ACFT Workout Plan Without Equipment: Crush Your Military Fitness Test

Preparing for the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) doesn’t require a full gym setup.

You can achieve great results with bodyweight exercises and a bit of creativity. By focusing on key movements such as planks, pull-ups, and squat jumps, you can build the strength, endurance, and agility needed for the ACFT.

You’ll want to target specific muscle groups like your trunk, glutes, lats, and hamstrings to be ready for each event.

Exercises like inchworms and nordic ham curls can be done at home and deliver impressive benefits.

This approach not only saves time and money but also ensures you stay on track with your training regimen.

Your fitness journey for the ACFT can be effective and accessible with the right workout plan.

Incorporating functional fitness movements and maintaining consistency will boost your readiness.

Get ready to tackle the ACFT with confidence and minimal equipment right from your home!

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Key bodyweight exercises help you prepare for the ACFT.
Focus on functional fitness movements to improve performance.
Consistency and creativity are crucial for training at home.

Understanding the ACFT

The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) is designed to assess your physical readiness through six challenging events.

It provides a more accurate measure of the physical abilities a soldier needs in combat compared to the older Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT).

The Components of ACFT

The ACFT consists of six events:

Three-Repetition Maximum Deadlift – Test your lower body strength and grip.
Standing Power Throw – Measures explosive power by having you throw a 10-pound ball.
Hand-Release Push-Up – Focuses on upper body strength and endurance.
Sprint-Drag-Carry – Tests your speed, agility, and cardio fitness.
Leg Tuck – Requires core strength and upper body strength.
Two-Mile Run – Assesses your cardiovascular endurance.

Each event challenges different muscle groups, making it a comprehensive test of physical fitness.

ACFT vs. APFT

The APFT included push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run.

It was simpler but less comprehensive.

In contrast, the ACFT includes varied events to better evaluate the physical readiness needed in combat.

It tests not just endurance, but also strength, agility, and explosiveness.

The ACFT is designed to better mimic the physical tasks soldiers face while deployed.

This makes it a more relevant measure of combat readiness.

Scoring the ACFT

You can score each event on a 100-point scale.

The total possible score is 600 points.

Each event has a minimum passing score, with standards varying depending on sex and age.

A passing score ensures that you can perform necessary physical tasks.

Your overall score determines your performance level and can affect your rank and career progression.

Achieving a high score demonstrates excellent physical fitness, which is critical for both individual and unit readiness in the Army.

Pre-Workout Essentials

Before starting your ACFT workout plan, it’s important to focus on a proper warm-up and ensure you’re hydrated and fueled correctly.

These steps will help you perform at your best and prevent injuries.

Importance of Warm-Up

A good warm-up is essential.

It helps increase blood flow to your muscles and prepares your body for intense activity.

This is especially important in the military where physical readiness is key.

Start with dynamic stretches like leg swings, arm circles, and torso twists.

These exercises get your muscles ready without causing fatigue.

After stretching, engage in light cardio such as jogging or jumping jacks.

Aim for about 10 to 15 minutes of warm-up activities.

Focus on movements that mimic the exercises in your ACFT.

For example, if you’re prepping for the sprint-drag-carry, do some quick sprints or lateral shuffles.

This specific preparation helps your muscles adapt to the workout style and movements you’ll be doing.

Hydration and Nutrition

Staying hydrated is crucial for your performance.

Drink water regularly throughout the day, not just before your workout.

Aim for at least 8 cups of water each day, and more if you’re sweating a lot.

Dehydration can lead to fatigue and decreased performance.

In addition to water, your nutrition needs attention too.

Eat a balanced meal a few hours before your workout.

Focus on complex carbs for energy, lean proteins for muscle support, and healthy fats.

A meal might include oatmeal with fruits, a chicken sandwich, or a mixed greens salad with nuts.

If you need a quick energy boost before working out, opt for a light snack like a banana or a handful of nuts.

Avoid heavy meals right before exercise to prevent discomfort.

Proper hydration and nutrition not only boost your energy but also support recovery after your workout.

For more detailed workout plans and tips, check out the Effective ACFT Workout Plan without Equipment.

Bodyweight Exercises for Strength

Bodyweight exercises can effectively build strength and prepare you for the ACFT without any equipment.

These exercises target key muscle groups, enhancing your overall performance.

Upper Body Strength

To build upper body strength, focus on exercises that target your arms, chest, and shoulders.

