USAF Physical Fitness Test Training Plan

Physical Fitness is a core competency amongst active duty Military members. The Air Force physical fitness standards which are tested during the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) are outlined in AFI 36-2905. I have included the age group and gender physical standards charts here for convenience. As of 2018, the test includes a height/weight/waist measurement, a timed 1.5 mile run, and 1 minute of pushups and 1 minute of sit ups. 

Aside from monitoring Airmen's fitness and it being a job requirement to maintain standards that are above the set minimums, fitness scores will play an important role in the individual's career progression. PFT scores accompany applications to nearly all special programs, award packages, and performance reports. Improving PFT scores will show dedication and commitment to becoming a better version of yourself. 

During my time as Air Force Physical Training Leader (PTL), I have helped a number of Airmen reach their PFT goals using a simple and straightforward training approach. The biggest challenge for most is usually the 1.5 mile run. In my experience this is because a particular individual does not see themselves as a runner and therefore does not run (or engage in other cardiovascular focused exercise) often throughout the year, instead backloading a lot of run training too close to the test to produce any real desirable results. 

The fact that not everyone is a runner and treats running as a consistent portion of their exercise regimen throughout the year is fine regardless of the reason. What is not fine (just from a basic health perspective) is cutting cardio out of your routine all together. There are many ways to incorporate "cardio" in your training routine besides running, as illustrated by this article in Men's Journal (also applicable to the ladies of course). Putting in time on the bike, in the pool, on the rowing machine, or even the elliptical will improve you overall cardio levels without the joint abuse that a running only approach will bring. Generally, running only takes up about 30% of my cardio output by time, with biking taking up about 50% and swimming 20%.

It should be obvious that if you maintain a solid cardio baseline throughout the year, you will respond to a short-term run training plan specifically for the PFT much better than when you do not. My PFT specific run training plan involves a minimum of 12 workouts (6 weeks), and is designed to be incorporated with other forms of cardio such as swimming or biking (or other forms as illustrated in the article above). If you are looking to get into area to the left of max scores (i.e. an 8:30 run time), Long Slow Distance running (> 10:00 min/mile pace for distances > 5 miles) should also be a consistent part of your weekly regimen. 

The plan can be found here. Follow the steps outlined in the directions at the top of the file. You simply enter your target run time, as well as the number of pushups and situps you would like to accomplish come PFT time. You then follow the plan row by row (each corresponding to a different workout), and follow each workout in order left to right.

Eventhough this is a 6 week plan, I would suggest starting at least T-8 weeks out from your PFT. The reason is two-fold, the first being the importance of being fresh the day of your PFT. Your last hard run-workout should be T-4 days, with a run rest day T-3 and a light 1.5 mile jog T-2 and another rest day T-1. The second reason is that you want to give yourself some margin in case you do not meet the times during a certain workout set by significant margin (i.e. > 10 seconds). If that happens, you will have to repeat that set, with no more than 2 repeats per week (i.e. a max of 4 run workouts per week). If you fail more than say 2 sets, this can easily add a few days to the 6 week plan.

Disclaimer: know your limitations and listen to your body. Be realistic with your goals and make sure you push yourself within reason. If you have consistently ran a 11:30 1.5 mile, you will not be able to cut down to a 9:00 just by running twice a week for 6 weeks. That amount of improvement (roughly 21%) will not be feasible unless you incorporate both long form and short/high intensity cardio into your schedule throughout the year preceding the PFT. This plan is instead meant to provide you with moderate improvements to your run time (5-10%) as an initial booster, and hopefully kickstart your decision to start incorporating an increased amount of cardio in your everyday routine following the PFT (if that is not already the case).

Physical training is just one aspect of fitness and a healthy life-style. Just like your car, you can not expect to perform without the proper grade of fuel. Nutrition plays a huge role in how you feel and how you can perform. There are a ton of nutrition resources on the web (some great, others not so much, but eatright.org is a good starting point), and most military bases have a health and wellness office and usually a registered nutritionist/dietitian as well. Stop by their office on your installation and take advantage of this often underutilized services.

If you have struggled with nutrition in the past (a common reason i will hear for PFT struggles), i suggest keeping things simple. Start of with making it a goal to home-cook or prepare 50% of the food-intake you need. This counts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and any other meals/snacks in between). Avoid picking up that breakfast sandwhich at McDonalds in the morning and instead opt for some quick oatmeal, fruit, and whole wheat toast for example.

Ultimately, i found that when 95% of the food you consume is home-cooked or prepared, you will reach a state where you nutrition will massively contribute to your overall physical and mental fitness state.  You can find easy to prepare meals all over the web, and when you prepare a dinner type food, you can cook for 2-3 days worth so you dont have to cook every evening. You can easily use google to find top rated recipes for the specific food you want to prepare, and some of the better sites are allrecipes.com, delish.com, and skinnytaste.com.