The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) rewards well-rounded strength, power, grip, and conditioning. That’s good news if you like training with a purpose, and bad news if you only run or only lift. The fastest way to improve is to train like the test: build the exact qualities each event demands, then practice the events so test day feels familiar.

This article lays out an ACFT training plan you can follow for eight weeks. It’s built for general readers, not just soldiers or athletes. You’ll get a weekly schedule, event-by-event training ideas, scaling options, and recovery basics so you can stay consistent and avoid nagging injuries.

What the ACFT measures (and why training needs balance)

The ACFT includes six events that hit different systems: strength, power, muscular endurance, agility, and aerobic fitness. The official standards and event rules can change over time, so always check the current guidance on the Army’s ACFT hub at the official U.S. Army ACFT page.

In plain terms, here’s what you’re really training:

• Lower-body strength and bracing (deadlift)
• Explosive power and coordination (standing power throw)
• Upper-body pushing endurance (hand-release push-up)
• Speed, change of direction, and grip under fatigue (sprint-drag-carry)
• Trunk endurance and pacing (plank)
• Running fitness and smart pacing (two-mile run)

If your plan ignores any one of those, your score will show it. A good ACFT training plan builds strength and power early, keeps conditioning year-round, and practices the events often enough that the timing and transitions don’t surprise you.

Before you start: quick self-check and simple goals

Don’t overthink this part. You just need a baseline. In week 1, do a practice session for 3-4 events, not all six. Spread them across two days so you don’t wreck yourself.

Baseline ideas (pick what fits your gear and time)

• Day 1: deadlift 3-rep heavy effort, plank max time, easy 1-mile run
• Day 2: hand-release push-ups for 2 minutes, sprint-drag-carry practice at moderate pace

Then set two goals:

• One strength goal (example: add 20-40 lb to your 3-rep deadlift)
• One conditioning goal (example: cut 20-60 seconds off your two-mile pace)

If you want a quick way to estimate training paces for the two-mile run, a calculator like this running pace calculator can help you pick realistic splits.

The 8-week ACFT training plan (simple weekly structure)

This plan uses four training days per week. That’s enough to improve fast, but still recover if you sleep and eat like an adult. If you already train five or six days per week, keep it simple anyway. Your score improves from focused work, not from piling on junk miles and extra fatigue.

Weekly schedule (4 days)

• Day 1: Strength + power throw practice
• Day 2: Conditioning (speed for sprint-drag-carry) + push-ups
• Day 3: Strength + trunk (plank work)
• Day 4: Run training (intervals or tempo), plus light event touch-ups

Put rest days where you need them. Many people do Day 1 Monday, Day 2 Tuesday, rest Wednesday, Day 3 Thursday, Day 4 Saturday.

Weeks 1-4: build the engine and the base strength

The first month builds strength and repeatable conditioning. You’ll practice the event skills, but you won’t chase max scores yet. You’re laying track for the next block.

Day 1 (Strength + standing power throw)

Strength work should feel hard but clean. Stop reps before your form breaks.

• Trap-bar deadlift or barbell deadlift: 5 sets of 3 reps (heavy but controlled)
• Front squat or goblet squat: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
• Standing power throw practice: 6-10 throws (focus on smooth speed)
• Farmer carry: 4 x 40-60 meters

For power throw training, you’re building hip drive and timing. Medicine ball toss practice matters, but so does basic power work like jumps. For technique pointers and programming ideas, see strength and conditioning articles at Breaking Muscle.

Day 2 (Sprint-drag-carry prep + hand-release push-ups)

• Short sprints: 8-10 x 50 meters at fast pace, walk back recovery
• Sled drag (if you have one): 6 x 15-25 meters, moderate heavy
• Carry intervals: 6 x 20-30 meters (two kettlebells or dumbbells)
• Hand-release push-up density: 10 minutes total, do small sets (example: 6-10 reps) with short rest

No sled? Drag a loaded tire, use a strap and a plate, or do uphill marches. The point is leg drive under load.

Day 3 (Strength + plank progression)

• Overhead press or bench press: 4 sets of 5 reps
• Romanian deadlift or hip hinge variation: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
• Pull-ups or lat pulldown: 4 sets of 5-10 reps
• Plank intervals: 6-10 rounds of 20-40 seconds on, 20-40 seconds off

If planks bother your shoulders, keep your elbows under your shoulders and squeeze your glutes hard. If pain stays, swap in dead bugs and side planks and build back up.

Day 4 (Run training)

Alternate these each week:

• Week A intervals: 6 x 400 meters at a hard but repeatable pace, 2 minutes easy walk or jog between
• Week B tempo: 20 minutes at “comfortably hard” pace, where you can speak a short sentence but don’t want to chat

Finish with 10 minutes easy. If you’re new to running, start with intervals and keep them controlled. Overcooking run workouts is a common way to get shin splints and stall progress.

For broad, evidence-based conditioning guidance, CDC physical activity guidelines are a good reference point for weekly volume and intensity balance.