Push-Ups: Essential for arm and chest strength. Perform different variations like diamond push-ups or wide-arm push-ups to engage different muscles.
Pull-Ups: If you have access to a bar, pull-ups are excellent for your back and biceps. If not, practice inverted rows using a sturdy surface.
Dips: Use a chair or a bench to do tricep dips, which help build shoulder and arm strength.

Core Stability

A strong core is crucial for maintaining balance and proper form during physical activities.

Planks: Hold a plank position to engage your abdominal muscles. Aim for at least 60 seconds.
Russian Twists: Sit on the ground, lean back slightly, and twist your torso to work on obliques.
Leg Raises: Lie on your back and lift your legs to target lower abdominal muscles. This helps with overall core stability and balance.

Lower Body Power

Building lower body strength is essential for movements like running and jumping.

Squats: Bodyweight squats are great for your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. Try jump squats to add an explosive element.
Lunges: Perform forward or reverse lunges to work on your thigh muscles. Lunges also improve balance and coordination.
Step-Ups: Use a sturdy surface to step up and down. This replicates the motion of climbing and helps build muscular endurance in your legs.

These exercises, specifically designed to target each muscle group, will help you excel in the ACFT, ensuring you are physically prepared for any demands in the field.

Functional Fitness Movements

Using functional fitness movements is key to preparing for military tasks without equipment.

Focus on exercises that mimic combat scenarios and build power and endurance to boost performance in events like the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT).

Mimicking Combat Movements

To get Combat Fit, practice movements that replicate real-life military actions. Bodyweight squats are great for building lower body strength, crucial for tasks like lifting heavy gear. Push-ups not only improve upper body strength but also prepare you for the repetitive motions often required during missions.

Planks strengthen your core, which is vital for stability and injury prevention.

To simulate dragging a heavy sled in the Sprint-Drag-Carry event, you can perform bear crawls.

These exercises target similar muscle groups, improving your ability to handle weighted drags during training.

Incorporating Plyometrics

Plyometric exercises, like box jumps and squat jumps, are valuable for developing explosive power.

These movements use your body’s weight to build strength and speed, critical for tasks requiring sudden bursts of energy.

For instance, box jumps can enhance your performance in the Standing Power Throw event.

Including jumping lunges and burpees also boosts your cardiovascular endurance and agility.

These exercises mimic the high-intensity bursts needed in combat situations.

By regularly training with plyometrics, you can significantly improve your overall speed and endurance, benefiting not just the ACFT but real-life strenuous activities.

Sticking to these tailored functional fitness movements ensures you build the right combination of strength, endurance, and agility, making you better prepared for the physical demands of military life.

Muscular Endurance and Conditioning

Building muscular endurance and conditioning is crucial for passing the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) without equipment.

You’ll need to focus on exercises that improve your strength and stamina while also learning effective recovery techniques.

Sustaining High-Intensity Efforts

To sustain high-intensity efforts, you should incorporate exercises like Hand-Release Push-Ups and Leg Tucks.

These exercises will boost your muscular endurance and help you perform better in test events.

Hand-Release Push-Ups are great for building upper body strength.

Start in a push-up position, lower your body to the ground, and lift your hands off the floor before pushing up again.

Leg Tucks target your core and upper body.

Hang from a pull-up bar, tuck your knees towards your chest, and then extend your legs back down.

Adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your routine can also be beneficial.

Perform short bursts of exercise followed by brief rest periods to keep your heart rate up and muscles working hard.

Long-Term Recovery Techniques

Recovery is just as important as the workout itself.

Use techniques like stretching, foam rolling, and adequate nutrition to help your muscles recover and grow stronger.

Stretching helps maintain flexibility and range of motion.

Spend at least 10 minutes after your workout stretching major muscle groups.

Foam rolling can relieve muscle tightness and improve blood flow.

Roll slowly over each muscle group, focusing on any tight or sore areas.

Nutrition plays a key role in recovery.

Eat a balanced diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to support muscle repair and growth.

By focusing on these recovery techniques, you can sustain your training regimen and improve your conditioning for the ACFT.

Cardiovascular Fitness

Improving cardiovascular fitness is essential for military readiness.

Focus on running, sprints, and non-impact cardio exercises to enhance your speed, endurance, and overall performance.

Here are detailed plans for each method.

Running and Sprints

Running, especially the 2-Mile Run, is a core part of the ACFT.

To improve, you should incorporate both long-distance runs and short sprints in your routine.

Long-Distance Runs:

Goal: Build endurance and stamina.
Schedule: Run 3-4 times a week.
Tips: Aim for a steady pace that you can maintain throughout the run.

