Weigh in on the Proposed Army Physical Readiness Test (pun intended)!

The proposed 6-event test is as follows (must be done in order)...

1)  Long Jump  (best of 2 jumps)

2)  Power Squat  (how many squats you can do in 1 minute--bodyweight (i.e., no weight))

3)  Heel Hook  (how many times you can go from an hanging position to a legs scissor-hooked over a bar in 1 minute)

4)  Shuttle Run  (Dash 25 yards, pivot, return, pivot...repeat 3 times (total = 150 yards))

5)  Push-Ups  (As many as you can in 1 minute)

6)  1 Mile Run  (as fast as you can)

My Take:

Long Jump is a good test of general explosiveness and more real-world than a vertical jump test.

Power Squat is a good (albeit poorly named) test.  A test for lower body strength has been lacking.

Heel Hook...hmmm.  A little more real-world than pull-ups but wonder how this test can be administered and measured effectively.

Shuttle Run is a good test of anaerobic endurance and a good addition.

Pushups are an old standard but why lower the time limit...trying to make it a pace/power test?

1-mile run is too short.  The best observed correlations between running and VO(2) max are runs between 1.5 to 2.0 miles or 12 to 15 minutes.  They should increase the distance to 1.5 miles.

Missing...good or bad?

Situps/Crunches correlate poorly with trunk stabilization tests but inadequate strength in this area will diminish the heel hook scores.  Perhaps ab routines will still exist but will not be tested.

Ruck March is a missing event because marching with a load should be a core competency and is different than running (pace and strength in the form of stride length are more important).  How about a 5km march with a 25-45lb load.  That would equate to a 45-75 minute event (4mph+ to 2.5mph).

Handgrip Strength is a missing event.  Handgrip strength is becoming a mainstay in LEO fitness tests because it is usually the limiting factor in real-world strength (rather than chest or lats, etc.) and "practical" manipulations.

Should there be an "APFT" (Army Physical Fitness Test) *and* an "APRT" (Army Physical Readiness Test)?

Sound off!
James

I like the idea of change, but I think this is gonna be a mess(kinda like that whole black beret issue).

I don't mind the old test. Its simple, easy to administer, and I scoreed a 351 last time out.
I think the neccessity of having a pullup bar will be a logistical goatf**k.  I do like the 1-mile run idea.  I hate running long, makes it hard to keep muscle.  But, you are right that it is probably better for the general fitness of the masses to run at least 1.5 miles.  

I bet PT will remain mostly unchanged unfortunately.  I hate Army PT.  I look at it as a morning warmup before my real workout in the afternoon in the weight room.

The Army is changing/modernizing, that's good.  This particular change...I'm undecided as of yet.

The ONLY reason I would want to be around when this goes into effect is for the comedy of it all !!!  REMFs doing the shuttle run and heel hooks will be hilarious.

Seriously, I think it will be a better overall test of strength and explosiveness, but it lacks the endurance aspect of fitness.

One minute of pushups ?  Most of the pain is in the second minute, after your shoulders, back, stomach are getting tired.

1 mile run is not enough either...

It is going to take a lot of time to administer the new test, that may be the worst part.