Weeks 5-7: shift toward ACFT performance

Now you keep building strength, but you add more event-specific work and tighter rest periods. You’ll feel closer to test effort without doing full tests every week.

Day 1 (Deadlift strength + power)

• Deadlift: work up to 3 heavy sets of 3 reps (leave 1-2 reps in the tank)
• Jump training: 5 x 3 broad jumps or box jumps (rest plenty)
• Standing power throw: 8-12 throws, take full rest so each throw is crisp
• Farmer carry: 5 x 40 meters heavier than weeks 1-4

Day 2 (Sprint-drag-carry rehearsal + push-ups)

• Sprint-drag-carry practice: 2-4 rounds at strong effort, rest 3-5 minutes between rounds
• Hand-release push-ups: 5 sets near test pace (example: 15-25 reps per set depending on your level)
• Easy jog or bike: 10-15 minutes

Your goal is smooth transitions. On the sprint-drag-carry, wasted seconds come from sloppy setup and rushed turns, not from lack of toughness.

Day 3 (Upper strength + trunk)

• Bench press or weighted push-up: 5 sets of 3-5 reps
• Row variation: 4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Plank: 2-3 attempts at 70-90% of your max (stop before form breaks)
• Optional: side plank 2 x 30-45 seconds per side

If you want programming ideas for strength progressions, NSCA education resources offer solid training basics without hype.

Day 4 (Two-mile specific work)

• 800-meter repeats: 3-5 x 800 meters at goal two-mile pace, 2-3 minutes easy between
• Or hill repeats: 8-10 x 30-45 seconds uphill, walk down

Keep one easy run each week if you can. Twenty to thirty minutes at an easy pace helps recovery and builds aerobic base. If your legs feel beat up, walk instead. You’re training for performance, not punishment.

Week 8: taper and test with confidence

In the last week, you sharpen and rest. Your fitness doesn’t disappear in seven days, but fatigue can ruin your test if you train hard right up to it.

What week 8 looks like

• Two short workouts early in the week (30-45 minutes)
• Light deadlift work (example: 3 x 3 at a moderate weight)
• A few practice throws and a few short sprints, all sub-max
• One easy 15-20 minute run
• Two full rest days before test day if possible

On test week, sleep becomes training. So does hydration. If you want clear hydration guidance that’s not guesswork, Mayo Clinic’s hydration overview is a practical reference.

Event-by-event training tips that pay off fast

Deadlift: brace and build a strong start

• Train your hinge twice per week: one heavy day, one moderate day
• Use pauses below the knee to build control if you lose position
• Strengthen grip with farmer carries and dead hangs

Standing power throw: treat it like a skill

• Do small sets of throws with full rest, 2-3 days per week
• Pair throws with jumps or swings to build hip snap
• Film 2-3 throws and check timing, not just effort

Hand-release push-ups: win with pacing

• Practice at test cadence once per week
• Build volume with sub-max sets on a second day
• Keep your trunk tight so your hips don’t sag

Sprint-drag-carry: train transitions under fatigue

• Practice the order and turns, not just the sprint
• Train loaded drags and carries year-round
• Do short, hard intervals and rest enough to keep quality

Plank: build time without grinding every set

• Use intervals most of the time, not max attempts
• Train lateral trunk strength with side planks
• Stop when your low back takes over

Two-mile run: pace beats pride

• Run one quality session per week (intervals or tempo)
• Add one easy run or brisk walk for aerobic base
• Practice even splits, not a fast first mile and a crash

If you like practical running workouts and pacing advice, Runner’s World training articles can give you extra session ideas without needing a coach.

Common mistakes that hurt ACFT scores

• Maxing out every week: you can’t recover, and your form breaks
• Only running: your deadlift and sprint-drag-carry stall
• Only lifting: your two-mile run becomes a panic event
• Skipping event practice: you lose free points on timing and transitions
• Training hard, sleeping poorly: fatigue shows up as slow times and missed reps

How to scale this plan for your level and equipment

If you’re new to training

• Start with 3 days per week for two weeks, then move to 4 days
• Keep the deadlift light enough to hold perfect form
• Use walking intervals instead of continuous running

If you already lift but your run lags

• Add an easy run or brisk 30-40 minute walk on a rest day
• Keep one interval day and one tempo day every two weeks
• Don’t turn every run into a race

If you don’t have ACFT equipment

• No trap bar: use barbell deadlifts, kettlebell deadlifts, or heavy sandbag lifts
• No sled: drag a tire, do hill sprints, or do heavy step-ups
• No medicine ball: use a sandbag toss if safe, plus jumps and swings for power

Where to start this week

Pick your four training days, then do two things: practice the sprint-drag-carry pattern once, and do a controlled deadlift session with clean reps. That alone puts structure behind your ACFT training plan.

After your first week, write down three numbers: your best plank time, your push-ups in two minutes, and a recent two-mile time or estimate. Track them weekly. Small gains add up fast when you train with intent.

If you stay consistent for eight weeks, you won’t just feel fitter. You’ll know exactly what test day will feel like, and you’ll have a plan for how to attack each event when it counts.