Sprints:

Goal: Increase speed and agility.
Types: Shuttle runs and hill sprints.
Reps: Perform sets of 5-10 sprints.
Rest: Take short breaks between each sprint.

Non-Impact Cardio Alternatives

Non-impact cardio exercises are ideal if you’re recovering from an injury or need to avoid joint stress.

These activities can help maintain your cardio fitness without the impact.

Burpees:

Goal: Full-body workout with cardio benefits.
Frequency: 3-4 times a week.
Reps: Start with sets of 10 and increase as your fitness improves.

Jumping Jacks:

Goal: Simple exercise to raise your heart rate.
Frequency: Daily, for 5-10 minutes.
Reps: Do as many as you can in each set.

Mountain Climbers:

Goal: Combine cardio with core strengthening.
Frequency: 3-4 times a week.
Duration: Perform for 30 seconds to 1 minute per set.

Include these exercises in your routine to stay combat-ready and maintain high levels of cardiovascular fitness.

ACFT-Specific Training

To excel in the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) without equipment, focus on improving key areas like deadlift proficiency, power throw mastery, drag techniques, leg tuck form, and run conditioning.

Each of these areas requires specific exercises and techniques.

Deadlift Proficiency

Improving your deadlift is crucial for the ACFT as it tests your lower body strength.

You can work on this without equipment by incorporating bodyweight exercises like squats and lunges.

For a more targeted approach:

Air Squats: Perform squats without weights. Keep your back straight and go as low as possible.
Single-Leg Squats: These help in building balance and strength.

Concentrate on keeping your form precise to avoid injuries and maximize muscle engagement.

Mastering the Power Throw

The Standing Power Throw assesses your explosive power.

To master this without equipment, focus on exercises that build upper body strength and improve your throwing capability.

Effective exercises include:

Plyometric Push-Ups: Push yourself up explosively and clap between push-ups.
Medicine Ball Simulation: Use any weighted object to mimic the throwing motion.

Practicing these can enhance your power and coordination, helping you achieve better results in the power throw.

Perfecting the Drag

The Sprint-Drag-Carry event tests your agility and strength.

Even without equipment, you can create a solid training routine.

Try the following:

Bear Crawls: Crawl on all fours, mimicking the drag motion.
Sprints: Run short distances at maximum speed to build sprint stamina.

Mix these with brief rests to simulate the event’s challenge and boost your overall conditioning.

Leg Tuck Tactics

Leg Tucks are pivotal in evaluating your core and upper body strength.

Without pull-up bars, you can still prepare effectively.

Here’s how:

Hanging Leg Raises: If you have access to anything you can hang from, practice lifting your knees to your chest.
Planks and Side Planks: Strengthen your core, which is essential for leg tucks.

These exercises can enhance your form and endurance for the leg tuck event.

Conditioning for the 2-Mile Run

The two-mile run measures your cardiovascular endurance.

To get in shape without a gym, focus on a mixture of running techniques and interval training.

Key strategies:

Interval Training: Alternate between sprinting and walking (e.g., 1 minute sprint, 2 minutes walk).
Long Runs: Gradually increase your distance to build stamina.

Consistency is key, and varying your running workouts will help improve your speed and endurance.

Sticking to these focused training methods can significantly improve your performance in the ACFT, ensuring you’re ready for the challenges it presents.

Recovery Strategies

Recovery is essential to any fitness plan, especially when preparing for the ACFT.

Focusing on active recovery and designated rest days will help you avoid injuries and keep your performance high.

Active Recovery

Active recovery involves performing low-intensity activities that promote muscle repair and reduce fatigue.

For example, light jogging or brisk walking can improve blood circulation without causing strain.

Stretching is also crucial.

Incorporate dynamic stretches like leg swings and arm circles.

These help maintain flexibility and reduce soreness.

Foam rolling can ease muscle tightness, especially after strength exercises.

Yoga can be valuable, too.

It not only enhances flexibility but also promotes relaxation, which aids in muscle recovery.

Aim for sessions of 10-20 minutes on your off days.

Rest Days

Rest days are when you give your body a complete break from strenuous activities.

These days are as vital as your training days.

Your muscles need time to repair and grow stronger.

During rest days, make sure you hydrate well.

Water plays a key role in muscle recovery and overall health.

Eating protein-rich foods helps repair muscle tissues.

Chicken, eggs, and beans are good options.

Sleep is another important aspect.

Aim for at least 7-8 hours per night.

Quality sleep can significantly improve your physical and mental readiness.

Implementing both active recovery and rest days ensures optimal performance and readiness for the ACFT.

