What to Do When There Is Little Time to Train for a Military Fitness Test

Although I am not a fan of short-term gains with respect to a fitness test, you sometimes have to make concessions to train quickly for a PFT. This could be due to a command decision or coming off an injury and owing a fitness test to make the next rank or even stay in the military.

It sometimes is just a lack of personal preparation and procrastination. Regardless of the reason, if you have to take a fitness test with little time to prepare, here is how to do it respectfully and obtain better than "just barely passing" scores.

Hello, Stew,

First, thank you very much for the great resources you provide to all of us newbies. My question is about my sit-up test that's coming up in exactly two weeks. My goal is 38 Army sit-ups in one minute. I'm at a max of 24 sit-ups in 45 seconds. Should I be practicing sets of 20 sit-ups in 30 seconds or sets of 10 reps in 15 seconds? How about doing sets to failure; would that be better? 

Thank you very much,

Jim

Jim --

First of all, either will work, but you need to do them consistently for the next 10-12 days, with a rest day mixed in if you feel you need it. But I would do this:

Odd days (1, 3, 5): Do one-minute sets of sit-ups spread throughout the day, as many as you wish. Try to set a total of 100-120 sit-ups as a goal for the entire day.

Even days (2, 4, 6): During your normal workouts (lift, PT, run), do your sit-ups as rest sets. Work on your 30-second pace to be equal to 50% of your one-minute goal, like you mentioned in your question.

So if you want 40 in one minute, shoot for 20 in 30 seconds. Go for 40. It sounds better than 38 and much easier with doing the math for 10-, 15-, 30- and 45-second paces and reps.

Do Not Start Off Too Fast 

Learn this pace and maintain it for the full minute. This is much more critical for a two-minute test, and you will find that after doing sit-ups for a while, a one-minute test can be treated like a sprint, and you can push 50-60+ in one minute. But you have to build up to that.

You need to commit that pace to muscle memory and get your muscles in shape for maintaining it for a minute.

Taper/Testing Days

Keep doing this until day 10-11. Take days 12 and 13 off from doing sit-ups and planks, and just stretch.

Also, for a good torso balance from all of these sit-ups, do some plank poses. For every repetition of sit-ups you do in a day, make sure you get one second in plank pose at a minimum. So if you are getting 120 sit-ups in a day, you should accumulate at least two minutes in the plank pose.

Make sure you are still doing other exercises in your fitness test so those do not suffer. You still need to run and do push-ups, pull-ups and shuttle runs (depending on what else you will be tested on). Good luck on the test. Let me know how you do. 

Related articles:

• Push-up Push
• Pull-up Push
• Sit-ups Push
• The Next Level: What to do after these two-week repetition builders.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you're looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

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