ACFT Training 101
A Guide to the 3RM Deadlift, Standing Power Throw, and Plank.
Estimated Read Time: ~ 20 minutes (Skip to the “3RM Deadlift” heading to start reading the ACFT tips)
What makes for a good athlete? I suppose the criteria depends on who’s on the other side of the question, as world strongman champions, like Brian Shaw and Eddie Hall, would likely propose an image entirely foreign to CrossFit athletes, like Mat Fraser, or ultra-endurance athletes, like Courtney Dauwalter. Similarly, although they all display undisputable athleticism, it’s safe to say that Peter Attia’s training program for his Centenarian Olympics differs at least slightly from that which Ross Edgley used to swim all the way around Great Britain and that which David Goggins followed to break the pull-up world record. In this way, the concept of athleticism mirrors that of the evolutionary idea of fitness, in that the degree to which a given trait is advantageous in the eyes of natural selection is also entirely dependent on the environment that makes up the playing field. So, what does athleticism look like on the playing field of soldiers? What makes a good athlete when the court varies from one operation to the next – alternating between urban streets, arid desserts, and untamed jungle lands – when gunfire relaces the boisterous bellows of cheering fans, and when the scoreboard counts casualties claimed?
The U.S. Army has contemplated these types of questions for ages, dating back to their implementation of the first-ever PT test at the U.S. Military Academy in 1858. Up until recent years, the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) – consisting of 2-minutes of push-ups, 2-minutes of sit-ups, and a 2-mile run – was the Army’s assessment of choice; however, in an attempt to broaden and modernize the APFT, they devised a new physical fitness test that incorporates not only endurance-based events, but events requiring power, strength, and speed as well: The Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). If you are a soldier, then you may be frustrated because – similar to the athletes mentioned above – you have likely designed your personal training to prepare you for the specific demands of the APFT and may find yourself at a loss of ACFT points as a result. In addition, when taking the novel ACFT, you may find yourself lacking the technical strategies – such as adjusting your hand width during your push-ups or yeeting your body into the ground when doing your sit-ups – that helped you game your APFT score in the past. For these reasons, I present to you some of my best ACFT tips and tricks to aid you in your journey to PT-studness and that legendary 600. Although the ACFT consists of a total of 6 events, I will only be covering a few of them below for sake of concision – stay tuned for Part II, where I’ll share some tips on performing well in the second half of the events. Now, even if you’re not a soldier, the information below likely still applies to you and your training in one way or another, as much of it is based on some of the first principles of strength and conditioning. Without further ado, here’s ACFT Training 101 Part I: A Guide to the 3RM Deadlift, the Standing Power Throw, and the Plank.
3RM Deadlift
In my opinion, considering its notoriety for inducing back injuries, the deadlift is the most important event for soldiers to practice in preparation for the ACFT. This may seem counterintuitive, as you might think that deadlifting more often will only make you more likely to throw out your back; however, I argue that, with proper technique and intelligent programming, deadlifting on a weekly basis will do the exact opposite, as it will make you more comfortable with the movement and lower your risk of injury on test day. In this regard, check out the clips and tips below to improve your deadlift form and better program deadlifting into your training.
Deadlift Technique
Key Concepts:
Set up with the middle of your foot in line with the weights on the bar, and grip the center of the handles.
Achieve a neutral spine and pelvis by squeezing your glutes and pulling your shoulders back.
Expand your diaphragm and other core muscles by inhaling into your abdomen, pushing your tongue into the roof of your mouth, and exhaling powerfully.
Utilize your lats and upper back muscles to lock yourself into place at the bottom of the pull. Here are two good cues for this: 1. Pull the slack out of the bar as if you were about to perform a row; 2. Grip the bar tightly and twist your hands as if you were trying to bend the bar.
The Conjugate Method
The Max Effort Method
Key Concept
Lifting near-maximal weights (i.e. 90-97% of your 1 rep max) trains your central nervous system to activate more muscle fibers and produce more force; additionally, lifting near-maximal weights develops your technique and comfort with heavier loads.
Example Training Session
Warm-up: 3 rounds of 10-20 reps of back extensions, jump squats, lat pull-downs, and a 15-second plank (maximally squeezing your core) to prime the muscles you will use while deadlifting.
Work-up: 1 set of 10 reps with the bare bar, 1 set of 10-15 reps with 50% of your 1RM, 1 set of 5-10 reps with 75% of your max, 1 set of 1-3 reps with ~85% of your 1 rep max.
Working Sets: 3-5 sets of 1-2 reps with 90-97% of your 1RM. (I recommend using single rep sets for most of your max effort training, as this mitigates the injuries that could result from fatigue and improper form when doing double and triple rep sets; however, I do recommend working in some triple rep sets periodically to practice the specific demands you’ll face on test day)
The Dynamic Effort Method
Key Concept
Lifting sub-maximal weights (i.e. 50-70%) with maximal effort trains your central nervous system similar to the max effort method but without actually taxing your body with the heavy loads. This type of training also increases the speed at which you reach your maximal force production, allowing you to spend less time battling the weight when lifting heavier loads.
Example Training Session
Warm-up: Same as your max effort day.
Work-up: 1 set of 10 reps with the bare bar, 1 set of 10-15 reps with 50% of your 1RM, 1 set of 5-10 reps with ~60% of your max, 1 set of 1-3 reps with ~70% of your 1 rep max.