Designing Your Workout Routine

When creating an ACFT workout plan without equipment, it’s essential to focus on exercises that target key muscle groups and fit a busy schedule.

You should aim to balance strength training, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility exercises throughout the week.

Weekly Schedule

A structured weekly schedule helps you stay consistent and cover all areas needed for the ACFT.

Here’s an example:

Day	Focus	Exercises
Monday	Lower Body	Bodyweight squats, lunges, glute bridges
Tuesday	Upper Body	Push-ups, planks, tricep dips
Wednesday	Cardiovascular	Running, sprint intervals, high knees
Thursday	Core	Sit-ups, Russian twists, leg raises
Friday	Full Body Circuit	Combination of all muscle groups with exercises like burpees, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks
Saturday	Flexibility/Recovery	Yoga, stretching, light walking
Sunday	Rest	Rest day to allow muscle recovery

Using this schedule, you’ll hit all major muscle groups and work on your cardiovascular fitness, essential for the ACFT.

Adjust the plan based on your progress and personal needs.

Modifying Workouts for Progress

As you get stronger, you should modify your workouts to keep challenging yourself.

This can be done by changing the number of sets and reps, adjusting the intensity, or incorporating new exercises.

Increase Sets and Reps: Start with basic sets and reps, like 3 sets of 10 reps.

Gradually increase to 5 sets of 15 reps as you improve.

Intensity Adjustment: Add elements like tempo changes (slow down your reps) or incorporate plyometric exercises (jump squats, clap push-ups) to boost intensity.

Incorporating New Exercises: Keep workouts fresh by adding new bodyweight exercises.

For instance, switch lunges for Bulgarian split squats or standard push-ups for diamond push-ups.

By continuously adapting your workout, you ensure continuous muscle growth and improvement, essential for passing the ACFT.

Tracking Progress and Adjustments

Regularly tracking your performance is essential to staying on course with your ACFT goals.

Assessing your progress and making necessary adjustments can help you build muscular strength and improve endurance.

Assessment Metrics

To see how far you’ve come, use specific metrics to track progress.

For example, note the time it takes to complete exercises like push-ups and squats.

Keep a log of the number of repetitions you can do and how long you can hold a plank.

You should also consider tracking your recovery times between sets.

Shorter recovery times can mean improved endurance.

Use a notebook or an app to record this data consistently.

By keeping detailed records, you can more effectively identify areas that need improvement and celebrate small victories along the way.

Adapting to Performance Plateaus

Hitting a plateau in your training can be frustrating, but it’s a common experience.

To move past a plateau, try changing up your workouts.

This could involve increasing the number of repetitions or sets, or changing the type of exercises you are doing.

For example, if you’re finding push-ups too easy, try adding variations like diamond push-ups.

Increase the intensity by decreasing rest periods between exercises.

Another way to break through performance plateaus is by incorporating different types of workouts, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or circuit training.

By continually adjusting your workouts, you challenge different muscle groups and prevent your body from getting too used to a specific routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Preparing for the ACFT at home without any equipment involves using bodyweight exercises.

These exercises help build strength, power, and endurance needed for the test.

What exercises can I do to boost my ACFT score at home?

You can perform bodyweight squats, lunges, push-ups, and sit-ups.

These exercises target key muscle groups needed for the ACFT.

Additionally, you can do planks and burpees for full-body conditioning.

How do you train for the ACFT without any gear?

Focus on bodyweight exercises and use intense interval training to build endurance.

You can do push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges.

Try to mimic the ACFT events as closely as possible but without the gear.

What’s the best plan to prep for the ACFT if I don’t own any equipment?

Create a balanced routine that includes exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups, and squats.

Schedule these exercises at regular intervals throughout your week.

Consistency is key.

Can you suggest a no-equipment workout routine to help pass the ACFT?

You can start with a routine like this: 3 sets of 15-20 push-ups, 3 sets of 20 squats, 3 sets of 15 lunges per leg, and 3 sets of 1-minute planks.

Add running or sprinting to build cardiovascular fitness.

How much time should I dedicate to ACFT training if I’m doing it equipment-free?

Try to spend at least 30 minutes to an hour a day on your ACFT exercises.

Split your workouts into different sessions focusing on strength, endurance, and mobility to cover all the requirements of the test.

What’s the least amount of time I need to hold a plank to meet the Army ACFT standards?

For the ACFT, you need to be able to hold a plank for a minimum of 2 minutes.

Practicing regularly can help you reach and maintain this standard.

Keep challenging yourself to hold for longer periods to improve your core strength.