New Army fitness test announced: Here's what soldiers must complete

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Army announced an overhaul of its physical fitness test that soldiers must complete in an effort to improve their health and strength, as well as wartime readiness and the "lethality of the force."

The new Army Fitness Test (AFT), announced on Monday to replace the former Amy Combat Fitness Test, also includes gender-neutral standards for soldiers in 21 combat roles.

Here’s what to know:

New Army Fitness Test announced

What we know:

There are five parts to the new fitness test, the Army said. It consists of a three-repetition maximum deadlift, hand-release push-up army extension, sprint-drag-carry, plank, and a two-mile run.

The AFT has gender-neutral scoring for soldiers in 21 combat-focused military roles, it said. 

Those serving in combat roles must achieve a minimum of 60 points per event and an overall minimum score of 350.

The new fitness test no longer includes the Standing Power Throw, which is an event requiring soldiers to hurl a 10-pound medicine ball backward over their heads and often referred to as the "yeet," according to Military.com. The outlet reported that the event was often ridiculed by service members who viewed it as an "outlier that emphasizes technique over strength or endurance."

FILE - US Army soldiers stand in formation next to a US flag and a US Army armored vehicle on Sept. 26, 2023. (Photo by NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV/AFP via Getty Images)

Expand

Timeline:

The new fitness test will be implemented in phases starting on June 1, 2025, the Army said. The new scoring standards for active soldiers in 21 combat military occupational specialties (MOSs) will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, and on June 1, 2026, for the Reserve and National Guard.

The Army said "implementation guidance and associated execution orders" would be released next month. 

What they're saying:

"The change reflects the Army’s continued focus on building a physically ready force capable of meeting operational demands in austere environments," the Army said in a statement.

Gender-neutral fitness standards for combat jobs

Big picture view:

The U.S. military has long had what is largely a two-part system for physical fitness standards:

-Routine annual fitness tests with different requirements based on gender and age.

-More grueling standards for specific combat, special operations, infantry, armor, pararescue jumpers and other jobs that are the same for everyone in that occupation, and are not adjusted for age or gender.

In March, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the military across all branches to make fitness standards for combat jobs gender-neutral, formalizing a process that existed for many of those jobs already.

In a memo, he told leaders of the military services to distinguish which jobs are considered combat arms — such as special operations or infantry, and require "heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness" — and which are not.

"We need to have the same standard, male or female, in our combat roles," Hegseth said in a video posted on X in March. "Soon we'll have nothing but the highest and equal standards for men and women in combat."

Hegseth, an Army veteran who rose to the rank of major and served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, has emphasized the need for uniform and more stringent fitness standards for male and female soldiers in combat roles. Prior to taking on the Pentagon job, Hegseth spoke about his opposition to women in combat jobs and his belief that standards were lowered to accommodate women.

The March memo said all physical fitness requirements for those combat arms positions must be gender-neutral, "based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary."