Could you pass the Army's new physical fitness test?
In a significant shift, the new fitness standards will be the same for men and women, said Army officials.
The Army Fitness test is 'sex-neutral and age-normed,' and is 'designed to enhance soldier fitness, improve warfighting readiness, and increase the lethality of the force,' according to a news release.
In a Frequently Asked Questions section about the new test, the Army said it is moving to a sex-neutral scoring standard for combat military occupational specialties because 'higher fitness standards are strictly aligned with the unique physical demands of specific roles, maintaining readiness, and mission effectiveness.'
It noted that 'no administrative action will be taken regarding the AFT [Army Fitness Test] until January 1, 2026.'
The Army FAQ also refers to President Donald Trump 's executive order that states the federal government will only recognize two sexes — male and female — which campaigners say discriminates against transgender and non-binary people.
It comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has vowed to eliminate 'wokeness' from the Pentagon. 'No More Trans @ DoD,' Hegseth wrote in a post on X earlier this month.
The Supreme Court has cleared the path for the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender people from serving in the military. Transgender active service members can 'separate voluntarily' until June 6 and could be eligible for voluntary separation pay. The deadline is July 7 for reserve members.
Some transgender service members are challenging the policy in the courts by arguing that the new policy is a violation of their constitutional rights and is discriminatory.
What's in the new Army Fitness Test?
Dr. Jason Perry, a Florida primary care sports medicine physician with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care, told Fox News that the challenge is 'not impossible for the average person with a basic fitness foundation.'
'Generally speaking, the AFT is challenging,' he said. 'But [it's] not impossible for the average person with a basic fitness foundation. It's designed to test full-body strength, muscular endurance, speed, agility and cardiovascular stamina — all elements essential for combat readiness, but also relevant to functional fitness for civilians.'
There are five exercises in the test: Three-repetition maximum deadlifts, hand-release push-ups with arm extensions, a sprint-drag-carry exercise, holding the plank position, and finally, a two-mile run.
In the first exercise, soldiers are required to deadlift the maximum weight possible three times, using a 60-pound hex bar and plates.
Then, they must complete as many hand-release push-ups as possible in two minutes, completely lowering the body to the ground and extending the arms to the side before starting the next push-up.
For the sprint-drag-carry exercise, they must perform 5 x 50-meter shuttles as quickly as possible with a 2 x 40-pound kettlebell and a 90-pound sled.
Soldiers must then hold the plank position for as long as possible to assess muscular endurance, before finishing off with a two-mile run on a 'generally flat outdoor course.'
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