3 sets
• Plank practice: 3-5 sets, focus on tight glutes and steady breathing

How to scale this ACFT training plan to your level

If you’re new to lifting

• Use trap bar deadlift if possible. It’s often easier to learn.
• Add weight slowly. Good reps matter more than big jumps.
• Keep sprint-drag-carry loads light until your technique is smooth.

If running is your weak event

• Add 1 extra easy run (20-30 minutes) on a rest day.
• Keep one hard run per week. Don’t turn every run into a race.
• Practice pacing: run the first mile controlled, then build.

If push-ups and plank are your weak events

• Do push-ups 3-5 days per week in small sets. Don’t fry your shoulders.
• Add a short plank set after 2-3 workouts per week.
• Train your upper back (rows, pull-ups). It helps posture and shoulder comfort.

Common mistakes that tank ACFT scores

• Maxing deadlifts too often and skipping volume work
• Ignoring power throw practice, then hoping it “shows up” on test day
• Doing only long slow runs and no speed work
• Doing only hard intervals and no easy base runs
• Turning sprint-drag-carry training into sloppy conditioning
• Training six days a week with four hours of sleep

Test-day practice: what to rehearse before the real thing

The ACFT is as much about pacing and transitions as it is about fitness. In weeks 5-7, rehearse these:

• Warm-up sequence you’ll use on test day (keep it short and repeatable)
• Deadlift setup: foot position, brace, and how you reset between reps
• Power throw rhythm: same steps every time
• Push-up strategy: steady reps early, brief pauses, no panic
• Sprint-drag-carry transitions: turn fast, grab handles clean, don’t waste steps
• 2-mile pacing: controlled first mile, then press

Gear and simple tools that make training easier

• Trap bar (great if you have it), or a barbell and plates
• Kettlebells or dumbbells for carries and swings
• A sled (nice) or a heavy sandbag (works well)
• A timer and a way to measure distance

If you want a quick way to estimate and track your 2-mile pace goals from training runs, a practical tool is this running pace calculator. It won’t train for you, but it helps you set sane targets.

The path forward: turn the next 8 weeks into a habit

Start with four days per week for two weeks. Don’t “fix everything” at once. Pick one main goal for each session, hit it, then go home.

After your first 8-week block, you’ll know what needs the next block:

• If your deadlift jumped but your run stalled, shift one strength slot to more aerobic work.
• If your run improved but sprint-drag-carry feels brutal, add more carries and short sprints.
• If your push-ups lag, add two short push-up sessions on non-lifting days.

The ACFT rewards steady training. Keep the plan simple, keep your reps clean, and keep showing up. Your score will follow.