Working Sets: 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps with 50-70% of your 1RM. Although you are using weights far below your 1RM, you should conduct each lift with the same amount of effort you would use on a 1RM (think, “throwing the bar through the ceiling,” or, “maximal bar speed,”)
The Repetition Method
Key Concept
Lifting lighter weights at higher repetition ranges (i.e. 10-50 reps per set) with more time under tension stimulates hypertrophy (muscle growth) and elevates your peak strength potential. This method also induces tension on and increases blood flow to your tendons and ligaments, strengthening them in preparation for lifting heavier loads.
Example Training Session
Warm-up: Same as your max effort day.
Circuit 1: 1 set of 20-30 reps of hamstring curls, quad extensions, and dumbbell rows ; 3 sets of 10 reps of hamstring curls, quad extensions, and dumbbell rows with a 5:1:5 tempo (5-second contraction, 1-second pause at the peak of the movement, 5-second relaxation).
Circuit 2: 1 set of 10-15 pull-ups (use bands or pull-up machines if needed), 1 set of 20-30 reps on the back extension machine, 1 fifty-meter suitcase carry; 3 sets of pull-ups to failure (go until you can go no more), 10-20 reps on the back extension machine, and a fifty-meter suitcase carry.
Additional Conjugate Principles
Consistently rotate exercises to avoid plateaus and constantly provide new stimuli to your body. For example, if you have used a hex-bar deadlift for a few weeks, switch to a conventional, straight-bar deadlift for the next few weeks. Although you will lose a little bit of specificity, your plateau avoidance and the benefits of the novel stimuli will make up for it.
Utilize block and deficit pulls to train your strength in specific portions of the lifting movement – specifically the portions in which you are the weakest (i.e. the part where you meet your sticking point).
Target weak muscle groups and imbalances that are the rate-limiting steps in your lift. For example, if your quads are disproportionately stronger than your back and hamstrings focus your accessory exercises more heavily on those weaker muscle groups.
Standing Power Throw
If any ACFT event were to be the demise of PT studs from coast to coast, it would be the infamous standing power throw (SPT). I speak from personal experience when I say it's quite annoying to achieve top scores in all other events but see your overall score drop by 30+ points due to your wimpy SPT. Fortunately for us, despite posing one of the biggest curveballs amongst the events, I find that the SPT’s inherent technical nature also poses an opportunity for a large swing in points as a result of a disproportionately small amount of work. Here are some of the adjustments that helped me jump from a 9-meter toss on a good day to a near-max 11-meter toss in a matter of minutes.
SPT Technique Tutorial
Cup the ball with your hands on the bottom rather than holding it by its sides.
Utilize a few squats/hip-hinges to prime your posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, back, etc.) prior to throwing the ball, then explode upwards in a jump and yeet your body backward when throwing.
MOST IMPORTANT: In my experience, most people release the ball too late and too low on their throws, so make sure to aim high and give the ball enough arc to realize your power. In order to square away your angle of release, take videos of yourself or get a partner to watch you and critique your form. This simple tip of adding arc to my throw took me from an 8.5 -meter first attempt to an 11-meter personal record on my last ACFT.
Exercises
Box jumps: DO NOT train for the SPT by doing multiple consecutive jumps on a low box, as this will develop your cardio instead of your explosiveness; instead, do sets of 1 jump on boxes near the height of your max, and rest enough between each set to fully recover (to simulate the SPT event, you can also try conducting 3 separate jumps each round with 5-10 seconds of rest in between those jumps). If you don’t have a box to jump on, simply jump as high as you can into the air. Will you look like a fool? Probably. Will your SPT improve? Probably.
Utilize both the dynamic and max effort methods from above with lower-body compound movements, such as squats, deadlifts, and hang cleans, to develop your force production.
Plank
Since the vomit-invoking sensations following the Sprint-Drag-Carry event weren’t enough, the Army recently decided to remove the leg-tuck event, making the plank event mandatory for all soldiers taking the ACFT. Although many of the other events offer an advantage to strong and powerful meatheads, the newly mandated plank may present a problem for those heavier, gym-bro soldiers. If hearing the news of the plank mandate turned your hands a little clammy, or if you’re gearing up for beach season, be sure to try out my advice below for training your core, abs, and mental endurance.
Techniques
Meditate and Freeze: From what I’ve seen, most people do not drop from the plank because they can no longer support their weight but because they can no longer stand the discomfort of doing so. Although they are far-fetched and seemingly unrelated, I have two effective strategies for training the mental aspect of the plank: meditation and cold exposure. Firstly, practice meditating because learning how to selectively focus on your breath and thoughts will allow you to escape the burning cramps in your abs and legs during the plank. Sam Harris’ Waking Up is my favorite resource for meditation, and you can sign up for a free trial at his website. Secondly, start taking cold showers/baths to develop a better relationship with discomfort – if you can control your breathing and withstand freezing cold water, you can remain calm and endure a max plank. I typically use the coldest water my shower will give me for about 5 minutes and 30 seconds followed by a gradual increase in temperature until the water is warm.
Exercises
I’ve been doing core exercises since I started pop-warner football in 5th grade, and few things have developed my core endurance as much as the typical gym-girl abs routine – I learned the hard way when my sister first challenged me to join her for her circuit. It’s quite simple: conduct a set of ab exercises for 1-minute each with no rest between exercises (i.e. 1 minute of crunches directly followed by 1-minute plank directly followed by…) When first starting, I did 5-minutes straight and worked up to 10-15 minutes total. If you find yourself unable to continue doing the exercise at hand with good form, take a 5-second break with the clock still running and continue when ready. Here are some of my favorite exercises for this type of circuit: plank, side-plank, flutter kicks, 6-inch hold (lie on your back with your legs straight and lift your feet 6 inches off of the floor), ice cream scoops, and leg lifts.